19 February 2025
PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
Dear families,
MEET THE TEACHER
It was great to see so many families at our Meet the Teacher evening. We hope this gave you a good sense of what your child will be learning at school this year. If you didn’t make it, please drop in to see your child’s teacher and introduce yourself or send them an email to say hello. Strong partnerships between home and school make a world of difference for a child’s education.
PARENT INFORMATION SESSION – READING AND WRITING
Today (Thursday), Mrs Mullins, Mrs Finlay and Miss Kim are hosting a reading and writing information session for parents on from 5-6pm. This will be held in Room 16 and will give parents ideas about how they can support their child’s learning and progress.
NAPLAN
The National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy occurs in Term 1 each year and all Australian students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit tests in reading, writing, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation), and numeracy. Good school attendance and engagement in learning supports students with the essential skills required to progress and achieve in their learning. The NAPLAN tests are one way for them to demonstrate how well they are learning. The tests take place across a two-week period in March. Please ensure that your child is at school every day on time and has either had breakfast at home or is here early enough to access our school breakfast program (which starts at 8am). A good breakfast provides essential fuel for brains, bodies and learning.
ATTENDANCE INCENTIVE
It’s been great to see strong and improved attendance as the term has commenced. Remember that the Department of Education and Training has secured family passes (two adults, two children) to the Melbourne Demons versus Saint Kilda AFL match at Traeger Park on Sunday 1 June 2025. Make sure your child attends school every day (when they are well) so they are in the running!
HARMONY DAY
We have such wonderful and growing diversity in our school community, and we’d love to hear from any families who might like to share aspects of their culture at our Harmony Day assembly on 28th March after our Big Family Breakfast. Give me a call, drop in, or email to discuss possibilities. I look forward to hearing from families!
SCHOOL COUNCIL AGM - A CHANGE OF DATE
The Larapinta School Council Annual General Meeting will now be held on Tuesday 25th March at 5.30pm in Room 16 (please note change of date). All parents are invited to attend to hear about the year that was (2024), how we are travelling financially, and to elect new Council members. Our school council meets once a month on the third Monday at 5.15pm. We have ten parent members on Council each year who are elected by parents at the AGM. If you are interested in being on our Council, please phone, call in or email to let me know and we will put you down as a nomination. As mentioned, elections are held as part of the AGM. School Council is a great way to be more involved in the school.
Kind regards,
Brenda
SPOTLIGHT ON LEARNING - MRS. MULLINS
When teaching children how to read and write, it's important to use methods that are supported by research to help them succeed.
One evidence-based approach to teaching reading is phonics, which helps them understand the relationship between letters and sounds. For example, teaching them that the letter "B" makes the "buh" sound helps them start to decode words. At Larapinta, we use the Read, Write Inc. (RWI) program. Students begin with single letter sounds, moving to digraphs (two letter making one sound e.g. ai or ou) and trigraphs (three letters making one sound e.g igh). Once they learn these sounds, they can start to decode words in texts. Generally, students have finished the RWI program by the end of Year 2. If your child is still learning these sounds, it is important that you are practising at home to help them consolidate the learning they are doing at school. Please talk to your child’s teacher about the sounds they are ‘stuck’ on.
Once students know the sounds and can decode words, they are more likely to be able to encode (or write) them using this knowledge. Writing is a tricky skill to learn and requires daily practice at school and at home. When children are learning, they need to think about how many phonemes (sound chunks) there are in words (e.g. C-A-T has three and so does S-IGH-T). You can help by encouraging them to keep a diary, write a shopping list, or write letters or cards to family members. Remember, we only use capital letters at the beginning of a sentence or for a proper noun.
Other ways to support learning at home, such as playing word games or drawing pictures with words, can help to make things fun while building skills. If you are keen to learn more, please come along to our parent information session on Thursday evening at 5pm.
A crucial step is to encourage children by celebrating their progress and helping them feel confident. By using these research-backed strategies, children will develop the skills they need to become strong readers and writers!
Until next time,
Jackie
SCHOOL SNAPSHOT
DATE & TIME | ACTIVITY |
27th Feb | Read Write Inc parent information session 5-6pm in Room 16 |
25th March | School Council AGM 5.30-6pm |
28th March | Harmony Day Breakfast and Assembly |
2nd April | Student-led conferences |
Parent Contribution
The Larapinta School Council has set the parent contribution for Primary School students at $110 per year or $55.00 per semester, and for Preschool students, the contribution is $200 per year or $50.00 per ten-week term.
The parent contribution payment is designated to the upkeep of playground equipment and spaces for the enjoyment of all students.
PRESCHOOL NEWS
Werte from preschool
We have reached Week 4 already! The children have really settled into the routines of preschool, and we are starting to see some new friendships form and the children’s individual interests and personalities emerge as they build on their confidence to learn and explore their space.
Both classes are working on supporting the children to name their feelings and are providing strategies to support positive turn taking and sharing within the classroom space. Visuals, social stories and modelling are a few strategies we are trying as well as using sand timers/countdown clocks. It would be great if you could follow up with this at home through discussions with your child.
The cool change has brought such great relief, and we have been able to explore the outside space freely. We have started to set up more activities for the children to engage with including water play, the obstacle course, sensory play and art such as chalk drawing/water painting.
Please remember that drop off and pick up times are as follows:
Unit 1 (Miss Julia’s class): 8am – 3:30pm
Unit 2 (Miss Katie’s class): 8am – 11:45am
Please be prompt in picking up by the designated times and call if you are going to be late 😊
If your child is going to be away, please call the preschool or leave a message with the primary school so we can mark them accordingly on the roll. If your child is sick, please keep them at home to stop the spread of germs through the preschool.
CHILD AND FAMILY CENTRE (CFC)
Our vision is that every child has the best possible start to life.
Children and families are at the centre of all we do.
We live and work on Arrernte Country.
Werte!
Self-Care and Sisterhood
The CFC has partnered with Tangentyere and CAAFLU to offer six empowering Self-Care and Sisterhood sessions. These gatherings provide a supportive space for mums to come together, learn, and share insights on fostering healthy relationships, addressing challenges, staying safe, and supporting one another. To date, we've held two successful sessions, where mums have had the chance to connect, share experiences, and develop practical strategies to strengthen and nurture positive relationships. We look forward to continuing this important work and creating more opportunities for growth, connection, and empowerment.
Excursion
Last Friday, FaFT went on an excursion to the library, where parents and children had the chance to explore the world of books together. The morning was filled with engaging reading activities, both as a group and individually. At the CFC, we place a strong emphasis on conversational reading, an approach that plays a vital role in early childhood development. This interactive style of reading promotes language development, helping children to expand their vocabulary and deepen their understanding of the world around them. It was a fantastic opportunity for families to connect with each other and nurture a love of reading that will support lifelong learning.
FaFT
Over the past few weeks, our families have been actively engaging in meaningful learning experiences with their children, creating valuable moments of growth and connection. Many of our little ones are forming new friendships and discovering the joys of social interaction, as they practice important skills such as turn-taking, sharing, and cooperative play. These foundational social skills are key to early childhood development, helping to shape emotional and cognitive growth. Learning can be tiring for our little ones so sometimes they need a nap to recharge.
Kele Mwerre!
COMMUNITY NEWS
Parent consent forms available at the school office.
Sport Voucher Scheme
Key Details:
Semester 1 (2025) opened on 1 January 2025
Applications close on 24 May 2025
Vouchers expire on 31 May 2025
Each eligible child gets two $100 vouchers per year
Open to children Transition to Year 12, including home-schooled students
Can be used for sport, recreation, swimming, and music lessons
How to Apply:
Parents and carers can apply online at 24/25 Sport Voucher Scheme (Parents/Carers) | Search | GrantsNT Administration
School Student Broadband Initiative extended!
The Australian Government’s School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI) provides eligible families with free home internet, and it has been extended until 30 June 2028. This means families can continue to sign up to access the initiative in 2025, until all available 30,000 places have been filled.
319 NT families have already been connected through the SSBI which aims to boost education opportunities and narrow the digital divide.
Pram Party
A pram party is a FREE fun bi-monthly program for new and stay-at-home parents. The program offers a free 45-minute beginner-friendly move and groove class, led by a facilitator from our local Bring a Plate Inclusive Dance Company crew. The class will be structured to move with your pram but you can have a baby carrier, your baby in arms or if they are walking and are safely supervised you can have both arms free! The exercises aim to be safe and enjoyable, including low-impact, cardio, and strength training all mixed into a routine!
HOW TO JOIN?
There will be a Pram Party held fortnightly on a Friday from April to October 2025 from 9am‑9:45am at Gosse Street Park, East Side.
No registrations needed. If the weather is looking gloomy, please keep an eye out on the ASTC Facebook or website for updates.
If you have any questions please email astc@astc.nt.gov.au or call 08 8950 0500.
