I am pleased to let our wonderful community know about some staffing for Term 4. We welcome Mel Granger back this term. For the remainder of the term she will be working with Laura in 3/4 C. Next term we have a new teacher coming to us – Oliver Fraid who will be teaching Wed – Fri on 3/4 C. Mel will then move to covering some of our specialist classes and we are excited about these new staffing arrangements.

I will be taking leave from Friday through to the end of the term. On a personal note, my son has made a State Soccer team and will be competing in Victoria. In my absence, Aaron Guilliamse will be Acting Principal and Ann-Marie Johnson will be Acting Assistant Principal.

Please always remember that if you have any concerns or questions regarding your child(ren) to see the class teacher first. They are well positioned to let you know what is happening for them. At times, conversations are required with Senior Staff as it may involve a greater number of students. My door is always open, so please feel free to contact the office to make an appointment to see me with questions. Phone and dropping in are other options. I prefer to know what your thoughts and concerns are so that we can work together to problem solve and develop appropriate strategies for you and your family. I am here to support you and your family.

I am looking forward to hearing about all the excursions that are taking place in the final part of this term. We have been so fortunate at Austins Ferry Primary that students are able to engage in such a variety of activities. This year we have had athletic carnivals, assemblies, a Japanese open classroom, Book Fair, Book Parade, Hurricanes Cricket program, excursions, incursions, Swim and Water Safety and so many more. I am positive that the students celebrate all their opportunities and I would like to thank staff for always working tirelessly to provide these opportunities for our students.

In 2A Riseley, we have been developing our number skills by finding a number of ways to make different numbers using hundreds, tens and ones. Students were asked to make '336' in two different ways using MAB blocks. They were able to swap out ones for tens, tens for ones and tens for a hundred. Students have also been practicing their number skills using UNO cards and game boards. 

On September 13, our class visited the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery alongside 1/2 Fox/Hughes and 1/2 Sandhu. We took some time to explore the museum and also had a tour guide support us through learning about our living land. Students particularly liked the Antarctic Gallery where they could put their hands on ice. I asked some students what their favourite part of the excursion was;

Ariah – "My favourite part was the ice and watching the 3D movie."

Mahaliah – "My favourite part was when we went to the basement where there was a koala."

Akacia – "My favourite part was seeing the little pig and putting my hand on the ice."

Leon – "My favourite part was the Tasmanian tigers."

In Week 5 and 6 of this term, our class participated in the Swimming and Water Safety Program. In the program, the students learned basic swimming skills, including how to open their eyes under water, how to float, and how to tread water. They also learned some important water safety skills, such as how to be safe around boats and how to help someone in the water. The students did a wonderful job and had lots of fun.

This term, our class is learning about Antarctica as part of our Inquiry. At the beginning of the Term 3, we had a scientist visit us from the Mawson’s Hut Foundation. They showed us how emperor penguins hold their eggs on their feet and the students had a go at doing this. The students also tried on some of the clothes that are worn in Antarctica. As part of our Inquiry, we are making an igloo out of used milk bottles. This also relates to what we have been learning about in sustainability. Thank you to the families that donated milk bottles. The igloo is almost finished!

This term in 5/6 Perry we are undertaking a series of investigations into Asia. Our investigations include how Australia interacts with Asia via trade, commodities and technology. We are looking at the various landmarks both man-made and natural as well as investigating the significance of the colours, symbols and arrangement of flags from Asian Countries. Students produced a copy of the flag and researched the meaning behind the composition of it. These investigation will form the basis of a research project into a particular Asian country, its culture and what connections these countries have to Australia.

ThinkUKnow Parent Session  

It was great that parents were able to attend our Online ThinkUKnow Session last Tuesday evening. This provided important information in relation to keeping your children safe in the online environment and supports available when needed. The important key message from the session was about your reaction if your child inadvertently became a target of a predator online as well as signs to look out for that may indicate this has happened. The message is to positively support your child remembering that they are a victim and need support and assistance. 

Aim to always have conversations with your child ensuring that they feel comfortable talking to you about things they are uncertain about, or things people have said to them online.  

Were you aware that the average age of an online gamer is 36, and there is an even male/female 50/50 split of online gamers. 

I have included some key messages for students about Cyber Safety, from the sessions they have or will be attending, that you should be aware of for your child and even yourself:  

Staying Safe ~   

• Usernames: Use a username that does not overshare personal information about yourself, i.e. using your real name and birthyear, e.g. BarneyRubble2010 gives people your name and age. Also don’t include your actual photo as your profile picture.  
• Passwords: Make sure you use a strong password – or better still a passphrase, e.g. richmond is a weak password, whereas RichmondPremiers2020 is a passphrase and much stronger. Students should never share their password with anyone (except their parents if required).  
• Keep accounts private so only people you trust can access them.  
• Do not chat to people you don’t know online, ask yourself, “Would mum or dad be happy with me talking to this person?” This includes in online games. If someone keeps trying to chat with you, know how to block them. Never reveal personal information about yourself in online games.  
• Shared content is there forever. Always think before you send, think about who it is getting sent to: ALWAYS ask yourself: Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary?  
• Photos: be careful with photos shared online. What do they reveal about you: School logo (provides location and indication of age)? Name of park where you are playing? Remember to never share photos of other people online unless you have their permission to do so, also their permission to tag them.  
• Reminder popularity is not about having the most friends. Trying to have lots of friends means you probably accept requests from unknown people. Many people make fake profiles pretending to be someone they are not using fake images. A question to ask – Do you know all of your online friends? Can you justify to your parents who they are and why they are your friends? Is your online friend, Christiano Ronaldo, really that person?   
• If an unknown person online offers you a gift the answer has to be NO. The person then needs to be reported and blocked from your account. NEVER agree to meet in real life.  

Cyberbullying ~    

• The important message is that if your parents have provided you with a device then you are accountable for what you do with it and you own the consequences.  
• Cyberbullying (along with any type of bullying) is upsetting and harmful and can have long term effects on people. It is never okay even if you think you are joking or if someone else did it top you first.  
• BE an UPSTANDER. Don’t become a part of unkind online activity.  
• If anything happens online that causes you to be upset, talk to someone. Your parents are a great place to start. Your teacher can help, the police can help so can Kids’ Helpline.  

It was interesting to note the marketing that goes on behind the games that children play online. We have noticed that there are a number of toys coming into school, known as ‘Rainbow Friends’. I must admit, I did not know anything about these until our session with Kellie. These are from a game that is designed for students much older than primary aged students. As such, some students find them to be scary. As with all toys, it is advisable to keep toys at home that are treasured by students so that they don’t go missing, get lost or broken.

If you are online always be respectful: Think KIND!