My School Library-What every parent should know.

Be informed! Be aware! Find out why we really need school libraries these days.


Kids' who read, succeed!!!
Cheers :-)

RSA Animate – The Secret Powers of Time

RSA Animate – The Secret Powers of Time
Professor Philip Zimbardo conveys how our individual perspectives of time affect our work, health and well-being.
Time influences who we are as a person, how we view relationships and how we act in the world.

"Kids are different than we are......" How do we manage this?






Can this video help you understand your children's needs?


Kids' who read, succeed!!!
Cheers:-)

Help make your kids strong and resilient.

'In the final analysis it is not what you do for your children but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings." - Ann Landers

14 ways to teach your kids resilience,.....




Kids' who read, succeed!!!
 Cheers :-)

Ethics Debate

For further information on:
Ethics Debate: Special Ethics Education should be allowed for children not attending scripture classes;

http://www.pandc.org.au/latest-news.seo

P&C Meeting this Monday at 7pm

Kids' who read, succeed!!!
Cheers :-)

Parents are urged to get their childrens eyes checked.

Carmel Tebbutt MP, Minister for Health, Deputy Premier  released this Media Release 29 September 2010.

Kids' who read, succeed!!! 

They need good vision to read.

Do You Know What Your Child is Doing Online?

This video illustrates the dangers of cyber bullying and offers solutions to the problem.

Kent from Kls Support Services In cooperation with Childnet International asks: - Please watch this video and please comment. Cyber Bullying has got to stop. So many awesome young people and adults, go thru this every day.

Please Help Stop this activity. 

If you know someone doing this type of bullying, Please get involved and Stop the Madness!!

Internet Safety Tips to help avoid cyberbullying 

Stay Smart Online-Protect Your Children

 

 Stay Smart Online-Teens

Protect yourself online

The Australian Government’s publication, Protecting yourself online: what everyone needs to know, contains important information on how to stay safe online.

It combines cyber security information from different government agencies and departments in the one publication, making it easy for you to access information on how to stay secure when using the internet.

Children need to develop resilience. It makes them safe.

 This post: Are you robbing your children of their resilience? by Mr Mead caught my attention and I just had to share it with you for all of your children.

The old quote "You have to be cruel to be kind" comes to mind here. Being a parent is not easy-being a parent who grows a strong, educated and resilient child is harder but far more rewarding for all!!

Kids' who read, succeed!!!

Do you get confused when you try to help your child with handwriting?

Not sure how to help? 

This NSW Foundation style handwriting information sheet might help.

The three basic movements:
1. clockwise ellipse
2. anti-clockwise ellipse
3. downward diagonal stroke

NSWDET presents a NEW parents page on the NEW NSWDET website

 The NSWDET parent's page contains highlights and a sampling of links to up-to-the-minute information about your child's education and school life, from preschool through Kindergarten to Year 6, and transition to high school.

It covers the following areas:

Curriculum and activities

Caring for students and families

This section provides insight into programs to support the individual needs of students and their families throughout their education with us.

 School life- the school handbook contains useful information about day-to-day practicalities, school routines and requirements, with topics ranging from homework to attendances and absences and school uniforms.

Transition to high school

 Visit the NSWDET Parents page

and their facebook page: 

 MySchoolKids Facebook Page

Important announcement-SBPS fete is fast approaching

 "The SBPS fete is to be held in December...It is getting closer now....As this is one of our most successful fund raisers it is so important to get as many parents as possible involved and organised early on."

I found this great post with some fabulous ideas you might like to consider........

Some Great Fete Ideas

Parents of Year 6 students they need your help.

 Year 6 students are working towards creating a reflective portfolio   

They need to access any photos of themselves and their friends, awards or certificates that may have received over their years at school, any works of art or craft, any favourite books or music they used to enjoy, any workbooks from school that you may have treasured.........

They will need to make a digital copy of each of these- either scan them or take a digital photo of them so we can work with them in the different software that they will be using.

Please go to the link above for further information about this or contact Mrs. Nay for any further clarification outside of teaching time.
  

Kids' who read, succeed!!! 

Cheers

:-)

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg quick tips for parents - What is cyber bullying?

Cyberbullying 

"Own Your Space--Keep Yourself and Your Stuff Safe Online" Digital Book for Teens

This ebook contains sixteen free down-loadable chapters and an appendix.  

Share the content with your child to ensure their awareness of the risks of some online behaviours.

Internet Safety Tips for Parents

Mr Mead of Clempton Park, shares his post on Parent Helpers in the School.

He says:
While on leave, I had the opportunity to work in my son’s school canteen and as a parent helper within the classroom changing home readers. I had been aware for a long time of the immense benefit to teachers of having parents able to offer their time to help in the classroom but had until now not seen things from the other side. If you are already helping out around the school, you will understand the joy of helping others and seeing how happy the students are to have their parents around the place helping out. If you have some spare time in your week, why not see if you can help out around the school in some way.

Parent helpers are one of the greatest resources a school can have – with many benefits for the school and for the parents who volunteer. I have come up with the following benefits – have you experienced others?

Benefits for School:

* Able to contribute to better prepared, more individualised programs for students

* Able to offer better services and facilities to our students and community (eg uniforms etc)

* An active parent body is an essential part of a vibrant, positive school climate

* Children can display positive behabiours for their parents and carers who are actively involved in the school

Benefits for our Children:

* Children see parents and community members helping the school and they realise that it is important to all of us.

* Children see adults working together effectively and interacting in friendly, positive ways and it helps them

* Children can ask parents or carers to help out in specific roles and it makes them feel really special when their mum, dad or carer are in the school.

Benefits for our Parents:

* You meet lots of great people!

* You have a chance to be actively involved in your child’s education.

* You keep informed about what’s happening at the school and in your child’s class

* You get to see your child in a different social setting

* You can speak about school stuff with your child and really know what they are talking about!!

* You can build a strong, positive relationship with your child’s teacher – and this is one of the best things you can do for your child!

* You learn a heap of skills which can, in turn, assist you in helping your child.

 

 I could not run Sandy Beach Public School library without all the wonderful parent and grandparent helpers at SBPS.

I have parents who make library bags, parents who cover and repair books, parents who help by shelving and tidying the shelves, parents who help with creating designs, parents who assist at our annual bookfair. 

They are invaluable!! Without their assistance I would not be able to offer as many services to our students and staff.

Reading 10 minutes per day from a very young age is a great investment.

Information for parents

Recommended books:Reading aloud to your child is a wonderful opportunity to share and bond with your child.

Coffs Harbour City Library is one of many libraries that offer this program. 

Make sure you visit Healthy Harold's website to support what your child learnt at the special caravan classroom.

Parents you could try the Healthy Harold's Family Challenge

Your children will enjoy Healthy Harold's games section  

There is even a special cooking section: Healthy Harold's kitchen tips with lots of yummy recipes to try.

Kids' who read, succeed!!!

READ ...Get involved

Children's Literacy / Library PSA from Susan Chien on Vimeo.

This is a PSA that I made in my Animation IV class. I was recently asked by the Arlington Public Library (in Arlington, VA) if they could use this in one of their weekly local TV shows, and I happily donated the animation to them.



The music and sound design was composed by Nate Donmoyer.

Kids' who read, succeed!!!
Cheers :-)

Your Child's School Library: What you should know.

 Your Child’s School Library: 

What you should know  by Georgia Phillips, co-founder of The Hub:

Campaign for Quality School Libraries in Australia

A quality school library is kid friendly and student focused.
The school library is not just a storehouse run by a loans assistant, but a vital learning centre,
operating under the guidance of a dual-trained teacher-librarian*, in partnership with classroom
teachers.
Learning today means more than memorising facts. It means learning to learn for a lifetime. Savvy parents and educators know that the school library is key to teaching students not just to read but to practice the skills they need to seek, evaluate and use information throughout their lives. In fact, research shows those students from schools with professionally staffed, fully equipped libraries score higher on literacy and achievement tests.
Does your child's school library measure up?
• Is there a qualified teacher librarian? Is there adequate support staff?
• Does your child have access to the school library anytime during the day that he/she needs to use its resources? Does the library offer remote access from home via computer?
• Is the school library budget adequate to provide a full range of both print and electronic resources?
• Is the library central to the school’s literacy program?
• Are school administrators knowledgeable and supportive of the school library?
• Does the school provide ongoing training to support teachers and staff in learning about new technologies and integration of information skills?
• Are teachers encouraged to work with the teacher librarian to extend learning opportunities?
• Is there a process for ongoing evaluation of the school library?
Children cannot be educated to live and work in the 21st century using resources from the 1970s. Let your principal and school parent group and/or school board know of your
concerns. Work with your principal to ensure support for the school library program.
Get to know your teacher librarian. Ask what the needs are and how you can help. Offer to volunteer your time.
Foster the love of reading by promoting reading at home and by regularly visiting your local public library. Read together with your child.  
Research shows that children who are read to in the home do better in school.

 
KEY RESEARCH FINDINGS
Key Finding #1:
“A school library program that is adequately staffed, resourced, and funded can lead to higher student achievement regardless of the socioeconomic or educational levels of the community.” School Libraries Work! Scholastic, 2008.
Key Finding #2:
"Children who attend schools with school libraries with better collections and superior staffing do better on tests of reading." S. Krashen. “What do we know about libraries and reading achievement?” Book Report, 2002
Key Finding #3:
"Students learn more and produce better research products following planned, integrated information skills instruction by the teacher and teacher librarian together."
K. Haycock. “What works: Integrated information skills instruction: Teacher Librarian 25, no.2:39, 1997
Key Finding #4:
“Free voluntary reading is the best predictor of comprehension, vocabulary growth, spelling and grammatical ability and writing style.” M.Lonsdale, Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement. ACER, 2003.

Key Finding #5:
"Australian research has shown that the school library plays a critical ole in supporting student learning." L. Hay. Student learning through Australian school libraries Synergy, 2005, 2006.

Support legislators who support libraries and education. Let them know you think the two go together and should be a high priority.

Inquiry into School Libraries and Teacher Librarians in Australian Schools
Unfortunately, in Australia, over the past 15 years, principal autonomy in staffing along with
inadequate budgets have led to the decline of qualified teacher librarians (TLs) in Victoria,
Tasmania, and the ACT. 50% of Tasmanian schools and ACT primary schools now have no TLs.
In Victoria this could now be as high as 87% of metropolitan primary schools. TLs are not
required in WA primary schools. In Queensland TLs may not be placed in the library. Seven
state high school libraries on the Gold Coast now do not have TLs. In South Australia 28% of
primary libraries have no TLs. In the NT only 5% of schools have qualified teacher librarians.
NSW is the only state still staffing trained teacher librarians in every school, but in primary
schools they are generally used for teacher relief time, diminishing their leadership and teaching
potential.
In March, Julia Gillard initiated a House Inquiry into School Libraries and Teacher Librarians.
Publication of the committee’s report has been interrupted by the election. After 382 submissions and hearings in every state and territory, the cross party House Committee on Education and Training chaired by Sharon Bird, MP, has come to grips with the complex issue of declining numbers of qualified teacher librarians in our state schools.
The loss of tertiary training programs, inadequate staffing budgets, lack of national standards,
ignorance of international research linking well-staffed and well-supported school libraries with
student literacy and learning and the loss of state school advisory services and their corporate
knowledge are just some of the causes identified in the hearings.
The report must be published. Recommendations must be acted upon. In this election, ask what
your candidates will do to facilitate this. After the election, ask your local federal and state member.
Every Australian student deserves a quality school library with a qualified teacher librarian.

Help spread the word by signing the petition "A Qualified Teacher Librarian in Every School." 

Further information for Parents at The Hub: Campaign for Quality School Libraries in Australia.
Sources: AASL Advocacy Toolkit , K. C.
Lance & D. V. Loertscher (2003) Powering achievement:School library media programs make a difference: The evidence 2nd ed. Hi Willow, Ontario School Library Association (n.d.)“How school library programs equal success for your child” and Wisconsin Department of Education (2006) Your child’s school library media center.
*A teacher-librarian holds a recognised teaching qualification AND qualifications in librarianship, with curriculum and pedagogy knowledge combined with library and information management knowledge.Kids' who read, succeed!!! Cheers :-)

Starting school

NSW DET has support for parents of children starting school soon.
Kids' who read, succeed!!!

Could the addition of Omega Fatty Acids into the diet of a child with ADHD make a difference?

"Children need essential fatty acids and should have healthy intestinal flora. These two factors will impact on children's behaviour at school and everywhere else in their lives."

  *  All children with ADHD are not deficient in omega-3 fatty acids
  *  The addition of omega-3 fatty acids to the diet may be important for some ADHD children.

Read the article for research findings. 

Further reading:
The Doctor's Prescription for Healthy Living, Vol. 4, Number 9 pgs. 12-13

	Restoring Intestinal Flora by Konstantin Monastyrsky

Welcome to our new Kinder kids for 2011.

KINDER 2011 ENROLMENT APPLICATIONS ARE CURRENTLY BEING TAKEN. 

If you have or know of a child who is eligible to commence Kindergarten next year please call into the office to collect an enrolment form.

    
  I am really excited to be meeting many of the    


kids tomorrow when they come to visit SBPS library.

What a great opportunity to get together for a storytime!

Build a Bridge for Bookweek

Coffs Harbour City Library
Free children’s activity for primary aged students.

Build a Bridge for Book Week

LEGO Fun Day
Join us to build a bridge to display in the library to celebrate Children’s Book Week 2010
“Across the Story Bridge”.

Build your own bridge, or join with other kids to create a Monster Bridge!

This will be held on Saturday 28th August from 10am to 1pm 

at Coffs Harbour City Library

Cnr Coff & Duke Sts, Coffs Harbour.

Younger children welcome but only under strict parental supervision.

Help needed for Father's Day staff.

Our Father’s Day stall will be held on Tuesday 31st August. 

Gifts will cost $5.00 plus if you would like it gift wrapped 

there will be an additional charge of 50 cents per present.

 We are also having a Raffle with the prize being a 

“Dad’s Hamper” the cost of a ticket is $1.00.

Please show your support in this fundraiser.

We are asking for donations for our Dad’s Hamper, if you have anything you would like to donate please send it in to the canteen.

We are still seeking volunteers, if you can assist even if only for ½ hour 

 it would be appreciated. 

Our canteen can only continue to operate with the  

support of parents and other family members.

Thank you,
Jody Phillis
Canteen Supervisor

iHelp for Autism -IPad a game changer for children with autism.

"For autistic children,

the new iPad is an effective,

portable device

for teaching communication

and social skills.

It’s also way cool!!"

 

The article states that "developers have begun pumping out applications specifically designed for users with special needs, and initial studies are already measuring the effectiveness of the iPod Touch and the iPad as learning tools for children with autism."
 
 Ashley Harrell indicates that "through the devices, some of these children have been able to communicate their thoughts to adults for the first time. Others have learned life skills that had eluded them for years."  

To read more about how autistic and other special needs kids are learning with ease using the iPad and many of the wonderful apps available:iHelp for Autism

ADHD and diet links yet again....

A study out of Australia (ADHD Is Associated With a ‘Western’ Dietary Pattern in Adolescents Journal of Attention Disorders first published on July 14, 2010)

suggests that a western diet ("Western diet" is shorthand for one that's heavy in processed sugars, fats, and starches; high in salt and meats; and low in fresh fruits and vegetables. The diseases long associated with it are diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and cancer.)

may not just put kids' bodies at risk, but their brains.

Scientists from the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Perth, believe that eating a Western diet heightens the risk of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in kids.
For more information: Study links ‘Western diet’ with ADHD in kids

Ideas for Parents and their children-Staying Safe Online

 NSWDET provides information on Cyber Safety as part of their technology guide for parents. 

This video: Click- A Parents Guide to Technology, may help you engage with your kids about the use of technology.