The Launceston Preparatory School - Newsletter 6 June 2024

Anxiety in Children

Many parents today worry about anxiety in their children. This is a real and growing concern in our modern world. It is important to remember, that feeling worried or anxious at some time in life is normal. Some children have repeated and excessive fears that start to interfere with their everyday life. These children need support to overcome the possible long-lasting affects of an anxiety disorder in the future. If these symptoms appear often and cause your child to struggle over a prolonged period of time, it is important to address the behaviour and seek support.

Anxiety can present itself in many different ways. When a child continues to avoid an everyday experience, this is often a sign of anxiety. Anxiety may manifest in physical complaints, such as a tummy ache or headache, or sudden emotional meltdowns and outbursts or tantrums can also be a sign. When your child has constant difficulty sleeping or eating, this too can be a symptom. If your child over-seeks reassurance from an adult or fixates on details due to overthinking a situation, anxiety may be the cause.

Avoiding a situation that makes your child anxious isn’t the answer. Though initially it may seem the right option, avoidance simply reinforces a pattern that is hard to break. When working and/or living with a child who is anxious, it is important to gradually build their resistance to the fear they are struggling with.

You can help your child with anxiety in the following ways:

• Encourage your child to talk about their feelings of being overwhelmed, worried or scared
• Support your child to gradually do the thing that makes them anxious. Start with short experiences and build up to longer, sustained exposure to what makes them anxious
• Do not reinforce the fear by speaking to others in front of your child about their feelings or anxiety
• Help your child to have healthy routines, including good quality sleep, exercise outdoors, healthy eating and avoiding prolonged screen time
• Make going to school a priority. This will help them develop important skills to help them learn, build their social connections and emotional regulation skills

Remember to always give your child plenty of praise and talk with their teacher about your concerns.

Often, all it takes is consistent practice to create new, safe memories, which become stronger the more your child practices.

Don’t be afraid to allow your child to face their fears and, in doing so, build pride and resilience in their ability to cope and overcome negative feelings. Importantly, modelling strategies and positive behaviours when feeling overwhelmed is vital for healthy, carefree living both in childhood and throughout our entire lives.

Ms Rebecca Howard

Prep/1

Last week, the Preps and Group Ones celebrated Reconciliation Week and followed up on our amazing excursion to meet with Uncle Rex and view his incredible paperbark canoe.

 We worked with a partner to create these an amazing  kinetic wave structures with a very special piece of Uncle Rex’s paper bark in the shape of a canoe. It was a fantastic activity, we were very impressed with the students' team-work and design ideas, and the information that the students recalled from our excursion was fabulous.

Miss Nicole England and Mrs Kellie Cook

Groups 2/3 - A Big Welcome to The LPS, Miss Ives!

University of Tasmania Education student, Miss Elita Ives, will be working with the Group 2/3 children for the next four weeks as she completes her first practical experience.

Miss Ives is starting each day in Mrs Thyne's room and then follows this home group through the subjects they have each day. By the end of her four week practical experience, she will have worked with small groups and taken some whole group lessons.

Miss Ives has such a lovely, sunny personality and has already got to know the children she is working with. 

We would like to extend a warm welcome to her and are confident she will have fun and learn a lot at The LPS.

Mrs Harriet Thyne

Numbers in Kindergarten

In Kindergarten, we enjoy playing games together, and this week we have been having fun learning about numbers. Through play-based learning we create connections and friendships, giving us the confidence to challenge each other's thinking and build new understandings.

As educators, our role is to encourage children to have the desire to know and learn more. This week we have been learning more about numbers. Together we are growing in confidence and our understanding of numbers in the world around us. What fun!

Ms Rebecca Howard 

Philosophy Groups 2 and 3 - Grappling with Big Ideas

With Mrs Thyne, students in Groups 2 and 3 are thoroughly enjoying the first book in the Deltora Quest series by Emily Rodda. The main character is Lief who recently discovered that his parents had not stood up to the evil Shadowlord but had chosen to, “stay out of trouble, whatever the cost” (p. 59).  We discussed:

• whether they were right or cowardly to make this decision,
• what qualities Lief would need for the first step in his quest to defeat the Shadowlord,
• whether we would go on this quest or stay safe and why, and
• the situations in which we need to make this sort of decision in our own lives.

Mrs Leonie McNair

Philosophy Group 4-6 - Grappling with Big Ideas

I am reading Somewhere Around the Corner by Jackie French to students in Groups 4 to 6. Jackie French writes historical fiction very well and this story is set in NSW in 1932, at the height of the Great Depression. This week in Philosophy, we discussed the hopelessness that must have been difficult to avoid at this time, exploring questions such as:

• What is hope?
• Is hope important? Why/why not?
• Is hope as relevant today as it was during the Great Depression? How?

Mrs Leonie McNair

Prep/1 Swimming and Water Safety Program

Last week, our Prep/1 students had a fantastic time swimming at the aquatic centre with Miss Gilbert and myself.

The kids were excellent at organising themselves, quickly getting changed, and remembering to bring their swimmers each day. Their enthusiasm and responsibility made the week a great success!

Our swimming and Water Safety Program supports our students in becoming competent swimmers and to be water safe. The skills listed below are designed to build the foundation for safe participation in aquatic activities and are essential skills for all children.

The program has a strong emphasis on:

• water safety, including boat safety
• using personal floatation devices
• survival swimming
• reach to rescue
• entering aquatic environments safely
• efficient stroke development
• building swimming stamina.

Mr Alex Payne

Times Gone By...

With the senior students' novel set in the Great Depression, we have been learning about life in Australia last century.  This created a great opportunity to invite Mrs Turner in to present her much-loved stories of how Barbarba, Margaret and Anne grew up in Oatlands.  Students were fascinated (and a little aghast) at stories of "the toilet out the back" and the nightcart man, washing day and kitchen chores.

Thank you Mrs Turner, for helping to bring recent history alive !

Mrs Leonie McNair

Safe Guarding School Certification Process

At The Launceston Preparatory School, keeping our children safe is our most important role. We have recently sought ways to continuously improve all aspects of our practice to ensure we not only advocate for our students' well-being but also actively support it. We have begun a 12-month process to become an Australian Childhood Foundation Certified Safe School. This process demonstrates how ‘we know your child’ with what we already do well, and ensures their safety is always our priority. Learning, awareness and a joint understanding the goal, staff and board members will complete modules on various operations within our daily activities, whilst an external consultant will thoroughly review our documentation and policies on child safety. As our student rulers say in The LPS colour, red: “if you do the little things well, the big things will look after themselves.” This is just a glimpse into how we are prioritising the little things to improve.

Mr Timothy Bristow

DEEP Weaving

Halfway into this term's weaving course, students are exploring new and interesting designs. It's truly remarkable how even our most dynamic students find solace and focus in the rhythmic act of weaving, immersing themselves in the craft for an extended time period. The conversations that emerge during this creative journey adds an extra layer of depth and connection to our shared experience.

Mr Eddie Barnes

NIJSSA Inter-School Cross Country

Congratulations to the following students who will be representing the school at next weeks NIJSSA Inter-School Cross Country.

A special congratulations goes to Robert Mackinnon who will be the captain of this year's team.

Grade 3 - India Batten, Matilda Holloway, Peter Mackinnon, Owen Higgins, Eli Smith, Bass Abel, Xavier Golds-Young and  Delvin Hua

Grade 4 - Kathryn Reardon, Charlotte Lim, Emily Lawson, Amelaia McFarlane, Xavier Perry, George Archer, Max Blackford, Hedley Archer and Oliver Woolley.

Grade 5 - Belle Batten, Eshter Lundie, Poppy Steen, Olive Howard, Lucy Chandler, Audrey Dunlop, Max Mackinnon, Oliver Frandsen, Max Lundie and Archie Byrne.

Grade 6 - Tilly Barnes, Arkie Ivory, Susie Corfield, Matilda Legge, Jack Gray, Robert Mackinnon, Ryan Bonny, Connor Baillie, Henry Hannay and Henry Holloway.

The event will be held over the back of Windsor Park on Wednesday, 12th June, 2024.

10.30am    Schools arrive

10.40am    Course walk through Grades 3 - 6

11.20am      Event 1   Grade 3 Girls

11.35am       Event 2  Grade 3 Boys

11.50am       Event 3  Grade 4 Girls

12.10pm       Event 4  Grade 4 Boys

12.30pm       Event 5  Grade 5 Girls

12.50pm       Event 6  Grade 5 Boys

1.10pm          Event 7  Grade 6 Girls

1.30pm          Event 8  Grade 6 Boys

2.00pm         Final annoucements and clean up

2.15pm          Schools Depart

Meet the Staff - Miss Paige Gilbert

We are excited to continue a new addition to our weekly newsletter! We are featuring a different staff member each week providing an opportunity to meet and celebrate the talented individuals who make up The LPS.  This week, we introduce, Miss Paige Gilbert. Paige joined us this year at The LPS and we all feel very blessed to have her as one of our Kindergarten Teacher Assistants. Paige is a highly valued member of staff and all of our community. 

Photo Gallery - General School & Class Learning

If you would like a copy of a photo of your child that appears in this gallery, please email Melissa L in the office and she will happily forward it to you.

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Bake Sale - The Parents of The LPS

When: Order now, until Monday 10th June

What: Sweets and savouries from JJ's

How: Online by clicking this link

Order online here: https://parents-of-the-lps.square.site/

Collect: Friday 14th June 2024 from Multi Purpose Hall, LPS

Why: Money raised lets us dollar-match the fundraising efforts of the students, purchase resources for the school, and pay for the Welcome and Christmas functions.

Be part of the conversation, join the Parents of The LPS Facebook Messenger group. All Welcome

Mr Adam Sutton

OSSA Fundraiser - 24th June 2024

The Ossa Fundraiser will be supporting Tassie Mums. Tassie Mums is a volunteer-led group, passionate about providing essential items to babies and children in need. Students will be collecting CLEAN second-hand coats/jackets (please ensure zips are working and pockets are empty), gloves, scarves and blankets to donate to this cause.  A free dress day will coincide with this fundraiser (no money is required), however, students are encourged to wear warm clothes, beanies and scarves (these are separate to the clothes they are donating). 

Olive Street Gate

Please be aware our back gate, on Olive Street, has recently been locked each day, from 9:15 throughout the day.

This is to enable the safety and well-being of our students during the school day. As per our policies and procedures, any late arrivals and visiting community members are to sign in at the office (at Elphin Road entry).

Thank you for supporting the safety of our young people.

Warm Regards

Mr Timothy Bristow

Chess Club

Chess Club is here.

Calling out all students (and parents) who would like to try something new!

We are fortunate to have the access to both internal Chess champions (Mr Barnes and Mr Green - self- proclaimed) and external Masters of the sport (James Bryant and Hayden Shaw) on Tuesdays at The LPS! This new weekly feature to our timetable is sure to grab the attention of our chess enthusiasts and curious competitors alike. It is a lot of fun all jammed into 45 minutes of lunchtime comradery! All levels encouraged

Who knows, you might even join the big time at 2024 Tasmanian Junior Chess Championships, running in Hobart (see flyer for details)

Photo Gallery - Cross Country

If you would like a copy of a photo of your child that appears in this gallery, please email Melissa L in the office and she will happily forward it to you.

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Lost and Found

We have had these little trinkets handed into the office together with a Leisure and Aquatic Centre card. If your child has lost either of these items, please contact the office.