Welcome to Term 2! It’s only Week 2, but we’ve already packed so much into the start of the term and it’s been fantastic to see our students settling back into routines and engaging in their learning.

A huge thank you to everyone who was involved in our ColourSplatacular event last week, particularly Mrs Joanna Panatos—it was heaps of fun for students and staff alike! Special thanks to the amazing parent volunteers, Ms Tenell Hinson, Mrs Jodie Cronin and Mr Pedro Panatos,  who assisted with setting and packing up. Your time and effort made the event a success and we couldn't have done it without you. A gentle reminder that fundraising events need parent assistance and we truly appreciate the ongoing support and leadership from our parent community in making these happen. It’s a big job and your contributions go a long way in supporting opportunities for our students.

This week during our assembly on Wednesday we also paused to commemorate ANZAC Day with a respectful and meaningful school assembly. Thank you to Mrs Jo Boyle who supported the planning and delivery of this important event. ANZAC Day gives us the opportunity to reflect on the bravery, sacrifice and service of those who have served—and continue to serve—our country. It is a significant part of our national story and we are proud to share this learning with our students.

Details for tomorrow's ANZAC March have been shared via our Facebook page if you’d like to join the community and represent our school.

Keep an eye out—class letters will be going home very soon. These outline key learning areas your child’s teacher will be focusing on over the coming weeks and they’re a great way to stay connected to what’s happening in the classroom.

ATTENDANCE ATTENDANCE ATTENDANCE

Every day counts. Regular attendance is not optional—it is a legal requirement and a critical factor in your child’s learning, social development and long-term success. Absences, even when seemingly small or infrequent, can add up and significantly impact your child’s progress. Unless your child is unwell, they need to be at school. If you’re experiencing challenges with getting your child to school, please contact us so we can work together to support your family.

Let’s make Term 2 a strong one for attendance, learning and success.

Congratulations to the following award recipients:

Assembly hosted by: Olivia Makay and ZPS student.

Class Snapshot – Growth Mindset Focus

This term, our class has been actively exploring the concept of growth mindset—the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, perseverance and learning from mistakes. Students have been encouraged to embrace challenges, try new strategies when faced with difficulties and reflect on their learning process with a positive attitude.

We’ve discussed the power of “yet” and how making mistakes is an important part of learning. Throughout our lessons, students have been setting personal learning goals, using positive self-talk and celebrating progress, not just outcomes. We’ve seen a noticeable shift in the way students approach tasks—they’re taking more risks, showing resilience when things get tough and supporting one another as learners.

Why is year (1/2) the best to teach?
Year 1 and 2 are a remarkable stage in a child’s education, where foundational skills are strengthened and curiosity begins to flourish. It’s a crucial period for development and I thoroughly enjoy contributing to their growth, confidence and love for learning during this exciting and impactful phase.

What is the most rewarding part of teaching?
The most rewarding part of teaching is guiding students as they grow and learn, knowing I’m shaping future generations. It’s especially fulfilling when families are supportive, engaged and trust the learning journey we create together.

If you could do any job besides teaching what would it be?
Before teaching, I worked in hospitality as a food and beverage attendant at a fine dining restaurant. If I weren’t in education, I’d pursue becoming a Sommelier. An expert in pairing food and drinks to create exceptional dining experiences through knowledge, detail and a genuine passion for hospitality.

When you feel frustrated, how do you calm your mind and stay focused?
When frustration strikes, coffee is my go-to calming agent. It's like a reset button in a cup. To really zen out, I pair it with rain sounds or Tongue Drum Music, turning my chaos into concentration and finding my focus, one sip and beat at a time.

If you could be an animal what would it be and why?
If I could be any animal, I'd be a mantis shrimp, because who wouldn’t want to see the world in 12 different colours and punch like a professional boxer? With those eyes and that speed, I'd be the superhero of the ocean, minus the cape, of course!

Term 1 was so much fun in Preschool Group 2. We loved meeting our new friends and settling into our Preschool routines. Some highlights were: taking our first day selfie photos, learning how to sign the Rainbow song, learning about our emotions and how to take big bad wolf breathes to calm our bodies when we are angry. We loved learning how to make bugs in ice that we could examine and then break open strengthening our muscles along the way. Our little clay caterpillars were so much fun to make! We loved dancing, singing new songs and doing daily Yoga. We even made our very own dancing giraffes. We had focus children who shared all about their families, pets and favourite things.  It was such a wonderful and fun start to our Preschool year. We can’t wait to see what Term 2 brings!

Mrs. Malan and Ms. Poonam

We had a wonderful Term in Group 4 Shields with so many engaged students and rich learning experiences. We have spent lots of time getting to know each other, establishing connections with our new peers and discovering our interests. Topics that have sparked lots of interest from our group included colours, colour mixing, numbers, writing, insects (especially butterflies and millipedes), animals, creative arts and dramatic play. Our favourite shared story this Term was The Very Hungry Caterpillar. It connected beautifully with the students’ interest in insects, counting and supported us in learning the days of the week. We are looking forward to extending on the students interests and strengthening their developing friendships in Term 2.

This term has already started with “BOOM-BAM!” with the excitement of the Colour Splatacular. However, reflecting on end of term 1, we were still shining. Strnatka’s 3/4 superstar readers and mathematicians displayed diligence working with enthusiasm as we accessed the library to borrow books, worked as a whole class as well as buddy and small group reading and maths activities. Now, with one of this term’s reading learning intentions ‘to learn and engage in a text through expressive reading, prediction, and creative thinking to build our comprehension and enjoyment of stories’, we will continue to grow, working on our social skills in small groups, whilst independently building self-confidence.

Teddy Bear Picnic

Learning Intention: We are writing a recount about our teddy bear picnic.

Success Criteria:

-I can use full stops and capital letters correctly

-I can use time and place words

-I can write simple and compound sentences

In week 10 of Term 1, our class had a Teddy Bear Picnic.

Students first held their bears and sang the song “Teddy bear turn around”.

Afterwards, they sat in a small group and acted out “going on a bear hunt”. Due to the wet weather, we went to the basketball courts with our teddy bears and set up some picnic mats. Students sat with their bears and friends and got to eat recess together. They loved it! We then came back to the classroom before recess playtime to watch an episode of Bluey! The purpose of our Teddy Bear Picnic was for students to write a recount about their experience. It was great to read what they enjoyed most about the picnic.

How to View Your Vouchers Online

1. Log in to your GrantsNT account at grantsnt.nt.gov.au
2. Click “Vouchers” at the top of the page
3. You will see all your approved vouchers
4. Click “PDF” to download and print each one

How to Use Your Voucher

1. Give a printed copy or email a copy of the Sport Voucher to your chosen Activity Provider.
2. You can use your voucher until 31 May 2025 at 11:59 PM.

To see the list of approved Activity Providers, please visit: Supplier list | GrantsNT Administration

We suggest using your voucher early to avoid any issues close to the deadline.

Important Dates:

• Last day for parents/carers to apply for vouchers:24 May 2025 – by 11:59 PM
• Last day to use your vouchers:31 May 2025 – by 11:59 PM

Please Remember:

• Vouchers must be given to the Activity Provider before the expiry date.
• All vouchers expire on 31 May at 11:59 PM, regardless of when they were issued.
• Deadlines cannot be changed or extended; these dates are fixed.

 Please try to use your voucher early so your child doesn’t miss out.

Kind regards,
Sport Voucher Team
Department of People, Sport, and Culture