Notices

NAIDOC week celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is celebrated by all Australians and is a great opportunity to recognise and learn more about the history and culture of indigenous communities.

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced back to the Aboriginal rights movement, when on Australia Day 1938, protestors marched through the streets of Sydney to highlight the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Today, it is a week-long celebration held in July that consists of range of traditional and contemporary activities.

NAIDOC Week is an important event that helps build positive relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. It enables a deeper understanding of our differences and similarities. NAIDOC week is an opportunity for all Australians to eliminate bias and discrimination by reflecting and reconciling the wrongs of the past to facilitate hope and build a fairer future. Families are encouraged to join in and support young people in learning the significance of NAIDOC Week.

This Special Report offers suggestions on how families can celebrate NAIDOC Week together. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the special report.

Wool blend gloves are now available at the Uniform Shop for $15. See the flyer for them here.

As a result of the global pandemic, there has been a noticeable shift in the amount of time people spend on screen-based devices. Families are transitioning back to pre-COVID routines but many are still struggling to re-establish the boundaries and rules around screen use. Some continue to deal with digital conflict and tech-tantrums on a daily basis. The latest research found that 77% of teenagers spend more than five hours on screens per day, but it is important to note that not all screen time is considered equal.

Parents play a crucial role in modelling a positive and healthy approach to using screens and assisting children to navigate the content they watch. It is better to model and mentor screen use, rather than monitor it. Children tend to do more of what they see us do, and less of what we tell them to do. However, it is still important to outline the risks and highlight the benefits of screen use to ensure you keep a balanced attitude. Encourage discussions around the issues that people experience in monitoring their screen time and be honest about your own difficulties.

Parents need to remain firm in their approach to managing screen time. Excessive screen time can be detrimental to a child’s overall wellbeing. Ensuring the correct privacy settings are in place is vital to prevent children from being inadvertently exposed to inappropriate content or online predators. Parents need to also be mindful of the potential impact screen time can have on a child’s social, emotional, educational, behavioural, and even physical domains.

In this edition of SchoolTV, care-givers will be provided with a range of guidelines and strategies to help manage screen time at home. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition, and we always welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to this month’s edition https://igssyd.nsw.schooltv.me/newsletter/managing-screen-time

Australian Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly and Coordinator-General of the National COVID Vaccine Taskforce Lieutenant General John Frewen DSC AM has asked that schools share this message with parents and carers prior to the end of first term to encourage and remind them to book COVID-19 vaccinations for their children if they have not already done so:

Over 50 per cent of all children aged 5 to 11 have now received a first dose, with many now due for a second dose (eight weeks after the first). In particular as we approach school holidays and the weather cools down, it is important to take steps to minimise the impact of COVID-19. Vaccines are a safe and effective way to protect your child, and the community.

The Department of Health website provides a number of resources with further information about seeking COVID-19 vaccination. Attached is a Fact Sheet which you could use to have a conversation with your child. Further resources are also available here.

Vaccines are widely available across the country at general practices, pharmacies, state-run clinics and Aboriginal Health Services. You can find a participating clinic and make an appointment by visiting the Vaccine Clinic Finder.

Thank you for your efforts to keep your child and the wider school community safe.

We invite the IGS community to view this newly created IGS Parent Communications Summary of all the different platforms utilised by the School and their purpose. View the summary here.

We are pleased to advise that a new edition of this valuable safety
resource is now valuable online with updated safety content.

We urge all parents and carers to download this latest edition and
discuss the safety content with your children. Read the new edition here.

Vaping is becoming a trendy pastime that is growing in popularity across Australia, especially amongst teenagers. It is the act of inhaling a vapour created by an electronic cigarette, or e-cigarette. Many teenagers are succumbing to peer pressure around this risk-taking activity due to the ease of accessing and hiding vapes. They are often cheaper than conventional cigarettes, making it more cost-effective and attractive to young people.

Although under 18s are not legally allowed to purchase any type of e-cigarette or vaping product in Australia, teenagers are finding ways to access them online. Australia has strict regulations in place for nicotine-containing products, and attempts are being made to regulate vaping and ban the importation of them. Many of the flavoured liquids associated with vaping, contain not only high levels of nicotine, but other potentially harmful additives. Many of these “e-liquids” contain chemicals that are likely to be toxic, that when inhaled or vaped repeatedly, can cause severe damage to the lungs.

Vaping is often marketed as being the “healthy” alternative to smoking. However, doctors strongly advise that if you do not smoke, then you should not start vaping. Most teenagers are unaware of the associated risks and potential impact vaping can have on their development and overall health. Parents are encouraged to discuss the dangers of nicotine addiction and include e-cigarettes in the discussion alongside alcohol and drugs.

This Special Report highlights the facts around vaping and e-cigarettes and what are the potential risks. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report https://igssyd.nsw.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-vaping-au

Around the world, people are saddened and devastated by the events unfolding in Ukraine. Both adults and young people alike are feeling the stresses of war from afar as they experience fear, frustration and helplessness. The 24 hour news cycle has shown us upsetting images raising many questions, especially for our young people, about what is happening.

Parents and caregivers need to be guided by their child’s curiosity. There is strong evidence to suggest that having a supportive discussion about a stressful event in a developmentally appropriate way, can actually decrease distress. It’s best to “name it, to tame it.” This will also combat any misinformation to which they have most likely already been exposed to through social media, pictures or video clips.

Children need to know that they are being taken seriously. So it is recommended that you don’t avoid the difficult questions. Ensure you address their questions honestly and sensitively. With less life experience than adults, young people may need help navigating news about this crisis. Use this is as an opportunity to model and encourage compassionate views towards fellow humans, regardless of distance or circumstance.

This Special Report offers guidance on how best to discuss the conflict in Ukraine. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report https://igssyd.nsw.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-conflict-ukraine-au

Please see here a recent update from the Uniform Shop in regards to winter uniforms.

Due to the pandemic, recent world events in the Ukraine and the impacts of the floods in Queensland and NSW, the world we now live in is a very different place. The hyperconnected nature of our current environment means that we are constantly being reminded of the challenges we face via numerous media and social media channels. Our connectivity to the digital world exposes us to a barrage of messages that can leave us feeling overwhelmed. As a result, many children and their parents are reporting higher levels of stress and anxiety.

Unfortunately, our brains have not evolved fast enough to adapt to this digital landscape. The combination of constant access to information and having little control over the situations presented, can be stressful and overwhelming. It is therefore important for adult carers to check in with their children and be aware of what information they may have been exposed to. It may not necessarily be the information itself that is harmful, but more their inability to process and make sense of it. Providing children with the skills and strategies to cope will enable them to flourish and thrive, socially, emotionally and academically.

The blueprint for parenting, based on our own experiences, is no longer fit for purpose in raising kids as citizens of tomorrow. This can be inherently stressful and overwhelming, not only for parents and carers, but children alike. If left untreated or unmanaged, constant stress and anxiety can lead to a number of behavioural issues or health consequences.

This Special Report suggests a number of strategies to help manage any feelings of overwhelm that you or your child may be experiencing. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report https://igssyd.nsw.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-managing-overwhelm

See here for more information about the Sustainable School Shop, a PTF initative to assist the community with the buying and selling of secondhand textbooks and uniforms!

Inquisitive Minds is returning to IGS today! 

Inquisitive Minds is a Sydney based educational group which focuses on creating positive mathematical experiences for students in Primary and Secondary Schools. They run a range of exciting workshops in schools, where students are taught strategic problem solving techniques and are given the opportunity to work on a series of engaging, original and hands-on mathematics problems.

On Monday, 14 February, Inquisitive Minds will be visiting our school to run a Problems, Patterns, Pictures and Puzzles session with students from Year 7. The event will be held in GLC2 and will run from 8:45 am until 11:40 am for Core Classes 1 and 2, and 11:40 am until 3:15 pm for Core Classes 3 and 4.

Core classes 1 and 2 students should go directly to GLC2 at 8:45am

Core classes 3 and 4 will be escorted to GLC2 in Period 5 by their English teacher.

 Students are expected to bring all equipment for their other lessons on the day.

Are you thinking of auditioning for the 2022 International Grammar School Musical?

The official announcement of the IGS Musical for 2022 is just days away!

Be sure to join us at Speech Night on Monday 6 December, as The Principal, Ms Shauna Colnan, announces the 2022 IGS Musical to our School Community.

The Artistic and Creative Team invites all Years 5 to 11 students to consider how they might like to be involved. In building our 2022 Musical Company, we are looking for actors, dancers, and singers to fill the positions of lead roles, supporting roles, company ensemble, musicians, stage crew, and hair and make-up teams.

To register your interest in being involved in the 2022 IGS Musical, click here to receive the information and audition pack, issued from Wednesday 8 December.