Upcoming Dates

Click to download the 2022-23 or the provisional 2023-24 Hillside Calendar. You can also access the school calendar via the ESF App.

3 May: Faust Theatre Incursion K1s & K2s

9 May: Parent Webinar - Why Sleep Matters

22-25 May: Hearing Screening

2 June: ESF-wide Transition Day

13 June: Save-the-date for K2 Celebration of Learning

29 June: Last School Day of Term

30 June: Summer Break Begins

 

 

 

Principal's Message

Dear Hillside Families

Welcome to May!! I hope you all had a relaxing long weekend. 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so I want to share this short video we created on Wellbeing & Early Years. Children at this age are developing rapidly and may experience various emotions and feelings as they navigate new experiences and challenges (thinking about transition up ahead.)

It is important to help your child develop resilience and emotional intelligence by teaching them self-regulation skills, such as deep breathing exercises and positive self-talk (The Power of Yet). By prioritising children's mental health and wellbeing, we can help them build a strong foundation for future success and happiness.

The other aspect of wellbeing is, of course, health! We have noticed several children coming with runny noses. Please allow children the time to rest if they are starting to show symptom(s) or feeling rundown. We need your cooperation and support in staying vigilant and keeping our community safe. Please take note of the section below on our school policy on illnesses. 

Let’s keep up our healthy habits and amp up our vitamins!!

Warm regards
Audrey

K1 & K2 Faust incursion (Earlier today!)

Thank you to Bradbury School for allowing us to use their school hall. And thank you to the children’s theatre company, Faust, for a wonderful performance of The Ugly Duckling! The children thoroughly enjoyed the performance, and we hope this was an opportunity to provoke children’s thinking around how theatre and music are ways to express ideas and stories as they dive into inquiries within their last unit How We Express Ourselves. 

Thank you to those who read The Ugly Duckling with the children last night! Your support and contributions made the play all the more enjoyable, and we hope that your children came home feeling inspired and excited about what they learned. Thank you again for all that you do!

K2 Parent-Teacher Conferences & Open Play Volunteers

Both K2 events in Term 3 - PTCs and Open Play volunteering sign-ups are now available. Please look out for a separate app message with further information and to sign up. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on 2540-0066.

Hearing Screening (22 - 25 May)

In response to the positive feedback we received from parents regarding the vision screening and recognising the importance of early intervention, we have scheduled a hearing screening at Hillside with ENTlaser Hearing and Speech Therapy Centre. This will take place from 22 - 25 May, and parents can pay online if they would like their child to take part.

TEST - Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE)

What it is: OAEs are sounds given off by the inner ear in response to an auditory stimuli. These sounds are produced by the hair cells and can be measured automatically by a handheld portable device. The measured frequencies are 2k, 3k, 4k and 5k Hz. These frequencies are tested as they are most susceptible to hearing loss and crucial for speech and language development.

Duration: approximately 3-4 minutes per child

Results: If a child passes, results indicate that he/she has normal hearing (or mild hearing loss at most) and do not have any middle ear issues. If a child fails, results indicate that he/she needs to have a full diagnostic test at clinic to determine whether there is a presence of middle ear issues (which can be corrected with medication) or sensorineural hearing loss and determine whether there is a need for aural rehabilitation.

The screening is optional; the fee per child is $200, and registration is via this Eventbrite link: [Web Link]

If you want to sign your child up for this optional screening, please register by 15 May. 

 

School Policy on Illness

We want to work with you to ensure that our children and staff remain healthy and safe at school and that learning continues in person, undisrupted. Again, we thank you for your cooperation and support in staying vigilant and keeping our community safe. 

As we’re hopefully at the tail end of flu season, we would like to remind families of our “Zero Tolerance Policy” towards spreading illness at Hillside. While we understand that wearing a mask can help prevent the spread of illness, it is not a substitute for staying home when sick. When a child is feeling unwell, it is important that they stay home to rest and recover. Therefore, please do not send children to school if they have a fever and/or respiratory illness symptoms. Sending a sick child to school with a mask on can increase the risk of spreading illness to others, including teachers and classmates. Hence, we will send children home if they come to school with a fever, runny nose or a continuous cough. These procedures are in place to protect everyone at school. Thank you for your cooperation and support in keeping our school community healthy and safe. 

Upcoming Parent Webinar

Title: Why Sleep Matters

When: Tuesday, 9 May 2023, 12-1pm

Speaker: Bree Crockett is the Director at SPOT Children's Centre and a Paediatric Occupational Therapist. 

Is there anything more frustrating than bedtime protests, sleep delays, and nighttime wake-ups?

With over 18 years of clinical experience working with children, Bree will share her knowledge on sleep for children between 3-5 years old. The objectives of the talk:

• Learn facts about optimal sleep

• Understand what sleep issues are really about

• An approach that comes from an understanding of child development and separation

• Strategies to help your fearful child build resilience and coping skills. 

Please CLICK HERE to REGISTER in advance.