Don't forget to keep all your receipts from back-to-school expenses so that you can take advantage of the Education Tax Refund. The refund gives eligible parents and caregivers a 50 per cent refund on a range of primary and secondary school education expenses, including school uniforms. For the 2011-2012 financial year you may be eligible for the following: Primary school child You can claim a maximum of $818 for each of your primary school children – that is a refund of up to $409. Secondary school student You can claim a maximum of $1,636... Read more

A suite of resources, including the School A to Z website and the annual back-to-school hotline, is available to help parents prepare for the new school year. School A to Z website The School A to Z website provides you with practical help to get involved and support your children's learning and includes a webcast on the theme of ‘Getting off to a great start at school'. The School A to Z webcast answers commonly asked questions that range from how to motivate children for learning, to tips on how to manage technology use at home, bullying,... Read more

The state's most talented young singers, dancers and musicians displayed their skills during four exciting and extravagant performances at the 2011 Schools Spectacular, held recently at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. If you missed the live shows or if you just want to enjoy it all again, you can catch the highlights on ABC TV. Two telecasts are scheduled (check your local TV guide for confirmation): 7.30pm Sunday, 18 December on ABC1 (1hr version) 7.00pm Saturday, 31 December on ABC2 (2.5hr version). The brilliantly choreographed and... Read more

Royal Life Saving NSW has emphasised the importance of swimming and water safety education, saying 50,000 children are leaving primary school every year unable to swim. The organisation says participation in swimming lessons has been in decline for the past 10 years and many Australian children are at risk of drowning. Both Royal Life Saving and the NSW Government agency Sport and Recreation offer learn-to-swim lessons throughout the state under the Swim and Survive banner. The Sport and Recreation program caters for children aged between 18... Read more

You can't always trust what you read when researching information for assignments. Here are ways your child can tell a good website from a bad one. With so much information on the web and no-one responsible for fact checking, kids need to look out for: bias and hidden agendas factual errors outdated information information which is country-specific commercially motivated information. Play the detective The ability to question information is a vital tool for all school kids. People can publish something that looks great but is full of factual... Read more

You don't have to be an expert to help your child with writing. Simply supporting your child with the areas of writing that you feel confident with will benefit them. When you're writing something down such as the shopping list, sending an email or filling in a form, talk to your child about what you're doing, why you're writing it and who you expect to read it. When writing at home, make it purposeful and interesting for yourself and your child. It's essential that kids learn that we write for a purpose It's important that your child... Read more

Parents can now access quality information to help with their child's homework and assignments while on the go. The School A to Z mobile app, available free for iPhone, iPad and Android devices, is part of a new online parent resource developed by the education department. The app features: plain-English definitions of maths, English and technology terms, including videos and help sheets information and useful links to help with common classroom assignments Maths Monkey times tables learning game Spelling Bee learning game. The Spelling Bee... Read more

Parents can support their child's learning with a new purpose-built resource that includes a website, mobile applications and social media channels. The School A to Z online school community, developed by the education department, provides practical advice about homework, tips on learning, wellbeing, technology and resources to help parents and carers support their child's social, physical and mental development. It includes a free mobile application for iPad and smartphones that features hundreds of definitions about maths and English terms,... Read more

Here are some practical tips to help your child work out the best way to express themselves through their writing. Help your child to understand writing tasks that they may have been given for homework. Ask them to talk about what has to be done. Help your child to use reference materials such as dictionaries, thesauruses, encyclopaedias, DVDs and the internet. Before your child attempts a task, help them to understand what reference materials are needed by talking about the task and asking questions which will guide the child's planning.... Read more

24 June 2011 Encouraging your kids to pick up a few good books during the holidays is a great way to keep their hard-earned reading skills from slipping. Here are some suggestions. Books for young kids For boys and girls in Kindergarten to Year 2: The Terrible Plop - Ursula Dubosarsky Clancy & Millie and the Very Fine House - Libby Gleeson. For boys and girls in Years 3 and 4: Ballroom Bonanza - Nina Rycroft (a fabulous rhyming alphabetical picture book) The Adventures of a Late-Night Swearer - Nette Hilton The Walk Right in Detective... Read more

8 June 2011 With the financial year almost over, now is the time to start collating your receipts from education expenses to take advantage of a federal government tax initiative. The Education Tax Refund (ETR) gives parents and caregivers a 50% refund on a range of primary and secondary school education expenses. For the 2010-2011 financial year you may be eligible for the following: Primary school child You can claim a maximum of $794 for each of your primary school children and receive a maximum refund of $397 per primary school child.... Read more

Success in maths in the later years of school is dependent on developing a solid understanding of the foundational concepts: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Maths expert and parent, Associate Professor Janette Bobis from the University of Sydney, gives her top tips on how young kids can become confident in maths. Have a positive attitude towards maths When parents tell their children that they themselves can't do it, it means they're communicating messages that it's OK not to be good at maths, which can carry all the way... Read more

Parents play an important role in developing their child's reading ability. Here are six great ways to help with this vital skill. Together find information and interesting facts about things that intrigue or interest your child in books, magazines or on the internet. Read and talk about what you find out. Provide your child with plastic letters, crayons, pencils, chalk, pens and writing paper. Make things together and ask your child to read out simple directions (eg recipes while you cook together). Suggest that your child writes simple... Read more

NSW Health is warning parents and school communities about a range of health risks associated with mosquito bites. There has been a significant increase in the numbers of mosquitoes in some parts of NSW following recent heavy rainfall and flooding. Mosquitoes can transmit a number of viral infections, including Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus, and a large number of these infections have been reported in 2011. A rarer but more serious mosquito-borne infection called Murray Valley encephalitis has also been detected in western NSW.... Read more

Reducing your family's carbon footprint at home and school is easy and can save you money at the same time. Low-waste lunches Try doing a lunch box audit with your kids to see how much packaging you use such as plastic wrap, plastic throw-away spoons, straws and plastic bags, along with pre-packaged foods. Lunch boxes with their special compartments for sandwiches, fruit, nuts and snacks are the best way to reduce additional wrapping or packaging of individual items. Chilled or frozen juice or water keeps lunch cool and fresh. Reusable drink... Read more

Children get their work done more easily if they can manage their time and their environment. Here are five great tips from experts and families to help you and your kids get organised for school. 1. Establish some routines Set up a few simple routines in your home that make things more efficient. For example, teach your kids that the first thing they do when they come in the door is empty their bag of food and notes or newsletters. 2. Manage time Talk to your kids regularly about planning how they use time for activities that need doing as... Read more

Keeping kids active and healthy has been made easier with the relaunch of the Healthy Kids website. Healthy Kids is the main source of online information in NSW focused on the prevention of childhood obesity through healthy eating and physical activity. The website's five main messages you can share with your kids are: get active each day choose water as a drink eat more fruit and vegetables eat fewer snacks and select healthier alternatives turn off the TV or computer and get active. The website has great information, such as lunch box... Read more

Students are returning to school in one of the hottest months of the year and summer temperatures provide an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive. It's important to keep your child's food cool in order to reduce the risk of food poisoning. Simple tips Use insulated lunch boxes or cooler bags. Keep a frozen drink or freezer brick inside the lunch box or bag. If you're making lunches the night before, store them in the fridge until leaving for school. Ask your child to store their lunch in a cool, dark place like a locker - not in direct... Read more

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to keep their receipts from education related expenses to take advantage of a federal government tax initiative. The Education Tax Refund (ETR) gives you refunds of 50% on a range of primary and secondary school education expenses. You can receive refunds up to a maximum of $397 per primary school student and $794 per secondary school student. Items you can claim You can claim the cost of buying, establishing, repairing and maintaining any of the following items: home computers and laptops... Read more

NSW Health is warning parents to be on the alert for whooping cough following an increase in the number of school-aged children diagnosed with the disease over the last few weeks. Whooping cough – also known as pertussis – is a serious respiratory infection that causes a long coughing illness, and can be life-threatening for babies. Older children can bring home whooping cough from school or childcare and the infection can then be passed on to babies in the home. Boosters are important Whooping cough boosters are important for older children... Read more