Back to School Tips for Lane Cove Mums and Dads

We know how busy parents are at this time of the year so we have put together a list of tips and suppliers to make your life easier.

Rapid Antigen Testing (RATs)

The 2022 word of the year will be RATs.  We have put together an article on how to administer Rapid Antigen Tests to your kids.  Read more  here.

Extra-Curricular Activities

This year the first thing you should do is apply for your Active Kids Voucher and Creative Kids Voucher  you are able to apply for both for every one of your children who are school-aged.

Active Kids Vouchers

The Active Kids program provides two $100 vouchers for parents, guardians and carers of school-enrolled children to use towards sport and active recreation costs each year.

Voucher 1 is valid January to December and Voucher 2 is valid July to December.

Creative Kids Vouchers

Parents, guardians and carers can claim a $100 voucher per year to put towards the cost of lessons and fees with registered providers.

It’s a great opportunity to let kids find their passion and learn new skills.

Vouchers can be used to contribute to registration, participation and tuition costs for performing arts, visual arts, coding, languages, literature, music and other creative and cultural activities with our approved list of activity providers.

From 1 January 2022, the Creative Kids program is refocusing on encouraging real-time (live) activities. Art kit programs, pre-recorded video lessons and online programs that are not delivered in real-time are no longer eligible.

For more information, see Provider FAQs and Parents, guardians and carers FAQs.

First Lap Voucher

Each voucher can only be used:

  • once (if the program is less than $100, the remaining balance is given up and cannot be refunded or used with another provider)
  • with an approved First Lap provider
  • for a program of at least 5 structured and supervised swimming lessons, which are either intensive (daily) or regular weekly lessons
  • on or before the expiry date.

More info here.

So where in Lane Cove do you use those active kids and creative kids vouchers?

TERM 1 is fast approaching! We have put together a list of some local activities for babies, pre-schoolers, primary school students, tweens, teenagers/secondary school kids – in other words something for everyone.   Read more here.

Before and After School Care (aka as OOSH) Gap Fee Assistance

Parents and carers of children enrolled in all primary schools in NSW are now entitled to a $500 voucher to cover the Before and After School Care (BASC) fee gap costs.

The $500 voucher will assist families who use BASC services by covering the parent gap fee component of their session fees.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said BASC services were more important than ever as families returned to work following the holidays.

“It’s been a challenging past couple of years for parents of school-aged children. Many have had to juggle the demands of supervising their kids’ education at home while working remotely, or even foregoing paid work,” Mr Perrottet said.

“These vouchers for before and after school care will help alleviate some of the financial pressures on NSW families and provide greater flexibility and more options for those who need to work.”

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said that both providers and users of BASC would benefit from this announcement.

“These vouchers are all about providing affordable access to care for families, particularly after a tough two years that have disrupted access to school and BASC,” Ms Mitchell said.

“Every family with children at a NSW primary school is eligible for one voucher per child, which will provide each child with approximately 60 sessions of free BASC.”

The NSW Department of Education has partnered with Service NSW to roll out the program, which will be delivered through Service NSW and will follow a similar premise to the current Dine and Discover Vouchers.

Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said BASC providers will be able to register to redeem the vouchers from 7 February and parents will be able to apply for, and utilise, the vouchers from 28 February.

“This is a win for families as they can apply for, store, and redeem their new vouchers via the Service NSW app, similar to Dine & Discover and other vouchers like Active Kids and First Lap,” Mr Dominello said.

“Eligible families will receive their vouchers in their app just like the Dine & Discover program with providers able to quickly scan the QR code on the spot or use the unique voucher code to redeem.”

Providers and customers can register and apply online via a MyServiceNSW account, in the app, or by visiting their nearest Service Centre.

Music Lessons and Music Gear

Music Lessons

Big Music is Australia’s number 1 contemporary Music School with your choice of over 30 inspiring and professional music coaches. Term 1 enrolments are now open for private lessons, group classes and Rock Shows. See their website bigmusic.com.au for details.

Musical Instruments and Sheet Music

If your child is playing a musical instrument, there is a local music store in Lane Cove. Syrinx Music can help you with instruments and sheet music.

If your child does AMEB exams and needs a particular piece of music, all you have to do is email Derek below and he will source the music and send you an invoice.  You can then pick it up at your own convenience.

Miss ITC plays a musical instrument and shopping local has saved me so much time (as you are always told that they need new reeds or music 24 hours before they are actually needed).  Syrinx Music (previously known as Lane Cove Music Supplies) is located in Central Arcade on the First Floor.  Just call Derek and he will organise sheet music, instruments, reeds, music stands are much more.  The convenience factor is HUGE.

Derek is also up to date on all the back to school requirements.  For example, Derek posted the following on his Facebook page

“With the new directive from the department of education advising that you should use bell covers for brass and woodwind instruments in a band situation. These are now available to order online.”

Contact Details

Address: Shop 18, 105-108 Longueville Road, Lane Cove NSW 2066
Email:  Derek Galloway Director
Phone:(02) 9420 4499
Mobile: 0450 045 753
Website:  www.syrinxmusic.com
Facebook: @syrinx

Dance Uniforms and Costumes

If your child attends a dance school or is thinking of attending a dance school, they will need dance uniforms.  This can be a costly exercise, particularly if your child only decides to dance for one term or likes it so much they want to do ballet, jazz and hip hop (all with different uniforms).  Lane Cove Local Alison Bird had this exact problem when she had three girls who danced.  Alison founded balletstuff.com.au and now sells affordable dance uniforms for kids online throughout Australia. You can read about Alison here.

Note they no longer operate their Lane Cove store in Rosenthal Avenue but easy to order online.

Ballet Stuff stocks very reasonable priced dance and gym gear.  Their Best Seller Ballet Pack – which includes shoes, leotard, tights & skirt – is a really affordable way to get the entire outfit. This pack contains premium quality dancewear drastically cheaper than you will find in any retail outlet.  A list of local Dance Schools is here.

 

Eye Test

It is a good idea to get your child’s eyes tested (particularly if you or your partner wear glasses).  List of local optometrists here.

Dentist

Back to School means back to sport and if you need a mouth guard, then speak to Apple Dental.

A mouth guard is a priority if you are playing a contact sport.  Your child’s teeth are precious so make sure they are protected.

It is highly recommended that you go to a Dentist and have a mouth guard properly fitted. The ones you buy from a chemist don’t fit as well and that leads to kids complaining about wearing them or not wearing them at all.

Apple Dental offers a huge range of mouth guard colours and would love to fit you or your child.  Find out more here.

dental practice in Lane Cove

Speech Pathologists/Occupational Therapists

People are often surprised when they learn that speech pathologists work with a wide range of communication and swallowing issues that people may experience across the whole lifespan.

To help assist your little ones, speech pathologists work with babies with breastfeeding/swallowing difficulties the toddler who is not talking yet, the pre-schooler with a stutter and the primary school-age child struggling with social interaction, language or literacy skills (did you know that speech pathologists are specialists in written language skills, i.e. reading, spelling and writing?).

Find out list of Speech Pathologists/OT here.

If you have ever struggled with finding out about your child’s day at school, local speech pathologist and mum Catherine Lavery from Sydney Speech Clinic has some great tips here.

Sport Clubs

A list of our local sports clubs and registration days will be published on ITC soon. In the second week of February, most sporting clubs will have a stand in Lane Cove Plaza to register your child.  It takes time for clubs to register kids for sport to start at the end of term 1, so registration has already started for most local clubs that play a “winter” sport.  ITC will also let you know on our Facebook page when there are come and try events such as the Lane Cove Tigers Come and Try sessions – see below.

Drama

Cameraygal School of Performing Arts has some places left in Term 1 for students from Kindy to High School.  More info here.

Art Lessons Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Spaces

Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Spaces runs art workshops during Term after school.  It is particularly easy for kids who are at Lane Cove Public and St Michaels to walk the Gallery Lane Cove after school.  Below is just a sample of some of their workshops.

Lunchbox Ideas

The start of the year is a great time to make those small changes of cutting down packaging waste and increasing your positive approach to lunchtime!  The Source Bulk Foods Lane Cove have five lunchbox ideas that will ensure the members of your household head off to their day with healthy and tasty options.  Click here to read their tips and to download  5 lunchbox ideas with all recipes included.

Cover photo by Kylie Dunlop of Kylie Dunlop Photography

Many of the businesses listed above support In the Cove by listing in our business directory.  Please support those who support In the Cove.  Without their support, ITC could not undertake our community and advocacy work.

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Many of you have asked how you can support In the Cove. It’s so easy – tell your friends about us, follow us on a different platform, subscribe to our weekly news blast, or if you can, we now have a Patreon account  where you can sponsor us for any amount you like (this allows us to keep local news free – no paywall!!!)

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Stay tuned. We will be announcing our In the Cove Intern programme soon – where we will take on a part-time PAID intern who lives locally and is studying either PR, Social Media, Communication or Journalism.   This is our way to give back to Lane Cove, and as you would be aware, we offer free advertising for all local jobs as we are passionate about local jobs for local people.


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