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Ever- living God
We remember the lives that have been lost, let us promise each other to work for the freedom of all who are oppressed in the world today.
We remember those you have gathered from the storm of war into your presence;
May that same peace calm our fears,
Bring justice to all peoples
And establish harmony among the nations
We ask this prayer in the name of Jesus who taught us how to live.
Amen.
Dear Parents and Carers
It is very difficult to believe we are already in Week 7 of the term. We are enjoying having all students onsite. We are aware that every student comes back with different thoughts and feelings post remote learning.
Ultimately, while we cannot know the true extent and ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 lockdowns on our students and many students are unaffected, experts have called for schools to focus on social and emotional well-being. Our teachers are aware of prioritising wellbeing which is part of what we do anyway. A number of recent studies have found that a small number of students who have experienced lockdown from COVID-19 may experience fear and anxiety, anger and sadness, reduced quality of sleep, restlessness and problems concentrating, and hyperactivity and irritability.
You may be aware of this also in the home. Some strategies to help are to continue to be focusing on the strengths of your child and the resilience they have shown, ensuring you reestablish structure and routine, have open conversation about the lockdown and seek help if you feel their mental health is impacted beyond your support.
For all children, these strategies will increase students’ sense that their experiences are understood, will grow their support networks, and will increase their sense of agency that they can cope with the ongoing circumstances surrounding COVID-19.
We are here to support the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all children. Please reach out if you are requiring support with your child, initially via your classroom teacher.
You will notice by the calendar and Hub News we have many events planned to see the year out with some extra curricula learning experiences and celebrations.
One of these is Mission Fete day on December 3. Arguably the student’s favourite day of the year.
Please ensure you read the wonderful Hub News and are aware of what is happening for your child(ren) and check via the parent calendar.
Due to some more easing of restrictions after 23 November, we are hoping to include members of the whole learning community at different hub events outside. We just respectfully ask that you show your vaccination tick as you scan the QR code available outside upon entry and look forward to seeing you all before the school year draws to an end. More details to come from the updated guidelines next week.
Here is a photo of our Year 2 students connecting with the community last week.
First Eucharist:
We finally were able to celebrate First Eucharist or Holy Communion which it has been known as in the past with our Year 5 and some Year 6 students over 3 nights last week. Congratulations to the following students: Will Wakefield, Reilly Pope, Jasper Day, Leonard Reid, Willem Van Uijtert, Mason Poirier, Ted Cass, Albie Reid, Xander Hately, Rommy Stefankowski, Cale Cook, Luke Snowden, Teddy McCartney, Vincent Hambleton, Nash Pascoe, Reed Wardley, Sonni Andrews, Kai Russell, Finn McCormack, Spencer Finch, Hugh Rolfs, Finn Wallace, Adelaide Hammond, Archie Heenan, Cooper Levis, Paddy McCaffrey, Ava Stonehouse, Nate Donovan, Henry Jankowski, Josh Grant, Sibella lehmann, Jude De Jong, Angus Carr, Alister Hill, Livian Kelso, Jaxon Garrard, Lonni Kerr, Miller Reilly, Ivy Winchester, Lewis Modola, Kayla Harrington, Mercedes Collier, Abbey Walsh, Lola Brydges, Willow Crapp, Georgia Perkins, Eva Briggs, Ava Seddon, Evie Mulcaire, Ebony Binnion, August Wood, Alana Atkinson, Ruby Brooks, Darcey Moran, Estella Sorace, Annabelle Hipik, Caitin Maud, Georgia McDonough, Lilly McKay, Molly Armitstead, Skye Partridge, Frankie Cunningham, Lily Tunks, Eilidh Sheridan, Milla Bennett, Mem Allen, Charlie Janezic, Ivy King, Matilda Wood, Lani Turner, Tilly Dooling, Evie Smith, Elisa MacPherson, Tully Reynolds, Emma Robinson, Billi Janezic, Natalia Eyck, Ruby McLean, Christian Cruz, Heidi Salisbury, Xavier Kiddle.
Many thanks to Fr Darien and the teachers for the beautiful preparation of the students and thank you to all on such a reverent and special celebration.
Vinnie’s Christmas Appeal:
Each year our school supports local families in need at Christmas time, through St Vincent de Paul. We provide food hampers for a Christmas lunch to ensure all families enjoy a special meal together. This Friday 19th November, we will be having a casual clothes day and ask that each child donates $2. The Year 5 students will then be allocated a family from Vinnies and will use the donated money to plan and shop for Christmas lunch. Of course the more money raised through our casual clothes day, will mean a more sumptuous meal. We are hoping to raise $1000.
Please note Year One and Year two will be on an excursion but we would still be grateful for the gold coin donation and they will wear their casual clothes on Monday 22 November. Year 5 will be in casual clothes for their leadership day at Camp Wyuna so we ask they also bring a $2 donation.
Mission Fete:
Christianity calls us to love God and to love our neighbour in every situation, especially for those living in all forms of poverty. Seizing the opportunity to volunteer, donate, advocate and work for the common good is an act of love – love of God and love of neighbour. Mission Fete day is such an occasion where we see our students really rise to action and raise money for Bulbula in Ethiopia and a portion to Catholic Mission. The current Religious education Inquiry Learning Prep- Year 6 is “a call to discipleship” and this rich learning is really seeing our students have a developed sense of awareness and empathy.
This year again, to alleviate the handling of money, it is suggested that each child donates $10. This will include an icy pole for snack, a sausage in bread for lunch and participation in all fete activities. You are welcome to contribute more. We do encourage students to contribute their own money towards Mission Fete, or to complete jobs at home to earn the money. Students can bring their donation to school, in a named envelope, before Mission Fete Day please.
We thank you in advance for your contributions.
Parking on John Dory Drive:
A few gentle reminders regarding drop off and pick up at the front of the school. We respectfully ask that you please ensure at drop off and pick up you do not park across driveways. This is a problem particularly for those in the neighbourhood who need to access their driveway. Also please do not cross the road out the front but access the crossing. Safety of all in our community is paramount.
When you do pull up at the front of school please ensure you pull in to the front of the zoned area to support traffic flow and do not do a u turn from this area but travel up the road and around the roundabout.
School Disco:
We had a PFA meeting last night and decided it is best to postpone the disco to next year and probably early in Term 2 after daylight savings is over. Stay tuned for the new date. If you would like to be reimbursed now please email jbandh@bigpond.com who will organise a refund otherwise we have a list of those who have paid and will keep that for next year so you will not need to pay again.
School Advisory Council Annual General Meeting: Our annual School Advisory open general meeting is on Wednesday 24 November in the School Library at 7 pm. Parents/ carers welcome to attend. Please ensure you have a vaccination record to show, wear a mask and sign in via the QR code.
COVID Update re Rapid Antigen Testing:
You will be aware in the media that the government is providing Rapid Antigen Testing kits to schools to distribute at no cost should an outbreak occur in the school. This is an opt in approach and we will share more details should this be required. It will mean that unvaccinated students, which is the majority of our students, if they are deemed to be a close contact to someone at school, will be supplied with kits to self test from day 8-14 and provide negative results each morning in order to be able to return to school for these days. As stated more extensive details will be provided if it was to occur in our school community.
Warm wishes for the fortnight ahead
Kerryn
Kerryn has written in her introduction this week regarding the importance of social and emotional wellbeing for our students as we navigate this current phase of COVID19. As she explains, many of our students have returned to school unaffected and ready for learning and are enjoying being back with their friends. However, we are seeing some of our students display behaviours that may indicate a sense of fear and anxiety.
To better understand anxiety and provide some ideas for families, I have included the following information from BeyondBlue.
Strategies to support anxious children
When kids have anxious thoughts or feelings, a common response from the adults in their lives is to step in and solve the problem.
If they’re terrified of dogs, it’s pretty reasonable to keep them away from the pitbull next door….right?
Well, not really. By helping children avoid scary situations, you’re reinforcing and fuelling their anxiety. They’re also missing out on opportunities to develop coping skills and prove to themselves they can deal with the anxious thought or feeling next time it comes up.
The best thing you can do for your child is to help them learn how to cope with anxiety.
Strategies to try
Encourage your child to take some slow, deep breaths to calm the physical effects of anxiety. Practice together by breathing in for three seconds, holding for three seconds, then out for three. Once they're feeling a bit calmer, you can talk through what's worrying them.
Setting aside some designated time to deal with worries can stop anxious thoughts from taking over. Try creating a daily ritual called ‘worry time’, and encourage children to draw or write down whatever’s bothering them. You can make the activity a bit more fun by decorating a ‘worry box’ or building a ‘worry wall’ out of post-its. When the time is up – after 10 to 15 minutes – shut the worries up in the box or tear them off the wall and say goodbye to them for the day.
Instead of skirting the scary situation, you could try a technique called ‘laddering’ – breaking down worries into manageable chunks and gradually working towards a goal.
Let’s say your child is afraid of water and swimming. Instead of avoiding the pool, create some mini-goals to build their confidence. Start out by just sitting and watching other kids swimming. As they feel more comfortable get them to try dangling their legs in the water, then standing in the shallow end, and so on.
4. Encourage positive thinking
Kids with anxiety often get stuck on the worst-case scenario or 'what ifs' in any situation. You can help them shift these thinking patterns by:
- reminding them of times they've dealt with similar issues in the past and how things worked out OK
- helping them to challenge the scary thought with facts and evidence. For example, we know that crocodiles can't survive under our bed
- make a plan for how they'll respond if things don't go as they'd like.
Anxious kids often worry about making mistakes or not having things perfect. This can lead to them avoiding situations or activities – they’d rather sit out than get it wrong. Emphasise giving new things a try and having fun over whether something’s a success or failure.
Don’t just tell your child how to overcome emotions – show them. When you get anxious or stressed, verbalise how you’re coping with the situation: “This looks a bit scary, but I’ll give it a go.” And hey, you might even knock off one of your own fears.
7. Be upfront about scary stuff
Lots of kids have worries about death, war, terrorism or things they see on the news. This is all really normal. Talk through their fears and answer any questions truthfully. Don’t sugar-coat the facts – try and explain what’s happening in a way that puts their fears in perspective.
Check out BRAVE – a free online program to help kids cope with worries and anxiety. There’s a tailored version for younger kids (eight-12), one for teens (12-17) and an accompanying program for parents.
9. And finally, check your own behaviour
Kids pick up all sorts of signals from the adults in their lives, so have a think about the messages you’re sending. Over-protective family members can inadvertently reinforce children’s fears that the world is a dangerous place where everything can hurt you. Similarly, parents who ‘over-help’ are subconsciously telling their kids that they can’t do anything without adult support.
If you’re prone to ‘helicoptering’, try taking a step back and waiting next time before you jump in. It can be hard seeing your child distressed, but figuring things out for themselves is an important step in building resilience.
At school, teachers will continue to focus on social and emotional wellbeing through the use of Circle Time, the Personal and Social Capability within the Victorian Curriculum and Respectful Relationships. If you have concerns that your child is having difficulty during this challenging time, please reach out through your child's class teacher. Finally,if worries and anxiety are causing difficulties for your child, speak to your family doctor about what’s going on.
Paul Anderson
Student Wellbeing Leader
The canteen will reopen on Wednesday 9 February
The canteen will be open Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays in 2022.
It is important that children read both analogue (clockface) and digital times. It is useful to get them to learn to do particular tasks such as:
- Setting time on microwaves or ovens
- Asking the children “what is today’s date?”
- Keeping track of family birthdays and knowing which ones are coming
- Examining use-by dates on items and comparing the date to today's date
- Reading timetables: for example, ask “what time train would we need to catch to get to the football by one o’clock”
- Asking time calculations like “how long is it from now until … bedtime?” “how long till your next birthday?”
Kelly Sports - School Holiday Program
Kelly Sports - School Holiday Timetable
Tickets are $40 per person and general admission only with NO allocated seating. Covid regulations require that all patrons over the age of 12 must be able to verify they are double vaccinated and sign in with QR codes.