From the Assistant Principal 

'Bounce Back #5' is here!

I recently read someone describe our next few weeks as Bounce Back #5 and I just love this phrase for the optimism and resilience (and glass half full-ism) that it promotes - by looking at this exit out of lockdown less like recovery and more like rediscovery we can help our children feel optimistic about the future. We get to return to the things we love and reflect on our learnings along the way. But I feel like the phrase sums up our experience so well because alongside this message of resilience the phrase also has the realistic undertone of 'here we go again' that we all feel. It is no lie that many of us have noticed a fatigue in this Lockdown that we haven't felt before. It is both comforting and sobering that we transitioned so smoothly into another lockdown - would you have guessed 12 months ago that remote learning, mask-wearing and #stayinghome would have felt so old hat? I sure would not have! 

But then this realisation segues to my next one: how great are we!? 12-18 months ago it felt like the idea of even connecting remotely let alone teaching and learning remotely (and parenting simultaneously) felt overwhelming and quite frankly impossible. There were moments we couldn't picture how we would do it and I'm sure I wasn't alone in comforting myself with the false belief that 'it will all blow over in a few weeks'. But here we are. As parents, students, staff and community we should be incredibly proud of not only the ways in which we have found to exist in this new world but the ways in which we have cared for, lifted up, supported, appreciated and simply loved our friends, families, colleagues and community. 

So....welcome back! 'Bounce Back #5' is going to be the best yet!

Mobile Phones at School

As we all return to school on-site it is a timely moment to remind our community that according to the DET Mobile Phones Policy and the Kalinda Primary School Mobile Phone Policy students who choose to bring mobile phones to school must have them switched off and securely stored at the school office during school hours. This means that students are not allowed to keep a mobile phone with them between 9am-330pm (including in their schoolbag or pocket) and must have it signed in and out of the school office. If a student was to breach this Policy, they would receive a warning. After that and on consultation with parents, a second or subsequent breach would result in school-related consequences. Please help us in managing the safe use of technology for our students. 

Raising Digital Citizens - How NOT to talk to your child. 

As promised, this fortnight I will continue on the journey of sharing quality resources with our community around Digital Safety and parenting. This article is from the FamilyZone website and a great one for some tips around constructive and realistic conversations you can have with your child. Please note that this link includes advertisements for the FamilyZone product. 

Parenting Anxious Children

I thought that some families may find this webinar hosted by ARC (Anxiety Recovery Centre Victoria) useful. 

We are kind. We are resilient. We are respectful.