5-8 Community News

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

 

The past fortnight has been a bit of a blur. Even though our students transitioned from remote to face to face learning, they have been incredibly resilient. 

 

We have continued to support students with learning from The Resilience Project. This week's learning has encouraged students to focus on their mind and body connection by exploring a variety of foods that boost their immune system and most importantly their mood and mindset.  The students even had a variety of foods to choose from to try themselves. This video was shown to the students as it explained the importance of a healthy diet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyQY8a-ng6g

 

Please have a look at the Emoticons tool below. This, along with the Zones of Regulation cues are displayed in our student spaces. If you feel your child is finding school or home a challenge, begin having that conversation with them about their emotions by labelling them.

 

On Monday, students had the opportunity to trial a variety of mood and health based foods.  A number of our students stated that they were not having breakfast in the morning. This is a major concern. Red Bulls and Rockstars are not a good option for mood food! 

 

We in the 5-8 teaching community, would appreciate you having a conversation with your children about the importance of eating breakfast. A piece of fruit, yoghurt and fruit, smoothie, toast or eggs are a great way to change your mood and set students up for optimal learning. 

 

Please consistently check in with your children about their use of their technology and personal devices. At the moment, apps such as SnapChat, Instagram, and Discord are posing some challenges at home, which are then being brought into the school grounds. If you feel your child is being bullied online, please report it to your child's TA teacher and to the Esafety Commissioner. These two websites provide instructions about how to report online abuse:

https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-issues/esafety-guide 

https://submit.esafety.gov.au/Produce/wizard/ca3acccd-07bf-4a12-9c0e-f93e50a46ab6?portal=1

 

Here are some strategies you might like to use.

 

Mr. Poppa's top tips for creating safer spaces for young people online:

  • As trusted adults, let’s moderate, safeguard, and support young people online at all times. This looks like setting up a learning space where you can monitor the children's phone/iPad screen.
  • Ensure that students' emails are used for school purposes only. Conversations, which use explicit language, should not be permitted on any email address.
  • Ensure that all social media profiles are not accessible to see. All social media platforms allow accounts to be set on private.  It is okay to ask your child what they are using their devices for. This creates communication. Did you know that social media licenses are only permitted for students over the age of 13? Our students can still access these websites on their website browser and through their school devices, using the home internet.
  • Enable young people to control and edit their own privacy settings quickly and easily eg. what's appropriate to share online and what isn't.
  • Make terms, conditions, and rules of engagement upfront, transparent and easy for them to understand. Setting boundaries with your child is really important. For teenagers using their devices in their room, the door open policy is a good one.
  • Refer to our school-wide SOLE matrices as a means for supporting your children.
  • Ensure that children have had enough time to rest from being in front of their screens. Set some times that are appropriate where your children are not on their screens.  It's important that the students are getting 8-10 hours of sleep and are heading to bed at a reasonable time and without any technology around. This can be stored away from the child's bed.

TA - Please remind your child about the importance of getting to TA on time. TA commences at 8.50am and concludes at 9.10 am.  It's ever so important that our students attend TA as it enables them to feel a sense of inclusion amongst their community which will foster opportunities for students to further develop long-lasting relationships with their peers and teachers. 

Students should not be attending Woolworths before school starts, unless they have your permission. 

 

With the weather warming up, please ensure that the children have a school hat. Beginning next week (Week 7), it is expected that all students have a hat when they are out in the yard. 

 

At the beginnning of Term 4, we will be moving to our new uniform. We expect that all students will return at the beginning of next term with the correct uniform. Black leather school shoes (not canvas) are the correct shoes.  Please continue to have this conversation with your children and begin looking for those school shoes. Along with the uniform, the importance of bringing and wearing a face mask is just as relevant. Students should have these on at all times!

 

Students can attend lunch time activities which are occurring three days each week including:

Tuesday - Tech Club

Wednesday - Miss Clarke and Miss Partridge's Art Cultural Studies every second week

Thursday - A weekly downball competition

 

All activities will commence at 1.00pm and will run until 1.30pm.

If your child has an interest in attending these sessions, I strongly encourage them to do so! They are great fun!!

 

Lastly, next Wednesday, 25th August, provides families in our school community with the opportunity to engage with students about their learning. Please take the time to make an appointment with your child's subject teacher and or TA. These will be held via Zoom.

 

Anthony Poppa and Corey Carver

5-8 Community Leaders

Seeking Help in the 5-8 Community

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SOLE Focus: Week 7