From the Acting Principal 

Journey into the Holidays

For our last Newsletter for 2022, I wanted to include some tips for parents and carers to support you on your journey into the Christmas holiday period with your children. This holiday break is the longest of the year and, although the Christmas holiday break can be an exciting one for children, the transition from school student to “holiday child” can also be unsettling for some. Schools are very routine orientated, and routines provide safety and security. Holiday time can be everything other than routine, which can be a good thing, as having that downtime to rest and relax more is part of recharging term time batteries. Secondary students often have holiday part time jobs that help keep the security of a routine going, but for Primary school aged students it is often parents and carers that are tasked with creating routines and/or activities for their children during holiday periods.

There are some excellent resources and advice from parenting coaches and I have collated and summarised some of this below:

Keep something for yourself

When children are on holidays, often parents and carers struggle to do the activities that they need to do to look after themselves. What do you know you need to feel peaceful, grounded, and balanced over the holiday? Morning gym sessions, Pilates classes or a walking group with friends can be the first to go once the holidays arrive. If possible, retain some of these activities as much as possible. Share your child’s care over the holiday break with extended family and friends so that you may have some time for you.

Don’t Overplan

Although your child may tell you they are “bored” and want to have days planned that are actioned packed, they actually need time to unwind and relax after a busy school year. They also need time to think of their own things to do/play. One downside of a regular routine is that children don’t have to think too much about what to do next as it is all planned for them at school. Planning too many activities in the holiday break can also be overwhelming so it is recommended that there is time available for children to rest or be creative with their holiday time.

Encourage non-routines

I know in the first paragraph I mentioned that routine offers safety and security but also holidays are meant to be different from school term time. Staying up a little later, sleeping in until lunchtime or having friends over on a weeknight are part of the holiday fun for children of all ages and a great way for them to enjoy the non-routine aspect of holidays.

Give Children Plenty of Advance Notice 

With the lack of routine comes that lack of predictability that can throw many children off-balance. So it is sometimes good to chat to your child about the rough plan for each week during the holiday period. Whenever possible, involve your children in making the plan, or at least parts of it, so they feel some ownership and control over the day.

Make Agreements in Advance

Make agreements about rules for screens, smartphones, and other media during vacation time, then write them down (or text!) them for all to see. Just because it is the Christmas holidays does not mean that all the usual family rules and expectations do not apply during this time. Together you might create a holiday version of family rules or expectations, there might be some that do become null and void in the holidays but there also might be new ones. You may need to remind your child that being a parent or carer does not stop on holidays and you would be doing them a disservice if you stopped parenting them.

Provide Guidance in Private Whenever Possible

During the holiday period, our children are often with us more than during school term time. It is easy to feel pressure when parenting in public, especially when you suspect that your sister or friend doesn’t approve of your methods. For these reasons, always try to move your child away from the public eye so that you can parent from my heart rather than from fear of judgment. For example, if your child says something rude to a friend ask them to help you in the kitchen (or other room) for a minute and then discuss their derogatory comment there.

Model Gratitude and Give

As we all know, there are many families doing it tough these Christmas holidays so model gratitude with your children regularly over the Christmas holiday break. Encourage them to use some of their holiday time to pack up good clothes that they have outgrown or make up Christmas hampers to donate to those less fortunate. Articulating gratefulness and giving are not only good for others, but are also beneficial for the wellbeing of those doing the articulating and giving.

The last few weeks of the school year includes some significant events on the Moama Anglican Grammar Calendar. Last Monday we had our Carols on the Lawn and it was a particularly enjoyable event this year because we haven’t been able to hold it for the last couple of years. As far as I could tell, ALL of our Primary School students can sing beautifully and the Secondary students who performed were similarly impressive. 

On Wednesday we had our Christmas Services at Christ Church Anglican in Echuca organised by our Chaplain, Mr Martin. Make sure you ask your child about how Christmas Bon Bons relate to what they have been studying in their RVE classes and the Christmas message Mr Martin gave at Church on Wednesday. 

Next week we have our Presentation Assemblies and Celebration Day which is always a great way to finish the last couple of days of the school year. And the day after the last day for students, our HSC students will get their HSC results. All of them deserve every success in the future and we wish them well as they journey into life beyond school.

Enjoy your time with family and friends over the Christmas holiday break. Be safe and take care of yourselves. We will miss your child and very much look forward to having them back at school for the start of the 2023 school year.

Kathleen Kemp

Acting Principal