From the Assistant Principal

From Mrs Hopkins' loungeroom...

One last newsletter written whilst in my slippers - I'm very excited to be seeing everyone onsite but I am definitely going to miss that! This time has certainly been a tumultuous one in many many ways, but it is ok to celebrate some of the wonderful parts as well. Talk to your children about some of the positives that come out of adversity - have you walked the dog more than usual? Have you pulled out some long forgotten board games? Have you had a rare chance to enjoy breakfast or lunch as a family when usually there is no time? Have you noticed that you or other family members are thinking more of others and brainstorming ways to share kindness in the world? Even better - have you noticed that some of the boring old chores seem less urgent right now? I urge you to point out these positives to your children and even consider finding a way to document this once in a lifetime experience for future stories and reminiscing. Over on the Captain's Corner page, Heidi has started us off with a great list of positives!

This is also a wonderful time to 'bank this opportunity' - and by that I mean talk about how despite nerves, anxiety, worry or trouble - you and your family got through these times by sticking together and practising resilience and self-care. Pop this in the 'memory bank' to recall next time something feels overwhelming - 'remember that time we felt yucky about remote learning but then we were ok?'

Preparing your child to return

I hope your child enjoys our return to school video:

Many of us might be harbouring a little worry that our children will find it tricky to return to school. School won't be quite the same as we remember it, but staff are working hard to make your child's return a safe and joyful one. Over the next few weeks, you will notice that our focus is very much on the wellbeing of all Kalinda community members, a stronger focus on re-establishing a thriving learning community than rushing back into assessments and academic rigour. Academic growth of all our students is our ongoing priority at Kalinda - however in this time we believe it is far more important to nurture our community with a focus on engagement, relationships and mental health.

To help your child prepare for a successful return, we strongly suggest the following:

If your child has not left the house very often, plan some small trips or errands to help them re-acclimatise with being away from home.
Work now on re-establishing bedtime routines, including being ready for the day at a stress and rush free time.
Plan ahead to make sure that all your child's belongings are collected and packed to avoid last minute rushing. Don't forget that you are asked to bring an extra water bottle, hand sanitiser and personal reading books.
Talk about school in positive ways, don't dismiss worries - but do focus on the things that we can look forward to.
Try to minimise talk about your own potential worries but rather what we can all do to keep each other safe. If you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed, consider talking to a trusted adult friend or counsellor instead.
Talk to your child about what you will be doing while they are at school. Maybe you are heading to work or maybe you have jobs to do - either way you will see them again at the end of the day and look forward to seeing them then. Having this plan in their mind may ease some worries about where you are.
In the days leading up to school - visit the school and talk about where you will meet your child at the end of the day. Talk through a plan of who they will ask for help if they can't see you straight away. Staff will have high-vis vests on and easy to spot.

If you are particularly concerned, please contact your class teacher to let them know that your child may need some extra support.

Above all, be kind to yourself and others. 2020 has been quite the wild ride, and you are doing a magnificent job!

Lauren Hopkins

hopkins.lauren.d@edumail.vic.gov.au