Around The Primary
Dear Parents
The College Visual Arts Exhibition will be open tomorrow, Saturday 20 October from 11am–2pm in the Thomas More Exhibition Centre. This Exhibition features artwork from both the Secondary and Primary school students.
Every student from Year 3-6 has a piece of artwork exhibited and there is a small selection from the Early Years. It is a great opportunity for parents to view artwork across all years and for students to showcase their artwork. We hope many families will come along on Saturday and see the students’ design and creativity skills with both 2D and 3D work.
Special thanks to Mrs Blaauw (Primary Visual Arts Teacher) for all her hard work to ensure that the Primary school has a range of forms in this year’s Exhibition.
Meeting new and different people is a part of life and it is our role as parents and teachers to support children through change rather than protect them from it. I ask all parents to trust that the class your child is going into next year is one in which they will thrive. It is important to note that parental requests can only be met in exceptional circumstances and emails or letters requesting a particular teacher or placement with a best friend does not constitute an exceptional circumstance. Early notification of class lists will not be provided. Parents can feel confident that their children will always be in good hands and receive an excellent education at John XXIII.
We look forward to having a big parent cheer squad at the Junior Primary Athletics Carnival next Thursday 25 October. Extra parking will be available will be available on the lawn area off Mooro Road.
Kind regards
Antoinette De Pinto
Head of Primary
Can you help!
We need a Primary Convenor! This role requires about a 5-7 hour commitment each term and is mainly composed of liaising with PALs (Year Reps) and the school which can often be done via email at your own convenience. There is only one PAL meeting each term, usually held on the second Friday of the term.
The role opens the opportunity to be more involved in what happens in the school and to meet parents across the school.
Please contact Liz Blaxell (current Primary Convenor) lizblaxell@gmail.com or Ric Del Pizzo (9383 0468) if you have any questions.
Year 5 Astronomers
This term the Year 5 students have been studying Earth and Space Sciences. The students worked collaboratively in a small group to create their own mini model of the solar system. The students were fantastic at working out the correct size of the planets and the order of the planets from the sun.
Year 2 Artists
On Monday Year 2 embarked on a fantastic excursion to the Art Gallery of Western Australia. The students experienced a guided tour of the Art Gallery, where they were shown some amazing Indigenous art work. They participated in a work shop in which they created their own art work based on Mary McLean’s Bush Camp painting. The students had a wonderful day!
Counsellor Corner
I hope everyone has had a great second week back at school and your children have adjusted happily back to the school routine. Parenting ideas expert Martine Oglethorpe offers some useful suggestions for managing digital technology in the home.
Anne Murphy
Primary Counsellor
9 Digital Technology Guidelines for Parents
Technology is everywhere now, in our homes, in our pockets, and perhaps worryingly for many parents, in our children’s hands.
Every family is different, and will have their own ideas around what’s considered ‘normal’ or acceptable use of our beloved devices, which means there’s no universal answer.
However, there are some suggestions that can help you build some rules of your own and bring some order to the way your children use digital devices at home.
Before we help our young people, it’s best to look at our own digital habits to make sure we are providing them with what they need – that is, leading by example and being balanced role models who know when to use and when not to use their devices.
1. Know what the rules and expectations are at school
School digital device policies make a great starting point for families. Every school is different – some let students keep mobile phones in lockers or backpacks, while others allow limited mobile phone usage between classes or even during class time to aid with assignments. Make sure that you and your child know what the rules are at school. Importantly, support the school and keep your own expectations in line with theirs.
2. Specify hours for digital use
Set the ground rules for when your youngsters can use their tablets and phones, and when they need to shut them off for the night. It’s just a smart way to build a habit for the whole family so it becomes ingrained and just the way things are done in your home. Keep in mind that this age group faces tremendous peer pressure to be online 24/7, and even though they’d never admit it, it might be helpful for them to have an acceptable ‘way out’ from their demanding digital life.
3. Consider a digital device ‘contract’
Mobile phone ‘contracts’ were popular with parents a few years back and they are still a smart way to go. Clearly set out your digital device usage guidelines, and print them in an agreement that you and your young one can both sign. If there are any disputes, then you both have the expectations in writing. This digital technology guideline maybe a little too formal for many people’s tastes, but it removes the grey areas around expectations that many young people are likely to exploit.
4. Lay out consequences from the start
Make the consequences clear for breaking the rules, such as taking away the phone or tablet for a set period of time. But remember, the goal isn’t to punish them, but just to set clear boundaries. Your home’s digital device guidelines should be reasonable rather than excessive, and be made in collaboration with your youngster so they feel a sense of ownership about the rules too. This should make it less likely for them to ‘break the law’, so to speak.
5. Talk about respectful relationships, safety and pornography
You can’t let your young person loose in the digital world without having several conversations about how to stay safe online, how to show respectful behaviour and be aware of the pitfalls of pornography. Each of these topics is a separate issue on its own, but each is deeply affected by the virtual, boundary-free nature of digital technology. This kind of digital exposure can have massive ramifications on the growth and development of young people, especially when it comes to the quality of their relationships and well-being.
6. Be prepared to learn
Be ready to learn about social media, and the different apps and games that young people may be playing. But at the same time, be mindful of their boundaries. A recent Australian survey found that young people see TV-watching as a way of connecting to their family, and social media as a way of connecting to their friends.
7. Change the rules if necessary
Many families will have a young one who believes that rules are made to be broken. They are the ones always pushing past their boundaries, their own limits and the limits of their parents’ patience. Smart parents take a more flexible approach, and believe that rules are made to be changed. Be prepared to keep evolving your rules based on your young person’s behaviour, maturity, sleep habits, their tendency to leave homework or chores unfinished, bullying or any number of issues that will invariably crop up to make them feel like your rules just aren’t working.
8. Keep digital devices out of the bedroom
If there was one rule that you should stay firm on, then this is the one. Many young people are in a constant sleep deficit as it is without bringing digital devices into the mix. They may say they want to charge it in their room. Keep the charger in a public place. They may even want to use their mobile or tablet to wake up in the morning. Applaud them on wanting to wake up on their own, but get them a regular alarm clock instead.
9. Have a ‘digital detox’ one day a week
The only way that this idea will work is if you join them in making one day a week a digital device-free day. They will probably not like it, and neither will you, but the point of having one day off is to prove that they can live without their digital device, and involve them in different forms of communication and entertainment.
Digital technology is now an integral part of our lives, but it’s not the only option we have for entertainment, information and or communication. Before we help our young people, it’s best to look at our own digital habits to make sure we are providing them with what they need – that is, leading by example and being balanced role models who know when to use and when not to use their devices. They are far more likely to walk our walk than follow our talk.
It’s not easy, but with a little effort and forethought, it does not have to be such a daunting proposition.
Martine Oglethorpe
[Martine Oglethorpe is an accredited speaker with the Office of the eSafety Commissioner and has presented to numerous parent groups, schools and teachers. She is a speaker, counsellor and educator with a passion for building resilient kids in a digital world. Contact details: info@martineoglethorpe.com.au]
Cyber Safety Information Evening
Digital technology has opened up a world of possibilities for our children. At the same time, it has multiplied potential risks.
The College has partnered with Australia’s leading provider of cyber safety and digital-awareness services, Family Zone. Our goal is to protect every student from exposure to online threats - from inappropriate content to cyberbullying.
We invite you to attend our Cyber Safety Information Evening with Cyber Experts from ySafe
- Tuesday 23 October at 7:00pm
- Gonzaga Barry Lecture Theatre
- John XXIII College, John XXIII Avenue, Mt Claremont, WA 6010
- Please register to attend at https://www.trybooking.com/409077
We have also managed to secure a number of Family Zone Accounts which we are offering to John XXIII College families for free, as part of our College contract negotiations until 2020.
By setting up a private Family Zone account, you can apply age-appropriate parental controls on every device your child has access to, in any location. To find out more visit https://www.familyzone.com/johnxxiii-wa
Dates to Remember
Tuesday 23 October Cyber Safety Parent Evening
Wednesday 24 October Yr 7 2019 Orientation Day
Thursday 25 October K - Yr 2 Athletics Carnival
Friday 26 October 3B Assembly 9am (Roncalli Hall)