From the Principal's Desk

 Week 7 

Last week saw our PSSA Combined Netball team competed in the zone knockout Gala day.  The girls fought hard against some very strong teams and came away with second place. This is an outstanding achievement. Well done girls!

Good luck to our Cross Country runners running at Coolah tomorrow.

Goodluck to our soccer team, who compete in the Gala Football day on Friday.

Last Thursday our Stage 3 students attended a STEM day run by the Future Teachers Club at Armidale Secondary College.  Everyone had a great day, meeting new friends and learning about STEM from our young aspiring teachers, including some ex MGPS students.

Thalgarrah Visits

Over the last few weeks, our Koalas, Magpies, Possums, Wombats and Bilbies have headed out to Thalgarrah Environmental Centre to do their learning in the outdoors.  Our students loved the opportunity to access the centre and the experts who teach there. How lucky are we to have such an amazing resource right on our door step!  If you want to see more photos and fun check them out on MGPS FaceBook.  Link below.

eSafety

Recently it has been brought to my attention a large number of our students as young as Year 2 are using Messenger Kids.  Although it is aimed at children under 13 years, it is designed for parents to monitor and control. 

Recently we have had students sharing photos and videos without consent.  I implore you to please monitor your child's digital foot print. 

Below I am inserting 2 links to encourage a conversation with your child/children to ensure they are aware of their rights and the rights of others. This is something we also teach at MGPS.

Creative Arts Concert

On Wednesday 18 June at 2pm, we will be holding an afternoon where we are asking students who would like to perform their eisteddfod item at school in a mini Creative Arts concert. This will replace the Assembly on Friday.  For all students interested, please see Mrs Deiderick.

Our PAX word of the fortnight is UPSTANDER. 

An upstander is a person who speaks or acts in support of an individual or cause, particularly someone who intervenes on behalf of a person who is being treated unkindly. Here is a link to help discuss being an Upstander                                                                 in the online world.

You Can Do It! 

Actions you can take that can help strengthen your children’s belief in themselves include:

• The most powerful influence over your children’s self-belief is their success experiences – especially in areas of difficulty and challenge. Make sure that the expectations you have of your children are realistic. That they experience success – even if it requires sustained maximum effort.
• Share your obstacles and efforts to accomplish something with your children. Discuss how important it is to believe you have what it takes to succeed.
• Do not compare your children’s achievements. Let them follow their own pace.
• Teach them how to think when they have difficulty doing anything: “I can’t do this – YET.”
• Teach your children that they have a choice in how they think about challenging learning tasks and stressful situations with people. They can think “I can’t do this and never will” or “I have done hard things in the past, I cope and be successful tomorrow.”
• To help your children believe they can manage stress about schoolwork or friends, teach them to shift from a negative to a positive mood by finding something fun to do, relaxing, or talking the issue out with someone they trust.
• Provide children with positive feedback for times when they have stayed calm and managed their emotions in stressful situations.

Have a great week!  

Peta Deiderick