Dear St John's Community,

This week, I want to talk about a very important issue that has raised its head since returning to school this term. It relates to what our students are seeing online and through all media sources regarding the Iran-US engagement in the Middle East.

It’s often the case that, despite our best intentions, children will encounter global events long before we have the chance to consider how to explain them to them. For many weeks now, news and social media sources have been filled with imagery regarding the Iran-US conflict. While we do our best to keep our homes sanctuaries of peace, the reality is that these events intrude in our children’s lives. In my opinion, the biggest issue with this conflict for us at present are the ‘memes’ or ‘comedic’ videos that have flooded all forms of social media and are frequently finding their way onto the screens of our students, especially the Lego representations (something most children love). By turning war into entertainment, these approaches desensitise our children to the human suffering that is occurring in favour of political manoeuvrings, satire, and ‘audience’ engagement.

As a Catholic community, we need to look to the Gospel values of compassion, the importance of the sanctity of life, and the dignity of every human person to guide our responses at such times. Drawing on advice from child psychologists and parenting experts, here are a few ways you can navigate this at home.

The "Meme-ification" of Conflict

In psychology, when war or conflict is treated as a "joke" or a game, it is seen as a defence mechanism called desensitisation. For children, seeing violence represented comedically can blur the line between "internet trends" and the real human cost of conflict. From a Catholic Perspective, we believe every person is made in the image and likeness of God. When we see violence treated lightly, it’s an opportunity for us to gently remind our children that behind every headline or video is a family just like ours.

Filtering the "Noise," Not the Truth

Children (especially in the younger years) struggle to distinguish between a far-away conflict and an immediate threat to their own safety. Research suggests that repeated viewing of violent or "scary" news increases anxiety and the "mean world syndrome" (the belief that the world is more dangerous than it actually is). The advice is to try to give your child a simple version of the facts, i.e. “Two countries are having a big disagreement. Many world leaders are working hard right now to help them find a peaceful way to solve it so people don’t keep getting hurt.”

Turning Fear into Prayer

When children feel overwhelmed by world events, the best antidote is some form of agency, i.e. a feeling that they can do something helpful. Often, we see these things and cannot fully appreciate what’s happening because it’s so far away. Or, we simply feel like we can’t do anything about it. A good way to turn that around is by coming together as a family for a simple prayer or to set a simple intention for "peace in the Middle East" or "for all children who are feeling scared today." This helps to move the focus from fear to hope.

You can also focus more positively on the people who are ‘helping’ others in the situation. Talk about the humanitarian groups and the peacekeepers working in the region.

Signs to Watch For

If your child is witnessing these events online, (and we know they are) look out for potential "red flags" such as:

Difficulty sleeping or sudden nightmares.
Increased "play-fighting" or aggressive language.
Asking repetitive questions about safety at home.

Every day we try to advocate for our school to remain a safe space for all students. Its not always the case, despite our best intentions and efforts, but we will never stop trying to provide that for the students at this school.

If you feel your child is particularly distressed by what they have been seeing online, please don't hesitate to reach out to their classroom teacher and let them know.

I finish with this beautiful piece of scripture for this moment in time: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." (Matthew 5:9)

The Modern Beatitudes by Pope Francis

Blessed are those who remain faithful while enduring evils inflicted on them by others and forgive them from their heart.

Blessed are those who look into the eyes of the abandoned and marginalized and show them their closeness.

Blessed are those who see God in every person.

Blessed are those who protect and care for our common home.

Blessed are those who renounce their own comfort in order to help others.

Blessed are those who pray and work for full communion between Christians.

Pray to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.

Amen (Pope Francis, 1st Nov, 2016)

Next Thursday morning from 7.30am we are celebrating those wonderful women in our lives. Come and share some stories, have a coffee, some brekky and a short liturgy celebrating such important people in our lives.

If you are partaking of the provided food on the day, please purcahse a ticket for each person eating (pre-schoolers free).

Trybooking tickets here

Staffing News

I have good news and sad news all rolled into one this week.

First of all Mrs Amy McMahon who moved to Melbourne last year to support her daughter's Soccer Academy training will be moving back home to Queensland. Academy training finished sooner than expected and both her and her daughter are eager to be reunited with the rest of their family. We are sad to see her go but grateful for her time with us.

Secondly, we have another pregnant teacher! My goodness, I knew I should have got the water pipes fixed sooner!

Mrs Grace Atkins is pregnant and expecting late in the year. This is exciting for her and her husband and we wish them all the best.

Head Lice

I just want to inform parents that we have had a few cases of Head Lice in recent days. I have noticed a number of students of late having their hair lose, any hair over shoulder length should be neatly bound. While it won't prevent head lice it does help prevent them from transferring. Health regulations state that if your child has head lice they cannot return to school until after they have been treated.

The Jaguars are looking for new members, especially in the junior levels (Prep & Grade 1) and under 12s. If you're interested, contact them through this email: admin@stjohnsbasketball.com

Round 7 Results, Top 5!

Ezndaz (new leader!)

HenryDR

ToonAussie

Dlefebvre

Nanette-C

Enjoy the last of the sunshine this weekend!

Kind regards,

Derek Bruitzman

Principal

Jokes of the week:

Q. What do you call a kangaroo who is a dead set genius?

A. A Quantum leap

Q: What is a kangaroos favourite outdoor game?

A: Hopscotch

Q: When is a bear not a bear?

A: When it doesn't have the right koalafications.

Fun facts of the week:

Platypus are amazing creatures any day of the week, but did you know they sweat milk to feed their young!

Your ears and nose will never stop growing!

Every seven years, nearly every particle in your body is replaced!

Parents - St John's Facebook page

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St John's Playground Fundraising

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Goal: $25000

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