Dear Parents and Carers,

A very warm thank-you to all our parents and carers for a fabulous Term 2. We have so much to celebrate together, including our partnership, resilience and commitment to giving our very best to our children at Melton West Primary School. All our children this term have worked hard to adapt to changing learning environments and we are very proud of their efforts and we thank all our parents/carers for your continued support.

The focus of this newsletter is on the importance of Communication. Communication is one of our core School Values along with Trust, Respect and Team Work.

What is effective communication?

Communication is about more than just exchanging information. It's about understanding the emotion and intentions behind the information. Effective communication is also a two-way street. It’s not only how we convey a message so that it is received and understood by someone in exactly the way we intended, it’s also how we listen to gain the full meaning of what’s being said and to make the other person feel heard and understood.

More than just the words we use, effective communication combines a set of skills including nonverbal communication, engaged listening, managing stress in the moment, the ability to communicate assertively, and the capacity to recognize and understand one’s own emotions and those of the person we are communicating with.

Effective communication is the glue that helps us deepen our connections with others and improve teamwork, decision making, and problem solving. It enables us to communicate even negative or difficult messages without creating conflict or destroying trust.

Barriers to effective interpersonal communication

•Stress and out-of-control emotion: When we are stressed or emotionally overwhelmed, we are more likely to misread other people, send confusing or off-putting nonverbal signals, and lapse into unhealthy knee-jerk patterns of behavior. Taking a moment to calm down before continuing a conversation can help to ensure our intended message is received and understood.

•Lack of focus: We can’t communicate effectively when we are multitasking. If we are planning what we are going to say next, daydreaming, checking text messages, or thinking about something else, we are almost certain to miss nonverbal cues in the conversation. We need to stay focused on the moment-to-moment experience.

•Inconsistent body language: Nonverbal communication should reinforce what is being said, not contradict it. If we say one thing, but our body language says something else, our listener will likely feel we are being dishonest. For example, we can’t say “yes” while shaking our head no.

•Negative body language: If we disagree with or dislike what’s being said, we may use negative body language to rebuff the other person’s message, such as crossing our arms, avoiding eye contact, or tapping our feet. We don’t have to agree, or even like what’s being said, but to communicate effectively without making the other person defensive it’s important to avoid sending negative signals.

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head.

If you talk to him in his language that goes to his heart.” – Nelson Mandela

Warmest Regards,

Kathy Cvitkovic

Assistant Principal

VICE CAPTAIN REPORT

Hello Melton West Community!

We hope you have had an amazing week so far. This week is the last week of Term 2, so yes that means school holidays begin this Friday at 2.10pm. School will resume on Monday 12th July.

Today the Parents Club held a sausage sizzle which is an event we all love, including our teachers. Who doesn’t like sausages in bread! Thank you to the Parents Club for running Special Lunch Days.

We have recently noticed that some students are using the incorrect play equipment. If you are unsure, please ask your teachers or any of the JSC or SWPB Leaders who can direct you to the correct play area. Something exciting to look forward to next term is the reopening of the PlayPod so stay tuned for the official date.

Have a wonderful and safe holiday. See you in Term 3.

Akki and Tonson (Vice-Captains)

Melton West Primary School is a Child Safe School

We hold the care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people as a central and fundamental responsibility of our school and base all our decisions on what’s best for the students. Please talk to a staff member if you have any concerns about a child’s safety at any time.

Wellbeing