Angelika Ireland - NWR Senior Education Improvement Leader

Angie will be out of the school for the next three weeks to work at the North Western Regional Office as a Senior Education Improvement Leader. In her role there she will oversee 20 Primary and Secondary Schools in the Hume Network and will get to experience the inner workings of the Department of Education.

While Angie is away, Meredith Clegg will be Acting Principal, Rosemary Agnew will continue as Assistant Principal, and Gabby Tigafua will step up to Acting Assistant Principal.

Education Week 2019

Education Week is all about celebrating careers and pathways that will make a dream job come true. During the week of May 19 – 25 there will be a number of activities happening across the school.

All classes will be involved in ‘Simultaneous Storytime’ on Wednesday 22nd May at 10:30am reading the story ‘Alpacas in Maracas’ by Matt Cosgrove. This story will be read on the same day and at the same time in schools across Australia and New Zealand.
Year 1 students Math Show incursion Tuesday 21st May.
Maths Information session for Years 5 & 6 parents on Tuesday 21st May– 2:30pm in Room 3.
Parents are invited to visit classrooms during ‘Open Hour’ on Wednesday 22nd May from 2:30pm to 3:30pm.

2019 Mother's Day - Foundation

Great to see all the fathers of Foundation students who came to school last week on Wednesday to help bake scones for the mothers to have for their Devonshire Tea to be held at school that afternoon. As you can see, the High Tea held in each Foundation classroom was very well attended and the scones were enjoyed by all the guests.To all the mothers in our community, I hope you were spoilt on Mother’s Day last Sunday.

District Cross Country

Greenvale Primary School were once again the champions of the District Cross Country Championship held on 3rd May. Congratulations to Mr. Carroll and all our competitors who contributed points to this win and good luck to those who have advanced to compete at the Divisional Cross Country.

Managing Your Child's Anxiety

If your child feels anxious, reassure them that these feelings are a normal response to new people, events or potentially challenging situations. Help your child understand that there is a great deal they can do to manage their anxious feelings, so they can get on with the activities they enjoy.

Explain Anxiety

If your child is anxious he may struggle to explain how he feels. An important first step in anxiety self-management is explaining to your child how anxiety works.

Teach your child that the part of the brain that protects them from danger (the amygdala – pronounced ahh-mig-dah-la), is always on high alert when they are anxious.
Explain that the amygdala sees danger where there is none, but the body prepares to fight for life or flee from danger as if it’s protecting them from a hungry lion.
Discuss that the amygdala can’t differentiate between a hungry lion and public speaking or some other task they must face.
Talk about the changes that happen in their body to power them up to fight or flee, including increased heart and breathing rates and the pumping of the blood from the stomach to the arms and legs, which can cause nausea and even vomiting for some.

Help recognise anxiety-inducing events

There are many things that can evoke anxiety in your child, including:

Stressful events
Life changes
Transitions
Difficult experiences
New or unfamiliar situations

Help your child to recognise the specific situations and events that make them feel anxious such as meeting new friends, sitting tests and fear of rejection. In this way you can help your child manage and minimise their feelings of anxiety.

Respond with empathy

When your child feels anxious, the part of the brain that controls rational thinking, decision-making and concentration temporarily goes offline. They can feel easily overwhelmed by simple, everyday events and situations. Rather than protecting your child by allowing them to avoid meeting these challenges, or dismissing them as trivial, validate their feelings with statements such as:

“I can see you’re feeling worried about going to camp without your brother.”
“Thanks for telling me you feel nervous about the test. It’s understandable.”
“I see you’re really anxious about this right now. I know it’s hard for you.”

Resist the temptation to rescue or fix a situation. Respond with empathy and understanding to your child’s concerns.

Manage anxious moments

Help your child develop the tools to regulate and push their anxious feelings to the background. Practise these anxiety management tools when your child is feeling calm, and it will be easier for them to practise when they are nervous. These include:

Taking some deep breaths: Deep belly breathing from the diaphragm calms the amygdala, reducing feelings of anxiousness
Bringing their attention back to the present: Use their senses to bring their attention to the present moment and away from their worries – “Tell me five things you see, four things you hear and something you smell.”
Getting them moving: Physical exercise is not only a great distraction but it releases feel-good endorphins that help children and young people feel better and more optimistic about the future.
Defusing their thoughts: Anxious thoughts can get stuck, refusing to budge no matter or how unwanted they are. Help your child to distance themselves from their thoughts by placing distancing statements in front of their thoughts. Replace “I’m going to fail the test” with “I had a thought that I’m going to fail the test.” Rather than changing their thinking, assist your child distance themselves from unhelpful thoughts.

Get the fundamentals right

Sufficient sleep, good nutrition and exercise are essential for anxious kids. Support your child to adhere to their optimal bedtime so they wake naturally each morning, reduce sugar, take care of their gut health through good nutrition and encourage regular exercise for optimal mental health. There is a great deal you can do to help your child manage their anxiety. Start by assisting your child to understand the fundamentals of anxiety, show your genuine understanding of their feelings and be ready to support them emotionally to push their anxiety to the background.

(Ref: Parenting Ideas)

Sad News

We are all very saddened by the recent passing of one of our parents, Ahmad Akl. Our heartfelt sympathy goes to his wife Barbara, his children Jasmine, Layla and Adam, his extended family and to his friends. He will be missed by many. Should you or your child/ren feel that you need professional counselling there are a few contactable services such as Kids Help Line 1800 551 800, Griefline 9596 7799 and Orygen 1800 888 320.

Congratulations

On behalf of the school community, we would like to congratulations Shannon Carroll and his wife Mel on the most welcomed arrival of their first child, a gorgeous boy Mikail who was born on Wednesday 15th May at 1:55am.

Food For Thought:

Regards

Meredith Clegg - Acting Principal

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