From the Principal

Dear Parents & Carers

Thank you for your communication, cooperation and understanding you have with your child's class teacher. We understand that each family has different circumstances to deal with at home and therefore each child's learning environment is different. This is the total opposite to the classroom where teachers set the tone and work environment and can visibly see, hear and sense this from within the learning space. Because of this, learning tasks are set with a few objectives in mind; to cater for different household physical structures, to cater for access by students on different devices, to cater for learning to be done at different times of the day, to cater for individual needs of students, to cater for individual strengths of students, to cater for the pace at which individual students work at, to cater for different levels of time parents can devote to assisting their children ... the list can go on. That is why I say thank you for your understanding and acceptance of the many different situations we have within our Queen of Peace community.

Teaching in the remote learning environment is a completely different day in the life of a teacher!

I know that many families are struggling at the moment. Juggling work, family finances, children's remote learning, care for extended family and looking after your own health and wellbeing is hard work. This certainly applies to our school staff as well. Instead of having children physically in front of them to motivate, engage, teach, guide and nurture each day, they find that they are spending their days, which often extend into nights, doing the following; planning quality differentiated tasks, engaging slides, videos and voice overs, teaching on Google Meet/Classroom, responding to student questions/emails, responding to parent emails, problem solving ICT issues when they arise with students, meeting with curriculum leadership teams and other staff on Meets, organising prayer services, supervising students at school when rostered on and providing feedback to the students in their class.

Our teachers are aware that each family has different circumstances and that each student in their class has different needs during Remote Learning. Thank you again for your support in working with us and providing feedback, which we use to help us better understand and adapt our practices to best cater for all students' and family needs. Here's a nice twist to a Dr Seuss Book which nicely sums up how our staff are feeling!

Financial Support

It is looking highly unlikely that any camps or excursions will proceed if we return in Term 4. The school will credit all camp costs from the 2020 to the 2021 fees. In the case of our Year 6 Students who don’t have siblings at QoP, they will be refunded the total cost if the camp scheduled for Term 4 does not go ahead. The school will also credit any excursion fees that have not been used, this will depend on what activities are possible in Term 4.

I want to reassure families impacted financially by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that we want to assist you in every way possible to continue your child’s education at Queen of Peace.

As many in our school community grapple with unprecedented changes to finances, emotional wellbeing and physical health, we have taken a clear position on enrolments: No parent or guardian who wishes their child to receive a Catholic education at Queen of Peace will be denied the opportunity to do so because of financial circumstances. If you have concerns about your financial situation, please contact me by email on dgibbons@qopaltonameadows.catholic.edu.au so that we can explore confidential financial support arrangements to enable your child’s ongoing education at our school. We are absolutely committed to working with our families as we get through these challenging times. If you have any questions or concerns regarding these arrangements, please do not hesitate to contact me.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Sue Sherman. Sue has worked in the Parish Office for many years and has been a great support to the Holy Trinity Parish and Queen of Peace School Community. Our office staff will especially miss her regular visits, support and friendship. Our sincere condolences to her husband Michael and children, Matthew, Andrew, Jennifer and partners.

Help Kids Beat COVID Induced Anxiety

Article by Michael Grose , 11 August 2020

Source: LINK

Since COVID has entered our lives I’ve had countless conversations with parents and enquiries from schools seeking presentations on how to support kids with COVID induced anxiety. It’s wonderful to see how kids’ mental health and wellbeing are being prioritised, and importantly, resourced. However, these conversations show we still have some way to go as a community to fully grasp the nature of anxiety. While the current situation we are all living through is extremely difficult, it does present an opportunity to develop sustained growth and vitality in anxious children and young people.

In Anxious Kids, the book I co-authored with Dr. Jodi Richardson, we wrote, “Anxiety doesn’t have to be the shadow that clouds the days of children and young people. Understanding that anxiety is a well understood and manageable condition brings anxious kids such relief.”

We wrote this pre-COVID and nothing since has caused me to change my mind. In fact, experiences of this COVID era have reinforced that the more we know about anxiety the less fearful we are and better equipped to move kids from anxiety to real resilience.

There is no cure for anxiety

Just as there’s no cure for the common cold, and it would appear the coronavirus, there is also no cure for anxiety. We know that anxiety runs in families. Children are born with a predisposition for anxiety. There is every likelihood that an anxious child will have at least one parent who experiences anxiety, maybe not clinically, but one who is familiar with a churn in their stomach, the constant overthinking, and the desire to over-prepare when they face new or unfamiliar situations.

The impact of anxiety can be minimised

Anxiety may be a constant companion for many children but it’s certainly not their best friend. Often, it’s a demon with which they are locked in a long-running, laborious battle where simple activities such as attending school camp or doing at-home learning become something they dread. Alternatively, they can avoid events or situations that make them anxious or bring them discomfort. It’s better to give an anxious child or young person tools such as mindfulness, checking in and deep breathing with which they can manage their anxiety, rather than allow them to miss out and be miserable, or tackle discomfort full on and be stressed out.

You can build anxiety resistance

While we can’t necessarily tackle anxiety at its source and make the situations that overwhelm a child disappear, we can help them to develop a lifestyle that builds their resistance against the very worst of anxiety. Plenty of sleep, adequate diet, regular exercise and sufficient time in nature are some of the lifestyle factors that build strength against the psychological ravages of anxiety.

You can help kids reduce their ongoing anxiety

While the world waits and prays that we’ll come up with a coronavirus vaccine, we don’t have to wait to help a child or young person with anxiety. A combination of being nurturing and firm (features of the authoritative parenting style) offers the best protection against ongoing anxiety. A child is best prepared to face difficulties when they have a confident, calm adult in their life who says, “I think you can do this,” encouraging them to face their fears. This approach needs to be supported by an empathetic adult who understands the impact of anxiety and makes sure that kids feel safe and secure.

While parenting an anxious child or young person can feel overwhelming and difficult, I encourage you to think about it differently. We can’t change what is happening right now, and we can’t undo it. Help your anxious child to flourish in this COVID era by building their understanding of anxiety. Give them the tools to help them push anxiety into the background. Promote a lifestyle that will protect them from its effects by ensuring they experience nurturing, firm, brave and hopeful parenting. We hope coronavirus will one day disappear, but your child’s ability to be impacted by difficult events will still be an issue unless you take some preventative action now. The good news is that there is so much you can do to help.

Online Mental Health Resources

Resilience, Physical Activity, Mindfulness and Gratitude

The DET and Melbourne Football Club have developed a new series of wellbeing videos. Featuring both AFL and AFLW players, the videos provide students with tips on resilience, managing stress and anxiety, gratitude, and staying active. These would be great to watch with your children.

Click here to access these videos.
Click here for access to Beyond Blue - Coronavirus Support This website is regularly updated with information, advice and strategies to help you manage your wellbeing and mental health during this time. And you can stay up-to-date by joining our email community.
Click here for access to the Student Well-being Hub Website. It includes sections for parents, teachers and students with practical strategies and resources to support your child's wellbeing.
Click here for Raising Children Network Reliable, up-to-date information to help your family grow and thrive together.
Click here for access to Parenting Ideas Blog. It includes articles, testimonials and practical tips on a wide variety of topics.
Click here for Iparent - Office of eSafety Commissioner. To learn about the digital environment and how to help your child have safe and enjoyable online experiences.
Click here for access to CatholicCare, a social service agency of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, they offer a range of programs and services that aim to build and strengthen relationships.
Positive Parenting Telephone Service 1800 880 660. Participants complete a workbook or online modules which are supported by weekly 30 minute phone calls with a trained parenting educator. All of this can be done from the comfort of your own home at a time that suits you.
Parentline 13 22 89 Parentline is available 8am to midnight, 7 days a week. It is a confidential and anonymous phone counselling service for parents and carers of children and teenagers in Victoria.

Warm regards

Darren Gibbons

Principal