Wellbeing & Culture
Indonesian Independence Day (Hari Kemerdekaan) is celebrated on August 17th each year. This year marks the 77th year since Indonesia declared its Independence in 1945. Hari Kemerdekaan is widely celebrated in Indonesia, and Indonesians highly value their freedom. Many Indonesians celebrate by playing games in their town or school. Over the last couple of years, during remote learning, our students have been introduced to some of the games and activities that Indonesian people like to play. This year for Independence Day, Middle School students are invited to participate in the OrangARTan drawing competition.
This term the Intercultural Captains, Kenuli and Ellie, are introducing Culture Club. This club will meet in the LOTE (Indonesian) Room each Wednesday at Recess.
The first few weeks of Culture Club will have an Art focus, with students working on The OrangARTan Project. Students will produce drawings of animals from Sumatra or Borneo in their habitats to raise funds and awareness for Indonesian endangered animals.
The due date for these artworks is 26th August, 2022. The judges for the competition are Emma Quay (Australian Illustrator - Rudie Nudie), Benjamin Pearmain (Australian Illustrator), Eggpicnic (fine art and public art designers).
Many prizes will be on offer for participants.
Students can also enter this competition independently from home. Please see the link below for information:
https://www.orangutan.org.au/orangartan/
Following the art projects, the Culture Club will run activities and games from different cultures.
We are looking forward to welcoming Middle and Senior students to the Culture Club starting Term 4.
Sampai jumpa,
Bu Webster
Positive Education
This term, senior students have been completing weekly gratitude journals, to align with our Positive Education focus for the term. Keeping a gratitude journal is proven to:
- Increase positivity
- Improve self-esteem
- Helps you to sleep better
- Makes your happier
- Reduces stress
We encourage all families to include a moment of gratitude reflection into their weekly routines. Encourage your children to not only reflect on the common things they are grateful for (friends, family school), but prompt questions such as:
- Which of your five senses are you most grateful for and why?
- What was the best thing that happened today and why?
- Name something that makes you happy
- Name someone who helps you and how they help you
- Where is your favourite place to go and why?
- What do you like most about your school and why?
- Name an animal you feel thankful for and why
- Name someone who you are grateful to have in your life and explain why.
We have R U OK? Day coming up on Thursday September 8th. On R U OK day we’ll be focusing on how we can approach asking someone if they’re okay, along with checking in on those that matter to us and those around us at school. On the Thursday we encourage you to wear something yellow, as we have lessons around the topic of checking-in on our peers, and how to ask if someone is okay.
R U OK Day ties in with our term Positive Education focus around gratitude, and Respectful Relationships focus on help-seeking. We can’t wait to see our school showing off some yellow to raise awareness on the importance of reaching out to help others.
Max Graham - Positive Education