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Dear Families
We’re excited to be welcoming in Spring next week.
'Lightening the Lockdown Load’ by Dr Justin Coulson:
Dr Justin Coulson (reputable Australian Parenting Expert) conducted a webinar last week entitled ‘Lightening the Lockdown Load’. It was specifically aimed at Victorian families. Justin outlined four main ideas in the webinar.
1. Our kids need to be heard. He encouraged us to listen to our kids and then respond calmly. If our kids emotions are high, we need to try to be their calm. ‘What can I do to help?’ is a great question to ask as this communicates that you want to help. When we are kind it changes things.
2. Our kids need humour. Justin spoke about the welcome place of the Dad jokes. Humour lightens everything so we should try and use it in our families too.
3. Our kids need to help others. Justin spoke about wellbeing happening mostly when we are helping others. ‘What can we do to help others?’ It takes the focus off us. Especially in this pandemic, there are lots of things we can do to help others. Eg sending a thoughtful card to everyone in your street.
4. Our kids need to have hope. Our job as parents is to be hope builders, look for the good out there. Talk about what we will do when this pandemic is over to build a sense of hopefulness.
You will find more information on his ‘Happy Families’ website. To watch this webinar click on this link https://www.dropbox.com/s/886858y31evw7x9/LighteningTheLockdownLoad_DrJustinCoulson.mp4?dl=0
As Victoria is experiencing significant community transmission of COVID-19, all parents, guardians, carers and students who are feeling unwell and displaying symptoms of COVID-19 should be encouraged to get tested. Children of parents, guardians or carers undergoing testing for COVID-19, should remain absent from school until the parent, guardian or carer receives a negative test result. Students who are unwell must not attend school. If your child is showing even mild symptoms of COVID-19 they must stay at home.
The symptoms to watch out for are: fever, chills or sweats, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose or loss of sense of smell.
Remember on the home page on our website www.trafalgar.catholic.edu.au we have an article entitled ‘Help Kids to Beat COVID Induced Anxiety’ by Michael Grose (Parenting Expert). You might find this article very helpful.
Please be reassured that SAFETY remains of paramount importance in our school. Personal hygiene processes are practised and reinforced continually.
I am very excited to announce that we have been successful in obtaining a $23,000 grant from the Australian Government to specially address mental health in our school. Taryn carefully prepared the submission and we were thrilled with the outcome. We have some great plans to specifically address the social needs of our students and you will be hearing more about this as the plan unfolds. Needless to say, this is particularly good news for our community.
We are inviting you to take a photo of your family at your front door/gate in this lockdown time, and email it to school (office@trafalgar.catholic.edu.au or kbalfour@trafalgar.catholic.edu.au) . We ask that it is landscape setting and clear. It doesn’t have to be a professional photo, just a photo taken on your phone is fine. We aim to put the family photos altogether in a poster or a book to show our unity to each other and to create a great keepsake for this unprecedented time. We feel sure that you will support this project. Thank you.
WHOLE SCHOOL APPROACH TO POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT (WSAPBS)
During this week of Remote Learning the children have been developing their understanding of what it means to be INCLUSIVE. This is our third School Wide Expectation. That means that being Inclusive was considered to be so important by our whole school community that it was named as one of our non-negotiable expectations. It means that every member of our school community is expected to act in an inclusive manner when we are interacting with others. We would greatly appreciate it if you were able to try to spend some time talking about 'being inclusive' with your children. Consider what being inclusive might look like at school, at home or out in the community. How does it feel to be included or not? What language would be heard by someone who is being inclusive?
I would like to say thank you to all of our school families. During this time of Remote Learning it is really difficult to explicitly teach values like these. When you give your time to your children to help them to learn and understand then you are really helping the school as well. This is what the WSAPBS is all about, working together to develop a positive school environment.
BY: Katie Balfour
We are very proud of our Japanese program at school. Everyone is trying really hard to use Japanese more each day. The research shows us clearly that when classroom teachers try to incorporate Japanese words in their daily talk, that this makes a tremendous difference in the students learning the language. Parents please know that included in your child’s weekly learning plan on Google Classroom, there is also a Japanese activity. We don’t want to put extra pressure or stress on families at this time, so that if this activity is simply too much for you now, then please don’t do it. But if you’re looking for something else to do then why not have a go at the Japanese activity.
Remember Taylor Sensei is here to support you and give feedback to you. Arigatou.
Attend a webinar recording ‘Managing your child’s anxiety' for parents at no charge.
Our school has a membership with Parenting Ideas. As part of this membership, you can access the below webinar recording ‘Managing your child’s anxiety' at no cost.
Join Michael Grose in this webinar recording where he helps parents better understand the nature of anxiety, equips them to recognise it in children, and provides practical tools to help children and young people manage and minimise their anxious states.
To redeem please follow the below steps
- Click this link: https://www.parentingideas.com.au/parent-resources/parent-webinars/webinar-managing-your-childs-anxiety
- Click ‘Add to cart’
- Click ‘View cart’
- Enter the coupon code ANXIETY and click ‘Apply.’ The $37 discount will then be applied.
- Click ‘Proceed to checkout’
- Fill in your account details including our school’s name to verify your eligibility. These are the details you will use to login to your account and access your webinar and resources
- Click ‘Place Order’
This voucher is valid until 17 September 2020.
The webinar will then be available in your Parenting Ideas dashboard so you can refer to it at any time. To view the webinar visit the website www.parentingideas.com.au and login using your email and password. You will be directed to a blue welcome page where you select ‘my webinars’ and all of your webinars will be displayed.
PARENTS & FRIENDS (P&F) UPDATE
Parents & Friends Committee met via Google Meet last month. The focus was about how we can support each other during this difficult time.
The AGM was initially scheduled in March and again in August. Unfortunately, this was postponed again. We look forward to being able to support school events & fundraising in the near future.
P&F would like to extend our thoughts & best wishes to all families and the school community.
Stay safe!
May God continue to bless and guide us in our learning.
Trish Mulqueen
Principal
As we gather on this sacred land, let us acknowledge that we are standing on Country, for which the members and Elders of the local Aboriginal community and their ancestors have been custodians for thousands of years; land on which they have performed age-old ceremonies, celebrations initiations and renewals. We acknowledge their living culture and their unique role in the life of this area today.
SEPTEMBER
Monday 7th to Friday 11th National Child Protection Week
Friday 18th Last Day of Term (1.00pm dismissal)
OCTOBER
Monday 19th School Advisory Committee Virtual Meeting - 4.30pm
Friday 23rd Japanese Day