This year just continues to amaze, doesn’t it? As this week is unfolding, we a all scrambling to keep on top of news, restrictions, recommendations and changes. With a COVID cluster in Adelaide’s northern suburbs, we all have to readjust our lives and look at what needs to happen and how best to do it. If we as mature, seasoned adults are wrestling with this, stop for a moment and think what it must be like for our kids. Our Year 4 students camp this week has been cancelled, sporting competitions that many children had been training for and had their heart set on, have been cancelled and these are just a couple of things in their lives.

I have mentioned before that our children look to us for cues in how to act and react, and for security and comfort in times of change. I have a very simple suggestion for where to start this week in a time of restriction and uncertainty here in Adelaide. Explore and emphasise what we can do, rather than what we can’t do. I enjoy reading the work of Carol Dweck and her thoughts and research on a Growth Mindset. (Dweck, 2007) She talks about how growth thinking embraces challenge and persists in the face of setbacks. We are trying to find ways of doing “something” for our kids and families in the end of year activities, by focusing on what we can do, rather than what can’t be done.

I think this can really help in our family climates as well. We can get out in the back yard and kick a ball, or jump on the trampoline, play hopscotch, prepare a vegie garden, make some flower arrangements, watch a movie as a family, play some board games, cook up a storm . . . the list goes on. These are all things we can do. Let’s give these the attention. I think it makes for a better place for our children (and us) to be right now.

Have a great week with your kids,

Mark B

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

Queensland closed their borders to South Australians on Monday night at midnight because of our new COVID-19 outbreak, and it’s hard to believe that just two weeks ago I was officiating a wedding at Surfers Paradise, and celebrating with my family and friends.

Have you ever noticed how quickly life can take a turn for the worse?

Jesus and his disciples had just experienced an amazing week that started with a great parade on Sunday, where large crowds of people were praising Jesus and calling him the King of Israel, and now, on Thursday night, Jesus is telling them that he is going to be killed.  Not only that, Jesus also goes on to say that his disciples would all abandon him, and that they would also be persecuted because of him.

This would have shaken the disciples to the core, but Jesus encourages them in John16:33 with these words:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Peace is something that we normally experience in direct inverse proportion to the troubles that we have in life.  In other words, the more troubles that we have in life, the less peace we experience.  And the less troubles we have in life, the more peace we experience.  But Jesus promises us, that no matter how many troubles we face in life, we can always find peace in him because he has overcome the world.

God bless,

Roland Talamaivao-Amituanai

Staffing Changes for 2021

We have some changes to our staff for 2021, with some staff leaving us and some new staff joining our PPN community.

Miss Truscott will be farewelling our PPN family at the end of this year and will be moving back to NSW to be closer to her family. We have loved having Miss Truscott as part of our Prescott community, and we wish her all the best for her future teaching career.

Mr Campbell has been leading out in our PE department for the past two years and has decided to explore other career options. We have valued all the work that Mr Campbell has put into our PE Specialist role and wish him all the best for his future. We may see Mr Campbell back from time to time as a relief teacher next year.

We would like to welcome Mr Morgan Edwards to our teaching team for 2021. Mr Edwards is joining us from Wahroonga and is looking forward to being a part of the PPN team and exploring the many bakeries Adelaide has to offer.

Miss Alyce Thomas will be joining our team at PPN and take up the role of PE Specialist for 2021. She will be bringing a lot of experience gained from competing in elite basketball and a variety of other sports. We look forward to having Alyce join our school community.

Mrs Chelsea Daian will be returning from maternity leave in 2021 and will step back into her role of a Foundation teacher in 2021.

Mrs Juanita Harder will be returning from leave and re-joining our team as a part-time teacher in 2021.

Mrs Ashleigh Szalbot has been on maternity leave and will be joining our team as a part-time teacher in 2021.

Prescott College