I was sharing with staff the other day that I grew up in North Queensland. Many of our family are cattle farmers, both dairy and beef. As a 10year old, I went to stay with my dad’s brother who ran several properties but lived on a dairy farm on the Atherton Tablelands, up near Cairns. My grandfather was a Lighthorseman in World War 1, and horses were an important part of family culture. Many of my male cousins were outstanding horseman and rodeo riders. They were 5 to 10 years older than me, and when I arrived at the farm for the summer holidays, I asked them if they could help me learn to ride a horse. They had been riding horses since they learned to walk, and I looked up to them with great admiration. After much nagging, they agreed to teach me. However, they had a condition. They said they would not teach me to ride a horse until I had ridden every calf in the dairy herd. They ran all the calves into the race and lifted me up on to the first one and opened the gate to the yards. The calf ran out, with me trying to hang on to any hair I could grab. Needless to say, I fell into the dirt almost immediately. I got up. Walked back over to the race and they put me on the next one. I think there were about 30 or 40 calves in total, that they made me ride. I have a vivid memory of landing in the dirt for the umpteenth time. My eyes were watering and burning, my nose was running, and I was hurting all over. I remember wiping my nose on my sleeve and pushing myself back to the race to go again, If this was what it was going to take for them to teach me to ride a horse, then this is what I would do.

Grit determination, stubbornness, pigheadedness, call it what you like, but that persistence was what brought me the reward I wanted. They taught me to ride. Not only that, the skills of balance and feeling which way the animal was moving under me, were priceless when it came to actually riding a horse. As we start this school year, I would like to encourage our students to keep on going when things don’t come easy. I would also like to encourage us as parents and teachers to create opportunities for our kids to have to be positive and keep on going, even when, no, especially when, things don’t happen easily for them. Stickwithitness (if that is even a word) is one of the greatest assets we can have in life and what better time to learn it, than when we are young, and there are people around to guide and encourage us – not do it for us, but be there to encourage us as we learn.

Have a great week with your tenacious kids,

Mark B

Journey TO God?  or  Journey WITH God?

A boy was raking leaves out the front of his house when his best mate approached and asked, “Did your dad promise you something if you raked the leaves?”  “No,” the boy replied, “but he sure promised me something if I didn’t!”

Do we ever feel like this with God - I need to do good deeds so God will love me or so God won’t punish me?  In order to be acceptable to God and guarantee my place in Heaven, I must work hard and win God’s favour.

The great news is we don’t have to prove ourselves to God. There is nothing you can do to make God love you any more or any less. God did not choose to accept you because of your talent, potential, reputation or how hard you work! He saved you because He wanted to.

Remember…  Life is not a journey TO God, but rather a journey WITH God.

Life may not always be easy or fun, but we know that God will help us through those rough times because God is journeying with us. God is our guide, and He will be with us all the way to our final destination… Heaven!  All we have to do is have faith and trust Him on the journey.

Chaplain Phil

Chess Club

Chess club begins again next Tuesday the 9th of February, after school in the Discovery Centre from 3.20-4.15pm.
Chess club continues to be very popular at Prescott, and unfortunately the 30 spots have already been filled with past players and a few new people that have already contacted me. If your child has missed out, please email me to be on a waiting list. Places do come up occasionally when student have clashes with sporting practise.

julievice@ppn.sa.edu.au

Thank you!
Mrs. Vice

PPN Pick-Up Zone

Please ensure you have your child's name label visible in your car when picking up your child. This makes it a lot quicker to have your child ready for pickup. If you require a name tag, please call the Front Office. 

Parking Around The School

1. Parking out the front of the school 
We are noticing a lot of parents parking in the front area of the school, walking to the single gate and dropping off, only to return to the car minutes later and reversing out into traffic. We understand the convenience but parking here and reversing out is stopping the flow of traffic from the drive through zone. We are asking that if you are walking your child onto our school grounds or collecting them in the afternoons, please use the back car park.

2. Keeping the car park entrance clear
It is very important that you please do not park in the entrance to the back car park. If the drive through line is full, please wait with your left indicator flashing while on Nelson Road. When the line starts to move, then feel free to move into the drive through zone but please don't block the car park entrance.

3. Turning left only out of car parks and drive through
In peak times, when families wait and try to turn right onto Wright Road from the drive through, it again, slows the whole drive through down - often to a complete stop. We are asking kindly that you turn left only out the drive through onto Wright Road. 

4. Side gate entrance 
We have opened the side gate walkway again to allow an alternative entrance, rather than going through the Front Office.

We hope to continue to develop the parking around the school so it runs as smoothly as possible. 

Student Access Only In Classrooms

Uniform Policy

Daily Health Check

Special Library Event for Year 5 and 6 students

This year the library team at PPN have a focus on engaging the older students at our school and are keen to get their thoughts on what books they would like purchased for the library. In Week 4, a special library event has been organised especially for the Year 5 and 6 students.

Rebecca Bird from Peggy Williams Book Shop will be bringing in a range of books and will spend time talking with the students about reading, why we like it (or don’t) and how to choose books, especially if you aren’t a reader. Rebecca is passionate about children’s literature and helping kids find books that they will love. She will show the students some of her favourite books that are suitable for their age, and there will be time for them to browse the books and have a say on which ones they would like added to the library collection.

Premier’s Reading Challenge

PPN is participating in the Premier’s Reading Challenge again in 2021. The Challenge is a literacy engagement program that was introduced by the Premier in 2004 to encourage students to read more books, enjoy reading, and improve literacy levels. We would love to see as many students as possible take part!

The challenge requires students to read and record a total of 12 books. 8 books that are within the Challenge Book List and marked with the corresponding coloured sticker, and 4 books of their own choice.

During library time students are encouraged to borrow books from the Challenge list. Books appropriate for students in Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2 are labelled with a blue sticker, books for Year 3 – 5 students have a red sticker and Year 6 books have a green sticker.

At the end of the year all students who have completed the challenge will receive either a certificate or medal.

Reading Records are available from the library or can be printed from the Challenge website. https://premiersreadingchallenge.sa.edu.au/students/student-reading-records/

Prescott College