Art Club visit SA Art Gallery

This week, the Year 5/6 Art Club enjoyed a day at the SA Art Gallery where they learnt about the Art displayed in the gallery, the purpose of Art and how Art contributes to society. Students also took part in a workshop where they explored different artworks and recreated their styles. The students in the Art Club really enjoyed this opportunity as it extended their view and love of Art further.

Little Giggles Playdate with Prescott

On Monday this week, Prescott hosted a special playdate with the Little Giggles Playgroup in our Nature Playground. There were stations set up for the little ones to explore, play, create and get messy! It was fantastic to see the little ones from playgroup enjoy our space and create some wonderful memories together. We will be running a similar event for local community playgroups later on in the term – keep an eye out for the advertising for this event in our newsletter so you can invite friends and family with under school age children along to enjoy some of the great spaces we have to offer at PPN.

Health and Vitality

Health and vitality are the results of small choices and small habits that accumulate over time. What small choices can we make to reconnect with health and vitality? The simple pleasures in life are often the most rewarding and plentiful when building health and vitality. At Prescott Primary Northern we have the pleasure of gardening and growing our food. This process introduces to students the basic elements that build life. These elements include soil, water, pollinators, vegetation, and organic matter. Students can observe and utilise the natural cycles that have been set in motion by our Creator. Fresh food that is sustaining and nourishing for the body and the mind can be harvested and shared with those that we care about. The simple act of preparing a nutritious meal shoulder to shoulder with the ones we care about and then sharing that healthy food is a pleasure. Through nature play, students also have the opportunity to engage actively and respond to the natural elements around them. These beautiful calm spring days have provided students with the ideal setting for exploration and the development of the mind and body and the opportunity to build a connection with the Creator. This week I encourage you to choose health and vitality with your family. Start with the small choices and build from there.

Have you had travel plans, or any sort of plans really, put on hold over the last 18 months or so? So many people I talk with have had to change all sorts of plans. Whether it be holiday plans or job plans or building plans. With all the changes that happen in our lives, change and uncertainty can have a sneaky accumulative effect on us. I even read an article the other day about a scale that has been developed to measure change fatigue. (Berneth, 2011) We are constantly working at school to try to have things remain as consistent as possible for our kids to provide that stability, but planning activities, excursions and camps and celebrations is really challenging, and there come times when we have to make the best plan we can and go with it. I recently travelled interstate and have experienced all that comes with trying to get back into South Australia, and I have been watching how my five year old grandson has been trying to get his head around things like quarantine, and not being able to come into our house. The uncertainty of it all is something which many of our little ones really struggle to understand and it no doubt causes them much worry and concern. I found this article by Maggie Dent which talks about practical things we can do to help our children understand and process uncertainty in their lives. I hope you find it helpful. From a personal point off view, one of the things I find most helpful is my belief and faith in the God of the universe who is not bound by the times and circumstances of this world, and who is so willing to be the constant, unwavering point of reference to my thoughts and feelings.

“Uncertainty is part of life and yet our brain, which creates our thoughts and feelings, loves certainty and predictability.

The pandemic has created more uncertainty in families, schools and communities than most people can recall in their lifetimes. With no clear end point, more stress and anxiety may well be triggered. In small doses anxiety heightens your sense of focus, giving you an increased level of energy, and increases your chances of managing a potential challenge that has appeared. In large doses, this anxiety is problematic, as it can cause feelings of being overwhelmed and even panicked.

The lesson of being real

Many fears and unexpressed emotions lie beneath the stress of navigating uncertainty. Be prepared to share your emotions with your children, especially feelings of sadness. They experience grief every time they lose the opportunity to spend time with loved ones, go on holiday or return to school to see friends.

Grief is not a sign of weakness. It shows you are human. Let your children see you cry and give them the agency to know what to do. They can grab a tissue, they can give you a hug and, if they’re old enough, they can make you a cuppa.

Your children need to see that when bad things happen to adults, they can feel upset for a time. There are many ways you can help children cope with uncertainty.

Normalise uncertainty

Teach your children that nothing is permanent. Good things come and go. So will tough times. Change is a part of life and can be positive or challenging. Share stories about how your family recovered from hard times. Adaptability and flexibility are key components of resilience, which can be nurtured in childhood.

Make choices that ease fear and anxiety

Remind your children and young people that they are not powerless. Resting, reading and relaxing are great tools to ease fear and anxiety. This might include taking deep breaths, listening to music, or making others laugh. Getting outside to play or walk the dog is another simple way to ease the nervous system.

Focus on the things you can control

Simple habits and routines really make a difference. When everything is changing routines and rituals such as regular family mealtimes, bedtimes and wake up times help maintain a sense of normality. These rituals provide an important anchor helping them feel in control.

Encourage your kids to have a ‘gratitude attitude’

Though times are no doubt really tough for many, you can choose to feel grateful for the things you have, and the people love, and you can model this mindset with your children.

Maintain hope

Hope is an important antidote to feeling stuck in fear. Encourage feelings of hope by sharing wonderful memories via photos or videos which can lift everyone’s spirit. Plan a new experience to happen when that becomes a possibility.

Children and young people need to understand that life can be an unpredictable ride and together you can adapt and find a way through to each new day.

The greatest tool you have as a parent in these times is to remember that you are the ‘safe base’ for your children and young people. If you can embody that, and help them feel that no matter what, your love and support is a certainty, then the uncertainty around us all becomes a lot more manageable.” (Dent, 2021)

Have a great week with your kids,

Mark B

Psalm 18: 1-2 I love you, God— you make me strong. God is bedrock under my feet, the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight. My God—the high crag where I run for dear life, hiding behind the boulders, safe in the granite hideout.

Have you heard of the saying ‘my hands are tied’? To say that, means that someone is unable to act freely because something is preventing them from doing so.

Do you ever feel like God's hands are tied?  Do you ask God for things, but He seems to be quiet and appears not to respond to you when you want Him to, or how you want?  

Luke 22:47 shows us in a practical way that even when it appears that God’s hands are tied, He is still in control.

Jesus is praying on the Mount of Olives while three of his disciples, Peter, James and John, have fallen asleep while they were waiting. Jesus wakes them as an angry crowd turns up led by Judas. The mob grab Jesus and restrain Him. Peter, the big burly fisherman, reacts instantly, drawing his sword and striking out at the closest person. It is lucky that Peter was still sleepy after being woken, because as he lashes out, Peter misjudges his aim and only manages to cut off the man’s ear.  

Jesus, whose hands had been tied by the angry mob, reaches out and touches the man’s ear, healing him instantly.  Jesus was not affected by earthly bonds. He fulfilled His purpose to restore the broken man.  

Sometimes we can be praying for an answer, but we don’t believe that God can act or solve our problem. We can get so fixated on the enormity of our situation or finding a solution, that we forget how powerful God is and how He is not bound by human constraints.  God does answer us, but it is often in a different way, or at a different time, to what we are expecting. 

Ask for help from God through prayer and trust that He can take care of the rest. 

Have a great week, 

Regards 

Chaplain Phil 

Scholastic Book Orders 

Scholastic Book Club orders are due in by Monday, 25th October.

Fun Run

Part Time School Bus Driver

Dyslexia Awareness Month

Do's & Dont's of Dropping Your Kids to School

Daily Health Check

Prescott College