Prescott Primary Northern eNewsletter

Incusive Education Visits Little Giggles Playgroup

Our students in the Inclusive Education programs were given the opportunity to interact with the children at the Little Giggles Playgroup. They had a wonderful time engaging and connecting with each other. While supporting the children during fine motor play, physical play and arts and crafts, our students were encouraged to role model and showcase the skills they have learnt over the semester.

Choir/Band Year End Excursion

On Friday, December 9th, the Prescott Primary Northern Choir were treated to a fun excursion which was enjoyed by everyone.

We went to the ‘Roy Marten Reserve’ playground in Taperoo, and had a wonderful time being outdoors and exploring the great equipment that was available. The bus drivers also got involved and had as much fun as the children.

In the afternoon everyone enjoyed an ice cream treat just as the sun was beginning to warm the day up.

A big Thank you to all of the teachers, SSO’s and bus drivers for making this day possible and for all of their help. Thank you to the students for being on their best behaviour and making the day a fun filled success!

Yr 4 STEM

This semester the Yr. 4 STEM group have been learning about the design process and the job of Engineers, particularly Civil Engineers. This week the students completed their main project of designing and creating a motorised and working, miniature Ferris wheel. All students worked hard at re-designing things that were not always working (for example, working out how to make their Ferris wheels spin slower so the little Lego men did not fall off!) and created amazing, motorised Ferris wheels. It was lots of fun, and the students were very proud of their finished projects.

Mrs. Vice

We have made it to the last day for our students for 2022. It has certainly been another very challenging one for schools.

We were reflecting a little yesterday, remembering how we began our school year with a couple of weeks of learning from home and then trying to get our kids back to learning on campus. We have gradually been returning to some of our pre-COVID school conditions, and I must say how good that is. I know the challenges of the last couple of years have concerned me about how we continue to provide the very best education possible for our kids.

We had an awards program with our Year 3 to 6 students, and as a part of that, we honoured the academic achievements of some of our students. This program reminded me again how resilient our kids, teachers and families are. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t for one minute think that our energy, creativity and enthusiasm haven’t been stretched or tainted by COVID related issues. However, as those children received awards for being in the top 10 or even 1 percent of students taking part in academic competitions that span Australia and New Zealand, my heart burst with pride.

There was another group of awards this year called the RISE Awards, which were presented to students who have gone the extra mile to show our school values of Respect, Integrity, Service and Excellence. Again, my heart burst with pride. You see, adversity will often sharpen the focus on what we truly value. I am so glad to say that the difficulties of the last couple of years have brought the importance of our children and their learning into even sharper focus for us.

We recently surveyed families about things we do well and things you would like us to improve. We are working our way through this feedback and will further reflect on it in the new year. However, there was a group of questions at the end of that survey around how our school supported our kids and families during the time COVID has significantly impacted learning and the normal school program. Here are a few pieces of information we gleaned from you.

· 75 percent of families said the school continued to provide effective learning for students that was either good or very good, even when they were not onsite at school.

· 83% of families said that school communication was either good or very good during COVID times

· 79% of families said that the support provided to students for their wellbeing during COVID times was either good or very good.

I thought this sentiment shared by a parent was lovely. “I felt very supported and informed during Covid lockdowns. I very much appreciated a Chaplaincy call to touch base and check on us.”

Why do I share all of this with you? Well, on this final principal’s message for the year, I want you to know how much each child, parent, family member and staff member make this school a very special community.

Thank you.

Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas with our kids, and I look forward to seeing you again in 2022.

Hey Prescott Family!

It's Mal here from the Chaplaincy Team. I have the privilege of writing a message for you all to end 2022 at PPN. It has been an amazing year full of different events, heaps of highs and lows and many memories made.

The last message I wanted to leave with you all this year is a message about what legacy are you leaving behind within your interactions in life. What footprint are you leaving on the people you connect with each day.

For me, when I first got into chaplaincy work, my main purpose as a chaplain was to leave a positive legacy on each person I interact with. Leaving a picture of God's love on his wonderful people. I continually hope I extend the same love God has for us to all the students, staff and school community.

For you all, I hope you all take a chance to reflect on what kind of things are we sharing and we will we be remembered by. As our Year 6s leave this year, I hope they remember the legacy and footprint that we here at PPN have left on their lives. So that when they look back on their time here, they remember the positive memories and how God is always there through all times.

I hope you all have an amazing holiday season. Stay safe and we'll see you all again next year.

Many blessings,

Pr Mal,

7 tips for cultivating grateful kids at Christmas

Helping your children be grateful at Christmas isn’t just about being polite. Gratefulness is a vital life skill. Research into positive psychology indicates that gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness.

Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with tough times and build strong relationships. These things aren’t just important for our kids, but also us as adults.

So while cultivating and practicing gratitude isn’t something we should do just at Christmas, the next few weeks are a prime opportunity to help our children grow in this area.

Below are 7 tips to consider for your family these holidays:

1. Talk about being grateful – make a point of discussing all the things you are thankful for in their lives (and your own).

2. Don’t go overboard – one way of avoiding creating a sense of entitlement for extravagant piles of gifts is to not go overboard from the start.

3. Slow down – if and when you’re opening presents, avoid rushing through the experience. Encourage everyone (adults and kids) to really savour the gift and express deep gratitude.

4. Make gifts when you can – allowing kids to create gifts with their own time and money provides a practical way to invest in the act of generosity.

5. Give to others – this may involve buying gifts for children in need, donating money or volunteering your time. Involve your children in the process and celebrate their impact.

6. Talk about money – Even when kids are young it’s ok to point out that Santa (or mum and dad) have a budget to work with. If you haven’t already, holidays are a great time to introduce a pocket money for chores program.

7. Box it up – either before or after Christmas, work with your children to box up and donate toys they no longer need or use (remembering, it’s not about getting rid of just the broken ones).

‘Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.’

1 Thesselonians 5:8

Uniform Shop

As this is the last Newsletter for this year, I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone, Staff, Parents and our Children, a Happy and Safe Christmas and New Year.

May you all enjoy a restful break.

Online orders will recommence 24^th January, 2023.
Items will be delivered to your Student’s classroom.
Uniform Shop will be located at 1 Heather Drive, Para Vista, from January 2023.

Thanks muchly,
Rosemary Cooper