Week of Worship Highlights

Last week really was something to WOW about, as we spent time every day worshiping and learning about how God has called each one of us to live our lives with Him. Watch the video below for some highlights from the week.

College Visits Prepare Year 6

A core focus of our Year 6 program is preparing students for the changes in routine and demands that come with entering High School. Each Year 6 class is rotating through visits to Prescott College that expose them to a high school environment and subjects such as Food Tech, Woodwork and Chemistry. It also looks like a lot of fun!

Year 2 Planting  

I am fast becoming a green thumb and have been so excited to share my knowledge of plant and composting with the Year 2’s this week. We spoke again about compost, the importance of not putting our green waste into the red bin, and how we compost at school and what you can do at home. We also visited our worm friends doing their amazing job in our worm farm.

We then used some of the compost to place into the garden bed and prepared it for the vegetables to be planted. We planted cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and some greens such as spinach and lettuce. We are going to share these with our class as they grow and use them to make a yummy salad! We are all looking forward to watching them grow.  - Mrs T Watson

The Goodness of Citrus! 

With winter just around the corner, there is now an abundance of delicious citrus available. The weather was not favourable for our activity, but after a little shuffle, the students were able to play with and take in bursts of bright colours and delicious citrus scents as they poured, squeezed and stirred the citrus fruit. Most of the oranges came from my very own orange tree, and the students were delighted to have a try at making their own orange juice from freshly picked oranges. After the activity was finished, the waste was then taken down to our garden and placed into the compost with equal amounts of brown waste to break down and produce nutritious, rich soil for the newly planted vegetables. What is your favourite citrus fruit? 

Welcome to our third week of Term 2, Prescott Northern family. I am writing these remarks to you from a school leadership conference in Brisbane. One of the advantages of stepping out of the everyday demands and business of school by attending a conference such as this, is that it gives me a little time to lift my eyes up a little and look further than the next challenge that a phone call, email or person at the door, might bring.

My guess is that as family members we experience similar challenges in the cut and thrust of everyday life. We get really wound up and consumed by the many demands of doing family life, that there are times we struggle to find the time, and mental and emotional space to lift our eyes and see what it is we would like for our families, the directions we would like them to take and how we go about getting there. Yet if we don’t make and capitalise on opportunities to look where our family life is heading, we end up finding ourselves only looking back and wondering how we got to where we are.

Some of you know I enjoy camping and four-wheel driving. Over the years. I have driven for thousands of kilometres on rough outback roads and tracks, and across thousands of sand dunes in the deserts. Through trial and error, as well as helpful instruction and careful reflection, I have gleaned a little gem that has saved me on many occasions. I end up driving to where I focus my attention. That statement may seem really basic and obvious to you, but there is a dept of wisdom in its application.

If I focus on the bump or hole or rock that is right before me, it is really hard for me to avoid it. If I give my attention to the path around the challenge and where I would ideally like to end up, I have far greater success in achieving those things. I hope you can see the parallel I would like to draw here with our desired outcomes for our children and families.

I would like to encourage you take a bit of time as parents and educators to step back and ask what it is you really desire for your kids and where you would like to be as a family. I think this brings us the advantage of perspective that is really hard to achieve in the hurley burley and rush of everyday family and school life.

Have a great week with our kids,

Mark B

“The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.” Matthew 6:21

Keeping your kids well this winter

I was always a sickly child. As winter approached every year, I am sure my parent’s levels of anxiety increased as they prepared to balance their work with my illnesses and time off school.

I remember they tried very hard to keep me well – which included taking remedies I’d much rather not have endured (apple cider vinegar… blergh). But, without their conscious effort I undoubtedly would have been sicker more often, missed a lot more school, and tipped their work-life balance ever further off-centre.

So, as we get thrown into the cold, dark depths of winter, and as sickness starts its creep into our community here are just a few tips to help keep our kids (and ourselves) happy and healthy in winter:

1. Stack on the sleep

Just as with adults, sleep provides essential support to children’s immunity. Work out how much sleep your child should be getting, make a schedule and do your best to be consistent.

2. Exercise as a family

Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be out with your kids breathing in the fresh air and taking a break from all the recycled warm air inside. Research shows that regular activity causes positive changes in antibodies and white blood cells, the body’s immune system cells.

3. Supercharge your kids’ diet

Serving up a diet rich in fruits, vegetable and nutrient-dense foods is a proven way to help support immunity. Have fussy eaters? Try hiding some immune-boosting food (think citrus fruits, greens, berries) in smoothies, baked dishes and family favourites like spaghetti bolognaise.

4. Limit sugar

Sugar weakens immune responses and increases infection time. Sugar is the number one enemy when it comes to immune function – it inhibits phagocytosis, the process where viruses and bacteria are destroyed by white blood cells. Sugar also negatively affects the good bacteria in our gut.

5. Warm foods are best

In the cooler months, it is best to swap cooling foods like smoothies, for warming, immune boosting food and drink – think herbal teas or chai.

6. Wash, wash, wash

Talk to your kids about personal hygiene – washing their hands before they eat, and even when they get home from school can help prevent the spread of infection.

National Simultaneous Story Time 

NSSD

NSSD 2.06 MB

Animal Dress Up Day

Winter Uniform Change Over

Do's & Don't of Dropping Your Kids to School

Daily Health Check

Prescott College