Prescott Primary Northern eNewsletter

National Simultaneous Storytime

PPN students and staff had a great time celebrating National Simultaneous Storytime today! This annual event encourages reading and literacy, highlights the value and fun of books and creates community, while promoting Australian authors and illustrators.

Our students joined over 2 million other children across Australia and New Zealand in a live-streamed reading of the fantastic picture book ‘The Speedy Sloth’ written by Rebecca Young and illustrated by Heath McKenzie.

Learning how to draw Spike from illustrator Health McKenzie himself was a highlight. As was the presence of three of our own ‘speedy sloths’ at school!

STEM Mars Mission

Have you ever wanted to walk on the surface of Mars? The PPN Rocket Crew did! And here is what happened…

As part of their Rocketry focus in STEM, Mr Harris, Mrs Vice, Bus Driver Peter and the Year 5 and 6 Rocket Crews ventured out on an exhilarating excursion to Hamilton Space School. Hamilton offers a fully interactive Mars Mission where students can experience life on another planet.

There was much anticipation as the students of Team 1 donned space suits with breathing apparatus, headset, boots and gloves. Each ‘astronaut’ was assigned a role, given their mission objectives and ushered into the air lock in readiness for Mission 1. Meanwhile, the students of Team 2 were learning the ropes in Mission Control - where each student was assigned to a computer then given a specific role and headset to communicate with their astronaut partner. Tasks included recording and analysing data, giving instructions or monitoring weather and vital signs.

“You may leave the airlock and enter the planet surface,” came a voice from Mission Control. Team 1 emerged slowly from the air lock onto an eerie Martian landscape, complete with rocky terrain and lighting effects. The astronauts went about their duties, constantly in discussion with their peers back in Mission Control. Some collected rock specimens for analysis, some explored with metal detectors and Geiger counters, while others reported changes to the weather on the planet surface. “SAND STORM! Evacuate to the airlock!” came the urgent command. All at once, Team 1 hurriedly rushed to evacuate from the planet surface. Did they make it in time? Sadly not.

Now it was Team 2’s turn! The teams switched places and Mission 2 ensued. All was going well until… “SOLAR STORM APPROACHING! Evacuate!” yelled a Team 1 member. Unfortunately, Team 2 did not heed the warning.

With all students safely back from their adventures on Mars, we were able to discuss the many lessons learned: teamwork, communication, focus.

All in all, this excursion was a very successful mission and a valuable educational experience for the Year 5 and 6 PPN Rocket Crews.

Playdate With Prescott

It was a cold morning on Monday but that didn’t stop 50 excited little ones and their families from enjoying our beautiful nature play space at our Autumn themed Playdate with Prescott. The children enjoyed painting autumn trees with corks, creating leaf necklaces, and discovering amazing colours and patterns using a kaleidoscope. The mud kitchen and sandpit were a hit with the little ones as well as our new lower playground.

The morning finished with an autumn group time song with lots of leaf throwing and laughing. We love to see our community enjoy the great facilities we have here at PPN, and can’t wait to have them back again later this term to celebrate International Mud Day.

Nature Play for National Simultaneous Storytime

Our school is a very busy place, with a lot of exciting things happening every week. National Simultaneous Storytime always occurs on the last Wednesday in May. This year, teachers and students all around Australia will settle down with their books, on the 24^th of May to read a book simultaneously. This year’s book, The Speedy Sloth celebrates all winners even the ones that don’t come first!

Our nature play had a Speedy Sloth theme this week, with students having a chance to make a mask using a sloth template and some natural materials. There were also some animals from the story that appeared, to have a race and play across our sandpit. The students were once again so creative when decorating their mask, using other natural resources to make the correct colourings of the sloth. What did you do on Wednesday at 11:00? Did you read the book The Speedy Sloth?

Hi Prescott Primary Northern family. Welcome to Week for of Term 2. My remarks this week are brief, but really important. I would like to honour our staff today.

You may have noticed that there is a lot of sickness going around Adelaide at the moment. Many of our PPN children and families are sick, as are many of our staff. I would like to pay tribute to our staff for the way they have been able to be flexible and cover for others who are not well. It warms my heart to see the way they all jump in for our kids and each other.

I would also like to say thank you to our Deputy Principals, particularly Mrs Charity who is organising replacement staff this term. This is not an easy job! Miss B has been helping her out, and they have been really working hard to keep our school program running in demanding times. Thank you.

I would also like to ask for your patience and understanding as we do our very best to make sure our children and their learning are given the highest priority possible. There are some days when we are really struggling to get enough staff to be able to cover those who are unwell, but with the generosity of our amazing staff and creativity in programming, we have been able to keep things working well.

There may be some times when you hear that your child has a different teacher or SSO than usual, or their program has had to be adjusted. Please know that we are doing our very best to minimise impact, but it is really hard to do that at the moment.

Thank you again for your understanding and please know we are doing all we can to provide the best learning for the children.

Have a great week with our kids,

Mark B

Afternoon PPN Family,

I recently visited a fantastic and wondrous place, filled with all you could ever need…. Bunnings. And to those who know me well, know that I make a direct route to the planting section.

On this particular trip I was deciding on whether I should get another vine or fern, when a Bunnings assistant called out, “Would anyone be interested in these marked down peace lilies?”.

My ears immediately tuned into the shout of a sale and I walked over to take a closer look. I saw him placing a few, very wilted and dead looking peace lilies into new pots, maybe to aid the dying plant to look not as bad and get people to consider purchasing it. Well I was one of those people, it was now $10 instead of $30. I thought to myself, “I’d pay $10 alone for the pot so why not try and get this plant to live again”.

One of the friends I was with asked if it was even worth saving and if a simple drink of water would do the trick. But I assured her with my care I could definitely do it.

So I bought it home, cleaned up the dead or dying leaves, gave it a much needed drink and left it by a well lit window. The next morning I came out to a peace lily not as sad or wilted but now standing and filled with more life than it had seen in a while.

But I really didn’t do much at all, I just gave it some water and placed it in the right spot. I didn’t tell the plant to take nutrients from the watered soil or draw energy from the sun, God did that. He made all that the plant needed and He does the same for us but instead of water for when we are thirsty He gave us living water.

“Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” John 4:13

And just like the lily gets it’s energy from the sun, we receive ours from the SON.

“The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command….” Hebrews 1:3a

When we start to feel run down and close to giving up or if we see someone going though it and has put themselves into a nice looking pot trying to hide some of those wilted leaves.

Let’s remember to stop and spend some time getting to know them, building a relationship and learning about their needs. And maybe then we can point them towards the Son, share the living word (The Bible) and let God do the rest. We can all be gardeners for God and help His Kingdom grow.

Many Blessings,

Pr Andy.

Last week, we talked about the Beatitude, Compassion/Know component of our values, and this week we honoured several students from all the classes in our school for demonstrating this value.

Takdeer, Asher, Abhiraj, Layla, Teghveer, Flynn, Samarbir, Franklyn, Hayaan, Daphne, Laith, Aaira, Anaynapreet, Emmanuel (absent), Nidhan (absent), Aishleen (absent) and Rinny (absent)

Jessica, Kiaan, Fateh, Mehaan, Secure, Dharsh, Yug, Chitman, Jasdeesh and Arek (absent)

Muzil, Karman, Lavleen, Avni, Diya, Divjot, Navya, Rhee, Prabhveer, and Hope.

Is my child addicted to technology?

It can feel like digital technology is taking over our lives!

Smart phones, tablets, laptops and computers are everywhere…

A lot of parents enjoy technology – it's a great way to connect with family and friends plus it's entertaining and fun!

However, when it comes to their kids, many parents worry about getting the balance right. They don't want to see their kids become addicted to technology.

Technology can be beneficial.

Technology is everywhere - it's quick, easy and accessible!

For parents:

• Mobile phones provide safety and convenience to contact your child

• Devices and computers are great entertainment for kids

• Some games and apps can be educational

For kids:

• A great way to connect with friends and family

• Is used for assignments and online resources

• Provides a space to express themselves

• Creates avenues for young people to develop their unique identity

Why might a child become addicted to technology?

There may be many things that lead to technology addiction in children. It depends on the child, their personality and their life circumstances.

Here are some things that may put a child at risk of technology addiction:

• Technology is the only thing that helps a child wind down, have fun, or manage stress and difficult emotions

• Technology use is compulsive and the child feels unable to stop

• They prioritise technology use over family, friends and other interests

• It can be the result of peer group pressures and the need to belong or be accepted

What are the warning signs?

It's normal for kids to experience mood changes and to lose interest in things they used to enjoy.

But when these things seem unusual or concerning to you, it could mean something more.

Here are some things to look out for:

· Dishonesty about technology use

· Disruption in daily activities and routines

· Difficulties concentrating in school

· Changes in mood (increased irritability, anger and anxiety)

· Decrease in personal hygiene including sleep patterns

· Strong emotional response when unable to have access to technology

Tips to help your kids have a healthy relationship with technology

Supporting your kids to create a balance can be a team effort!

Here are some things parents can do:

• Make a plan: talk through what appropriate use looks like, and establish clear and consistent rules around where, when and how technology will be used

• Understand and be aware of use: if you notice any changes in your kids' online behaviour or usage, check in with them

• Encourage taking time to ‘unplug’: provide lots of opportunities for the family to take time out from the tech world, eg. no phones/screens at dinner time

• Remember you’re a role model: take notice of your tech use as well! Kids are more likely to take the rules on board if they see a healthy balance is part of your routine too

Where to get support

If you feel like technology is becoming an issue for your kids, it’s important to get help:

• Talk to a family counsellor

• Chat with a GP

• Check in with your classroom teacher and school counsellor

• Call Parentline in your state or territory

(Source: parentline.com.au)

Pupil Free Day

Learning Expo

Step inside your child’s classroom, see their learning first hand and better understand what they get up to at school by coming along for the PPN Learning Expo next Tuesday morning. Classroom will be open 9:15 – 10:30am. No RSVP required.

Welcome Miss Ricci

We would like to extend a big, warm PPN welcome to Miss Stephanie Ricci, who will be joining our team from next week. Miss Ricci will be teaching in Year 6A. We are all very excited to have her as part of the PPN family and look forward to getting to know her better in the weeks to come.

Congratulations Miss Toohey

From all the PPN Family we would like to congratulate and share in the excitement of Miss Toohey’s recent engagement (picture of the shinney ring below) to Scott. We wish them all the best as they plan for an amazing wedding and a lifetime of happiness together!

NCCD Data Collection

NCCD Data Collection 123.96 KB

Parents of Children with Asthma or Type 1 Diabetes

Animal Dress Up Day

Over the coming term, we will highlight some of the shortlisted books nominated for the CBCA Book of the Year Awards that will be announced at the beginning of Book Week in August.

‘Market Day’ written by Carrie Gallasch and illustrated by Hannah Sommerville is a beautiful picture book nominated in the Early Childhood category. The story explores the themes of community, generosity, kindness, appreciation and the power of music in a visually rich journey a young girl takes through a day out at the local markets with her family. Trusted with a single coin to use as she wishes, the girl carefully considers a vast array of treasures, treats and experiences. It isn’t until a stranger gives her something unique, without expecting anything in return, that she knows exactly what to do with her coin.

Market Day is a heart-warming story brimming with generosity that will remind you of the simple joys in life.

Prescott College

My OSHC Pupil Free Day