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Pupil Free Day
Silver Medals in the Interschool Chess Tournament
On Monday, 15 qualifying students from our chess club participated in an Interschool chess tournament at Tyndale Christian School. It was a great competition with ten schools participating. It has been a long time since the competition has been this big! We were in first place for most of the day, but in a nail-biting finish, were respectfully defeated at the end by King’s Baptist School! Silver medals still felt very good for our top four players. Congratulations to Neil for being our top player, and 5th overall (even including the High School students). Isabella, is also to be congratulated, taking out the top girl player trophy for the third tournament in a row!
Well done team, especially our new players, Levi, Maahir and Zeki who participated in their first tournament. It is always a wonderful experience to meet many other students from different schools that play chess. We congratulate Kings for taking top place this time. We look forward to our next challenge, which will be the STATE tournament in Week three of next term.
Mrs. Vice
Year 1 Royal Adelaide Show Junior Art, Craft & Textiles Competition
Each student got to enter their favourite piece of artwork into the show from the semester. On the Friday afternoon proceeding the show Mrs Watson attended the Exhibitions Grand Opening. She was so excited to see all the student’s artworks on display surrounded by artwork from students from other Adelaide schools. All the students received a participation certificate, and nine students were recognized for their outstanding artwork, receiving a Merit Certificate in the Art, Craft & Design section, and seven students received either a First, Second or Third placing ribbon for their texiles work. Many of the students were then excited to attend the show and see their work on display.
As you know the Royal Adelaide Show concluded a few weeks back and the children have been eagerly awaiting to get their entries back and look at the certificates, medals and ribbons they received.
Congratulations to all the Year 1 students, we are so proud of you all.
Spring Playdate with Prescott
Earlier this week we hosted another Playdate with Prescott in our nature play space to celebrate the start of spring. Our friends from Little Giggles Playgroup as well as our wider PPN community enjoyed a beautiful sunny morning of nature play, crafts, singing, and snacks. With some assistance from our special Year 5 helpers the children made butterfly paintings with their handprints, planted seeds to take home and nurture, and created flower sticks and fishing rods from sticks, wool, feathers, and flowers. As always there was yummy fruit and hot drinks, and a special song time to finish the morning. We look forward to seeing our Playdate with Prescott friends again next term to celebrate Summer!
Spring has Sprung at PPN
Spring has well and truly sprung at PPN. Our trees are in full bloom, with blossoms lining the edge of our walkways. Our native trees and shrubs in the Nature Playground are providing a beautiful backdrop for the creative and imaginative play that happens during recess and lunchtime. This week, creativity was exploding with the flowers that were hidden throughout the Nature Play for our students to find.
Welcome to Week 9 of our school term. It has been another busy week with preschoolers joining us on Monday morning for the Spring play date and enjoying all sorts of great nature-based activities. Our Chess Team went to a competition and did an outstanding job, and our Year 3s also went on an excursion to the Old Adelaide Goal. Please remember that this Friday is a Pupil Free Day, and our teachers and SSOs will be working hard on planning curriculum and activities for their classes for the final term of the year.
I recently spent a few days in bed trying to recover from some bug. I am not a good patient at all and find that whole process unbearable. As I was lying there, I began reflecting on various things and got to wondering about the challenge of just getting through some of the little repetitive or uncomfortable things we do day-in and day-out. That may be the grind of everyday family life, the inconvenience of routine to provide security to our kids, or even the challenge of firm, consistent, loving discipline and directing of our children and teenagers. My mind was drawn to an email I revisited recently that I received from a student I taught many, many years ago. He reminded me of a story we read for class worship one day about the importance of continuing to do the little things that make a difference in our lives and the lives of others. The author is a man named Loren Eiseley, and it is from a book called, “The Star Thrower”.
“Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions.
Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching. As the boy walked, he paused every so often, and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea. The boy came closer still, and the man called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”
The young boy paused, looked up, and replied, “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach, and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die unless I throw them back into the water.”
The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”
The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one!” (Eiseley, 1979)
This week, I want to encourage you to continue to do the thousands of things you do over and over to love, care for and lift up the kids in your care. There will be days when it seems just too much, or totally draining, but the difference it makes is life changing. I love how one author put it, “A single, ordinary person still can make a difference – and single, ordinary people are doing precisely that every day.” (Bohjalian)
Have a great week with our kids.
Mark B
Afternoon Prescott Family,
Rest - we all want it, especially after a long day at work or at school. But sometimes it can feel that we never quite get enough. It could be random thoughts that keep us up, worries we have for our family, or work that doesn’t seem to end. Health issues, anxiety or we may even get that sweet 8 hours of sleep but still feel exhausted.
And not having enough rest time can affect our mood, the way we interact with each other, our mental health as well as our physical health.
A study on sleep reported that nearly half of all Australian adults (48%) report a least 2 sleep-related problems and that one-quarter of 12–13-year-olds (27%) and half of 16–17-year-olds (52%) do not meet sleep guidelines on school nights. It widely recognised that getting enough sleep or rest is vital in keeping your overall health and well-being in check.
Our world is filled with so many things that keep us from resting, but Jesus gives us a promise that we can hold on to in those restless moments. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus encourages us to lean on him and let him take all our burdens. No matter what we’ve gone through or the stresses that we have right now, we can leave it in His hands.
“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
With only a week and a half left of Term 3, I’m sure we’re all planing how best to relax and enjoy the break. Whether it’s a camping trip, going interstate to visit family or just time at home, we can use these opportunities to come to Jesus and take rest in Him. It could be a Sabbath afternoon walk in the gardens surrounded by God’s amazing nature, a devotional time with the family or a power nap in the afternoon. Lastly, I leave you with an awesome passage found in Psalms,
“You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.” Psalms 4:7-8
Many Blessings,
Pr Andy.
Not school holidays again!
Holidays can be a challenging time for families, with parents juggling work commitments and children often complaining about boredom. Some parents combat this by scheduling their kids into a multitude of activities, from art classes to coding camps. They strive to ensure their children are never bored.
On the other hand, there's a growing movement of parents who believe that boredom can be beneficial for their children. They argue that boredom fosters self-reliance. However, there's limited evidence to support this notion. In fact, existing evidence suggests that boredom may reduce well-being and does not necessarily lead to positive outcomes.
So, how can parents strike a balance between addressing the downsides of boredom and avoiding the challenges of over-scheduling, such as loss of interest and anxiety? The key lies in engagement rather than fretting about overscheduling versus boredom. Parents should focus on helping their kids fill their time with activities that genuinely interest and excite them. This approach not only creates a fulfilling holiday but also promotes self-reliance.
Self-direction is crucial. Allowing children to make choices and decisions, guided by their interests, lets them explore, take risks, and learn autonomy. This approach demonstrates trust in their decision-making abilities and teaches them to take control of their lives, including the occasional mistakes that may arise.
To create opportunities for self-direction, parents can:
1. Collaborate with their children to create a reasonable holiday bucket list, balancing activities that match their interests and the family's needs.
2. Ensure a variety of resources and materials are available at home, such as books, art supplies, and outdoor play items, allowing children to engage in self-directed activities.
3. Spend quality time together without specific goals, encouraging parents and children to explore shared interests and activities, strengthening their relationship.
In conclusion, the key is to focus on engagement and autonomy rather than extremes of overscheduling or boredom. By enabling children to choose their activities within reasonable bounds and nurturing shared experiences, parents can create a fulfilling holiday that fosters self-reliance and strengthens their parent-child relationship.
Student Sponsorship
Invitation: Monash University Parent Survey
Monash University is conducting important research on NAPLAN 2023 and invites you to complete a quick survey .
Chief Investigator, Dr Venesser Fernandes and a team of researchers are seeking views from Australian parents of students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 for this short Monash University open access survey.
The research study has been approved by Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee with Project Number: 2023-37812-89526.
Notification of Enrollment Changes
Please note that Prescott Primary Norther requires at least one terms notice when a family is leaving the school or a terms fees will apply. You will soon receive an email asking you to indicate if you are planning to re-enrol your child/ren in 2024. Please respond to this email as quickly as possible to assist in our planning for the new year. If you are planning to withdraw your child for 2024, please notify the school.
Class Placement Considerations
We are currently working on class placements for 2024. There are many factors that go into making decisions about class placements and we use a program to try to balance the many competing demands. We are unable to guarantee requests will be granted, but if there is some extenuating circumstance you would like considered for your child, please email Mark Borresen (markborresen@ppn.sa.edu)
Term 3 Music Recital
The music teachers and students at Prescott Primary Northern are all excited for the music recital on the 28th of September. All of the families of students who are learning the piano or flute at school, are invited to attend the performance. This event will take place in the Parra Vista Church hall, beginning at 1:40 and ending by 2:30. There is plenty of space for everyone to attend, so we hope to see lots of families there to support.
Year 6 Bake Sale 28th September
Do's & Don't of Dropping Your Kids to School
Prescott College
AUS Bike
