Healthy Harold visits PPN 

If you’ve parked in the church car park over the last two weeks you would have noticed that the Life Education van has been visiting PPN. With the help of Healthy Harold our students have enjoyed learning about a range of health topics aimed at their year level, including friends, relationships, the body, and healthy choices.  

Have you asked your child to share all of the cool information they learnt?

Storytime with Prescott

Abide Family Fellowship

On Friday, October 20th, Prescott Primary Northern hosted a truly special event for all our staff, "Abide Family Fellowship." It was an evening filled with warmth, camaraderie, and spiritual nourishment that we're excited to share with all of you.

The evening began with the Chaplain team's heartwarming gesture – a delicious dinner that brought our school staff and their families together. As the sun set, laughter and chatter filled the air, a testament to the strong bonds that make up the PPN family.

The highlight of the evening was when the PPN leadership team, including Principal Mark Borresen and Deputy Principals Tamara Bernoth and Kerri Charity, took the stage. With genuine appreciation in their voices, they spoke from their hearts, sharing just how amazing our staff is. Their personal perspectives added a heartfelt touch to the event, reinforcing the sense of unity that defines our school.

Afterwards, The spiritual committee invited each and every staff member to the front, presenting them with a gift that will forever hold a special place in their hearts – an Abide Bible. This Bible, thoughtfully crafted by the Seventh-day Adventist Union for Adventist educators, is more than just a book. It's a symbol of faith, a source of wisdom, and a resource designed to support our devoted educators in their important roles. What's even more incredible is that every staff member in every Seventh-day Adventist school worldwide received one. This unifying gesture not only brings the word of God into each home but also empowers our educators with a wealth of resources, tailor-made for their unique journey.

The evening continued with a moving prayer, invoking blessings over our staff and their roles within the school. The sense of togetherness was palpable as we stood united, looking forward to the future. And, of course, no spiritual gathering would be complete without songs of praise. We closed our evening with heartfelt hymns, allowing the music to uplift our spirits and open the Sabbath in a beautiful and harmonious way.

In recounting this extraordinary evening, we invite you, our PPN parents, to take a moment to appreciate the dedication and care that our school's staff pours into their roles. It's a reflection of the strong sense of community that makes PPN such a special place for your children's education.

As we move forward, let us continue to support and celebrate the values that make Prescott Primary Northern a unique and wonderful school.

Wishing you all a blessed week.
The Chaplaincy Team at Prescott Primary Northern

Painting With Nature

Painting is often a loved activity from many children’s perspectives. It allows creativity, and messy play to combine and create a child led creative experience. This week at PPN, we used our creativity in a variety of ways. We not only painted with nature, but we also created our own nature paintbrushes from foraged materials. Some of the items were collected from the school grounds, with others were collected from various locations. The students were able to select a stick size of their choice, some natural brush pieces such as rosemary, and other small branches and flowers, and secure it to the stick using natural twine and wool. Once they had made their brush, they used their brushes to create a mural picture using their paintbrush and a mud mixture.

As always, the student’s creativity was amazing, seeing how they created the paintbrushes and other things such as fishing rods, nature sticks etc. One student was so very proud of her work she announced, "WOW this looks fantastic!!" It was wonderful to see the students engaged and learning in nature. Will you try making a nature paintbrush at home this week? 

Hi PPN families, welcome to the second week of our school term. It has been as very busy start to the term and this week it has really wound up for our Year 5s and 6s with the Upper Primary concert. A huge thank you to the students and staff for the extra efforts going into the performances. We can’t wait to see you shine.

Last Friday evening, you would have seen some lights on outside of our school as many of our staff got together for a special evening of socialising and gift giving. The gift that was given to each staff member was a special edition of the Bible, especially prepared for people working in schools. It is called the Abide Bible. This Bible is a beautiful edition, and a wonderful encouragement for us to Abide in the Love and Grace of God, and share it with our students, families, fellow staff members and the community. We would like to say a big thank you to Adventist Schools Australia for preparing and gifting us these beautiful Bibles.

I thought you would enjoy today’s article from Justin Coulson about our kids thinking and feeling they are not simply the sum of their achievements. I remember having a conversation with a Foundation teacher once who was wondering how to follow up a conversation where a parent had outlined a career path for their 5-year-old to ensure they would become a doctor. I love that we want the best for our children, but we must also be very careful about putting pressure on our kids, and having them hang their value on what, or how much they achieve.

“Many of our children are drenched in the insecurity of feeling incomplete, inadequate, insufficient. And even our seemingly confident and competent kids are struggling. The ones who are “succeeding”, the ones who are ticking all of the right boxes, the ones who are “winning”, are often the WORST at feeling like they’re “enough”.

I wish it weren’t true, but it is our well-intentioned attempts to optimise our children’s success in the future that can leave them feeling like it’s all too much. After evaluating over 50 studies, one pair of researchers concluded that “increases in excessive parental expectations and harsh parental criticism offer perhaps the most plausible explanation for rising perfectionism to date.”

This is not to lay the blame solely at the feet of parents. Rising levels of societal individualism, focus on attainment, increasing economic inequality and rising competitiveness have created a societal background that easily leads to controlling parenting practices and excessive parental expectations. We have the best of intentions in wanting our children to succeed, but in trying to secure a good future for our kids, we expect too much, criticize too harshly, and minimise their autonomy. All of this leads to a tremendous number of kids feeling that they’re not ‘enough’.

Yet with so many of our children feeling that they are not enough, a helpful question to ask is:

What does ‘enough’ look like?

“If I could only… then I will be enough”, “If I can just… then I will be enough”, “When I achieve… then I will be enough.” A sense of “enough” will never come this way. It can’t. Because even when those things are achieved, there will always be someone more beautiful, smarter, or funnier. Valuing self based on extrinsic characteristics will always lead to feeling incomplete, inadequate, insufficient, imperfect.

Another form of success – what I call intrinsic success – is built on the development of character. It accumulates over time through steady, consistent effort and an emphasis on doing the inner work of becoming a better person.

Here are five things we can do to help our children overcome their anxieties and perfectionism and achieve intrinsic success:

1. Show them they matter

People who know they matter are more resilient and engaged in life than those without a sense of mattering. We show someone they matter by demonstrating that our love and care for them is not conditional upon performance.

2. Teach them who they are

Children who are told family stories believe they are responsible and that they are capable of controlling things rather than being at the mercy of external or environmental elements. Children who know their family identity tend to feel better about themselves. They have “roots”.

3. Be a hope builder

If we are hope-ful we know where we’re going (goals), can see a way to get there (pathways), and believe we can actually walk that path (agency). As parents, we must be hope builders in our children’s lives. We do that by helping them identify things that are worth working towards by setting goals based on personal interests and passions. We help them break the goal down into smaller tasks and make sure they have the resources, tools, and information required to pursue their goal. And we celebrate their achievements, provide reassurance when they face difficulties, and remind them that setbacks are opportunities for growth and learning.

4. Encourage them to do hard things

Competence is a vital human need. Yet you don’t become confident by shouting affirmations in the mirror or having your parents pump up your tyres with false praise. It comes from doing the hard thing again and again. And then it comes from celebrating achievement. When they do the hard thing, ask your child how it felt to progress. Boost them up with real compliments and genuine praise – praise that reflects their own positive self-evaluations and helps them feel good about their efforts.

5. Help them make a real difference

We all need to be a part of something larger than ourselves. Spencer W. Kimball, a former leader of the Church of Jesus Christ, said, “We become more substantive as we serve others—indeed, it is easier to “find” ourselves because there is so much more of us to find!” Perhaps we might help our children realise they are enough by

encouraging them to step outside themselves and look outwards in service to others. In so doing, I believe they’ll discover that, while no one may ever be quite “enough”, they will be more than they ever could have been otherwise.

Ultimately, here’s what I want our kids to know:

I am enough because of who I am right now in this moment.

Being enough isn’t something that our kids need to achieve. It isn’t something that is determined by what they have done. It is their ability to accept themselves completely in the present moment that gives them the ability to feel like they are enough.

They are enough. Right now. Just the way they are.” (Source: Happy Families, Justin Coulson)

Have a great week with our kids,

Mark B

Afternoon Prescott Family,

I don't know about you, but I love food. All types, well, maybe not Brussel sprouts.

But, something I love more than the food is with whom I'm sharing it with. Whether it's my mom's cooking with family, out at a cafe with friends, or even a breakfast club at school. Food is an extraordinary way of connecting and bringing people together.

In the Bible there are so many times where Jesus used a meal to break down walls, bring unlikely friends together, and show kindness to those who never received it. He used food to reach out and connect with people that were considered outsiders. 

One of my favorite Bible meal times is where Jesus invites himself over for lunch. The story of Zacchaeus showed how one kind act can really impact a life. He was a tax collector who definitely was not loved by many. Especially since they were known to cheat and take advantage of people, taking more than they should have. So, when he heard of a man that was kind, loved to take care of the people and treat them with a love that seemed impossible, why wouldn’t he go and seek that out. We have this innate feeling of ours that compels us at times to seek out those that confuse or inspire us. In James 4:8 it is written, 'Come near to God, and he will come near to you.' This is shown when Zacchaeus went to see who this Jesus was, he never expected that the one he was seeking out sought after him. 

And I don't know about Zacchaeus, but a surprise invite would send me into a panic; is the house clean, do I have enough food and where will everyone sit (as I am yet to get a dining table). I would be so focused on making sure everything is perfect and organized that the joy and excitement of having Him over would be replaced with stress and anxiety. But Jesus isn't coming to see what five course meal Zacchaeus would have prepared or if he pulled out the “good plates”. He is there to spend time and enjoy life with him.

The story of Zacchaeus shows us that sometimes someone is just waiting to share time and do life with you.

Jesus isn't waiting for us to come to him when we are perfect and organized, He just wants us to come to Him the way we are.

Many blessings,

Pastor Andy.

10 Tips for Transitioning to Highschool

If your child is in Year 6, today’s Wellbeing segment is for you. Even if they aren’t, the ideas shared are useful as we help our children transition into new classrooms next year, new schools or any new environment more generally.

Transitioning to high school need not be a daunting feat. While preparation is important, trying to script the first days and weeks can prove counter-productive. What we want the experience to look like may not be how it pans out, so being prepared leaves us with room to move when it comes to factors we cannot control.

1. Be positive about the transition – Build excitement by talking about all the new opportunities for friendships and activities they’ll have.
2. Practice the new trip to school – Practicing the walk or bus/train trip beforehand will really reduce first-day nerves.
3. Arrange a chat with an older teen who’s been through it – If there’s a neighbour or cousin who’s started at a new school in the past organise for them to hang out and hear what it was like.
4. Make sure everything is organised – Uniform, books and bag are essentials for starting at a new school so help them sort it all out before day one.
5. Start afresh with a tidy room and desk – If their desk or room is shared make sure the rest of the family are on board with keeping things sorted.
6. Farewell the holidays – Organise a social day just before school goes back to farewell and, if possible, invite friends from their old school.
7. Don’t commit too early – It sounds strange but with the stress of making friends at a new school it’s easy to jump at the first people that speak to you. Encourage your child to be social and not rush getting a new best friend. Good things come to those who wait!
8. Avoiding comparing the new to the old – Get your child to look to the future even if they’re missing their old school a bunch.
9. Sign up to things straight away – Research extra-curriculars and help them decide on some they’ll sign up to in their first week.
10. Prepare them for stress – the unknown can be really scary but things like breathing exercises, getting active, and having “me-time” can all help with the transition.

(Source: Peer Support Australia)

BONUS FOR EVERYONE

Is your child bossy? This 4 minute video might help.

Pupil Free Day November 10th

Upper Primary Concert – Tomorrow!

After weeks of rehearsal at school, our Year 5 and Year 6 classes spent the last two days completing tech and dress rehearsals on stage in preparation for tomorrow’s Upper Primary Concert.

Below is a sneak peak from these rehearsals.

Join us on Thursday 26 October for the presentation of the hilariously though provoking What’s the crime Mr Wolf?

Two performances:

• 12noon Matinee show
• 6.30pm Evening performance

Invitations have been sent to all upper primary parents shortly. All are welcome to attend either show on 26 October at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 7 Von Braun Cres, Modbury North SA 5092.

Colour Explosion Fun Run – Week 5

Get your colour on, PPN is hosting a Colour Explosion School Fun Run fundraiser!

The Colour Explosion School Fun Run will be on Friday 17th November from 9am to 12:30pm.

Not only are we hosting an awesome explosion event, students can win up to 15 awesome prizes by fundraising online.

All students will be bringing home a sponsorship book with instructions on setting up their cybersafe, online fundraising profile at www.australianfundraising.com.au this week. Please sit together with your child to walk them through the steps. This is an entirely online fundraiser; all cash donations must be converted to online donations to redeem your prizes.

Extra Incentives to Fundraise!

Online Golden Coins – complete fun online tasks to redeem an extra $75 towards your prize credit.

Monty the Monstar’s Bonus Prizes – achieve milestones to unlock Monty’s bonus prizes.

$10,000 JB HI FI Spending Spree for one organisation’s highest fundraising student – it could be you!

Our school will win an extra $5,000 if we have the highest average fundraised amount per student in 2023.

A Play Station 5 Gaming Bundle – see your child’s sponsorship booklet for more!

Happy fundraising!

To catch a glimpse of what a Colour Explosion Fun Run looks like, watch this video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzCkm8mAl7s

Keep an eye out for more information each week as we draw closer to the event.

The Colour Explosion School Fun Run is brought to you by PPN Community.

Full Summer Uniform now required

As of Monday next week, all students are required to be in full summer uniform. A reminder of these requirements is below:

• For boys, summer uniform includes:
• Short-sleeved blue Prescott shirt
• tailored SA grey school shorts (not cotton cargo shorts)
• Grey over the ankle socks
• For girls, summer uniform includes:
• Prescott summer dress, which touch the knee or below when standing upright.
• Plain black/navy bike shorts may also be worn.
• White over the ankle socks (no leggings)
• All shoes must be laced, buckled or velcro polished black leader school shoes OR brown sandals (worn without socks)

Uniform Shop Location

If you have an appointment with the uniform shop, please remember that it is now located at 1 Heather Drive, Para Vista (map image below). Parents are requested to please park on the driveway when visiting the Uniform Shop to minimise traffic congestion on the street.

As we celebrate Science Week ALL students are encouraged to be creative and innovative through our two Science Week Competitions.

Middle and Upper Primary Competition

Innovation challenge: Make Life Easier!

Your job is to make life easier for humans by inventing a new product OR improving an existing product. Whatever it takes to make life easier.

Build a model of your product OR create a labelled A3 poster of your product, and bring it to the library by Tuesday next week.

See poster below for more details.

Lower Primary Competition

Science themed colouring competition. Class teachers will distribute these shortly!

Term 4 School Fees

A friendly reminder to families that have not paid their school fees for this term as yet, please note that Term 4 School Fees are to be paid by Thursday 26^th October to receive the Prompt Payment Discount.  Thank you.

ADHD Awareness Month

Fast Laps Make Big Impact

It’s not often guinea pigs and swimming go together, but thanks to the amazing efforts of one PPN student they did just that!

Recently, Gracie Elvin competed in a swimming carnival, and used the opportunity to raise money for a cause that she loves. Not only did she set three personal best times in the event, but raised $215 for Guinea Pig Rescue Centres.

“It felt so good to help these sick guinea pigs,” Gracie said. “If anyone else is thinking of raising money for something, you should! And, just remember if you try your hardest you’re guaranteed to succeed.”

Gracie, we are so proud of your efforts in and out of the pool!

Prescott College

Para Vista Church Fundraiser