Today, the Year 4 Stem students travelled to Adelaide University to take part in a Robotics workshop run by ROBOGALS, a group if Engineering and Computer Science students. We learnt how to code our robots to move forward, back, turn, stop at barriers, change direction and move 'arms' before we all participated in a very exciting Robo-battle!

The students then enjoyed a morning tea, supplied by our lovely hosts, who had also arranged a Stem, 'yellow brick road style' hunting quiz around the University through various buildings and grounds. We had a race to see who could answer all the questions but also work collaboratively. The winners even got some drink bottles and stationary packs as prizes. It was a fantastic experience for all involved and we are very grateful to ROBOGALS and our extra parent helper, Mrs Elvin and our bus driver, Danny for coming along too!

Mrs Vice

Winter returned for a moment this week, which meant we had to use some shelter during lunch time this week. The beauty of Nature play is it can be easily adapted, which is what we did. We took our play undercover, while still interacting and playing with nature. This week, the children had the chance to play with and design a creation out of clay. They had a selection of different coloured clay, and some natural pieces, plus some cookie cutters if they wanted to choose a shape for their creation.

Welcome to Week 7 of our last term, PPN family. It has been another busy week with our 2024 Foundations joining us for their first orientation day, some of our STEM group students heading out on an excursion, some crazy rainy weather, and lots of assessment and learning for our students. I must thank you all, families, staff, and students, for your patience and grace as we postponed the carols and concert program from last Friday evening to this Friday evening. The grounds were very soggy and the weather very unpredictable, so it was probably the best call. I am really looking forward to this Friday evening and the program our staff and students have prepared for us.

A couple of things happened this week that got me thinking about big emotions. I went and visited my youngest daughter in Victoria on the weekend. She and her husband had their second child a couple of weeks ago, and as I sat there holding little Charlie, and had his older sister, Matilda, sitting beside me, I noticed that as I held his hand, she wanted to hold it as well. She also wanted to snuggle right up on my lap like he was. It got me reflecting on what it must be like in her little world. She has been the only child in the family, and now, this new demanding little brother has arrived, and he has taken much of the attention that was once hers alone. I have to say she has done very well so far at handling those big feelings, but it must be difficult. As I drove away on Sunday afternoon, I felt some really big emotions as well and tried to process those emotions by thinking through why and telling myself it is the end of the year and I am tired.

Then yesterday, we had our 2024 Foundations join us for their first orientation day, and I watched as some kids wandered off from their parents quite happily, while others took a little while to leave, and still others really struggled with the idea of joining a big group of kids in a new place with new people. It reminded me of the observation that “Most of us think of ourselves as thinking creatures that feel, but we are actually feeling creatures that think.” (Taylor, 2007) As I read the article for you below and reflected on these three events, I thought it was a timely reminder of how we might best understand and help our kids. There are some really good insights and tips that I hope you find helpful.

“It doesn’t matter if you have just one child or six, there is one thing that you’re guaranteed to have to handle: big emotions in your child. It doesn’t matter how good of a parent you are, you can even be a parenting expert, and your children will STILL have big emotions. It’s just a fact of life when you’re parenting a 1-year-old or a 12 year old. Teens have their big emotions, and if we’re honest, so do parents! Everyone feels sad, cranky, scared, or stressed from time to time. Big emotions are simply unavoidable in family life. And so we all need effective strategies for dealing with them. First, however, we need to know what triggers them. If we can focus on prevention, we can spend less time on the cure.

Where do big emotions come from

Big emotions arise for many reasons. I like the acronym HALTS to help me consider why my child might be emotionally triggered: H is for Hungry. A is for Angry. L is for Lonely. T is for Tired. And S is for Stressed.

Sometimes our child is one of these. Sometimes our child is all of them. Perhaps they’ve eaten, but their meal was lacking in nutritional value. Maybe they’re angry about something that we think is silly but it matters to them. Perhaps they’re in a room full of people but they feel disconnected and lonely. It could be that last night’s TV show went late, their mind was buzzing, and they haven’t slept. Or maybe school, family life, our explosive moods, or a friendship drama is creating stress in their life. Spending time reducing the likelihood of these triggers means we experience fewer big emotions at home. But try as you might, you can’t (and shouldn’t) eliminate all stress for your kids. After all, stress creates opportunities for growth.

Regulating big emotions

When those big emotions strike, we must remember that high emotions = low intelligence. Our kids act a bit crazy when emotions are high. And because emotions are contagious, we often catch our children’s crazy, cranky, and chaos and become less intelligent as well. Two or three emotional and unintelligent people in a power struggle never works out well.

Since big emotions happen, here are some simple ways that we can respond to our children when they’re feeling sad, cranky, scared, or stressed.

1. Be Intentional

If you think back to the HALTS acronym, there are a handful of simple and intentional things we can do to reduce the likelihood of emotional blow-ups. For example, you could: – Bring a snack for your child to eat while you do the shopping – Don’t demand that chores be done alone, or right before bed – Take five minutes for cuddles and connection before moving into the bedtime routine or once they’re in bed – Consider your timing when you make simple requests of them.

2. Remember that emotions are contagious

When our children are feeling chaotic, there’s two ways we can go. We can catch their cranky and join them in an escalating cycle of chaos. Or we can stay calm. Easier said than done, but realistically we can’t parent anybody if we can’t parent ourselves first. Do your best to hold it together.

3. Don’t try to fix things in the moment

Have you ever been angry, had someone say, “Just calm down!”, and responded “Good point, I needed that logic, I will just calm down.”? Of course not! When emotions are big, don’t try to fix things. Instead…

4. Focus on connection or space

Some kids want a hug when they’re feeling mad. Other kids want space. Most of the time, they want space first, then connection. If it’s possible, move your child to a private area. Say to them, “I can see you’re having a tough time. Do you want a hug or do you want me to give you some space?” They’ll probably tell you to go away. Give them some space, but let them know that you’ll be just around the corner ready to give them a hug when they’re ready. Then once they’re regulated again you can move onto problem solving.

5. Problem solve collaboratively

When things are calm – whether it takes ten minutes or ten hours – sit with your child and ask if you can discuss what happened, and problem-solve so that things go better next time. Then listen. Remember, too, that sometimes these conversations work best when your child is drinking a milkshake or enjoying another treat you picked up for them.

Big emotions in our children aren’t an indication that we’re lousy parents. Every single child and teen on the planet cries, stomps their feet, and pushes their parents away. We need to normalise this as part of being human!

Fortunately for us, our children also have the best laughs, give the biggest snuggles, and say the funniest things. So next time you’re in the midst of a child’s emotional meltdown, take a big breath and remind yourself that on the other side of this big moment is the sweetest thing you can experience with your child – the opportunity for growth.” (Coulson, 2023)

Have a great week with our kids,

Mark B

Greetings PPN Family! 

We’re close to concluding Week 7 already! I’m not sure where the times gone, but it feels like only yesterday I was walking into this school for the first time ready for my new adventure at PPN.  

Last week was the week. Finally, me and some friends had scheduled in a time to go for a leisurely motorcycle ride to enjoy Hahndorf for the day. This trip had been months in the making. Constant communicating back and forth between us, seemingly getting nowhere with our busy lives trumping all our best efforts to get together. But finally, our schedules aligned, and we pencilled in that Sunday.

For this ride to take place, there was much preparation to be done. I personally had to re-register my motorcycle which turns out to be a very straight forward process here in South Australia, for which I was very grateful. I also had to buy some protective gear for my fiancé so she could join us on this joyride. Helmet, jacket, pants, gloves, all the gear necessary to remain safe. This trip had already become a lot more effort than anticipated, but I was determined to be fully prepared. We coordinated with our friends to purchase some head units for our helmets, that through Bluetooth, allow us to talk to each other whilst riding with our helmets on. Purchasing, installing, and testing these took a few hours but it was worth it to be fully prepared. The night before the big ride, I contacted everyone to remind them “make sure your Bluetooth head unit is fully charged, don’t want anyone to miss out” and as I walked past the window facing into my garage before heading to bed, I peaked out to make sure that the motorcycle battery was being properly charged by the trickle charger attached to the wall’s power socket. I could see the cable stretching from the bike towards the wall where the socket was. Satisfied I went to bed.

Early the next morning I woke up. I prepared all my gear and as I walked into my garage to prepare my motorcycle, my stomach dropped. My eyes fixated on the plug for the trickle charger sitting on top of the wall power socket instead of being plugged into it. Sure enough, I place my key into the ignition and turn it. Nothing. No lights, not sounds, just a completely dead motorcycle with an uncharged battery. Needless to say, this ruined my day. Nowhere stocked the battery that my motorcycle required. All that time and effort spent preparing and getting ready wasted. Countless hours and dollars preparing for this one trip.  

Being prepared means nothing if you’re not plugged in, connected.  I’m not sure what you’re preparing for in your life at the moment. But Jesus shares in John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” or the Toby translation reads “I am the wall power socket; you are the battery. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much power; apart from me you can do nothing.” I encourage you all to plug in, to connect with God, because without being connected, what use is our preparation?  

In faith and gratitude,

Toby Ackland

School Chaplain

One Talk at Time

Last week, we shared some tips about steps and conversations you can have with your children to help keep them safe in a range of environments, and help them feel comfortable and confident to stand up for their own safety.

If you missed it, please check out last week’s newsletter.

In addition, the National Office for Child Safety has recently launched Australia’s first national campaign aimed at teaching children to speak up if they think something is wrong. The campaign is called One Talk at a Time. The resources shared centre around the important role parents play in supporting their children through pro-active and preventative conversations.

An email with additional details was sent home to families today. For more information about the campaign, including videos and other resources to support your conversations visit https://www.childsafety.gov.au/one-talk-time.

The Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation has also just released a number of resources to support parents and educators to help prevent Sextortion (a form of online blackmail where someone is tricked or coerced into sending sexual images of themselves and then they are threatened to comply with certain demands, or the images may be shared). To view the resources, many of which are appropriate for primary-aged children at https://www.accce.gov.au/sextortionhelp

Christmas Carols

Welcome New Team Members

Our 2024 Foundation students had their first Orientation Day at school this week, and we can’t wait to have them join the PPN family full time next year. We are also really looking forward to welcoming a number of new staff members. Below are some short introductions so you can get to know them.

Welcome to the team Brooke, Kristy and Abigail!

Brooke Carter

Hello PPN Families, 

My name is Brooke Carter and I am so excited to be teaching Foundation next year. I have had experience teaching in both Foundation and Year 1, and I am passionate about seeing kids thrive, and grow into the person God has created them to be. When I am not at school, I love to spend time at the beach, go to church, play a basketball game or go get brunch. I am looking forward to getting to know you all and being a part of this wonderful school community.

Kristy Buys

My name is Mrs Buys and I am a new member of the lovely Prescott Northern Primary School. I am a passionate teacher who loves all elements of teaching. I am from South Africa, but now call Australia my home. I look forward to fun, positive and innovative lessons with such great students. I love spending time with my beautiful family and spending sunny days outdoors. I am a vibrant and happy person. I can't wait to meet everyone soon! 

Abigail Huang

Hi, my name is Abigail (Abi) Huang, a graduate teacher from Tabor College. I live in Adelaide with my husband Allen, and we attend our local church in the city where I also serve on the worship team  I have a passion for music, art, baking, camping, and reading my Bible. I have wanted to be a teacher from a young age, and I am excited to begin my teaching journey at Prescott Primary Northern in 2024. 

SSO Position Available

Staff Goodbyes

Prescott Primary Northern is a wonderful school thanks, in large part, to the people that make it up – our students, families and, in particular, our staff. We are so thankful for the efforts and care of all our staff, but particularly want to acknowledge those that are pursuing other opportunities in 2024.

As we look ahead to next year, we are sad to be saying good-bye to few of our staff. This includes:

· Mr Glendon Harris

· Ms Karen Frear

· Ms Ruth Acuna-Castro

· Ms Ruva Muswizo

· Mrs Victoria Cowley

· Mr Janak Patel

Glendon, Karen, Ruth, Ruva, Victoria and Janak you go with our prayers and best wishes. Thank you for all you have done at PPN, and the difference you have made for our students.

Parents and students, if you have the chance, please take a time to thank these staff members over the next couple of weeks.

Uniform Shop

The Unform shop will be closed from the 8th December 2023 until the 15th of January 2024.  Uniform fitting appointments can be made from the 15th of January.

PPN 50th Birthday Celebrations

OSHC School Holidays