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WOW What a Week!
Has your child been coming home more radiant this week? Do they have a certain glow about them? We’re all shining brightly at PPN because it is Week of Worship. Below are just a few photos from our special programs so far – we will share even more in a video next week.
Yr 6 Canberra Trip
The climax of Term 1 for a lot of our Year 6s was the adventure to our nation's capital, Canberra! It was a spectacularly successful week, with many students overcoming nerves and having a great time, as well as learning about the birth of our nation's democracy!
Little Giggles Storytime
My family enjoy camping. For many years we have taken some time off during the July school holidays and headed to outback Australia exploring some beautiful and unique locations. We tend to do the type of camping that means we are self-sufficient – no powered sites, sleeping in tents or swags, cooking food using a gas camp stove or an open fire, and travelling to remote locations.
We have crossed the Simpson Desert a few times and it is an amazing experience. It takes a lot of preparation as we need to be self-reliant and set up to be out on our own for days. But the vast open spaces, the sense of peace and the unique environment make it all worthwhile.
One of my favourite parts of being in the middle of a desert is after the sun goes down. Don’t tell me about all the critters out there, I try to ignore them, but I enjoy sitting by a campfire and switching off from the busyness of everyday life. When the fire starts to burn down and the night becomes darker, it becomes apparent how amazing and beautiful the night sky is. I spend a lot of time gazing at the millions of stars shining brightly in the open sky and marvelling at how beautiful the night sky is.
It also amazes me that when the stars are out and there is a full moon, I don’t need to use a torch to see my way around at night. The light of the moon and stars is enough for me to see my way around camp. One thing I know for sure is that I would not like to be in the middle of a desert at night without some form of light. When in the midst of darkness, in the middle of nowhere, I am always grateful to have some form of light to help me find my way.
This week, we have been celebrating our special Week of Worship program. The theme for the week is Shine and each morning, we have spent time singing praises to God and listening to the words of our guest Speaker Pr Tim. We have been reminded that Jesus is the light of the world; through him, we should shine His love in all that we do and say, in small ways, big ways, and in any way we can.
Let us shine like stars in the sky, holding firmly to the word of life (Philippians 2:15-16)
Good afternoon, Prescott Family!
This week has been a very special one. We have been blessed to have Pr Tim Ah Sam speak to us about how we can shine for Jesus during our Week of Worship program each morning.
On the first day, Pr Tim's key thought was that "Because God is light, life is good." God brought light into our world on the first day of creation,
"Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness." Genesis 1:3-4 NKJV.
God can bring light into our lives when it seems that all we see is darkness, and we can then share that light with our friends and family.
On day 2 the key thought was "words have power". Our words have the power to lift someone up or bring them down. How can we shine for Jesus if our words hurt those around us? " Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark." James 3:5 NIV
Pr Tim reminded us to speak as Jesus did, with kindness and love.
This WOW week has been especially amazing due to the hard work of our Students Chaplains.
Every morning, they prepare to lead out in worship, welcome and pray for us. Without them us Chaplains would definitely struggle.
We are so grateful for their willingness to serve and be awesome examples of how to shine for Jesus.
Don't forget to join us for our final Week of Worship program this Friday starting at 5:45pm.
Followed will be a soup and buns dinner.
Many blessings,
Pr Andy
Last week, we talked about kindness for our values, and this week we honoured several students from all the classes in our school for demonstrating this value.
Resilience Myth Busting
In the labyrinth of parenting advice, certain myths persist like stubborn weeds. Let’s unravel a few of these myths and discover the real pathways to nurturing resilience in our children.
Myth #1 "Helicopter parenting is hurting our kids."
Helicopter parenting is named for the tendency of some parents to ‘hover’ over their children.
Parental involvement is related to positive life experiences in our children. Our children value high levels of parental involvement. They want us in their lives. They want to be in ours. They require it. They experience elevated feelings of worth, wellbeing and, by default, resilience.
What they do not require is developmentally inappropriate levels of control. Clearly, when taken to extremes, evidence demonstrates that too much “helicoptering” is unhelpful and unhealthy, and may be harmful.
To build resilience, we need to trust that our children can do things on their own. Then we must give them the space to try. By all means, stand close and support. But don’t ‘do’. Don’t control. And when they fail, don’t fix. Instead, console and then ask, ‘What do you think you should do now?’
Myth #2 "Praise helps kids resilience."
Believe it or not, words of praise can hamper both a child’s motivation, as well as their creativity. We sometimes create praise junkies, unwilling to try anything without our approval.
So what are we to do? No correction, no praise? What on earth are we meant to say next time our children show us their drawings?
Try this:
• Narration. Talk through what you see, without judgment, noticing the little details. “I see that you drew a big happy face on the sun in this picture.”
• Ask for their opinion. Intrinsic motivation is far more powerful than extrinsic motivation, and we help them get to their intrinsic motivation by prioritising their opinion over ours. “There’s a lot of different colours in this painting, can you tell me why you chose all those colours?”
• Express gratitude. A sincere thank you never fails. “You drew this for me? Thank you!”
• Say what you see. Describe the emotions you see in your child as a result of what they have done. “You look really happy with the drawing you did.”
Much like sticks and stones, words can be powerful. Through them, we can help our children develop a love of learning, a willingness to experiment, and foster their creativity.
Myth #3 "Kids just need to toughen up."
It is a myth that we need to “toughen our children up”, whether they are two days old, two months old, two years old, or twenty-two years old. The world will throw enough at them. Instead, we need to be a safe place for them to land and be supported when life gets challenging.
Resilience in children grows through experiencing appropriate levels of stress, balanced with nurturing care and support.
Experiencing stress can actually help to make your child resilient, but only when they are developmentally capable of facing it. An illustration of this is how working out in a gym puts stress on your body which can increase strength and stamina. But if your muscles are already strained or injured, you do more harm than good. Too much resistance via adversity and challenge at too young an age can incapacitate our children, increasing their fragility.
Mother's Day Stall
Drop Off Parking
Please do not park in the bus zone or in or across the driveways of the properties neighbouring the school on Wright Road. Doing so makes creates an environment that is difficult and unsafe for our bus drivers and neighbours.
The Drop and Go area is a quick and convenient way of getting your children to school safely. If you wish to walk your children into school, parking is available in our back carpark or on Jeff Street.
Winter Uniform required from Week 3
Following the two-week transition period all students are required to wear full winter uniform from Monday, Week 3. Please contact the uniform shop if your child needs new winter uniform items before this time.
Growth and Development Sessions – Year 4, 5, 6
In the coming weeks Year 4, 5 and 6 students will take part in a series of Growth and Development lessons. The lessons, run by professional presenters from Kidz Biz Education, provide age-appropriate insights for students about the coming changes in their life and decisions that often go along with growing up.
Year 4, 5 and 6 families should have received an email and letter yesterday with additional details. If you did not, or have further questions please contact the school.
If you are a parent of a Year 4, 5 or 6 students we encourage you to attend a one-hour Parent/Student Information Session in the PPN Discovery Centre on tonight.
Year 4 Parent / Student Information Session - 6:40pm
Year 5 and 6 Parent / Student Information Session - 7:40pm
Bake Sale for Australia's Biggest Morning Tea
SACSA Athletics
Last Friday, a group of PPN students participated in the SACSA Athletics Carnival. Our students gave it their very best in all of the events they were representing our school in. We had some students push their own limits and abilities in athletics and received a 1st, 2nd or 3rd placing! We even had some students breaking records!! Congratulations PPN Athletics Team! Special thanks to Mel Isaac, Leah Hoare and Rachel Pfeiffer for helping out on the day.
