Autumn Playdate

Year 6 Students Experience High School Life

In woodwork, our students have been crafting mini fences, while in home economics, they've been busy baking delicious pizza scrolls. These hands-on activities have not only been educational but also immensely enjoyable.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the College staff for their support and hospitality. Our students are eagerly looking forward to returning next term for an engaging science program!

Tony Zappia Visits Year 6

Our Year 6s were blessed with a visit from the Member for Makin, Tony Zappia on Monday as he came to acknowledge their time visiting Canberra, and in particular, Parliament House. He spent time with the classes, talking about his work as well as answering the many questions brought to him. We really appreciate Tony's time, as well as how he represents Makin to the government.

Nature Play – All Things Blue

Our students had a wonderful time at lunch on Tuesday, learning about types of birds, and investigating all things blue. The activities today have been inspired by the book “Bowerbird Blues” by Aura Parker, the chosen book for National Simultaneous Storytime. We got to investigate birds, nature and fun facts about nature around us using magnifying glasses. Bowerbirds would have loved the blue rice in our Nature Play Space this week!

 

Today our school joined in with over 2 million other children around Australia, New Zealand and even around the world for National Simultaneous Storytime. This year marks the 24th year of NSS, where an Australian author and book are chosen to share and promote the love and value of reading and literacy in libraries and schools. This year, our students enjoyed "Bowerbird Blues" by Aura Parker. Not only is it a delightful little story about a bowerbird and his search for blue things that takes him on an adventure all over the place, it has also sparked the interest of many of our students in learning about bowerbirds and their unique environments and homes (bowers) they create for their family.

The author, Aura Parker shares, "My bowerbird falls in love with the colour of the sea and the sparking blue of the sky, but nothing seems to satisfy. I wrote Bowerbird Blues for lots of reasons, most of all, to try and capture a feeling, of longing for connection, for a craving which turns out to be for someone, instead of something. I wrote it for the joy of making, building, crafting, and finding out what you care for, or what matters most to you. I wrote it as a celebration of colour. I wrote it for a love of nature, and passion for our fragile environment, as an abundance of plastic pollution is clearly on display. Australian Satin Bowerbirds are savvy collectors, connoisseurs of colour and careful arrangers of their treasures with intense perfectionist hearts! They create a bower to attract their mate, and an interest in their fascinating behaviour spurred the story along."

I love that the author highlighted her desire to capture the longing for connection with others, rather than things. When I think about the children in our care here at Prescott Primary Northern, the staff, the families and our wider community, I see the same longing in us. We long to be connected with one another, to be seen and to be valued. What can we do to be more intentional in establishing and strengthening connection with those around us? Let's celebrate the joy of what matters most to us…one another.

I remember finding a bowerbird's bower when I was picnicking with friends in Queensland, many years ago. I first of all thought we had come across a pile of rubbish, as there were many blue plastic straws on the ground. After realising it was actually a home designed and created by a bowerbird for his family, I was intrigued by what the bird had chosen and considered beautiful. While I saw rubbish, broken things, things that belonged in a bin, this bird saw beauty, joy and treasure, carefully chosen and presented for its mate. My heart connects this to our loving Father, who while we may see ourselves or others as not worthy, not good enough, He sees us as His chosen treasure. May we live in that truth today and beyond.

I encourage you to be intentional in connecting with your children this week. Celebrate what matters most. Find joy and beauty in the things around you. And know that you belong to a community here at PPN who longs to be connected with you!

Blessings,

Tamara

Hey PPN Family,

I recently read a book entitled “Practicing the Way” by John Mark Comer and in it he discusses nine practises of Jesus that helped Him to maintain a strong relationship with God.

One of Jesus’ habits that Comer highlights is keeping the weekly Sabbath. In Mark 2:27 (NLT) Jesus says, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.” In other words, God created the Sabbath right at the beginning of the earth’s history to be a blessing for all of us.

In another book, Comer points out that the Hebrew word “Shabbat” (Sabbath) means both “to stop,” and “to delight.” Therefore, the weekly Sabbath is a day that God has given us to stop working, rushing and worrying, and to delight in all of the blessings that He has given us.

This makes the Sabbath especially relevant for us today because in the latest HILDA (Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia) Survey where they collect information from a group of 17,000 Australians each year, they found that levels of psychological distress (feelings of sadness, hopelessness, tiredness, nervousness and depression) have gone up across all age groups over the last 10 years. Now there are many reasons for this, but I believe that one of them is that too many of us are missing out on the beautiful gift of the Sabbath that God intended for all of us to experience.

So, if you have been feeling a little bit tired and stressed lately you should try keeping a weekly Sabbath just like Jesus did. Set aside a day each week to stop, and to delight in all of the good things that God has done for you.

God bless,

Roland Talamaivao-Amituanai

About this time last year, UNICEF and the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) released a report titled The Wellbeing of Australia’s Children.

The report measures the experiences of children in Australian against UNICEF’s global index for childhood wellbeing, alongside the five wellbeing domains that guide ARACY’s research. A summary of these is below:

While there isn’t space to go through the entire report, it’s findings – and the process taken to get there – reminded me how important it is to stop and reflect on our wellbeing, our children’s wellbeing and the wellbeing of those around us. Amongst the busy-ness of life it is easy to assume or pretend that we know how everyone is going, and generally that means we believe everyone is doing ok.

For a quick exercise why not reflect on the domains and goals listed above for your own children – how do they fair? What about the children in your street, or your child’s friends? Are there areas of your child’s life that you think could be improved?

Below is just a snippet from the report’s executive summary, along with some graphic samples of the data collected.

In the first instance, what this data tells us is that for the majority of children Australia is a great place to grow up. Most children have access to the food they need, are participating in education, and are optimistic about the future. But there are also areas which need urgent attention including stagnant poverty, emerging childhood obesity, and increasing rates of psychological distress. There also remains unacceptable inequity in Australia, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and a continued need to elevate the voices of children and young people in all aspects of society.

We may not have the resources of UNCEF and ARACY, but we all can, and should, take time to reflect on our own wellbeing and that of our children. Can I encourage you to do so in the coming week.

To read The Wellbeing of Australia’s Children report in full go to: The wellbeing of Australia’s children | UNICEF Australia

National Simultaneous Storytime

Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, family day cares, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. This year’s book was ‘Bowerbird Blues’ written by Aura Parker.

PPN students had a wonderful time taking part in National Simultaneous Storytime this morning, and our staff were all dressed in blue to celebrate.

Lower Primary Sports Day

Our Foundation to Year 2 students will be running, jumping and throwing their little hearts out on Friday, 31 May at the PPN Lower Primary Sports Day. Events planned for the day include: sprints, ball throw, hurdles, long jump, high jump, egg and spoon race, and the water relay.

Time: 9:25am – 12:40pm

Where: PPN Back Oval

Please Note: Students need to wear full sports uniform and bring their water bottle, school hat and normal recess, lunch and brain food.

Parents are welcome to attend.

Prescott College