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Interschool Chess Champs
This Monday, a group of students from our Chess Club travelled to Tyndale Christian School to play against other qualifying schools from the North Eastern Districts. This term it was a mixed tournament of three High School and four Primary School teams.
It was a very exciting day with lots of our players having some intense games against students twice their age! Despite the tough competition, Prescott found themselves on the top of the mixed ladder at the end of the day! All players are to be congratulated for their sportsmanship and cheering each other on when they needed encouragement. It was great to see Riya, Gabriel, Kabir and Zayn play in their first Interschool. We especially congratulate Anthony who came second overall with 6 wins and one draw. Neil, Atharv and Japjeet focused so well to come out with gold medals also. Well done, team.
Yr 4 Visit Maritime Museum
Year 6 Garden Day: Getting Our Hands Dirty!
Equipped with trowels, gloves, and plenty of enthusiasm, the kids dove into the garden, finding worms (and other critters) along the way. There was a lot of laughter and excitement as they carefully laid out neat rows of seedlings.
By the end of the day, the garden was filled with promise, and the smiles on the kids' faces were as bright as the sun. It was the perfect way to enjoy the outdoors before the rain came to give our new plants a good soaking.
Here's to a bountiful season ahead!
Foundations Visited by Animals Anonymous
On Friday, the Foundations were so excited to have Animals Anonymous visit Prescott. The children were able to meet all sorts of animals like a quokka, lizard, bird, sugar glider, goanna and snakes. We learnt about their needs and habitats and were even able to pat each animal. Some of us were even brave enough to hold a big snake! What a fun learning experience this was.
Mud Glorious Mud!
The fun didn’t stop once the little ones had gone home though. Throughout the rest of the day our PPN students had a chance to enjoy the muddy puddle as well. There was lots of excitement, squeals of delight and messy, muddy fun!
“Facing” the Weather!
It seems like Winter has well and truly set in. The mornings are chilly, and the days seem to be staying cool. The warm jackets, beanies and gloves are out and the heaters are working overtime. We have had some much-needed rain and I expect we are going to get some more as Winter continues. The winter rain helps to replenish the earth and the reward is we get to see more of God’s amazing creation when Spring arrives, when we see blossoms, flowers and nature come alive with new growth.
I have always enjoyed aspects of Winter. Perhaps it is because my birthday is in June, so it holds fond memories of celebrations, but I do prefer the cooler weather over the hot weather. I like to wear jackets, coats and scarves and I enjoy curling up with a warm blanket indoors and reading a book or watching a movie.
Last week, we enjoyed International Mud Day and invited our preschoolers to a Mud Day Playdate. Despite the weather forecast being for large amounts of rain on the day leading up to the Playdate, it didn’t rain as much as we thought, and we had to make a big mud puddle. At recess and lunch time, the students were able to put on their gumboots and enjoy a jump in the puddle. What fun!
The cooler weather also alerts us to the fact that we are almost halfway through the year and that the mid-year school break is almost upon us. We are in the last week of the term and the last day of Term Two is this Friday, the 28th of June. We wish all our students and families a safe and restful break from the busy routine of school.
We look forward to seeing the students back for the start of Term 3 on Monday the 22nd of July.
This past few weeks I have been looking at the prophet Samuel with our Year 3 classes. Samuel’s journey began long before he was even born. His mother, Hannah, barren and unable to have children, travelled yearly to worship God. One year she pleaded with the Lord through prayer, bargaining for a son. It was there in her deep anguish and sorrow that the Lord heard her. Hannah received a son a year later. During her bargaining with God, she promised to devote her son to the Lord, and so when he came of age, he was sent off to work in the temple. While he was still young, we believe around the age of 12, the Lord spoke directly to Samuel and his journey as the mighty prophet began. Teaching this is always a humbling experience. Teaching the kids so many amazing lessons, such as the importance of listening to Gods voice, how we can do that in todays day and age since we don’t exactly have prophets of the same calibre they did back then. And arguably the most important is that just like Samuel, God can work with us too. God doesn’t only work with old wise adults. He can use anyone, including young children to enrich not only their lives, but the lives of their peers and their families. It’s comforting to know that this incredible journey of listening to God began with God listening first. He heard the cries of a heartbroken woman, and through answering her prayer, provided the nation with one of His greatest messengers. Let’s do our best to remember as a community, that listening is always a good thing. Especially if you’re listening out for God. His response is truly clearest when we’re close enough for Him to hear our requests also.
God Bless.
Toby A
Talking about report cards – even when they’re disappointing
By early next week, you should have received your child’s report card. The conversations that follow are not always easy. The below article may help guide your conversations towards constructive and supportive, even when you’re feeling disappointed.
A Quick Review
• There are different reasons you might be disappointed in your child’s report card.
• What you say (and how you say it) in each situation matters.
• Focusing more on effort than on the actual grades can help.
Here are some five common report card scenarios and tips for talking about them:
1) Grades have improved, but less than you hoped
You may want to say: “I was expecting to see better results than this.”
Instead, try saying: “Nice! What do you think helped those grades go up?“
Why: Improved grades mean that your child is making progress. Consider that even a little bit can take a lot of effort. Keeping that in mind lets you talk about what’s working well. It opens the door to talk about what might help bring up the rest of your child’s grades too.
2) Grades and behaviour “Need Improvement”
You may want to say: “You’re grounded until your behaviour and grades improve. No more technology!”
Instead, try saying: “I need to take some time to think about this. We’ll talk about this tomorrow.”
Why: When the news isn’t great, you might be tempted to jump to some sort of punishment. You’re no doubt feeling frustrated and upset. However, punishment doesn’t usually help kids do better next time.
Take some time to think about what “improvement” would look like for your child. Be realistic and talk it over with your child. Then come up with a plan to help make it happen.
3) Grades remained the same, but behaviour and effort improved.
You may want to say: “I’m glad to see that you’re putting in more effort. If only your grades were better, too.”
Instead, try saying: “It’s good to hear you’re getting the hang of what you need to do to work hard and behave in class. Let’s figure out how to get better at classwork, too.”
Why: When we look at a child’s report card, grades are usually the first thing we see. But don’t forget to look at teacher comments to learn about other progress your child is making. If school is hard for your child, putting in more effort is a big deal.
4) Some grades improved, but others worsened.
You may want to say: “What happened with the rest of your subjects?”
Instead, try saying: “Your maths and science results look great! What’s going on in the rest of your subjects?”
Why: As students get older, the expectations for learning change. It can be harder to meet these standards in some subjects. One of my children avoids maths because he doesn’t enjoy it. So we’ve created a timetable where he has to nominate maths study time.
Talk with your child about the classes that had lower grades this time around. Ask whether there’s anything about them that’s hard and what would help. Conversations like that teach kids to speak up for what they need in order to improve and to create action to address it.
5) Poor grades in most subjects, even though your child is working hard.
You may want to say: “You’re failing everything?! But you’re working so hard!”
Instead, try saying: “I’m really surprised by these grades. I’ve seen how hard you’re working. We’re going to work together to figure this out.”
Why: If kids are working hard and still struggling, there’s a good chance they already feel bad. Kids in this situation may be scared that nothing they do helps.
Kindly saying that you know they’re working hard can be a relief for children. It tells them you know they’re not “just being lazy.” And showing that you’re committed to figuring out what’s happening can be a confidence boost. It tells them you’re in it together. Establish a study timetable ~ it’s a common problem that kids often don’t know how to study. Create a timetable and enter each homework task, sport commitments, breaks and downtime.
To Sum Up
• Don’t just look at the grades — read the teacher’s comments too.
• If your child improved in one area, talk about what your child did to make that happen.
• If your child is working hard but still struggling, make sure your child knows that you see the effort. Contact their teacher to seek support and answers.
Last Day Term 2
We hope you are all looking forward to the school holidays from July 1 to 21 (last day of Term 2 is June 28). While our students might not be at school, from July 1 – 5 our staff will be undertaking a range of professional development and planning activities to ensure the education and care they receive at PPN remains at the highest standard.
If you need to contact the school during the holidays (July 1 – 21), our office hours will be:
Mon – Tues: 8:30am – 3:30pm
Fri: 8:30am – 3:00pm
Mid-year Reports
By early next week you will receive an email containing a link to view your child’s Mid-Year Report. By clicking the link you will be able to access the report on the SEQTA Engage portal or app.
These reports provide insight into your child’s academic progress, along with the engagement and effort they display the classroom.
Please remember that in alignment with the Australian National Curriculum, which we report against, a C Grade means a student is performing at the standard expected for their grade. In other words, a C Grade is a good grade. Receiving an A or B means a student is operating at a level above what is expected for them in that year level.
Please also note that your child’s report will indicate whether the classroom teacher has requested a parent interview. If this is marked as ‘Optional’ you are still able to organise to meet with the teacher.
Dental in Schools
Music Recital
Prescott College News
My OSHC Holiday Program
