Canberra a Hit With Year 6

Our Year 6s have had amazing time in Canberra this week. After leaving early on Sunday morning, and full days of exploring and learning, they are on their way back Wednesday evening. We can’t wait to hear all their stories after they arrive on Thursday. We’ll share more photos next week, but for now here’s a sneak peak into another amazing Canberra trip.

Interschool Chess Competition

Nature Play

School beyond the classroom

As an 11 year-old I travelled to Canberra on a Year 6 trip. This was almost three decades ago, yet many of the memories are as fresh as yesterday. And, likely, if you asked my parents, some of the growth and learning that occurred during that trip are still evident in my life.

While a lot of effort and emphasis is, rightly, put on the learning and growing that happens within the classroom, what happens outside of it is just as crucial. Whether it is camps, sports days, excursions or special incursions here at school these learning and growing opportunities are important and a very special part of the PPN experience.

I want to publicly thank our staff who spend additional time, and lose sleep, to make our camps, excursions and other events happen (our Year 6s are in Canberra at the moment, with Year 5 classes heading to Ballarat, VIC, next week).

A big thanks also goes to our parent volunteers who give up their time to come along and contribute so much to these events.

These ‘school beyond the classroom’ activities push our young ones outside of their comfort-zones and lived experiences, and expose them to new ideas, challenges and successes that normal life and school does not.

But these things don’t have to be limited to school run events – exposing our children to new things, allowing them to take appropriately selected and supported risks, and fostering their independence can be done every day of the week in – and outside of – our homes.

Cognitive development, wellbeing and physical health research all agree that a childhood, and school life, that involves challenge, independence and exposure to new things in the context of a supportive environment are the foundations for a healthy and successful life.

The Bible reminds us that we were created to do ‘amazing things’ (Ephesians 2:10) and designed for a ‘life more abundant’ (John 10:10). I’m thankful that as a school we can help our students understand their God-given capabilities by experiencing school beyond the classroom, and encourage every family to do the same each day.

Hey PPN Family,

I have just finished reading through the book of Leviticus for my personal devotions, and I have to admit—it was a struggle. Out of all 66 books in the Bible, this has always been the hardest one for me to read. It’s filled with lists and detailed instructions about the various animal sacrifices required for different sins and offenses. Honestly, if you’re struggling with insomnia, I highly recommend giving Leviticus a try!

Despite its challenges, what fascinates me about Leviticus is how all these precise directives ultimately point to the sacrifice of Jesus for our salvation. The prophet Isaiah beautifully describes this in Isaiah 53:5 (NLT):

"But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed."

Jesus sacrificed His life so that all our sins—past, present, and future—could be forgiven. That is truly good news for all of us!

With Easter just a couple of weeks away, if you want to experience the peace and joy that come from knowing your sins are washed away and eternal life is yours as a free gift from God (John 3:16), remember—Jesus is only a prayer away.

God bless,

Roland Talamiavo-Amituanai

Handling End of Term Anxiety

The end of any term – particularly a long one like Term 1 – can see our children go through a range of emotions and behaviours we may not see at other times of the year. A lot of this comes down to tiredness, but also the challenges they face dealing with pace school events and the uncertainty of holidays that enters their minds during the final weeks of a term.

If this is your experience, the advice included in the video below might be useful to you and your child.

Personal & Social Progress Report

Your child's Personal and Social Progress Reports will be available through SEQTA Engage next week. As a reminder, these reports do not focus on academic progress, but rather how your child has settled into their new class and is displaying habits that will set them up for success.

Autism Awareness Month

Parent Teacher Interviews and Half-day

Parent-Teacher Interviews will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday in Week 1 next term (April 29 – 30). To help facilitate these discussions, Wednesday (April 30) will be a half-day for all students. The school day will end at 12:45pm.

If your child normally catches a school bus home, they will leave school at approximately 1:00pm and be returned home earlier than usual. We are unable to provide supervision for students after 1:15pm. Please pick your child up at 12:45pm or book in with OSCH.

Additional information, including bookings for Parent-Teacher Interviews will be sent home in the coming weeks.

Bus Communication

Prescott College

OSHC School Holiday Program