National School Tree Planting Day

On Friday, the 31st of July, Prescott Primary Northern participated in National School Tree Planting day. There were many activities that took place, including our SRC (Student Representative Council) planted and prayed over 3 trees along our Drive Through, each student got a chance to plant a flower in an individualised pot, some classes completing this activity with their buddy class, and focusing on being grateful to our Creator God for the beautiful trees and nature He created for us to enjoy and take care of.

Foundation Students Celebrate 100 Days

Last week, the Foundation students celebrated 100 days of schooling. Typically, this happens after students have been present at school, but this year will be remembered like no other as schooling continued in unprecedented circumstances, supported by online learning.

Despite all this, the Foundation students have remained true to their namesake, continuing to learn and grow in so many areas, very often with friendly and eager smiling faces.

To celebrate this milestone in their learning journey, the students participated in a variety of activities, some of which carried on for the remainder of the week.

Activities included counting to 100 whilst exercising, carrying out 100 tasks (10 tasks, each completed 10 times), colouring in 100 objects and students drawing what they might look like at 100 years old.

Some conversations overheard:

“After 100 days, does this mean that we don’t have any more school?”

“After today (Day 100), tomorrow will be 200 days!”

“Can we count to 200 days as well?”

Roll on to 200 days of school! (Somewhere in Term 1, 2021!)

We are right into our third term now and things are much closer to “normal” school running than we were early last term. Our hearts and prayers go out to families in other states and countries who are not enjoying the freedoms we are right now, and also to our families with relatives and friends in Lebanon following the Beirut explosion. I have recently enjoyed an extended break travelling around in outback South Australia visiting places like the Gammon Ranges, Innamincka, Gawler Ranges and the Eyre Peninsula. I would like to give a big thank you to all the staff at PPN who so ably filled in for me, in particular, Mr Davis and Miss Bernoth.

While I was away, I spent quite a bit of time fishing at various places. Some places were inland rivers like Cooper Creek, and also in the sea over at Fowler’s Bay. I am afraid to say that in all the hours I spent fishing, I didn’t catch one thing. During that time, I must admit there were moments of frustration, but as I have thought about it, I have come to the conclusion that at this time, the aim of my fishing wasn’t necessarily about catching fish. I know that sounds a bit like an excuse (might be a little bit), but the thinking, reflecting, relaxing I was able to do during that time was very valuable. It was about the fishing rather than the fish.

I am pretty sure there is a life lesson for all of us here. The hustle, bustle and business of raising a family can be crazy sometimes, and we can constantly be looking forward to when things are easier, or simpler. The trouble is, we miss out on the experience of everyday things if we only focus on the end. There is a danger that we miss out on the wonders of the commonplace things, if we are always idealising about the future. I guess I’m talking about the old saying of stopping to smell the roses. There aren’t a lot of roses to stop and smell on the banks of Cooper Creek, but there were many other amazing animals and birds and people around and also quietness and calm to allow peace and reflection.

Jesus put it this way in Matthew 6:23, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” This does give good direction. It is not always easy to do though.

One author I read recently suggested that our current environment is controlling our thoughts so much, it is like being on some sort of medication. He wrote, ” The ongoing deluge of intriguing facts and commentary, scandal and crisis, genuinely important guidance combined with the latest insider news from across the globe and our friend’s personal lives, gives the soul a medicated feeling of awareness and connection, and meaning.” (Eldridge, 2020)

I hope in this time of constantly breaking news, when we are bombarded by the concerns and worries of this world we live in, you and your family can find time to enjoy the beauty of the everyday.

Have a great week with your kids,

Mark B

Have you ever had someone arrive on the scene who had the potential to decrease your brand?  When I was in High School my “brand” was being the tallest and funniest guy in school, so whenever my friends would tell me about a new person at school who was tall or funny I would say, “They aren't that funny,” or, “they’re not that tall.” 

The reason I felt like this was because I had made the mistake of thinking that in order for me to be important I had to increase my brand.

John the Baptist was faced with a similar challenge when Jesus arrived on the scene and people started to follow Jesus instead of him.  John’s disciples pointed out to him how people were leaving them to follow Jesus and that Jesus’ brand was increasing while his was decreasing.  John replied by saying that “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

John the Baptist was on to something here.  Conventional wisdom tells us that in order for us to become more significant and important we need to increase our brand and build our platforms, but John knew that true significance and importance is directly proportional to the degree that we have decreased so that God can increase in our lives.

Just as a glass can only hold a limited amount of water, in the same way we can only hold a certain amount of God.  And the less of us there is, the more room God will have to fill our hearts and lives.  But whenever there is more of us, this will lead to less of God.

Do you need more joy, peace, love, strength, wisdom, courage and power in your life right now?  Maybe it’s time to decrease, so that God can increase.

God bless,

Roland Talamaivao-Amituanai   

Science Week

Fun Run Volunteers Required

We have a few opportunities coming up this term where we would like to invite our parents and grandparents - all of our wonderful volunteers who have missed volunteering at our school this past term. Our CEC (Community Event Committee) run lots of activities and fundraising events at our school. We are very excited to be planning to go ahead with a favourite annual school event - our Fun Run. This is scheduled to go ahead on Friday, 18th of September. We would like to invite our wonderful volunteers that would be interested in assisting on the day to register their interest with our Front Office. We will make sure that all volunteer information (Working with Children Checks etc) are up to date. This event can't go ahead without the help of our parents and grandparents, so if you are able to assist, please call the Front Office or come and visit in person, so we can pass your details onto our CEC leader.

Parking Around The School

1. Parking out the front of the school- 
We are noticing a lot of parents parking in the front area of the school, walking to the single gate and dropping off, only to return to the car minutes later and reversing out into traffic. We understand the convenience but parking here and reversing out is stopping the flow of traffic from the drive through zone. We are asking that if you are walking your child onto our school grounds or collecting them in the afternoons, we would prefer you use the back car park.

2. Keeping the car park entrance clear
As mentioned in a hand out last week, it is very important that you please do not park in the entrance to the back car park. If the drive through line is full, please wait with your left indicator flashing while on Nelson Road. When the line starts to move, then feel free to move into the drive through zone but please don't block the car park entrance.

3. Turning left only out of car parks and drive through
In peak times, when families wait and try to turn right onto Wright Road from the drive through, it again, slows the whole drive through down- often to a complete stop. We are asking kindly that you turn left only out the drive through onto Wright Road. 

4. Side gate reopened! 
We have cleared the temporary storage near the Front Office and are happy to open this walkway again to allow an alternative entrance, rather than going through the Front Office.

Please remember the current restrictions still in place (No adults entering classrooms unless you sign on in the Front Office).

We hope to continue to develop the parking around the school so it runs as smoothly as possible. 

Daily Health Check

Book of the Week

‘Nop’ written and illustrated by Caroline Magerl

Nop is a scruffy kind of bear. He sits on a dusty armchair surrounded by the beaders, knitters, patchers and stitchers who are much too busy to talk to him. He watches the scrap material tumble until, armed with a new bow tie, he has an idea that will change his life forever. Nop doesn’t let his rejection get to him, instead he calls on his resilience to start his own journey to find a place in the heart of someone who will love him. The themes of resilience and self-belief are gently woven into this compelling and beautifully illustrated picture book.

Prescott College

Northpark Market