Wallington P.S. Newsletter

Term 3 - Week 8 - 2022


Principal News

Berry St Educational Model
Last Friday all staff started our training in the Berry St Educational Model (BSEM). Day 1 looked at the Body and in particular:

  • Building students’ capacity by increasing physical regulation of the stress response, de-escalation, and focus.

There are 3 more days of training in the BSEM which we will complete later this year and next year. The five domains of the BSEM correspond with child-development capacities that each student must grow in order to be ‘ready to learn’. When considering how to best meet the needs of students, we focus on building self-regulatory ability, relational capacity and then nurture wellbeing and willingness to engage in learning.

We all came away with great enthusiasm about the program and are really looking forward to beginning to implement the new learning and to complete the rest of the program!

Happy Father’s Day
To all the Dads, Grandfathers, Uncle’s, and significant role models in the lives of children out there, we hope you have a great day and are spoilt. The students have dedicated some time recently to help produce a gift for you. Thanks to the P&F team for all the work in making the Father’s Day Stall happen!

School Pride – Uniform
I remind families to please ensure your child/ren is wearing the correct uniform at all times. We have a uniform policy that clearly outlines our expectations. We have a huge amount of ‘Lost Property’ (lost uniforms), so please check this next time you visit the school.

Head Lice
From time to time all schools have head lice go through the school. Part of our strategy to minimize this happening is a policy that all shoulder length hair needs to be tied up to lessen the spread. This policy is gender neutral, it applies to both boys and girls.

Assembly is Back!
This Friday assembly will be back on at the earlier time of 2:30pm. Weather permitting it will be outside on the basketball court. The earlier time is to allow for the Year 3/4 Camp Expo.

Covid/Influenza/Colds
Students and staff are encouraged to test for Covid when symptomatic or if they are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for Covid. Students can still attend school if someone in the house has Covid but need to test on school days and wear a mask when indoors at school.  More RATs will be sent home this week however, if you require more RATs please contact the office. 

We Want Our Parents/Caregivers/Guardians to Tell Us What They Think!
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents/caregivers/guardians think of our school. The Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behavior, and student engagement. We encourage all families to participate in this survey. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
This year, all families are invited to participate in the survey. The Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 15th August to Friday 16th September. An email was sent out with the details.

                     

Talking about school: why children sometimes find it hard

‘How was school?’ is a big question. To answer, your child has to sum up a whole day, and that’s hard for children (and even adults!) to do.

A child might really want to say, ‘My day was so jam-packed with ideas and classes and social stuff that I don’t know where to start’. So it’s easier just to say, ‘OK’.

Some children feel their school experiences are private, so they might not want to share them. This is a typical part of school-age development as children start to shape their own identities and social worlds. But your child still needs to know you’re available when they’re ready to talk.

Why talking about school is important

Talking with your child about the school day shows you’re interested in what’s going on in their life. This interest boosts your child’s mental health, happiness and wellbeing. It can also have a very positive effect on your child’s behaviour and achievement. It shows your child that you value school and education, which encourages them to value it too.

Talking together about school also helps you get to know more about what’s expected of your child at school, how they learn and how they handle challenges. It can help you understand when your child is feeling less interested in school or having problems.

When you’re in touch with your child’s feelings about school, you’re more likely to see problems before they get too big. This way you can work on overcoming challenges together.

And talking about school issues – like school projects or friendship problems – is also a great chance for you to express your family values about things like teamwork, respect for self and others, friendships, relationships, problem-solving and so on.

If your child is having problems at school, you can start by talking with their teacher. You might also like to read our article on problems at school: children 9-18 years.

Strategies for talking about school with your child

When your child first gets home from school in the afternoon, they’ll probably be tired and hungry or thinking about other things. So easing the transition from school or after-school activities to home can help your child feel more like talking.

It’s best to avoid asking your child a lot of questions straight away – this can be overwhelming for your child. You can just let your child know that you’re glad to see them, and talk about non-school topics for a while. Younger children will probably also like unpacking their bags and going through any notes before you ask about school.

Saving questions about homework for later on can also take the pressure off!

Every afternoon or evening will be different. Even if your child usually likes to share their day with you, there’ll be days when they don’t want to talk. Sometimes it’s a matter of sensing your child’s mood and picking the right moment. Some days there might not be a right moment at all, and that’s OK.

Simple, positive and specific questions about parts of the day can get your child talking. It’s good to use questions that invite more than a ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘OK’ response. For example:

  • What’s the news from school today?
  • What was fun?
  • What did you like best at school today?
  • What does your classroom look like at the moment?
  • What did you do in class after recess?
  • Who did you hang out with today?
  • What subjects did you do today?
  • What topics are you working on in science at the moment?

Tips for talking about school with primary school children

These tips can help you get a conversation going:

  • Make time to talk. This can often be when you’re doing something with your child. For example, your child might like to talk when you’re walking the dog or preparing dinner together.
  • Give your child your full attention if they want to talk with you about their day.
  • Take seriously whatever your child tells you. For example, you can say things like, ‘That’s really interesting. Then what happened?’ or ‘And how do you feel about that?’
  • Use respectful language when you talk about the school and teachers with or in front of your child. For example, ‘I can see that’s frustrating, but Ms Adams is your teacher and you need to speak respectfully to her’, or ‘Yes, that seems unfair, but perhaps you don’t know the whole story’.
  • Use active listening techniques. These can help you pick up on your child’s feelings and work out whether they want to talk.

Your child’s behaviour and communication style might seem to change overnight when they start school. Suddenly everything’s ‘awesome’, or they’re rolling their eyes at everything you say. Your child is learning all kinds of new things from their friends and teachers, so this is part of developing a unique identity.

Look out for signs of problems
Even if you usually have a good relationship with your child, they might not always tell you when they’re having a tough time. If your child is upset or nervous about discussing school or refuses to answer a question, there might be a problem at school.

If you’re worried, you could try talking to other adults who know your child. You could also make an appointment with your child’s year coordinator or the school counsellor to talk about what’s going on.

Stay calm around tricky topics
Conversations with your child about school might bring up tricky topics. Try to stay calm, listen without judgement and focus on how your child is feeling. This is a great chance for you to be supportive and show your child that you value their honesty.

If your child doesn’t want to talk with you about a tricky topic, it might help to find another adult for them to talk with. You could suggest someone they trust and feel comfortable with, like a relative, friend, teacher.

Source: https://raisingchildren.net.au/

 



Parents and Friends

Friday 2nd September              2nd Chance Fathers Day Stall 3.20pm
Friday 9th September               P&F Meeting 9am School Hall
Thursday 15th September        Footy Colours Day/Special Footy Lunch
Friday 11th November              Wallington Family Disco - Club Italia -
                                                        Save the Date!!

Fathers Day Stall 
2nd chance Fathers Day Stall is on TOMORROW 3.20pm at front of the school.

Special Footy Lunch  
Orders are open for the Special Footy Lunch on Thursday 15th September.  CLICK HERE for flyer. On offer are 4 different lunch packs available priced $8.00 or $9.00.  Orders must be placed by Wednesday 7th September on QKR.  There will be strictly no late orders.  If your child has allergy requirements, you are welcome to supply a comparable lunch to the office on the day and we will serve it with the other lunches.

Cards for a Cause
Orders must be in by TOMORROW.  Card packs will be delivered to the school in November.
**Due to absences and isolations some students have missed out on doing an artwork and will not receive an order form.  Thank you for understanding – P&F - Committee**

Breadbag Recycling – Last weeks! 
We have filled 3 boxes of breadbags to date.  We have 2 more boxes to fill by Thursday 8th September (last day for collection).  Please drop off your bread bags, roll bags, etc by this date.

SAVE THE DATE – The Wallington Family Disco is back for 2022
We have booked the event for Friday 11th November at Club Italia in Moolap from 6pm – 9pm.  Tickets will go on sale the first week of term 4.

Next Meeting 
Will be on Friday 9th September 9am in the School Hall.  All welcome to come along for a coffee and chat and see how you can get involved with P&F in 2022. We aim to keep meetings no longer than 1hr in duration.  
You can keep up to date with our news and information by following us on facebook “WALLINGTON PS PARENTS AND FRIENDS”



Notice Board


Assembly NEXT Friday, 9th September

All students will be showcasing a dance they will be learning with Stomp Dance Company and performing it at assembly.  

All parents/carers are welcome to come along at 2:30pm. 



Year 5/6's Collecting Jars

The Grade 5/6 learning community is collecting some glass jars for their chemistry unit of work next term. Could families please keep the following type of jars, wash them and place them in the tub at the front office:

120ml, for example, baby food jars
250ml, for example, tartare sauce jars
330ml, for example, salsa jars
500ml, for example, pasta sauce jars

Thank you.
Year 5/6 Team



Positive Behaviour Awards



Prep/1 T

Taylor

ANGUS S

For consistently showing resilience. You listen to others decisions and even when you do not agree with them you move past it and you never let it get you down.  Well done Angus!


Prep/1 M

Moore

GENEVIEVE H

For showing resilience when coming into class enthusiastically each morning.  Keep it up Genevieve!

Prep/1 F

Firns


FLETCHER M

For listening to and accepting the thoughts and feelings of other students and teachers even if you don’t agree. You are resilient in the face of challenge and always bounce back. Great effort!


2 T

Trezise

CARTER G

For being resilient when things don’t go your way. You look for solutions that make everyone happy and accept what the group agrees on without complaining. You set a great example Carter!


2 O

O'Brien

KODY C

For being resilient. You listen to others decisions and even when you do not agree with them you move on and don’t let it get you down. Well done Kody, keep up the great work!


3/4 V

Vaught

CLANCY O

For taking chances with with your learning. You have tried some new Maths strategies and confidently shared your ideas with the class. Terrific stuff Clancy.


3/4 BR

Belsar/
Ractliffe

BRIANNA B

For always trying your best and having a go with your learning. Well done on challenging yourself. Keep it up superstar.

5/6 S

Stevens

MILEY L

For always accepting the decisions and opinions of others and seeking to understand them before responding. Well done Miles, you are a fantastic role model and great friend to your peers.


5/6 B

Bennett

 

NATE S

For working well with others and accepting their differing opinions. You are always respectful and kind and are a valuable member of the 5/6 team. Well done mate!