Dear Parents

May I take this opportunity to commend you all on the way you engaged with the recent lockdown and remote learning. There was a calmness throughout the school as families once again prepared themselves for yet another lockdown. I know this was a challenging time, as it was for our staff, however the way families prepared their children and created an environment that worked for each individual family, enabled us to return to school and back to everyday life and learning quite seamlessly. While we hope and pray that we will not need to go through another lockdown, we are ever prepared to provide whatever support we can to meet the needs of our families. We are truly blessed to have such a dedicated, supportive, compassionate staff to walk with on this journey and, for me, I am thankful each day that I have such a professional, collaborative and passionate staff who always put the needs of our students and families ahead of their own. We hold true to the saying ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ and we are committed to being part of that village for you and your child. If you have any concerns or questions, please know that my door is always open and our staff are also available to support you in any way we can.

While this recent lockdown and the learning at home was brief, it is a timely reminder of the importance of well-being for our children and ourselves.

Michael Grose, founder of Parenting Ideas, is one of Australia’s leading parenting educators and has some words of wisdom that I would like to share with you.

Going back to school after the enforced COVID-19 break is a source of mixed emotions for many children and young people. Some students, who revel in face-to-face interactions, just can’t wait to reconnect with friends and teachers. Others who have appreciated the break from constantly being emotionally switched on when at school may be reticent to return.

School undoubtedly will be a different experience for students post COVID-19. It may require you to adjust your expectations, particularly academically, so patience is definitely required. Education is a long game, so if you are worried about your child missing the educational beat, recognise that this experience has been a blip on the educational curve. It’s worth remembering that anxiety loves company. Park your expectations for a time, so your child won’t pick up your anxieties.

An anxious child desperately wants a parent to understand that they feel anxious and apprehensive. Even if, you can’t comprehend the impact that a return to school has on their state of mind and physiology, recognise that their anxiety is real. “Ah, I see you’re worried that you won’t know what to do when you go to school” is the type of response that an anxious child wants from a parent. Validating your child’s feelings will help them feel safe and secure, putting them in a good position to make a return to school. “Mum/dad know that I’m feeling nervous” is very reassuring for a child.

I take this opportunity to share with you the prayer that has become known as Pope Francis’ 5 Finger Prayer. This is a simple way to pray as a family and reminds us that there are many people in our lives and in the world who need our prayers. It also helps us to remember that praying for ourselves is important too.

Keep well and warm.

Kind regards

Lisa Broeren