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It takes a while to count by 7s and 8s 21 times, but students have stepped up to the challenge. Remote learning is certainly not deterring students to think outside the box.
As a part of our History unit, we are currently busy reflecting on life in lockdown while contrasting this with life for an 8, 9 or 10 year old 50 years ago.
The students have enjoyed getting in touch with their grandparents to find out what life was like when they were their age.
Dear Parents,
Thank you for the wonderful work you are doing to support your children during Remote Learning. This is a challenging time for you all, as it is for those of us at school. I am so grateful for the way you are putting the wellbeing and safety of your family as your priority and ensuring that your children are experiencing fun family times that they will remember long after this time of COVID-19 has passed. I also appreciate the feedback I am receiving and the way you are working with your child’s teacher to ensure your child is given the best possible chance of success during this time. This success may look quite different from one family to the next. What success means to your family is the only thing that is important. We all deal with challenging situations differently and life is not the same for any of us. My request that you put your family’s wellbeing and safety first was, and still is, sincere and heartfelt. We will all come back together and take up where we left off and, for some it will be a seamless transition, while for others it may take a little more effort and time. Whatever this looks like for your child, rest assured that our wonderful, skilled and patient staff will be here to support your family in any way we can to ensure your child achieves success during this year and beyond.
While we are apart, I offer this prayer to your family as I offer it to us here at school:
Loving God,
Be with us as we work today.
Fill our school and our homes with inspiration and energy.
Help us to work as a team, and to bring out the best in each other.
May we be efficient and achieve all we need to, but also remember to rest.
May this place be full of fun and friendship, and may relaxation and harmony inhabit this space.
Thank you for this new day, with new opportunities and possibilities and may we continue to work together in a spirit of openness and positivity.
Amen.
I wish you every success for your family during this time and ask you to look after yourselves and each other. Hopefully we will all be back together soon.
Kind regards
Lisa Broeren
Principal
This resource provides some inspirational and practical ideas to support you during this time. I encourage you to take from it anything that supports your family, knowing that we are all different and our individual family’s needs are unique to each of us. I hope you find this helpful, Lisa.
Tips for nurturing and protecting children at home
As the coronavirus crisis continues, parents everywhere are struggling to keep children healthy and occupied. If you’re anxious about how to protect and nurture your kids through this — often juggling work obligations at the same time — you’re in good (virtual) company.
Here are tips from the Child Mind Institute’s clinicians to help calm fears, manage stress and keep the peace.
Keep routines in place
The experts all agree that setting and sticking to a regular schedule is key, even when you’re all at home all day. But as the crisis continues and the days get warmer (and longer, sigh) that schedule will naturally become a bit looser. Still, keeping some structure is important. Whenever possible, try to make sure kids still have some structure — for example, getting up, eating and going to bed around the same time every day. Consistency and structure are calming during times of stress. Kids, especially younger ones or those who are anxious, benefit from knowing what’s going to happen and when. The schedule can mimic a school or day camp schedule, changing activities at predictable intervals and alternating periods of study and play.It may help to print out a schedule and go over it as a family each morning. Setting a timer will help kids know when activities are about to begin or end. Having regular reminders will help head off meltdowns when it’s time to transition from one thing to the next.
Be creative about new activities — and exercise
Incorporate new activities into your routine, like doing a puzzle or having family game time in the evening. For example, my family is baking our way through a favorite dessert cookbook together with my daughter as chef.
Build in activities that help everyone get some exercise, safely, especially now that some restrictions are being relaxed. For example, going to the park without contact with other kids or things touched by other kids, like playground equipment. Take a daily family walk or bike ride or do yoga — great ways to let kids burn off energy and make sure everyone is staying active.
Manage your own anxiety
It’s completely understandable to be anxious right now (how could we not be?) but how we manage that anxiety has a big impact on our kids. Keeping your worries in check will help your whole family navigate this uncertain situation as easily as possible.
“Watch out for catastrophic thinking,” says Mark Reinecke, PhD, a clinical psychologist with the Child Mind Institute. For example, assuming every cough is a sign you’ve been infected, or reading news stories that dwell on worst-case scenarios. “Keep a sense of perspective, engage in solution-focused thinking and balance this with mindful acceptance.”
For those moments when you do catch yourself feeling anxious, try to avoid talking about your concerns within earshot of children. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, step away and take a break. That could look like taking a shower or going outside or into another room and taking a few deep breaths.
Limit consumption of news
Staying informed is important, but it’s a good idea to limit consumption of news and social media that has the potential to feed your anxiety, and that of your kids. Turn the TV off and mute or unfollow friends or co-workers who are prone to sharing panic-inducing posts.
Take a social media hiatus or make a point of following accounts that share content that take your mind off the crisis, whether it’s about nature, art, baking or crafts.
Stay in touch virtually
Keep your support network strong, even when you’re only able to call or text friends and family. Socializing plays an important role in regulating your mood and helping you stay grounded. And the same is true for your children.
Let kids use social media (within reason) and Skype or FaceTime to stay connected to peers even if they aren’t usually allowed to do so. Communication can help kids feel less alone and mitigate some of the stress that comes from being away from friends.
Technology can also help younger kids feel closer to relatives or friends they can’t see at the moment. It’s not perfect, but it helps us all feel closer and less stressed.
Make plans
In the face of events that are scary and largely out of our control, it’s important to be proactive about what you can control. Making plans helps you visualize the near future. How can your kids have virtual play dates? What can your family do that would be fun outside? What are favorite foods you can cook during this time? If your area is starting to reopen, you could come up with safe ideas for family activities, like getting take-out from your favorite restaurant or going on a socially distant bike ride with friends. Seeing you problem-solve in response to this crisis can be instructive and reassuring for kids.
Even better, assign kids tasks, like picking the restaurant you’re going to order from, that will help them feel that they are part of the plan and making a valuable contribution to the family.
Keep kids in the loop — but keep it simple
“Talking to children in a clear, reasonable way about what’s going on is the best way to help them understand,” says Rachel Busman, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. “But remember kids don’t need to know every little thing.” Unless kids ask specifically, there’s no reason to volunteer information that might worry them. Older kids can handle — and expect — more detail, but you should still be thoughtful about what kinds of information you share with them.
Check in with little kids
Young children may be oblivious to the facts of the situation, but they may still feel unsettled by the changes in routine, or pick up on the fact that people around them are worried and upset. Plan to check in with younger children periodically and give them the chance to process any worries they may be having. Children who are tantruming more than usual, being defiant or acting out may actually be feeling anxious. Pick a calm, undistracted time and gently ask how they’re feeling and make sure to respond to outbursts in a calm, consistent, comforting way.
Sometimes the path of least resistance is the right path
Remember to be reasonable and kind to yourself. We all want to be our best parenting selves as much as we can, but sometimes that best self is the one that says, “Go for it” when a kid asks for more time on the iPad. “We should forgive ourselves for not reaching the image of perfection that we normally aspire to as parents,” says Dr. Anderson, a parent himself. This is not a normal time, and trying to hold ourselves to pre-COVID standards is likely to backfire. “We can give ourselves license to relax these boundaries a bit. We can explain to our kids that this is a unique situation and re-institute boundaries once more when life returns to normal.” Whatever that normal may be.
Accept and ask for help
If you have a partner at home, agree that you’ll trade off when it comes to childcare, especially if one or both of you are working from home and have younger children. That way everyone gets a break and some breathing room.
Everyone who can pitch in, should. Give kids age appropriate jobs. For example, teens might be able to help mind younger siblings when both parents have to work. Most children can set the table, help keep communal spaces clean, do dishes or take out the trash. Even toddlers can learn to pick up their own toys. Working as a team will help your whole family stay busy and make sure no one person is overwhelmed.
“Be creative and be flexible,” says Dr. Busman, “and try not to be hard on yourself. You have to find a balance that works for your family. The goal should be to stay sane and stay safe.”
Edward Hunter Heritage Bush Reserve Competition.
Noah's Ark
Berry Street Saver Plus Program
Berry_Street_Saver_Plus_Program.pdf
Parent Zone
Kids Help Line Ph; 1800 55 1800
Latrobe Health Assembly
Positive Parenting Seminar with Glen Gerreyn from the Hopefull Institute
https://www.thehopefullinstitute.com/la-trobe-health-assembly-positive-parenting/