Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers,

Apologies for the change of date with the school photos however, with all the rain today the decision to cancel the District Athletics was wise. Photos are now booked for Monday May 10^th.

Mrs Hill and three of our school captains represented the school at the Bus Accident Memorial ceremony on the weekend at Gippsland Memorial Park.

Congratulations to the grades three and four students who completed the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time last week.

Loving God help us to teach our children that you love us totally and unconditionally.

Help us to encourage our children to grow in love and to learn how to say sorry, knowing that you always forgive.

Give us the courage to pray with our children and to share our faith with them as we journey together.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen

Kind regards,

Jodie

Managing anxiety before it becomes a problem – Michael Grose

The president of Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) recently highlighted the enormity of the anxiety problem that children are facing. A survey of primary schools across Australia conducted by the APPA showed that 80% of school leaders regard anxiety as a significant issue for children.

Research shows that childhood anxiety left unmanaged will almost certainly re-emerge, highlighting the importance of early detection and management of anxiety. Parents, as first responders, play an important role by minimising the impact of stressful moments before they lead to full-blown anxiety. Here’s how they can help.

Recognise anxiety triggers

Recognising the events that trigger anxiety is the first step in helping a child to manage their stress. Rapid or unpredictable change, new social situations, unfamiliar events and difficult experiences are the most common anxiety stressors for kids.

Know how it shows

Stress and anxiety show in many ways however most children display anxiety behaviours that are unique to them. Typically, anxiety shows through physical signs such as chest pains, nausea and headaches. Anxiety can be observed through behavioural clues such as avoidance of activities, aggression, concentration difficulties and constant fiddling and movement. Worrying, overthinking and catastrophising are also common in children who experience anxiety. Knowing how anxiety shows in your child will alert you to respond appropriately with support and understanding.

Give kids tools to manage their states

Once anxiety is experienced it never truly disappears. It’s always there in the background. Anxiety needs managing so kids can get on with their lives rather than become overwhelmed by stress and worry. Providing children with tools to manage their thinking, emotional and physical states prevents anxiety from becoming debilitating. Management tools such as deep breathing, mindfulness and exercise as well as techniques to help kids distance themselves from their anxiety-inducing thoughts help them minimise the impact of stress.

Help them understand how anxiety works

Children who understand what happens in their brains and bodies when they are stressed are better able to manage their anxious states. Providing children with a thorough knowledge of how anxiety works and how it shows empowers them to push their worries into the background while they get on with their lives. Managing anxiety takes practice, but it’s absolutely essential if children are to flourish rather than become overwhelmed by stress and worry.

In closing

Stress and anxiety have accelerated with the impact of the pandemic. The growing rate of anxiety is no one’s fault, however it does mean that parents need to become more knowledgeable about how anxiety works, how it shows and how you can help your children.

Bushie’s Bun-raiser

The eagerly awaited Hot Cross Bun collection is this Thursday the 25^th of March between 2:30 and 4:00pm from the staff room windows. Please enter via the front gate near the office and collect your buns from the staff room windows, opposite the foundation building. If you are unable to collect your order, please organise someone else to collect on your behalf, as we have no space to store them. 

Easter Raffle

Please don’t forget that Easter raffle tickets, money and donations are due back TOMORROW, Wednesday the 24^th of March. The raffle will be drawn in the  morning on Wednesday the 31^st of March.

Thank you for your ongoing support!

We have a new sign in procedure for signing in to St Michael's. You will notice we have a few QR Code points located in the foyer. You are required to scan the St Michael's QR code and the Government QR code if you visit the school. You can now use your phone to scan the QR code for signing in as a visitor or for a student late arrivals or early departures. Using your phone is preferable to using the ipad to help stop the spread of germs. 

Regional Swim Carnival

We had 9 students swim at Sale for the Regional Swim Carnival.Max Auteri has qualified to swim at State in the 50m Backstroke.
While Miles Mathew came third in the 50m Freestyle and Chloe Szkwarek swam a PB of 42.99s in the 50m Freestyle all in their respective age groups.
All our participants swam well and were a credit to our school, showing great enthusiasm and sportsmanship.

Each week students from each class are awarded Student of the Week certificates. These children are nominated for the example they have been within the school based on the School Wide Expectation focus for that week. The weekly focus will be from Wednesday until Tuesday the following week. Awards will be presented to students in class until assemblies can resume. 

In Week 8 the School Wide Expectation focus was: Learning

Indi Bowen from 3/4B recently shaved her head to raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation in honour of a special person in her life. In less than 24 hours she raised more than $2400 for the Leukaemia Foundation. Well done Indi! 

https://secure.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/registrant/FundraisingPage.aspx?_ga=2.220877467.2017448477.1615540050-1870249767.1615540050&RegistrationID=814869&fbclid=IwAR1Gm1gGExjTa-eZIEYqKT_7M3SGTOryGNBYhkYKgSt-L6kYY0liAfGiAeg