Dear Parents,

Today you will have received a Test email from your child(ren) class teacher(s). This is to check to make sure that the emails work and to gauge what devices families have as we prepare for the possibility of remote schooling. We don't intend for anyone to go out and buy a new device as we will provide different options. Again we stress that this is only if we are required to stay closed after the holidays. 

The following if from the Parenting Ideas website and I thought it was appropriate to share with you as we begin an extended school holiday break.

If you’re like me, the news of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has your head spinning and your heart pumping. That’s only natural as life as we know has taken a seismic shift in recent days.

International travel bans, cancellation of sporting and cultural events, shopping frenzies and talk of school closures continue to dominate the airwaves. Terms such as social distancing, self-isolation and social lockdowns have entered our vocabularies and may soon become part of our daily lives.

Coronavirus is having an unprecedented impact on our daily lives, and will probably do so for some time. While keeping ourselves and children healthy and safe is our main concern, it’s also essential to address the anxieties of children and young people during these changing times. Here are some ideas to help inform, reassure and keep children and young people safe.

Build on what your children know

Children and young people have already been exposed to a great deal of information about corona virus through media, digital means and direct social contact. Their understanding will vary depending on their age and also the quality of their information sources so you probably will need to help kids process what they already know.

Casual conversations with teenagers and older children can be useful ways to glean their understanding. You could ask questions like “What are you hearing about Coronavirus? Is there anything you’re not sure about?” Younger primary age children may need a more direct approach with parents addressing their specific concerns without giving too much information that can overwhelm them.

Check your own thoughts and feelings

Check your own frame of mind and emotions about COVID-19 before talking to kids. Most children are astute mood detectives and they’ll gauge their safety by the way you communicate with them. If you tell a child, “You’ve got to wash your hands or you’ll get infected,” you are communicating your own anxieties, making it difficult for them to maintain a healthy state of mind. Have a think about how you can frame your instructions and their importance in a way that doesn’t heighten your child’s anxieties.

Stay informed

It’s difficult to work out fact from fiction, correct from incorrect, information from exaggeration when the news is changing so fast. However, you need to educate yourself about the virus itself, including how it’s transmitted and how to stay safe. Get information from trustworthy sources such as The Australian Government Health Department website and the current federal government corona virus information media campaign.

Answer questions truthfully

It’s important that parents and teachers answer children’s questions honestly in age-appropriate ways and within context of what is happening at the given time. If their sport or hobby has been temporarily cancelled empathise with their concerns, while helping them maintain a sense of perspective.

Initiate positive action

One way to reduce anxiety and allay children’s fears is to involve them in planning and preparation for their personal and group safety. Positive activities such as maintenance of personal hygiene, greeting people with an elbow tap and getting plenty of sleep can help restore a sense of control, that is so important for their wellbeing.

Find refuge in rituals

Regular rituals such as mealtimes, bedtime stories and regular one-on-one time provide both an anchor to normality and a sense of connection for kids at times of change. Consider reconstituting favoured family rituals at this time if they have lapsed due to lack of time, or lifestyle frenzy.

Look outwards

In difficult times there is a tendency to look inwards, which is a natural protective strategy. The alternative is to establish a sense of connection and community spirit by focusing on generosity and togetherness. Help children see past their own needs and look for ways to assist others whether it’s shopping for an elderly neighbour, helping a younger sibling occupy themselves, or planning an indoor movie night for the whole family.

The Coronavirus presents many practical challenges to parents and other important adults in the lives of kids. Staying calm, keeping informed, and adjusting our own habits are just some of the challenges we face. However, a significant challenge is one of personal leadership. That is, during these difficult times we need to be civil to each other, look out for each other and be mindful of the common good in everything we do. In this, we can all take a significant lead.

Stay safe and hopefully we will see you all after the holidays,

Kind regards

Jodie

Easter Raffle

We had a great response to our Easter Raffle, thank you to everyone who donated items for prizes and returned their raffle tickets and money.
Congratulations to all our winners who took home prizes yesterday.
On behalf of the Parents and Friends Association, we would like to wish everyone a safe and Happy Easter!

SCHOOL FEE CONCESSIONS

St Michael’s endeavours to make Catholic education affordable for all in our local community. If you become eligible for a means tested Centrelink payment please apply for CSEF and a Category 1 fee concession as soon as possible.

The school has an application process for any enrolled family to seek a fee concession based on financial hardship. There are two categories under which an application for a concession can be made:

Category 1 – Eligible means tested Health Care Card (HCC) and Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) holders

Any family in which the fee payer holds an eligible, means tested CCC are automatically eligible for a school fee concession. There is a simple application form and streamlined approval process. The Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited recommended concessional fee for 2020 is $520 per family.

Category 2 – Special Consideration

For other families experiencing financial hardship, the application process requires more detail to be provided to enable a fair and equitable assessment of eligibility for, and level of, fee concession. Please contact the office on office@stmtraralgon.catholic.edu.au for further details.

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. 

In Week 8 the School Wide Expectation focus was on Resilience.

I view mistakes as a learning opportunity.

I persist through challenges and difficulties in my learning.

The award winners for week

The Grade 5/6 Bushfire Fundraiser was a great success last Friday. The students had great fun and raised $835.40! The students have elected to donate the funds raised to Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund, Clifton Hill Primary School and to help the injured wildlife. Well done to all involved. 

Answer from last week:

321 – 126 = 195 (My current score)
195 + 60 + 6 + 5 + 3 + 18 + 5 + 14 + 22 = 328
I am winning.

Notice from SSV. Team Vic events including selection trials and training will be cancelled. This also means that Team Vic teams will not be competing in School Sport Australia Championships. Anyone who has registered for the Big 4 tryouts will be contacted and will be reimbursed the entry fee.

Welcome to the 2020 Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge.

Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge

The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is now open and St. Michael’s Primary School is excited to be participating. A new application is being used this year that offers a range of exciting features including: 

• access to a library catalogue (including book images and blurbs)
• a modern user-friendly interface
• rewarding  students with badges as challenge milestones are achieved
• the option for students to mark books as a favourite, give them a star rating or complete a book review 

The Challenge is open to all Victorian children from birth to Year 10 in recognition of the importance of reading for literacy development. It is not a competition; but a personal challenge for children to read a set number of books by 4 September 2020. 

Children from Prep to Year 2 are encouraged to read or ‘experience’ 30 books with their parents and teachers. Children from Year 3 to Year 10 are challenged to read 15 books. 

All children who meet the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Victorian Premier and former Premiers. 

To read the Premier’s letter to parents, view the booklists and for more information about the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge, visit:www.education.vic.gov.au/prc 

As you know, reading helps ensure children develop important foundational skills –
setting them up for school and for life. Just as importantly, reading also helps our kids imagine, explore and learn more about the world around them.
This year, everyone who completes the Challenge will receive a Certificate of
Achievement – and with more than 12,000 titles on the Challenge’s reading list, there really is a book for everyone.
For children not yet at school, the Challenge invites parents and carers to experience
40 books with their child. For students from Prep to Year 2, the Challenge is to read or experience 30 books and for students in Years 3 to 10, the Challenge is to read 15 books.
I also encourage you to visit the Challenge Facebook page: facebook.com.au/VicPRC
There you can join the community of avid readers to share stories, stay informed and
recommend books.

School Library – Book Covering

Each year parents are asked if they would be interested in assisting with book covering. When we purchase new library or class reading books, small numbers (12 to 18) are sent home with your child or picked up from the school, with contact and tape for covering. If you would like to remain on the list or be added to the Book Covering List, please fill in the form below and return it to the office or email Debbie dgilmour@stmtraralgon.catholic.edu.au with your details.