Dear Parents, Guardian and Carers,

It has been lovely to welcome all grades back to school. Whilst there are still restrictions in place and we are working and staying in our learning hubs as much as possible, we are trying to keep the experience as normal as possible. 

With the return to onsite schooling  after being in lockdown, we know some students may be displaying anxiety about this happening. As parents, you too may be feeling uncertain about them returning. Some will thrive on the return to school. Others, though, may need extra practical and emotional support to adjust in a healthy way. Some children may experience separation anxiety from their parents, for example. Others may be worried about catching COVID-19 in the playground or about connecting with their friends again. The Royal Children’s hospital Melbourne website https://www.rch.org.au/ccch/covid-19/ has a resource hub that includes the latest research and evidence-based resources on COVID-19 and kids

Parents and carers might be wondering what they can do to support their child as they return to school. Here are five tips that can help.

1. Renegotiate routines

Like adults, children and teens are likely to have established quite different routines during lockdown. They may have also become accustomed to more screen time than usual.

To ease the transition to a regular school routine, it is worth making slow adjustments like getting up and going to bed at a more consistent time. Parents can support autonomy by negotiating new routines with their child. While teens may be more resistant to parents placing restrictions on their screen time, this is less likely when parents provide explanations and acknowledge teens’ perspectives.

2. Allow time for adjustment

Returning to school may bring uncertainty, excitement, fatigue or other big emotions. Some children may seem particularly tired after their first few days, while others may be more sensitive or less tolerant than usual.

Don’t despair if your child seems to experience more big emotions at home than at school: this likely means that home is a safe place to return to! Help children to name any negative emotions that arise, such as frustration, and gently coach them to consider other ways of expressing themselves.

Be tolerant of yourself, and don’t sweat the small things.

3. Acknowledge children’s worries

Children and teens may have specific worries related to COVID-19, to changing friendships, or to being back at school. Younger children may also experience separation anxiety after extended periods of having their families as their sole source of social connection.

If your child raises concerns about whether they will be safe returning to school, it is useful to provide simple and factual information about COVID-19 while providing gentle reminders that the adults around them are there to help them stay healthy. Adopt a problem-solving approach: helping children to focus on what they can control, rather than worrying about things that are outside our control.

Regardless of the source of their worries, it is important to acknowledge and validate your child’s feelings. You can point out that many children may be feeling the same way, and that their concerns are understandable. At the same time, remaining calm and focusing on the positive aspects of returning to school can help to relieve some of their concerns.

4. Coach empathy

Children and teens have had different experiences during lockdown and may have different feelings about being back at school. Understanding that other children may feel differently can help your child to be a good friend.

Before returning to school, remind children that some of their friends will feel more nervous about returning than others. In primary school, some might also make different decisions about masks.

If your child has been in a “friendship bubble” with only a small number of other friends, encourage them to include those who have not. Being empathetic towards others and acknowledging how they are feeling will not only help your child socially, it is also an important socioemotional skill to master.

5. Be optimistic

Remember that most children adjust well when faced with new challenges. Parents can prompt children and teens to remember what they enjoy most about school to help them look forward to returning. Reminiscing about funny stories or enjoyable school events that children have experienced can help with this process.

It is important to still acknowledge your child’s feelings if they express a preference for learning from home. You may wish to share these concerns with their teacher. However, it is helpful for your own approach to reflect optimism and confidence. Avoid introducing your own worries if you can: parent anxiety can be contagious!

If you observe any concerning and sustained changes in your child’s behaviour as they navigate the return to school, their school or GP can help connect them with additional support. Other resources that can help include Kids Helpline, Beyond Blue, or Headspace.

Stay safe, safe well,

Kind regards

Jodie

Has your child lost their glasses? The glasses pictured below have been in 'Lost Property" for quite some time. If they belong to your child please come and collect them from the school office. There are also a number of unnamed sports jackets and woollen jumpers in the lost property cupboard that do not have a home.

When purchasing uniforms either brand new or second hand please remember to label them so if they are handed in to the office they can be returned to the owner.

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 on Friday in their classrooms.

In Week 3 the School Wide Expectation focus was Focus Learning: 

Many in our school community continue to face financial impacts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to supporting families experiencing financial challenges through our School Fee Concession programs, and encourage any parent/carer/guardian experiencing difficulties to contact us regarding fee assistance.

Fee payers who have recently qualified for a Centrelink Concession Card should communicate with the school at their earliest convenience to determine eligibility for a Category One Centrelink Concession Card Concession. 

Please contact Maria Churton, School Finance Administration Officer via email, office@stmtraralgon.catholic.edu.au,  to explore confidential financial support arrangements or to obtain further information.

As another school year draws to a close, so have our Parents and Friends activities due to current Covid restrictions. We acknowledge that whilst this year has been extremely challenging it is a great opportunity to reflect on our efforts and achievements for the 2021 school committee.

Although we have had another up and down year of fundraising, we thank everyone for their efforts. The money which we raised this year will be put towards an extension of the Grade 3/4 playground equipment. 

None of this could have happened without the ongoing support of my fellow committee members and all of the teachers and staff at the school.  To all of you, I say a very big thank you.  And to the wider parents and family community at St Michael’s, I look forward to seeing you next year at some of our events. 

President

Deb Rowley