Jumbunna 11th August 2022

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A Message from Ken and Lisa

SunSmart Policy

From next week, we will be monitoring the UV and during the times when the UV is 3 or higher, students will be required to wear their hats outside. From the 1st September, hats will be required outside at all times. Now is a good time to check that your child has a hat. From next week, students are encouraged to bring their hat to school each day.

Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey

Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents/caregivers/guardians think of our school. The Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behavior, and student engagement. We encourage all families to participate in this survey. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.

While previously a random sample of approximately 30 per cent of parents/caregivers/guardians have been selected to participate, this year, all families are invited to participate in the survey.

The Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 15th August to Friday 16th September.

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese, Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.

Details of how to log into and complete the survey will be sent out on Monday 15th August.

We have included the following article because our Student Survey has revealed that over 50% of our students in Years 4-6 spend 1-5 hours a day on a computer or handheld device during the week and more on weekends.

Five ways to raise a balanced technology user

by Martine Oglethorpe

The little devices that connect us, entertain us, provide us with information, show us where to go, keep us organised and allow us to indulge in retail therapy from almost anywhere, have become an integral part of our daily lives.

But when it comes to our children and their screen-time habits, we often lament the role the devices play. These little screens that offer so much and answer so many of our needs also leave us wondering how much is too much for our kids, and how do we keep it under control? Following are five ways we can ensure that our children become  safe, savvy and balanced technology users.

  1. Look for the purpose of technology use

When parents ask me this I urge them to dig a little deeper and look at what else they could really be asking. We need to look at how each individual child is coping with their screen time. Are they still doing the things they always enjoyed before they had access to a screen? Are they able to put the screen away without a fight? What sorts of things are they doing on the screen? Is it a positive experience? Are they learning something? Are they interacting with it or merely consuming media? These are questions we need to be constantly revisiting throughout their adolescent years.

  1. Consider the future habits they are forming

At the same time, we need to make sure they are learning good habits from the beginning and gaining the skills and behaviours they need to stay in control of their screen time. To help form these habits, here are a few things you can do to keep screen time under control … without your kids resorting to techno-tantrums.

  1. Role model balanced screen-time behaviours

We know our kids learn much more from watching what we do, as opposed to listening to what we say. So how is your technology use affecting you? Are you ignoring others because you are scrolling? Are you falling asleep with a phone or tablet landing on your forehead? Are you able to give yourself over to certain tasks and focus without being distracted by beeps and notifications? Are you giving yourself some time without a device to enjoy family, friends and activities that keep you healthy and balanced?

  1. Establish ‘no brainer’ rules with your family

When it comes to technology, the rules often change as our children develop and mature. But we can also make some universal rules for the whole family based on our individual family values and what is important to us. It may be that there are no phones in the bedroom at night. It may be that there is no technology after a certain time of the day. It should certainly be that devices never ever come to the table at dinner time. Aiming for at least a few meals where the family is eating together is crucial. Your kids need this time to talk, connect with family and have a break from being ‘switched on’ to a device. They need to get into the habit of not eating and scrolling. So make your rules early and stick to them.

  1. Build a culture of balanced play in your home

Unlike a book or a game there is often no end to what happens with a device. There is always something more to see or do, another level to reach, another city to build or another army to destroy. So we need to get better at providing lots of other ways for our kids to be entertained, informed and connected to others. This may mean we have to physically go outside and play with them rather than simply tell them to go out. It may mean we have to insist on visits to places where devices don’t come out. Kids still want to run and jump and play – they just need to be reminded and encouraged to do so even more today. By building other ways to learn, play and interact into our kids’ lives from an early age, we are helping these things become part of their daily lives – habits that in turn become behaviours.

So while we often feel like the devices are taking over, all of these strategies rely on us – the parents. We need to be the ones to get in early and help show them the way. We need to take a look at what we are modelling to them in terms of our own device use and our own lifestyle. We need to be helping them form the right behaviours. There are many wonderful benefits that come with these devices, so ensuring we are using them in positive ways, and are in control, will go a long way to ensuring we are all reaping those benefits.

regards

Ken & Lisa

 



Dates to remember

Click here to view the upcoming dates.




Performing Arts News

2022 Junior School Production      

The Best Beak in Boonaroo Bay

7th September at 6pm

Tickets will go on sale at 9.30am on Thursday 18th of August. A notice will be sent out that will inform you on how to purchase tickets, so please look out for this.

In order for you to sit back and enjoy the performance on the night, we will be having the performance professionally photographed and videographed. We kindly ask that no cameras be brought into the performance, but instead, you will be given an opportunity to purchase digital downloads of both the photos and video. Proceeds from these sales will go back to the school. The Video/Photo order form will be made available to you after the show.

The children are getting very excited and are looking forward to having you come and watch them perform.

Robyn Keeley

Performing Arts Teacher



Student of the Week

PJCElsie M
PKMRauri D
PKSLily D B
  
JBTEva F
JKBEoin M-P
JKMMia M
JSBCarter E-P
JFRMollie F
  
MBJAlannah W
MMGLiam L
MSMSam S
MEILogan D B
  
SCFFrank B
SNMJudd H
Performing ArtsJSB


Derek the Dingo by Zoe Clemann-Santa


With book week fast approaching, this would seem the ideal time to introduce Derek the Dingo written by one of our ex-students Zoe Clemann-Santa, who I'm sure many of the children in Year 5 will remember. The book started as a fun bedtime story that Zoe and her Dad created while in Hungary. Zoe would miss Australia and her friends, so the bedtime stories would usually centre around Australiana.

The story follows Derek as he goes on an adventure with a newfound friend, the Spotted Quoll. Derek comes across the Quoll while she is searching for food and he offers to help.

Derek and the Quoll wander through the Australian bush until they find a food source for the quoll, some witchery grubs hidden inside a large rotten tree stump. Once the Quoll has had her meal Derek takes her back to her nest, where she bunks down for the night. Derek then treks off home.

A copy of Zoe's book will be available in our school library soon so keep a look out, or alternatively you can purchase your own copy through Amazon or Booktopia.



ICAS Assessment Dates

Friday August 12th - ICAS Writing and Digital Technologies

Thursday August 18th - ICAS English

Monday August 22nd - ICAS Spelling Bee

Tuesday August 23rd - ICAS Science

Thursday September 1st - ICAS Maths



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