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Dear Parents and Carers,
As we conclude another week of remote learning and adhere to further lockdown restrictions the staff at St Paul's continues to keep the community in our prayers and thoughts. As always, I am most grateful for your continued support during this most difficult and challenging time. We are all impacted by this pandemic and must above all, try to keep a sense of hope. Below Ivy Armstrong and James Allen our school captains have created a wonderful message for our students.
Thank you to those parents and carers who provided me with such positive feedback regarding the fabulous Science learning experiences and experiments that teachers planned this week. It was wonderful to see our students so engaged in their learning. I hope you and your family have had a chance to view the Week 6 Virtual Assembly. A reminder to all students to check your home mail box this week!!
There are three additional pages in this Week 7 Remote Learning Newsletter which include:
- Tips for parents and carers to support your child with their times tables
- Tips for parents and carers on supporting your child to deal with sadness
- RUOK Day Flashdance opportunity
Further information regarding the above new inclusions can be found in this newsletter.
Please note that if your child is going to be onsite for any day in the next week please complete the Student OnSite Attendance Google Form
I would like to express my deep gratitude to parents and carers, the St Paul's students and staff for your continued support as together we journey through our seventh week of remote learning and we continue to hold everyone in our community in our prayers.
Yours in Faith and Learning,
Michelle Rodwell
Principal
A Note from your School Counsellor
My video for the children this week is about positive ways to manage sad feelings, so I thought I would take the opportunity to talk to parents about sadness in your children. It's natural that during these times of cancelled activities and holidays, let alone the general boredom and frustration of lockdown and home-school, many children may have some low days.
While this is normal, it's important for you to keep on top of your child's low moods and try to help them move out of it. Here are some tips for you to use and some warning signs to look out for.
Provide Reassurance
Let your child know that sad feelings are okay sometimes, but that they have the power to help themselves feel better.
Encourage Your Child to Talk
Give your child the right to have sad feelings. Children sometimes get the idea that it's not OK to feel sad and they start to hide their feelings rather than deal with them in a healthy way.
Teach Your Child to Ask for Help
Kids need to know that there is help and compassion for what they are going through. Listen and be a source of support. Besides making yourself available, talk to them about who else they can reach out to, such as other family members, a teacher, or the school counsellor.
Encourage Fun Activities and Mindful Activities
Doing fun things can help take your child's mind off what they're feeling. It's hard to be happy when they are ruminating about what is wrong, but when they spend time doing fun things, or things that require their full concentration, they are more inclined to STOP THINKING about it.
Watch Your Own Coping Skills
Your child learns coping skills by watching you. Be aware of how you respond to life stresses.
Things To Watch Out For
It can be difficult to know whether your child's sadness is just a mild reaction to a negative eventor something a bit deeper. Parents sometimes struggle with understanding what their child is thinking and feeling.
Watch for sadness that seem to go on too long, irritability, loss of pleasure, change of appetite, change of sleep habits, tiredness, feelings of worthlessness, and talk about death or dying.
Talk to a health professional if your child shows any of these signs. You can send me an email if you have any questions or concerns about your child. doreenw@catholiccare.dow.org.au
Take care of yourselves during this crazy time.
Best Regards, Doreen
In an effort to ENCOURAGE ACTION, by connecting with one another, lifting spirits and promoting the most important message of ‘starting a conversation’, Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong would like to invite you to be part of the R U OK? DAY flashdance. Taking part is simple and fun. Just follow the steps below detailing how to get involved.
Instructions:
- Watch and learn the video - ‘Dance Class with Miss Lloyd’ and learn the dance.
- Organise a meet-up: Teachers may arrange a meet up with your group via Zoom. You are also welcome to do this individually, if preferred. For the dancers out there, feel free to include additional freestyle options
- Record the video: simply use the ‘Dance-a-Long’ video and record this on a device (i.e. Zoom or video).
REMEMBER:
- Participation is voluntary – by submitting a video you are giving permission for videos to be published on CEDoW social media sites.
- You do not need to film the entire song - just the dance two, three, or four times through
- For the best quality video, film landscape in HD or 4K setting
- Try filming from different angles - front, side, low, high. Or try a roving camera.
- For the very young, if the dance is a bit tricky, stick with two or three steps you can do. Just repeat these over and film yourself doing these moves instead. By the magic of modern day technology we’ll drop you into the film clip in the right place and no-one will know the difference
- If being filmed via Zoom, we recommend groups of 6-8. If the groups are larger, the group can move into breakout rooms or alternatively, separate Zoom meetings can take place.
- Don’t forget to SMILE! When coordinating your arms and legs to the beat, be sure your face is beaming too.
- People can still participate even if they don’t want to dance. They can submit a video holding up a sign, waving their hands or even do one part of the dance.
- Comfortable clothing such as t-shirts and pants should be worn preferably in black, yellow or white themes.
- A simple indoors background or outdoor setting is preferable
All videos need to be submitted to Mrs Marsh by Friday the 27th August, the end of this week. Mrs Marsh will forward videos to the Catholic Education Office. Send videos via email to info@spapdow.catholic.edu.au.
If your child is learning from home it is a requirement that you complete the attached form to indicate this by 10 am daily.
If your child needs to be at school then the supervising staff will complete attendance.
If neither of these roll marking options is chosen then you will receive a notification at 3 pm that day to state your child has an unexplained absence. Please ensure that you inform the school if your child is sick and will not be accessing learning on that day.
There are many benefits of reading daily and the St Paul's Staff would like to thank our students who are reading daily. All Remote Learning Daily Plans include reading as we recognise and value the importance of reading. Research proves that students who read more will have a more extensive vocabulary, improved concentration, better understanding of sentence structure, greater reading comprehension skills, more general knowledge picked up through their reading experience, and a higher level of creativity and imagination.
Reading just 20 minutes a day gives students a huge advantage to their overall learning and achievement. This is why it is essential that your child is reading each day during remote learning. As you are aware every child in Kindergarten to Year 3 now has had access to the PM eCollection. We strongly encouraged all children in Kindergarten to Year 3 to access the PM eCollection each day during remote learning.
Please take a moment to read the Information for parents and at-home users document, it provides important information on how to access and utilise the PM eCollection eReader. Each child in Kindergarten to Year 3 has their own personalised login. If you can not locate your child’s individual login details please contact their classroom teacher or contact the school office for support.
Children in Years 5 to 6 will continue to access Sora— The Student Reading App. SORA provides access to a digital library with thousands of ebooks and audiobooks. Years 3 & 4 have just been given access to SORA. Today parents will be sent unique usernames and passwords for access to SORA. Check your junk mail in case the email has gone here.
The benefit of SORA is that it contains books listed in the Premier's Reading Challenge.
To access these ebooks you will need to Download the Sora App from the App Store: (tip: if you search for the app, type Sora by OverDrive) https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/sora-by-overdrive/id1376592326?mt=8
SORA is also available through a browser: https://soraapp.com/welcome
This video tutorial will help you setup and use Sora. http://overdrivedow.weebly.com/getting-started.html
Understandably, many questions may arise and it is hoped that frequent school communication via Compass, assists you in clarifying your concerns. Teachers will respond to communication in a timely manner during school hours (8:00 am – 3:30 pm) only.
Requests for technology support can be made via the form below.
Telephone (02) 42 562 772
Email Office info@spapdow.catholic.edu.au
