Junior School Bulletin Issue 8 / 9 June 2017 money we raise from our discos later in the year will go towards building a girls dormitory.
Junior School News Arts Week Throughout week 7 we celebrated Junior School Arts Week. There are many studies that suggest studying aspects of the Arts is great for brain development apart from that it is just great for the soul. It was fantastic to see the students sharing their talents on various stages. At our Arts Assembly, we had over 200 students performing. The lunch time concerts were well attended by parents and students. The Mini Musos had their debut performance. Congratulations to all students who performed and thank you to all of the parents who support the Arts. I would also like to express my appreciation to everyone who works in the Arts department. They work tirelessly so that our students can have these magical opportunities.
Reports The teachers are putting the final touches to the reports that will be emailed home at the end of term and then can be found on Parent Lounge after that. The portfolios will also go home in the last week. The portfolios show your child’s development over the course of the semester. I encourage you to take the time to read the reports with your children, celebrate their achievements and set goals for future development. In Brief – Celebrating the Good Stuff • The Year 5 students enjoyed their camp at Coolum recently. They were blessed with a beautiful location, stunning weather and fantastic activities. Thank you to all staff who helped out. • Reader’s Cup - the St Andrews team at the Reader’s Cup finished 5th. A great effort by our team who had to read a number of books and answer a lot of questions. • The students in Year 5 have been programming ‘Spheros’. They recorded the movement to create great works of art. • Bryanie McNiece in P1 asked for donations for poor people instead of presents at her birthday party. • Year 3 students have been working with Year 12 students on scientific experiments in the Science labs. • The Year 9 students met with the Year 5 students to design a plastic decoration based on their discussions. The Year 9 students went away and made the decoration and gave it to the Year 5 students during the week.
Hope Choir Recently we had a choir from the 100% Hope School in Uganda. They partner with local, poverty-stricken communities in Uganda to promote the spiritual, economic, physical and emotional development of orphaned and underprivileged children. The students from the choir were able to share stories of what life was like for them in Uganda and how this school is giving them hope for the future. The
This will be the last bulletin of the semester. Thank you to all parents who have volunteered in some way to help our students flourish. Enjoy the holidays take time to do things as a family and encourage your children to put those devices away and play outside. Darrin Schumacher Deputy Principal Head of Junior School
Chaplains Chat
From the Deputy Head of Junior School & PYP Coordinator
Reconciliation - it is such an important concept! The week of May 27 through to June 3 has been set aside as National Reconciliation week for our nation. These two dates are chosen due to them being anniversaries of very significant events in the lives of Indigenous Australians. Saturday 27 May is the anniversary of the 1967 National referendum which saw over 90% of Australians vote ‘Yes’ to greater care and respect being shown toward the Indigenous people of this country. Saturday 3 June marks the High Court ruling in the Mabo land right case in 1992. These two events celebrate considerable progress in addressing the hurt and brokenness that has existed between the peoples of Australia and there is still a way to go for there to be equity in the manner that our nation functions. Hence the need for Reconciliation Week.
A day of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) involving students in Years 5, 6 & 7 was organised to inspire our students to think about future careers. The aim of this all-day experience was to build skills to connect students to the in-demand digital workforce of the future.
Reconciliation is a massive part of life at St Andrews. Not just in terms of our curriculum where we address issues such as the injustices of the past and ways forward for the future but in the very approach that is taken in dealing with the inevitable brokenness that occurs in day to day living and learning together. Overall, life at St Andrews has a warm, inclusive, nurturing ‘vibe’ about it - to borrow a word from the famous movie ‘The Castle’ that also references the Mabo land case. This vibe though does not extend from some desire on our part to be warm and fuzzy all the time. It is built on the fact that reconciliation is a way of life. This is where we acknowledge that there will always be actions by individuals and groups that are destructive and damage relationships. But that the way forward is to confront the harm and then work relentlessly towards restoring the relationship and enabling people to see that there is another way.
Some of the students from years 5, 6 & 7 were selected to participate in a STEM day (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) this term. The day was to show some of the career opportunities in the STEM field.
This characteristic of life at St Andrews grows out of the greatest act of reconciliation there has ever been in history. It being our God offering himself up for us on the cross. Christ doing this has made a way for each of us to have our relationship with God made right again. Which is what reconciliation is - having things that are broken apart being put back together again. Romans 5:10-11 NLT says For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. This fact permeates all that occurs in our community and makes a significant difference to the manner in which we live. May it sink ever deeper into each of our hearts so that reconciliation continues as a way forward in our personal interactions and as part of the fabric of our wonderful nation. Graeme Schache College Chaplain
The day commenced with a past student, Sandrika Ryan (Graduate of 2012) who shared her experiences of working as an engineer. The students then rotated in smaller groups to participate in a forensic science, robotics and an engineering learning engagement. The participating students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to tinker with available materials, test their design, and evaluate and redesign their models based on their testing. Here is what Iyla King from Year 5 had to say about the day:
Mr Wyatt, Mrs Polentas & Mrs Lotz from the Senior School were our teachers for the day and we had Sandrika Ryan, a former St Andrews student as our guest speaker. During the day, we completed different activities including: Chemical Analysis – In this experiment, we learnt different techniques that can be used to identify unknown substances. We observed the chemical reactions that occurred when mixing different substances together and recorded our findings. Cork Launcher – We worked together to design a cork launcher with the materials that were provided and then recorded the data from our testing. From these results we then had to modify our design so that it would perform better. Robotics – Using a robotics program, we typed in the commands that we wanted our robot to perform. We then downloaded these into our Lego robot and tested to see if our programming worked correctly. The STEM day really brought Science alive for me. I have really enjoyed inquiring into the subjects that STEM day looked into. The day has enhanced my understanding of all these topics and has encouraged me to work harder, so I can one day work in a STEM related career. I would love for opportunities like STEM day to be held regularly for all students in the future, as it was a very exciting day and it would be great to learn more about these areas. Special thanks goes to Mrs Jenny Lotz (Senior Science Teacher) who helped to facilitate this special event and ran the engineering activity along with Mrs Liz Polentas and
Mr David Wyatt who led the robotics and forensic science respectively. It was wonderful to observe our students being innovators and creative thinkers!
We have recently had a number of Year 6 students taking action in response to their Unit of Inquiry - Sharing the Planet with the Central Idea: Children worldwide have access to different opportunities. Four students have been traveling to Ingleside State School to read with some Year One students on a weekly basis. One Ingleside parent commented that her son is really developing a love for reading since reading with our students. What an incredible difference these students are making in the wider community!
“And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts.� Exodus 35:31 NIV Jacqueline Faulkner Deputy Head of Junior School PYP Coordinator
ELC News Arts week in the ELC has been fantastic we started the week off with a performance from Bazil x Grumble musical theatre company. Wednesday we had Year 10 music students and Mr OG. Thursday we had a visit from Japanese students and Mrs Taki as well as Year 6 students who taught the children a dance. A busy week in the ELC.
Performing Arts News JS Arts Week Last week was our annual JS Arts Week and it was a wonderful week of celebration of the cultural life in the Junior School. From First Break Concerts, Open rehearsals, Workshops, Arts Assembly, Battle of the Bands and the 100% Hope Choir, students across the Junior School had the opportunity to perform, engage, participate and watch a wide range of arts experiences. Many thanks to our Arts Department for their work during this week.
SCOPE Photography Prize 2017 Congratulations to the following SCOPE Winners in Junior School P – Year 3 Clare Gardner
YEARS 4-6 ATHLETICS CARNIVAL This will be held at Pizzey Park on Friday 14 July. Queensland Cricket/Brisbane Heat will also be conducting activities at this carnival, so we may get to see ‘Heater’! More information will be emailed home in the coming weeks. CROSS COUNTRY St Andrews had a number of Junior School students compete at the Hinterland District Cross Country on Wednesday 17 May. Ethan Read and Milla Jansen have now qualified for the Regional Championships at Runaway Bay on Tuesday 6 June. We also had a very strong team go to the SLAPS Carnival at Rivermount on Tuesday 23 May. Congratulations to Miles Blanchard and Imogen Stewart who were selected as Captains of our team. We came 3rd in ‘A Division’ with the 9 Years girls team placing 2nd in their age group. Best individual performances were from Ethan Read – 1st, Zoe Nichols – 2nd , Sasha Tetsuo – 5th, Imogen Stewart – 6th and Mathew Mueller – 9th.
Years 4 – 6 Claudia Mewing
Sport News ST ANDREWS YEAR 5/6 NETBALL Our final trials to select our Year 5/6 Netball representative teams for 2017 will be held on Friday 2 and Friday 9 June, 7:15am – 8:15am in the MPH. We are selecting teams for the Samsung Primary Schools Cup, which will be held on the Sunshine Coast on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September. Any Year 5 or 6 Girls AND Boys who are interested, should attend these trials. ST ANDREWS YEAR 5/6 TOUCH FOR ALL HALLOWS We are holding trials on Tuesdays 6 and 13 June on the Top Oval from 7:15am – 8:15am. We will be selecting teams to compete at the All Hallows Competition on Sunday 6 August. If you are in Year 5 or 6 and can attend the competition, please feel free to come along and trial. However, only the best players will be selected.
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS – TERM 3 Mini Stars BASKETBALL This program is scheduled to begin on Thursday 27 July, and run for 7 weeks. It will be held in the MPH from 3:30pm – 4:30pm. This will be available for students from Years 1 to 4. We are also investigating the possibility of basketball training sessions for Years 4, 5 and 6. More information will be distributed at the start of Term 3. In2Cricket and T20 BLAST We will also be coordinating a Cricket program on Wednesday afternoons either in the MPH or on the Top Oval, depending upon the number of registrations. This is run by Cricket Queensland coaches and will be available for students from Prep to Year 6. More information will be distributed at the start of Term 3. Andy Manion PSPE Teacher Junior Sport Coordinator
Japanese News Students in Year 4A recently enjoyed a Taiko drum workshop. Students watched a Japanese Taiko performance and then learnt how to play this traditional Japanese instrument.
Chess News Students from the Junior School chess club recently participated in Round 2 of the Gold Coast South chess tournament. The students involved achieve some excellent results and displayed great sportsmanship in the process. Several students received merit awards for winning more than 4 of their 7 games whilst the B division team of Yuma Adachi, Alex Hacker, Oscar Warner and Kye Bulter where just pipped for 3rd place overall on a countback. Thank you to everyone who attended and did our College proud.
Sharon Taki
Yr 2 News 85 excited Year 2 students and a handful of teachers and parent helpers bussed to Hinze Dam in Week 6. Year 2 is inquiring into “Sharing the Planet� and we went off to discover where our water comes from and how our water is cleaned. The students had already had a go at designing and creating their own hand-made water filters, so now it was time to see how SEQ Water do it! We would like to thank the staff of SEQ Water for giving us the opportunity to visit the dam and learn about the process that Gold Coast water uses to take water from the dam to our houses. Lyn Gibson Year 2 Teacher
Chess club kick off again on Wednesday, week 2 of Term 3. We look forward to seeing everyone back on deck after the break. If you know of someone that may be interested in trying chess out, please come along for a trial and see what you think. Mr Buddee
P & F News Theatre Chair Donations J block recovery is progressing well with the project running to time. Completion is expected later this year. The P & F meetings are held in one of the new rooms in upper J Block where the feel and decor are fabulous. Friends of the Theatre chair donation forms for the Ruth Butler Theatre are still available at Main Reception. There are different levels of donation that any present, past or future families can make to go towards the new chairs. Platinum $200 Gold $100 Silver $50 These donations are tax deductable. Donations will be acknowledged in some form with the finer details are yet to be released.
Next P & F meeting is 14th June at 7.00pm in the J Block Upper West. We welcome all parents and guardians to attend.
It’s that time of year to update the interest earned on your LLL account that is credited annually on the 31st of May. Please send your books in by last day of term, the 16th of June. They will be sent to Adelaide for the interest update and will be returned to you during the first week of Term 3.
Dates to Remember JUNE Sunday 11 Year 1 Family Service, Worship Centre – 9.00am Monday 12 ICAS Writing Competition (Selected Students) Tuesday 13 Year 6 Excursion to Mosque; Synagogue and Sikh Temple ICAS Writing Competition (Selected Students) Junior School Chapel, Worship Centre – 1.40pm Wednesday 14 ICAS Writing Competition (Selected Students) ICAS Spelling Competition (Selected Students) P & F General Meeting, J Block – 7.00pm Thursday 15 ICAS Writing Competition (Selected Students) Prep to Year 6 Mini World Cup Ball Games Friday 16 ICAS Writing Competition (Selected Students) JULY Monday 10 First Day of Term 3
Special Uniform Sizes for 2018 The Uniform Shop carries a wide size range of uniforms but sometimes we run out of stock of less popular sizes. If you know your child needs an extra small size or is already wearing one the largest sizes, can you please contact the Uniform Shop ASAP. We are currently placing our indent orders for delivery at the end of 2017 and early 2018 and if you need less popular sizes now is the time to let us know. Thank you! Sharon McVay Uniform Shop Manager
POSITIVE PARENTING
Parenting kids through the challenges of change By Michael Grose Parenting is always challenging, but perhaps never more so when you are undergoing change yourself. Recently I spoke to staff at the General Motors Holden in South Australia about how they could help their families navigate the imminent plant closure, and subsequent loss of jobs. Change of this magnitude generally impacts on everyone in a family, bringing an added layer to parenting. Essentially the job of these parents was to help their children successfully navigate changes rather than isolate or protect them from the changes that will occur.
From a child’s perspective, it’s not the change itself but how parents react to adjustments that is most significant. Change tests individual and family resilience, but managing it well builds resilience. While most people yearn for certainty and consistency there will always be times when circumstances change – people shift jobs, families relocate and parents split up. These situations are difficult to manage at the time but inevitably people adjust and more often than not, end up with a better situation – a job that they enjoy; a better lifestyle or finding family peace.
While change is not easy to endure, there are some things we can do as parents to help our children cope and hopefully grow from those changes. The following five ideas will help:
1. Acknowledge feelings Every difficulty or challenge we face is accompanied by uncomfortable feelings such as sadness, anger and disappointment. When feelings aren’t acknowledged, children will either act out or act in. That is, they will either become aggressive, agitated and hurtful or become moody, anxious and depressed. Give kids permission to talk about emotions by talking about your own feelings and your emotional reactions to events. Help children of all ages verbalise their feelings by asking children how they feel in response to different events. “How do you feel about this?” is a great way to initiate conversations on an emotional level.
2. Look after yourself (and your partner) Change is usually stressful for adults. Feelings of anxiety are common in times of uncertainty. “Will life ever return to normal?” is a common question. Self-care is essential in times of change. It’s hard to parent well when you are stressed, anxious or depressed so do all you can to stick to the building blocks of well-being.
parentingideas.com.au
now we know.
POSITIVE PARENTING
Parenting kids through the challenges of change
That is, sleep well (life’s always better after a good night’s sleep); get some exercise (to release the feel-good endorphins); actively maintain your support networks (talking about difficulties is therapeutic); get some relaxation (it’s important to take your mind of your worries for a time) and pursue at least one interest that you enjoy (fun and play is an antidote to depression).
3. Stay optimistic Optimism is characteristic of resilient people. I’m not suggesting that you take a Pollyanna-ish attitude that ‘everything will be all right’. Instead project the attitude that the current situation may be difficult or that life at the moment may be difficult but you will get through this. “This too shall pass” is a powerful resilience concept for kids to experience and learn.
4. Maintain consistency and routine
5. Maintain consistency and routine Resilience is best practiced as a family or community, rather than as an individual so look for ways to bring your family together. Family mealtimes; shared enjoyable experiences and simply hanging out together are the types of activities that build strong families. In times of change and upheaval what we need most is each other. Life is full of changes. Some are welcome and some aren’t. It’s human nature to resist change, particularly when it’s unwelcome. But change also presents opportunities for growth and development. Helping kids cope with change, even when it happens to you, is a chance to build their resilience, which will be tested many times throughout their adult lives.
When disruption appears in your life try to keep things as normal as possible for children. In particular, stick to regular mealtimes; keep bedtimes regular and keep the traditions that kids enjoy and bring your family together. This type of familiarity is comforting for kids, helping them maintain feelings of control, which is something they crave in times of change.
Visit our website for more ideas and information to help you raise confident and resilient young people.
Special note: I’m thrilled to announce that my latest book Spoonfed Generation: How to raise independent children is out. It’s available at parentingideas.com.au © Parenting Ideas 2017
parentingideas.com.au
now we know.