Setting Your Child Up for a Successful Life
We were extremely fortunate today to have Shona Bass from Early Life Foundations address a number of parents and teachers about setting up children for success and the Walker Learning Approach to the Australian Developmental Curriculum. She discussed the pressures facing families in ‘modern life’ and presented tips and ideas on how parents can create positive patterns in their children’s life now that will influence the way they approach the teenage years and adult life.
As you would be aware, Wesburn Primary School received funding to implement the Walker Learning Approach throughout the school and, although still in the first year (apart from the junior grades), we are already finding that students are more motivated and engaged in their learning, that they are developing responsibility and an ability to develop deeper understandings of what they have learnt. Students’ speaking and listening skills have also been greatly enhanced.
Parents and staff who attended this session found the information that Shona shared particularly helpful and are looking forward to the next parent information session in 2011.
Lighten Up Your Load
Let’s face it, raising children is hard yakka and always brings with it significant challenges. Although some stages can be more difficult than others (e.g. teens), most parents have terrific long-term goals for their kids. But they also want peace at home, meaning that kids will get along with each other, do as we say the first time, and help around the house. Michael Grose, parenting educator, has a few tips to help achieve this harmony:
- Firmness and good communication helps with child-management.
- Don’t always put your kids first. Make time for yourself as your happy attitude will rub off on your children.
- Don’t be a family that’s always on the go - make sure you all have some down time so family members can relax and have the chance to connect.
- Spend time doing more of what you enjoy with your kids. The house may end up messy sometimes but you and your children may also end up with more smiles on your face.
I constantly find Michael’s words of advice helpful and wish he had been around when I was raising my own children!
Displays
We currently have some wonderful displays of student work around the school and would encourage parents to spend some time having a look at their excellent achievements. We are very proud of the effort and results that they achieve - well done everyone.
Until next week
Anne
Election Day Stalls
A thousand thank yous to all the parents and students who baked cakes, biscuits, slices, etc. for our cake stall, cooked egg and bacon rolls and sausages and onions, and served customers at last Saturday’s election at Wessie. We raised a total of $536 which we are putting towards setting up for our fete next year. We all had lots of fun together. One of the highlights of this fundraiser was the look on the children’s faces as they brought along their cakes to school - they were so proud of their contributions - thanks kids. Special thank you to Wild Thyme for donating the cups for tea and coffee sales.
Housekeeping:
Lunch Orders
Last Monday I felt so sorry for extremely frustrated mums who volunteers to organise lunch orders every Monday. As happens every week, she was opening envelopes that did not have all lunch order details, lunch orders were put in the same envelopes for different days, etc. Please, when putting in lunch orders for your children, ensure that:
- Monday and Wednesday lunch orders are in separate envelopes and clearly marked either Monday lunches or Wednesday lunches
- All details are clearly marked (e.g. name, grade and what the child wants)
- Correct change is in each envelope
Thank you in advance for making our volunteers’ job easier.
School Crossing
Pam, our school crossing attendant, is very concerned at the number of parents who come down the highway at a ‘great rate of knots’ or who turn onto the highway from Wylie Street and accelerate very quickly through the crossing when it is being used. Apart from the fact that police are now regularly tucking themselves away in order to catch people speeding through the crossing, we must ensure that children crossing in the mornings or afternoons are as safe as possible. Please take care.
It’s Cool to be at School
Wendy Windebank, the coordinator for our attendance programme, asked me to remind everyone that, in order to be considered for awards for excellent attendance you must always arrive and leave on time. Being late automatically disqualifies students from this great incentive programme. Of course, we all know the importance of students being in the class at the beginning of the school day so that they don’t miss key instruction time in literacy and maths.
Free Soil
Any parents who would like to fill a trailer with free soil from the school please contact me so that we can arrange a time.
Mulch
Our playground mulch is due to be turned and we are seeking help from parents to get this done. If you have a spare hour to spend at the school we’d love to hear from you.
School Camps
Grade 5/6 camp was totally exhausting but so much fun! Thank you to all the students who behaved so beautifully, who took their turn at duty groups, who participated in all the activities, and especially those who went to sleep straight away! I hope that you were all as exhausted as I was. I have also heard that the grade 3/4 camp was a great success - congratulations to all of you.
Until next week
Anne
Election Day Stalls
A thousand thank yous to all the parents and students who baked cakes, biscuits, slices, etc. for our cake stall, cooked egg and bacon rolls and sausages and onions, and served customers at last Saturday’s election at Wessie. We raised a total of $536 which we are putting towards setting up for our fete next year. We all had lots of fun together. One of the highlights of this fundraiser was the look on the children’s faces as they brought along their cakes to school - they were so proud of their contributions - thanks kids. Special thank you to Wild Thyme for donating the cups for tea and coffee sales.
Housekeeping:
Lunch Orders
Last Monday I felt so sorry for an extremely frustrated mum who volunteers to organise lunch orders every Monday. As happens every week, she was opening envelopes that did not have all lunch order details, lunch orders were put in the same envelopes for different days, etc. Please, when putting in lunch orders for your children, ensure that:
- Monday and Wednesday lunch orders are in separate envelopes and clearly marked either Monday lunches or Wednesday lunches
- All details are clearly marked (e.g. name, grade and what the child wants)
- Correct change is in each envelope
Thank you in advance for making our volunteers’ job easier.
School Crossing
Pam, our school crossing attendant, is very concerned at the number of parents who come down the highway at a ‘great rate of knots’ or who turn onto the highway from Wylie Street and accelerate very quickly through the crossing when it is being used. Apart from the fact that police are now regularly tucking themselves away in order to catch people speeding through the crossing, we must ensure that children crossing in the mornings or afternoons are as safe as possible. Please take care.
It’s Cool to be at School
Wendy Windebank, the coordinator for our attendance programme, asked me to remind everyone that, in order to be considered for awards for excellent attendance you must always arrive and leave on time. Being late automatically disqualifies students from this great incentive programme. Of course, we all know the importance of students being in the class at the beginning of the school day so that they don’t miss key instruction time in literacy and maths.
Free Soil
Any parents who would like to fill a trailer with free soil from the school please contact me so that we can arrange a time.
Mulch
Our playground mulch is due to be turned and we are seeking help from parents to get this done. If you have a spare hour to spend at the school we’d love to hear from you.
School Camps
Grade 5/6 camp was totally exhausting but so much fun! Thank you to all the students who behaved so beautifully, who took their turn at duty groups, who participated in all the activities, and especially those who went to sleep straight away! I hope that you were all as exhausted as I was. I have also heard that the grade 3/4 camp was a great success - congratulations to all of you.
Until next week
Anne
Election Day Stalls
A thousand thank yous to all the parents and students who baked cakes, biscuits, slices, etc. for our cake stall, cooked egg and bacon rolls and sausages and onions, and served customers at last Saturday’s election at Wessie. We raised a total of $536 which we are putting towards setting up for our fete next year. We all had lots of fun together. One of the highlights of this fundraiser was the look on the children’s faces as they brought along their cakes to school - they were so proud of their contributions - thanks kids. Special thank you to Wild Thyme for donating the cups for tea and coffee sales.
Housekeeping:
Lunch Orders
Last Monday I felt so sorry for an extremely frustrated mum who volunteers to organise lunch orders every Monday. As happens every week, she was opening envelopes that did not have all lunch order details, lunch orders were put in the same envelopes for different days, etc. Please, when putting in lunch orders for your children, ensure that:
- Monday and Wednesday lunch orders are in separate envelopes and clearly marked either Monday lunches or Wednesday lunches
- All details are clearly marked (e.g. name, grade and what the child wants)
- Correct change is in each envelope
Thank you in advance for making our volunteers’ job easier.
School Crossing
Pam, our school crossing attendant, is very concerned at the number of parents who come down the highway at a ‘great rate of knots’ or who turn onto the highway from Wylie Street and accelerate very quickly through the crossing when it is being used. Apart from the fact that police are now regularly tucking themselves away in order to catch people speeding through the crossing, we must ensure that children crossing in the mornings or afternoons are as safe as possible. Please take care.
It’s Cool to be at School
Wendy Windebank, the coordinator for our attendance programme, asked me to remind everyone that, in order to be considered for awards for excellent attendance you must always arrive and leave on time. Being late automatically disqualifies students from this great incentive programme. Of course, we all know the importance of students being in the class at the beginning of the school day so that they don’t miss key instruction time in literacy and maths.
Free Soil
Any parents who would like to fill a trailer with free soil from the school please contact me so that we can arrange a time.
Mulch
Our playground mulch is due to be turned and we are seeking help from parents to get this done. If you have a spare hour to spend at the school we’d love to hear from you.
School Camps
Grade 5/6 camp was totally exhausting but so much fun! Thank you to all the students who behaved so beautifully, who took their turn at duty groups, who participated in all the activities, and especially those who went to sleep straight away! I hope that you were all as exhausted as I was. I have also heard that the grade 3/4 camp was a great success - congratulations to all of you.
Until next week
Anne
Nurse-On-Call
Nurse-on-Call is a phone service, funded by the Department of Health, that provides immediate, expert health advice from a registered nurse, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For the cost of a local call you can ring from anywhere in Victoria to receive this expert advice. From a personal perspective, I used this service last year when my grandson was having his first serious asthma attack and I found the information I received to be very helpful as well as reassuring. The phone number to call is 1300 60 60 24. Obviously, in the case of an emergency, call 000.
Ultranet
Despite the Ultranet ‘going down’ last Monday when all Victorian Government Schools were closed for a curriculum day so that teachers could learn how to use it to its best advantage, I want to explain the wonderful impact that it is going to have on you and your children. The Ultranet, once in ‘full swing’, will enable all parents to access up-to-date information about their children (their progress at school, what they are currently learning, attendance, etc.) at any time they choose. Teachers will be able to individualise learning for every student, access best quality teaching resources, and include excellent programmes that they have developed for other teachers to access. Learning will become a global affair and information will be easily transferred from each level of schooling to the next (e.g. kindergarten to primary school to secondary school). Wesburn will be coming onboard early term 4 and for the rest of the year it will be a case of students and teachers familiarising themselves with all the possibilities. During this time we would like to set up a computer for parents who do not have the ability to access the internet at home to be able to see how their children are travelling. We will be providing training on how to do this so please keep an eye out for further information.
Dealing With Rejection
According to Michael Grose, (Parenting Expert, Sunday Herald Sun, February 7, 2010), ‘One of the keys to functioning socially and emotionally is the ability to deal with disappointment and rejection.’ Most children, even popular children, are rejected about one quarter of the time when they approach other children at school. What is most important is to help children handle rejection and disappointment by following some of the following strategies:
- Model optimism. Watch how you present the world to children, as they will pick up your view.
- Tell children how you handle disappointment and rejection. It is reassuring for them to know that you understand how they feel and that they can learn how to handle situations from you.
- Help children recognise times in the past when they bounced back from disappointment. Identify and use these strategies again.
- Laugh together. Humour is a great coping mechanism. It helps put disappointment in perspective. It helps them understand that things will get better. They always do.
Until next term …
Anne
Camps
All students attending camp will be starting to get excited. Notices went home this week with relevant information so that you will have time to purchase or borrow anything you may not already have (e.g. waterproof coat). Shortly we will be discussing with students with whom they would like to share a room and making all the last minute arrangements. Please ensure that you complete the medical forms and return them to the class teacher the week before camp. Only complete the asthma form if your child suffers from asthma. All students will have a wonderful experience and should come home exhausted!
Uniform
Teachers have been noticing more and more students attending school out of uniform. It is a requirement of Wesburn Primary School that all students wear school uniform because it reinforces in them a pride in their appearance, instils recognition of themselves as an integral part of the school community, and assists in developing pride in representing their school. Issues of equality, health and safety, and expense are also factors that contribute to the establishment of our dress code. Please ensure that your children attend school in uniform, that is, black or grey pants/shorts, white, black or maroon polo shirt, and either black or maroon windcheater or jacket. The only writing or pictures that should be on these items are the school emblem and name. These items are all available at the school uniform shop which is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You may also be able to purchase these items (without the school logo) at stores such as K-Mart or Target.
Federal Elections
As you would all be aware, Wesburn Primary School is a polling booth for both Federal and State elections - in fact, if you read the Age Newspaper on Sunday July 18, you would know that it is the most marginal polling booth in the country with only three votes separating the two major parties at the last election! On Saturday August 21 (the date of the Federal Election) the school will run a barbecue (egg and bacon rolls and a sausage sizzle) and also a cake stall to take advantage of the many voters. Tea and coffee will also be available. A week prior to this we will be sending home freezer bags and labels in the hope that parents may be able to bake some cakes for our stall. I would also love to hear from anyone who might be able to help out for an hour or two on the stall. Please give me a ring on 5967 1302.
Attached to this newsletter is an article written by Michael Grose, leading parenting educator, which was also included in Upper Yarra Secondary College’s newsletter, and titled Facing up to Facebook. Please take the time to read it as it is very relevant to upper school students who frequently need support after issues have arisen on Facebook.
Until next term …
Anne
Striving for Excellence: Parent/Teacher Interviews
A successful partnership between the school and home makes so much difference to the outcomes achieved by your students. You don’t have to have been an A+ student yourself in order to encourage excellence in your children. Simply showing interest in their education by attending parent/teacher interviews, reading newsletters, supporting them to do their homework (not doing it for them), and encouraging them in all that they try to do will demonstrate to them that their education is a very important part of their life.
It is an absolute fact that, the better the education a person has, the more opportunities they will have as adults. As a parent we always want our children to be able to achieve what they want in life.
Teachers are looking forward to meeting with parents tonight to provide and discuss the progress of their children. Conversations will be about how you and the class teacher can help your child be their best. If you forgot to return your form we would still like to meet with you, even if your child’s report was outstanding. Please contact the teacher to make another time to meet if you cannot come this evening.
Regional Director’s Visit
We are all very excited to have our Regional Director visiting us tomorrow morning. He is here to see and hear about the wonderful programmes in which students participate and the great achievements they make in all aspects of the school. Michael D’Ath is particularly keen to visit classrooms, talk to teachers and students and observe the Kathy Walker developmental curriculum programme. This is a great honour to our school and we welcome Michael here to celebrate our successes and support us in further developing our great little school.
Until next term …
Anne
Welcome back to the second half of 2010. I had a wonderful two week break in which I slept longer, pottered around at home doing all the little things that I don’t get time to do during the term, read lots, drank a little, and enjoyed time with my family and friends. I feel really refreshed and look forward to a very busy and fulfilling term 3.
Speed Signs
For some time now we have been documenting incidences that have occurred at the school crossing. We have passed information onto Tammy Lobato MP and she has made representations to the relevant minister. I received a letter on the last day of term 2 which explained that she has once again written to the Minister for Roads and Ports, The Hon. Tim Pallas MP, expressing the need for electronic 40 kilometre speed signs outside our school and acknowledging the dangers that confront children, parents, staff and the crossing attendant. Tammy will let me know when she receives a response to her request.
Parents Vital to Pupil’s Success
In yesterday’s Herald Sun, (Tuesday, July 13, 2010) page 13, there was quite a large article about the role that parents play in helping their children succeed at school. I have included some of the interesting aspects of this article below:
- Parents who help their children with homework and are strict about sickies give their children the best start in life.
- Helping children with school work is important, but not doing their work for them.
- Parental involvement includes monitoring homework, reading to your children and attending parent/teacher interviews. It can also include volunteering and ensuring that you read the school newsletter.
- Create a quiet time for your child to study at home, and make it part of the family’s routine.
- Praise your child for asking questions and encourage them to seek the answers through resources such as the local library and the internet.
- Ask your child what they’re learning at school and try to reinforce it at home. For example, if your child is studying nutrition, use the family dinner as a talking point.
Parent/Teacher Interviews
Please ensure that you return the reply slips for Parent/Teacher Interviews on next Wednesday July 21 so that we can provide you with the times that you request. We look forward to meeting with parents to provide and discuss the progress of their children. See you all then.
Until next term …
Anne
Resource Smart AuSSI Vic
Our school was recently recognised as a Resource Smart AuSSI Vic school in the Waste Resource Module (Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative Victoria). This is acknowledgement of our school’s certification in the Waste Wise program and our commitment to creating sustainable practices, infrastructure and integrated learning.
Ben’s Shed
Yesterday I visited Ben’s Shed in Yarra Junction with the intention of developing opportunities for some students in grades 5 and 6 to participate in a 10 week programme, commencing Monday July 19, 1.30 to 2.30pm. This will entail them spending approximately 1 hour per week working with men and women who are skilled as tradespeople and can develop students’ abilities in hands on use of tools and making a variety of pieces of equipment such as a tool box, stool, table, and so on. I am very excited and can think of several students who would be thrilled to participate in this programme. I will be taking students each week and hope to learn a few new skills myself!
Reports
God willing, reports will be sent home on Friday. (We have had a major upgrade to all information technology at school and, needless to say, there have been quite a lot of teething problems). Please read them thoroughly as teachers spend many hours making sure that parents get up-to-date and accurate information about their children’s progress at school. Parent/teacher interviews will take place on Wednesday July 21 - information will be sent home on the first week of term 3. You might like to write down any questions you may have about your child’s progress ready for the interviews.
Holidays
After a long term (11 weeks) we all deserve a relaxing holiday. Remember to spend time with the kids and enjoy their company because they will be back at school after only two weeks!
Until next term …
Anne
We recently received a letter and cheque for $101.10 from the Upper Yarra RSL Sub-Branch. This is being used to assist in a variety of student welfare programs within the school. When you dine at the RSL, as I did last Saturday night, remember to mention Wesburn Primary School so that 3% of the value of your meal is donated to the school every three months.
I would like to draw people’s attention to the Parent’s Page which is currently being published as a part of the school newsletter. Firstly, it is quite an inspiring read, and secondly, you will find ‘words of wisdom’ for us all to live by. If you would like to contribute positive and inspiring stories or information of some great achievements, please forward them on.
Yesterday, teachers travelled to other schools within Victoria (some of us went as far as Ballarat) to observe the Kathy Walker Learning Approach to the Developmental Curriculum where this has been implemented for at least two years. This approach to teaching children meets not only their academic needs but also social/emotional, problem solving, developing independence and responsibility for their own learning. It was truly inspiring to see how, over time, students had developed wonderful skills in all of these areas. Of course, Wesburn has just started on this path (since the beginning of the year) but we are already seeing the very positive changes occurring as a result. We are especially keen for parents to learn more about this approach to teaching young children and are planning some parent information sessions for terms 3 and 4 - more information will be provided as soon as we can set the dates and times.
Until next week …
Anne
SCHOOL REVIEW
Last week an independent reviewer met with Leigh Dobson (School Council President), Barb Crowe (Regional Network Leader), myself and teachers to discuss and complete our four yearly School Review. This occurred after the school had completed a Self Evaluation and the reviewer looked at data from multiple sources including NAPLAN, Attitudes to School, Parent Opinion and Staff Opinion surveys. The results of the successful review were then presented by the reviewer at a special staff meeting and at School Council last Monday. We are very proud of the results achieved in Student Learning, Student Engagement and Wellbeing, and Student Pathways and Transitions. The information presented will now enable us to prepare the new School Strategic Plan for the next four years.
AUSLAN
As you all know, we have a wonderful L.O.T.E. (Language Other Than English) programme at Wessie. Auslan (Australian sign language) is taught across the school and many students become quite proficient in its use. I was very excited to hear of students who recently made good use of their knowledge. Two young girls were completing their Centenary Badge in Guides and one component is to do something that supports people with disabilities. The girls explained that Auslan was used by the hearing impaired and successfully signed a presentation which demonstrated their own abilities. Well done Jessica and Ashlee.
TINS
Recently I wrote of how easy it is for students who bring canned food to school to have a nasty accident when trying to open them. Once again I am asking parents to ensure that children do not bring these items to school. If you would like them to eat such foods as tuna, baked beans, etc. (all very healthy) please put them in a reusable container.
AT THE END OF THE DAY…
It is so easy for all of us to slip into the habit of thinking negatively. Frequently some people start to think of simple day-to-day conversations and experiences in a negative manner, even though that may not have been the case in reality. To change negative thinking we need to ‘train our brains’ by recognising when we are thinking this way and then thinking something positive about an event.
One way in which you can help to ‘train your child’s brain’ to be positive is to ask them about all the good/interesting/exciting/fun/wonderful things that happened to them at school. Wait until you get home and are sharing afternoon tea so that they feel relaxed. Comment on how good they and you must feel when you hear what they are telling you. Of course, there are many, many other ways we can help children to have a positive outlook on life and, as parents, you are the best people to role model positive attitudes.
Until next week …
Anne
Reports
It’s that time of the year again when teachers are furiously writing accurate, informative reports about your child’s progress over the past two terms. Children have finished their NAPLAN testing in grades 3 and 5, but the results of these do not come out until August. Nevertheless, this is only one very small part of the ongoing assessment process with teachers regularly using multiple forms of testing to inform them about the progress of children within their grade and what they need to teach next.
Professional Learning
Each week teachers participate in professional learning as an ongoing means of being the best teachers that they can. Last week we learnt more about the development of speaking and listening and how we can support students further in improving their receptive and expressive language and auditory processing. This week we are all attending a writing moderation workshop. We say that learning should be a lifelong process for everyone and I really commend staff when they willingly attend professional learning activities in their own time (often some distance away and finishing as late as 6 o’clock).
Discipline
Although more than 80% of parents are happy to use smacking as a form of discipline, here are some alternatives that may help you:
- Set an example: Speak quietly and gently to children and they will be less likely to raise their voice.
- Try to make six positive statements to every negative one: Catch them being good and say, ‘Wow, you’re playing so nicely!’
- Speak to children at their level, eye-to-eye, to help them focus on what you are saying.
- Empathise: Always try to repeat back to your child what you think they are feeling as this makes them feel that you understand.
- Keep promises: Always follow through with the good or the bad, e.g. If you say you will leave the swimming pool if your child doesn’t stop running, be prepared to leave.
Until next week …
Anne
