Issue 7 - 6th May 2021
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From the Acting Principal
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Screen time and screen use: part of a healthy lifestyle
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Religious Education News
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Mother’s Day Morning Tea
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Mother's Day Stall
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Winter Uniform
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Autism Tasmania
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Pastoral Care and Wellbeing
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Aiming High Awards
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Parents and Friends
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Agfest Public Holiday
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Parent Teacher Meetings
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Kinder 2022
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COVID-19
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National Walk to School Day
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Wynyard BMX Park
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Toileting Skills
This week, around the school, there was talk of Mothers’ Day, mothers and the mother-figures in our lives. There was excitement as the students visited the Mother’s Day stall generously organised by the Year 5 and 6 students, as a fundraiser towards their Hobart camp. They happily chatted about their gifts and why their mother, nana, or important person would enjoy their chosen presents.
We celebrated mothers in our Mothers’ Day Liturgy and beautiful morning tea, provided by Debbie Plaza. Mothers’ Day allows us to stop and reflect on the important job of mothering and to give thanks to those who have mothered us.
Our Church has always honoured mothers and in particular Mary who was inspirational in her selfless love and devotion to her son, Jesus. In the Catholic faith, the whole month of May is dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus. It is the loving, caring, selfless qualities of Mary that we can attribute to mothers in general.
We wish all mothers, grandmothers, mother figures, and women in our community a happy happy day for this Sunday. May your family bring you great joy and shower you with love and blessings.
Dear Lord,
It’s such a hectic day,
with little time to stop and pray.
For life’s been anything but calm,
since You called me to be a mum -
Running errands, matching socks,
Building dreams with stacking blocks.
Cooking, working and finding shoes,
and other things that children lose.
Fitting lids on bottled bugs,
wiping tears and giving hugs.
A stack of last week’s mail to read -
where’s the quiet time I need?
Yet, when I steal a moment, Lord,
as I watch the evening bath be poured,
and I ask the blessing of Your grace,
I see then in my child’s face,
that you have blessed me all the while.
And I stoop to kiss that precious smile!
(unknown)
Screen time and screen use are normal parts of life for most children. The time your child spends watching TV and using computers, gaming consoles, tablets and smartphones can be part of a healthy lifestyle.
It’s all about making sure of two things:
- Children enjoy plenty of healthy, fun activities, both with and without screens, including physical activity, reading, creative play and social time with family and friends.
- When children do use screens, they watch or use quality content.
And don’t forget sleep! A healthy, balanced lifestyle for children includes enough good-quality sleep.
Checklist for a healthy approach to screen time
These questions can help you check whether your child is using screens in a balanced and healthy way.
Is your child:
- sleeping enough?
- physically healthy?
- engaged with school?
- connecting socially with family and friends, online and offline?
- enjoying a variety of hobbies and interests?
- doing physical activity every day?
- having fun and learning while using screens?
- using quality content?
If you answer yes to most or all of these questions, your child is probably using screens in a balanced way as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Avoid screen time before bed
School-age children need 9-11 hours sleep a night.
Using screens before bed can affect how quickly your child falls asleep. If your child avoids mobile phones, tablets, computer screens or TV in the hour before bed, your child is likely to get to sleep more quickly.
How screen use affects sleep
Your child needs enough good-quality sleep so they can play, learn and concentrate during the day.
Using screens can affect how quickly your child falls asleep and how long your child sleeps. This happens for several reasons:
- Screen use in the hour before bed can stimulate your child.
- Blue light from televisions, computer screens, phones and tablets might suppress melatonin levels and delay sleepiness.
- Your child might be tempted to stay up late to chat to friends or play games, or your child might be disturbed in the night by notifications, messages or calls.
Reducing the effects of screen time on sleep
Here are some ways you can reduce the negative effect of screen time on your child’s sleep:
- Avoid screen use in the hour before bedtime. This includes mobile phones, tablets, computer screens and TV. Encourage reading or quiet play instead.
- Limit and monitor violent content at any time of day. This can affect sleep regardless of the time and length of use.
- Encourage your child to connect with friends during the day rather than late in the evening.
- Have a family rule that mobile phones and other devices are left in a family room overnight.
Expert recommendations
Australian Department of Health guidelines recommend that:
2–5‐year‐olds: one hour per day
5–12‐year‐olds: 2 hours of recreational screen time per day
Remember screen time is the total of all screens - TV, phones, tablets, computers, game consoles.
https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/entertainment-technology/cyberbullying-online-safety/internet-safety-9-11-years
Thursday, 6th May our Grade 1 and 3 students lead us in a beautiful, moving tribute to mother figures and including our Holy Mary Mother of God. It was just beautiful to hear these students sharing what they love about their mothers together with the graceful words of the closing prayer. On Mother’s Day, I'm always conscious of my own mother, my grandmothers and find good reasons to celebrate. You don't have to be alive to nurture someone, and such is the case with those mother figures in our lives who have passed. Jesus told us that we receive someone’s spirit more purely after they have left us and I believe that is true. I have a good mother. It's as simple as that. In everything that was essential when I was at home, she gave myself and my siblings, what's important: security, protection, a sense of being wanted, a sense of being precious, adequate food, adequate clothing, the underlying sense that life is good, and, most of all, the sense that we are in the hands always of a God who is trustworthy. None of this, of course, comes perfectly. My mother isn’t God. She has real limits, as with the energy and the resources she drew upon to nurture us when we were young.
I thank my Mum for always loving me for who I am and not having to earn it. This Sunday, let us honour mother figures and may we love and cherish the special women who have born us, who have nurtured us, and who have prayed for our well-being.
Pax Tecum,
Mrs Andrea Jaffray Morf
Deputy Principal
Thank you to the mothers who were able to attend our Prayer Service and Morning Tea. It was wonderful to have you at school and be able to mingle and to hear and see you all mingling with other mothers.
For those who were unable to attend, rest assured, your child/children would most definitely have been thinking of you and praying for God to bless you.
Thank you to our Grade 5/6 families for the time and effort you have put in preparing, packaging, cooking and creating items for our Mother’s Day stall today. We will update families on how much we have raised in our next newsletter.
From Monday, 10th May students are required to wear full winter uniform. Students are not allowed to wear the summer uniform or mix the summer and winter uniform. Students are allowed to wear either sports shorts or trackpants with their sports uniform only. School beanies are available for purchase for those students who would like to wear a beanie to school. Puffer jackets and non-school jackets are discouraged. If a student does wear a jacket to school that is not a part of our uniform they will not be allowed to wear it throughout the day.
Autism Tasmania conducts free workshops for parents and family carers of children on the autism spectrum, or those who have autistic characteristics.
Early Days workshops are for parents and other family members of children aged 0-6 who have an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis or are going through the assessment and diagnosis process. Parents/family members who are wanting to find out more about autism to help decide whether they should seek assessment for their child are also welcome to attend.
The next Early Days workshop in Burnie is scheduled for Wednesday May 12th.
The topic for this workshop is Developing my child’s toileting skills. Participants will:
- Learn more about why toileting skills can be difficult for a child on the autism spectrum
- Learn strategies that may help with teaching their child to learn to use the toilet
Registration is essential. Families can register via this link: https://www.trybooking.com/BQHLU
Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver. – Barabara De Angelis.
Caring about others is fundamental to our happiness. Helping other people is not only good for them, it’s good for us too. It makes us happier and can help to improve our health. Giving also creates stronger connections between people and helps to build a happier society for everyone. And it’s not all about money – we can also give our time, ideas and energy. So if you want to feel good, do good!
How are you going to make the important person in your life feel loved on this Sunday for Mother’s Day?
Congratulations to the following students who received Aiming High awards at assembly last week;
Kinder - Rylan & Oliver
Prep - Wesley & Evelyn
Grade 1 - Ethan & Darcy
Grade 2 - River & Ruby-Mae
Grade 3 - Naite & Brock
Grade 4 - Ryan, Lucas & Olivia
Grade 5 - Macey & Owen
Grade 6 - Sarah & Libby
A reminder for families that tomorrow Friday, 7th May is a public holiday for Agfest. Enjoy the long weekend!
Parent-Teacher interviews will be on Tuesday, 11th May from 3:00pm - 6:30pm. Sessions are now open to book your parent-teacher interviews via Compass. These sessions are a great way to see how your child is progressing at school and ask any questions you may have.
To book a time please do it via the Compass app by clicking on the 3 lines in the top left corner, then click on conferences. Select Parent Teacher Interviews, choose your child and select a time that suits you. If you are unable to make it on this day, please contact your child's teacher to arrange a time that suits you better.
We ask that families please continue to use the following options of communication with the school rather than face-to-face as follows:
- Calling on 6452 1431
- Emailing spc@catholic.tas.edu.au
- Writing messages in your child’s diary
- Contacting teachers via SeeSaw or email
For Assemblies, we ask that people please enter via the front office and use the hand sanitiser upon entry and sign in using the 'Check in Tas' app which is a Government requirement. Please adhere to the 1.5m social distancing and refrain from entering the school if you are unwell.
QR Code to use for school events. Link here for instructions on how to download the app
National 'Walk to School' day will be held on Friday, 14th May. Any students who would like to participate can meet with staff members at the Smithton Vets at 8:10am. Staff and students will walk from the Smithton Vets to St Peter Chanel via Emmerton Park.