7 June 2017

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPALS REPORT

Hello Parents, Carer’s and Friends

You will be now have noticed our stunning new school sign, a place where we can put important messages and celebrate our achievements. The two flag poles were also completed this week and at the end of Monday’s assembly, we got to see the Aboriginal flag and Australian flag flying. Every morning Aiden and Seth will put up the flags and bring them down at the end of each school day.

Our assemblies seem to have taken on a new performance twist of late. Our new cordless microphone has inspired some of our students to perform favourite songs at assembly. It also means that students feel more confident speaking because it is easier to be heard. We’ve also had great displays of class work, demonstrations of play-ground games and the continuation of our celebration of our Hi 5 values. The audience has been bigger all this term, with a good number of parents, carer’s and friends of our school coming along to watch assembly. Thanks heaps everyone!

Let’s talk safety! To drop off and pick up children, there are two options, the gravel car-park near kindergarten and footpath along Heather Rd. The drive way into school, next to the admin office is only for staff, visitors to the school and deliveries. It’s not that we feel precious about our parking spaces, it’s because we are scared stiff that one day a child is going to get hit by a car. You see, what happens is that children run from the foyer of the admin area and shoot straight across the drive without looking. Poor Shirley has seen so many near misses. We’d like to put in a safe turning circle one day at the front of the school but at a cost of over $300,000, that’s not likely to happen any time soon.

Let’s continue to talk safety because we are really concerned about another issue. Dropping off your child to school safely and picking them up to ensure they arrive at home safely is something we all know is important. Lately, there’s been a rise in the number of young children walking to school or leaving school without adult help, some as young as 5. Recently staff have been needed to ensure children arrive at their after school destination. Before and after school hours are times when teachers, prepare lessons, meet with colleagues and catch up on a work load that can only be done once children have left. Please, do make sure your child is supervised on their way to school and back home.

Mid-year report writing is well and truly underway. You will receive information shortly about collecting your child’s school report from their teacher and how to book into a Parent/Teacher interview to collect and discuss the report.

I’d like to thank the whole school community for understanding the importance of our Respectful School approaches. This is a whole of school, whole of community approach whereby we treat the school and each other respectfully. I am so proud to be working in this community. I want everyone outside of Risdon Vale to know that we are a hardworking, caring and kind learning community. I appreciate that nearly every person who engages with our school understands that respectful language and behavior, safe language and behaviour are not just what we do, it is how we represent who we are as a school and as a community. Thank you for all you do to help us be recognised as a safe learning community.

I would also like to acknowledge the friendship and support of Nanna, Maree Rudman, Brook Bella and Brittney De Jong’s nan, who has been a great supporter of our school. Nanna passed away this week and I know we will miss seeing her at breakfast club and assembly. Our thoughts are with the family.

Notices that deserve repeating this week:

Thank you very much for making sure your child is coming to school in a warm winter uniform. I noticed a big improvement over the past two weeks. There were five or more children not wearing school uniform jumpers and jackets in the first week or so of term but now every child is in uniform. Thank you very much for your help. If your child loses their jumper and it is hard to replace, please see your child’s teacher or the office.

We are working with students to emphasise the importance of respectfully following teachers’ instructions. I noticed a very disturbing trend at the beginning of this term when some students loudly and rudely defied teachers, disrupted learning and risked safety. We are a school where all adults are paid professionals or skilled volunteers, whose job it is it respectfully provide reasonable instructions to ensure that learning and safety are our top priorities. I want to thank parents and families for your support. I have noticed a huge improvement with students understanding that they must attend classes in a responsible manner. We are not just educating children for tomorrow, we are educating them for high-school, college, and adult and working life. As young people’s brains are developing, we teach them to think and act responsibly. Your support is critical and appreciated.

Kinds regards, Libby

CLARENCE COUNCIL AFTER SCHOOL CARE

After hours School Care is available at our school Monday – Friday’s.
Please call to the school office to receive a pack.
This wonderful service is at risk of closing if numbers do not increase

Ms Porte’s Class have been speaking about the word “RESPECT”

Ms Porte class has been learning about the word respect and what it means. Together as a class they came up with a few ideas.

Respect is when you:

• Speak nicely to people
• Use your manners
• Are kind to people
• Look after your classroom
• Follow instructions
• Keep your hands in your lap on the mat
• Look at the teacher when they are talking
• Listen to people when they talk to you
• Stay out of people’s personal space.

They have come up with some extremely important points.

Simultaneous Storytime

Wednesday the 24th May 2017 was simultaneous Storytime which was held in the Launch into Learning room at school. Children and families attended to hear the story of The cow tripped over the moon which was read at 11am timing with many other children all over Tasmania. After completing they did activities relevant to the book including a cow jumping over a moon. It was a wonderful event and each child received a free book for attending and listening to the story.

PRE-KINDERGARTEN 2017

This will start in second term on Thursday’s from May 4th
Times will be 9 am till 10.30 am
Children are eligible who were born in the year 2013.
You must fill out an enrolment form available from the school office.
Children are to be accompanied by a parent or carer.
You will need to bring 1 piece of fruit to share a drink bottle with water and a smock.

High 5 awards presented at Assembly 29th May 2017

High 5 awards presented at assembly 5th June 2017

Green card rewards presented at assembly 29th May

NEW SCHOOL SIGN

Doesn’t our school sign look wonderful?

This sign was made possible by a grant from Community Empowered schools.

Home Reading

Congratulations to these students, who received Home Reading Certificates at assembly this week.

Hot water pastry

Equipment: chopping boards, knives, rolling pin, kettle, scales, large bowl wooden spoon, spray oil

170 gm butter
360 ml boiling water
700g plain flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt

Method

1. Measure the boiling water in a measuring jug and put the butter in the boiled water.
2. Put the flour, oil and salt into a large bowl and add the butter and water mixture.
3. Mix well with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball.
4. Tip the pastry out onto your floured workbench and knead pastry for 2 minute.
5. Put the pastry in a freezer bag and pit in the fridge for 10 minutes.
6. Divide the dough into 16 balls
7. Roll out each ball into a circle with a rolling pin.
8. Go to – filling recipe for further instructions.

Recipe resource – Stephanie Alexander recipe from Temperate & Cool Book 4

Vegetable samosas

Equipment

chopping boards knives
steamer
frypan
measuring cups
measuring spoons
baking paper
baking tray

Filling:

500gm pumpkin and/or sweet potato, diced into 2 cm cubes
3 large potatoes, diced into 2cm cubes
1 onion, finely diced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon salt and 3 twists of pepper
Hot water pastry – prepared earlier

Method:

1. Put 5 cm of water in the bottom of the steam pot.
2. Prepare the pumpkin and potato and put in the top steamer pot. Place steamer pot on top of other pot. Cook vegetables for approx. 5 minutes or until tender. Test vegetables with a fork to see if ready.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frypan. Add onion and cook until transparent.
4. Add the spices, salt, pepper, vegetables, and mix gently. Mix until all the spices are evenly distributed through the vegetables.
5. Place a spoonful of mixture into the centre of each pastry disc and fold in half. Press edges together firmly with a fork.
6. Place the samosas on a greased tray and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
7. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before eating.

Recipe resource – Stephanie Alexander recipe from Temperate & Cool Book 4

School Association News.

The following fundraisers over the past month have raised:-

Cooking - $500
Mother’s Day Stall $519.00

We thank you all for such generous support.

After School Activities

AUSLAN Tuesday @ 3:20pm

Please Note:  Auslan begins at 3:20pm on Tuesday afternoons.
Children are not permitted to stay at school without a parent between 2:40pm and 3:20pm.
Children must arrive back at school at 3:15pm to begin the AUSLAN lesson.

Uniform Shop

The uniform is now being run by the School Association President Tamara Knop and Rachel Paige.

The hours in which it will be open is:

MONDAY: 8.30 til 9am
WEDNESDAY: 8.30 til 9am
FRIDAY: 2.30 til 3pm

If other times are needed please contact Tamara or Rachel on the Risdon Vale Primary School Association Facebook Page.

NEWS FROM THE GARDEN

Bulb orders have been dispatched and should be back to school within 3 weeks. Thank-you for your support.

Word of the week

Resilience

Resilience is what gives people the psychological strength to cope with stress and hardship. It is the mental reservoir of strength that people are able to call on in times of need to carry them through without falling apart. Psychologists believe that resilient individuals are better able to handle such adversity and rebuild their lives after a catastrophe.

Dealing with change or loss is an inevitable part of life.

At some point, everyone experiences varying degrees of setbacks. Some of these challenges might be relatively minor (not getting into a class you wanted to take), while others are disastrous on a much larger scale (hurricanes, tornadoes, terrorist attacks). How we deal with these problems can play a significant role in not only the outcome but also the long-term psychological consequences.

What Is Resilience?

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to remain calm in the face of disaster while others appear to come undone? People that can keep their cool have what psychologists call resilience, or an ability to cope with problems and setbacks.

Resilient people are able to utilize their skills and strengths to cope and recover from problems and challenges. These problems may include job loss, financial problems, illness, natural disasters, medical emergencies, divorce, or the death of a loved one.

Instead of falling into despair or hiding from problems with unhealthy coping strategies, resilient people face life's difficulties head on. This does not mean that they experience less distress, grief, or anxiety than other people do. It means that they handle such difficulties in ways that foster strength and growth.

In many cases, they may emerge even stronger than they were before.

Those who lack this resilience may instead become overwhelmed by such experiences. They may dwell on problems and use unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with life’s challenges. Disappointment or failure might drive them to unhealthy, destructive, or even dangerous behaviours. These individuals are slower to recover from setbacks and may experience more psychological distress as a result.

Resilience does not eliminate stress or erase life's difficulties. People who possess this resilience don’t see life through rose-coloured lenses. They understand that setbacks happen and that sometimes life is hard and painful. They still experience the emotional pain, grief, and sense of loss that comes after a tragedy, but their mental outlook allows them to work through such feelings and recover.

Instead, resilience gives people the strength to tackle problems head on, overcome adversity, and move on with their lives. In the wake of traumas such as the 9/11 attacks and the Hurricane Katrina disaster, many individuals demonstrated the behaviours that typify resilience. Not only were they able to remain strong in the face of almost unbearable loss, they were able to carry on and even offer emotional support to others affected by the same tragedies.

Even in the face of events that seem utterly unimaginable, people can marshal the strength to not just survive, but to prosper.

Factors That Contribute to Resilience

Some individuals come by these abilities naturally, with personality traits that help them remain unflappable in the face of challenge. However, these behaviours are not just inborn traits found in a select few individuals. According to many experts, resilience is quite common, and people are very capable of learning the skills that it takes to become more resilient.

Social support is another critical variable that contributes to resilience.

Mentally strong people tend to have the support of family and friends who help bolster them up in times of trouble.

Other factors associated with resilience include:

• Holding positive views of themselves and their abilities
• The capacity to make realistic plans and stick to them
• Having an internal locus of control
• Being a good communicator
• Viewing themselves as fighters rather than victims
• Having high emotional intelligence and managing emotions effectively

For students kinder to grade 2:

For students grade 3 to grade 6:

Famous quotes on Resilience:

Resilience is all about being able to overcome the unexpected. Sustainability is about survival. The goal of resilience is to thrive. Jamais Cascio

Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems. Gever Tulley

CALENDAR OF EVENTS UPCOMING