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Informer Term 2 - Week 4

From Our Principal ...

Dear Families,

I have used this story before, but it is too good not to keep sharing.

A 10-year-old boy decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.

The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn’t understand why, after three months of training the master had taught him only one move.

“Sensei,” the boy finally said, “Shouldn’t I be learning more moves?”

“This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you’ll ever need to know,” the sensei replied.

Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.

Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.

This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened.

“No,” the sensei insisted, “Let him continue.”

Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.

On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.

“Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?”

“You won for two reasons,” the sensei answered. “First, you’ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defence for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm.”

Often in life, what might appear to be an incredible weakness can in fact be our greatest strength. The challenge is to look beyond our limitations and focus on what you have and what you can control. As an educator and fellow traveller on the journey, my constant message to families and students is that the one thing we have total control, over is our attitude.

Have a great week and hug your kids.

Regards,
Jamie Emerick
Principal.

Administration Car Park Closed 2:30-3:15

For the safety of our students, please be reminded that the front Administration Car Park is NOT for student drop-off or pick-up.

The Administration Car Park will be CLOSED DAILY between 2:30pm and 3:15pm.

Disabled car parks are accessible in our main car park (off Laner Street).

Students must be picked-up/dropped off in the allocated supervised areas (J Hickey Ave or Laner Street).

Thank you.

Helping My Child On Their Reading Journey Workshops

Are you interested in learning more about how children learn to read and how to help your child on this learning journey?

If so, we are running our final parent workshop from 8.00am to 8.40am in the Library this Friday 17 May.

Please register by emailing your name and contact details to: sjg_office@rok.catholic.edu.au or phoning the School Office on 49781799. Numbers will be strictly limited. Looking forward to seeing you.

Australian Early Development Census (AEDC)

Building a national picture of child health

From May 2024, our school, along with thousands of others across the country, will participate in the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC).

The AEDC is a teacher-completed census (similar to a questionnaire) which provides a comprehensive picture of how children have developed by the time they start their first year of full-time school.

The AEDC is an Australian Government Initiative and is completed nationally every three years. Children don’t miss any class time while the AEDC is completed, and parents/carers don’t need to supply schools with any new information.

The data collected through the AEDC is used by schools, communities and governments to better understand children and families’ needs, and identify the services, resources and support they need.

AEDC data is reported at a school, community, state/territory and national level. AEDC results for individual children are not reported and the AEDC is not used as an individual diagnostic tool.

Some teachers have found that completing the AEDC made them more aware of the needs of individual children and their class, and that the data was useful for planning for transitions to Year 1 and developing programs.

Participation in the AEDC is voluntary, however the AEDC relies on all schools with children in their first year of full-time school participating in the collection. Parents/carers don’t need to take any action unless they choose not to include their children in the census.

To find out more about the AEDC and how it is being used to help children and families visit: www.aedc.gov.au.

Book Club: Orders Close Wednesday 8 May

Volunteer Inductions

If you wish to volunteer in any capacity at St John's and you have not yet completed one of our 2024 Volunteer Induction sessions, it is essential that you attend one of the session times listed below. You do not need to pre-register; just arrive at the school library 5 minutes prior to the start time.

Do It For Dolly - Free Dress Day Fri 10 May

Be kind to everyone and everything you see. A little kindness goes a long way. Join us on May 10 2024 to remember Dolly, raise funds and share the Dolly's Dream message to be kind and speak, even if your voice shakes.

Learn to Pray

Sacrament of Confirmation

Families with children eligible to complete their formation for the Sacrament of Confirmation, please take note.

Enrolments are now open for this preparation. Families are asked to read and complete the enrolment form and complete payment. Copies of the letter AND enrolment form will be provided to students who completed the Sacrament of Reconciliation in 2023.

Please contact the front office if your child does not receive enrolment information by 19 April. Spare copies will be available there.

Confirmation folders can be collected from the parish or school front office from Monday 6 May.

Parent_Information_Letter_signed.pdf

Confirmation_and_Communion_Enrolment_Form.pdf

St John's Disco - Friday 10 May

Flute Lessons at St John's

If your child is interested in learning to play the flute at St John’s school, please ask your child to go to the music room on Friday to pick up a form.

This form is to give me permission to test your child on getting a sound out on the flute headpiece.

Please be aware that there are no hire flutes available. If your child is successful after testing, you would need to purchase your own flute.

Regards
Mrs Perrett

Port Curtis Cross Country - Wed 8 May

Some important information to remember:

Students are to organise their own transport to and from Benaraby State School and wear their St John's Sport uniform. All runners must wear shoes. No spikes or boots will be allowed.
Course familiarisation walks are between 8:30am - 8:50am and then again between 11:35am - 11:55am.
Arrive a minimum of 30 minutes prior to your race.
Please ensure your child brings their competative booklet that has been signed by Mr Emerick, Mrs McVean or Mrs McAndrew.
Please ensure your child signs in with Mrs McVean when they arrive and sign out when they leave. When they sign in with Mrs McVean upon arrival she will write their competitor number on their arm and leg.
Bring a hat, water and small snack if required. Benaraby State School will have a canteen operating.
Please park outside the school grounds, ensuring your vehicle is not parked on the footpath or bike path outside the school. Please do not park across the gateways of local residents and bottom driveway of the school for the Ambulance access.

Course map is included on the Port Curtis School Sport facebook page, as well as in today's newsletter.

Port_Curtis_Cross_Country_Course_information.pdf

Port Curtis Softball

Fitness Club

Counsellor's Corner

Tips for talking with and helping children cope after tragic events

Distressing events like tragic accidents in your local area, or that took place in familiar places like a popular holiday location, or even disasters that happen far away, but are covered by the media, can be powerful and upsetting incidents that intrude into daily life. News, social media and conversation can lead to overwhelm. The Australian Psychological Society (APS) recommends the following strategies for adults and children:

The APS recommends the following strategies for people impacted by this tragic event:

Seek support: Reach out to friends, family, or a mental health professional for emotional support and guidance.

Practice self-care: Engage in activities that promote relaxation and well-being, such as exercise, mindfulness, and spending time in nature.

Express emotions: Allow yourself to express and process your emotions and make space for and normalise all emotions including shock, grief, fear and sadness.

Establish routines: Establishing daily routines can provide a sense of stability and control in the aftermath of trauma.

Limit exposure to media: Avoid or limit exposure to media, including social media, that may exacerbate distressing symptoms.

Practice grounding techniques: Grounding techniques, such as deep breathing or focusing on sensory experiences, can help manage distressing symptoms and promote a sense of safety.

Seek professional help: If symptoms persist or interfere with your daily functioning, consider seeking professional, evidence-based help from a psychologist experienced in treating trauma.

The APS has the following advice for parents and carers speaking with, or caring for children, who witnessed the event or have heard about it from others or in the media:

Talk about the event - Encourage (but don’t force) children to talk about their thoughts and feelings about the events. Let them know that talking about it can be a good thing.

Provide children with opportunities to express their feelings - Help children and young people to put words to feelings.

They may talk about it in their own time or after a few days rather than the first time you have a conversation, so try to be open to this.

Sometimes children can better express their feelings through play than through words, so make time to play with them.

Let them know that crying is fine when they need to.

Monitor and limit media exposure - Children can become distressed and fearful after watching repeated images of frightening events on the TV or social media so restrict their exposure to traumatic material

Engage in age-appropriate honest discussions - By their very nature, tragedies are especially difficult to explain, and it can be very challenging to understand ‘unthinkable’ events.

It is normal for children (and adults) to seek an explanation of why a tragedy occurred.

By understanding, we are often trying to reassure ourselves that a similar event could be prevented in the future, so be prepared for ‘why’ questions.

Uncertainty is particularly distressing, so these questions can be hard, but children need our best answers

For more information on helping children affected by tragic events: helping-children-affected-tragic-events.pdf (psychology.org.au)

Library News

Happy Mother's Day

Pascal is playing alone, cuddling the baby, when the girls plan to take over. "Make it I'm the mother" says Ellen, and they take the baby out to the cubby. Left alone, Pascal plans a revenge: the baby goes missing. Where could it be? Pascal leads the search party all around the kindergarten.

Mother Bird leaves her egg to search for food; baby bird hatches and goes on a search to find his mother. This simple story offers an adventure, an opportunity to identify common animals and a reminder that we all have a mother who loves us.