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Welcome to the 2021 school year!
What a wonderful start to the year we have had so far. It has been pleasing to see so many excited children returning to school eager to reconnect with old friends and discover new ones. Our teachers have made their classrooms bright and welcoming are we are looking forward to the creative learning that will be happening throughout the year. We are already seeing some great work produced from all the classes.
What’s the Main Thing in 2021?
This year, our main foci for improving student learning will be:
- To support every child to be a healthy and happy – to be safe and friendly and to know how to make friends, and to contribute to their own wellbeing and that of others.
- To support every child to develop strong oral and written literacy skills.
- To support every child to be curious, thoughtful, questioning and to develop the skills to be a successful life-long learner.
To help every student be successful now and in the future - these are the skills that we will be teaching.
We have been joined this year by some new staff. Anne-Marie Palmer has joined us on a 3-4, Kirsty Fellowes has returned to us to lead our Launching Into Learning program this year and we welcome back Joseph Watson who will be teaching with Lauren Duncan on 1-2 and with Nichole Harbottle on 3-4. Megan Fielding returns from maternity leave and will share the class with Zoe Gamble. Zoe worked with us last year but she is also a past student! Additionally we welcome to Glenorchy Primary Michelle Tadros and Amanda Young who will be working with Ben Gardner in our EAL program.
Kind regards
Wendy Potter
As you know COVID is still very much part of our society.
We are making visiting the school easier. We now have a QR code to use to Check In.
Please remember that assemblies will still be restricted to family of presenting classes and parents of award recipients. You will no longer be required to complete the lengthy COVID form - download the app and use your phone. Forms will still be available if preferred.
Our friendly office staff are available to help if you would like assistance.
The Tasmanian sun is fierce and burns tender young skin. The UV index is high during terms 1 and 4 and we have a rule that all children MUST wear a hat when playing outside, during break times, working in the garden or doing PE.
Many of our children have remembered their hats but quite a number have not. Our rule is NO HAT NO PLAY and children will be asked to sit in the shade.
Our school hats are available from the office for $8.
We do have a limited number of hats that children borrow but with the possibilty of sharing head lice we would prefer each child to have their own NAMED hat.
Prep/1 Morrisby has made a fantastic start to the year. This week they have been working on their self-portraits.
From Anxiety to Brave Behaviour
With even the bravest of hearts, anxiety can tell compelling stories of deficiency (‘You aren’t good enough/ strong enough,’) and danger (‘What if something bad happens?’). As is anxiety’s way, these stories are well-intended and designed to protect us by holding us back from threat. The problem is that these stories have little to do with the truth, and when anxiety shows up in children and teens, its effect on feelings and behaviour can be relentless. Instead of holding them back from threat, it just holds them back.
Anxiety works this way for all of us – children, teens, and adults. As isolating as anxiety can feel, it is an experience that we all share in some degree. This in itself can help children feel less alone, and reduce ‘anxiety about being anxious’ when anxiety feels bigger and more intrusive than it deserves to.
What do children and teens need to know?
Sometimes anxiety will work as it is meant to and show up in response to a real threat. Most often though, anxiety will show up, not in response to danger, but to something meaningful and important. For young people, this is when anxiety can shrink their world and their potential – but it doesn’t have to be this way.
Anxiety comes from a part of the brain called the amygdala. The amygdala is charged with the very important job of keeping us safe. It does its job beautifully, but not always at the right time. Sometimes the amygdala can work a little too hard, and instead of being a protective ally, it becomes an overprotective one.
The amygdala protects us by constantly scanning the environment for threat. When the amygdala senses something that might be a threat it surges the body with a powerful neurochemical cocktail, designed to ready our body for fight or flight. The amygdala will respond in the same way to physical threats (a car swerving towards us) as it will to psychological threats (the possibility of humiliation, exclusion, judgement, shame, separation, failure). When it comes to anxiety, dangerous things, and important or meaningful things (an exam, a performance, sports) can all feel the same.
How can we strengthen children and teens towards brave behaviour?
To change the response to anxiety, we first have to change the story. This shift is from anxiety being interpreted as a sign of danger (which will lead to avoidance), to anxiety being a very predictable, understandable response to something meaningful (which will lead to approach).
Two questions can help children and teens expand the space between anxiety and their response to it. This expansion only has to be for a moment – just long enough for them to be brave enough.
The first question for them to ask themselves is: Is my anxiety because of something dangerous? Or because there is something meaningful or important for me to do?
Then, the question that will encourage avoidance or approach:
Is this a time for me to be safe? Or is this a time for me to be brave?
Sometimes getting safe will be exactly the right thing to do. Sometimes though, it is actually a time to make a brave step towards that important meaningful thing. It doesn’t matter how big or small the step is, and it doesn’t matter how long it takes to get there. What matters is that the move is forward.
You can be anxious and brave
This doesn’t mean anxiety will disappear, but it doesn’t need to. Another important learning for young people is that they can be anxious and brave at the same time. They can be anxious and get the job done. They also don’t have to take a bounding leap towards that important meaningful thing. It can happen as a shuffle – one tiny brave step after another, that will together lead to something bigger.
If you would like to learn more about the Hey Warrior workshop click the link Hobart or Launceston
Renee House - Compass Seminars Pty Ltd |
Our school canteen is again open for lunch orders every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday!
Our canteen supervisor would love extra volunteers to help out in our canteen. Volunteers help collate the orders, prepare and package food and help with cleaning of the kitchen. You do not have to come every week - with enough volunteers you may be only called on once a fortnight or even less.
Please call the school office on 6272 7574 if you are able to spare a few hours.
We would like to welcome all school bankers back for 2021 and encourage any interested families to contact Commonwealth Bank.
If your child has lost their book, they can bring their money to school in a named, sealed envelope and we will issue a replacement.
To find out more about School Banking or to open a student banking account visit: commbank.com.au/schoolbanking
Thursday 25th February |
Grade 3-6 Athletics 9:15am-2:30pm |
Wednesday 3rd March |
Party in the Playground 3:00-4:30pm |
Monday 8th March |
Public Holiday 8 Hour day |
Wednesday 10th March |
Prep-Grade 2 Athletics |
Wednesday 31st March |
Last Day for Students - End Term1 |
Thursday 1st April |
Moderation Day for teachers |
Wednesday 21st April |
First Day Term 2 |