Dear Parents and Friends

There is often much discussion in our community and on social media about the behaviour of students in schools these days. There is also a lot of discussion out there about the behaviour of children in the public domain and the responsibilities of adults – parents and teachers, in the lives of these children.

Children do things that are socially unacceptable. They bite, fight, kick, hit, steal and lie. They say mean things.  Many of us parents have experienced our own children engaging in at least one of these socially unacceptable behaviours. Many a long car trip or argument at home results in mean words being said to siblings or physical aggression resulting in being sent to their bedrooms. Children are not by design “bad”. Unfortunately, sometimes bad things happen to them, and that is another story for another day.

Research tells us that the first 5 years of a child’s life are when the foundations for the skills of social and emotional intelligence are shaped and developing, however the brain does not mature until they’re in their 20’s. Sorry parents, you’ve got a way to go yet.

What this means at school is that we see a variety of students with a range of skills in the areas of social and emotional intelligence. It is fluid development. Some students have mastered, at a young age, the social skills expected of a primary age child. These students demonstrate good interpersonal skills, showing kindness and empathy in all interactions, which contribute to a supportive and inclusive classroom and playground environment. They show respect for others through both words and actions and accept diverse points of view and beliefs.

Others are still developing and working towards mastering these important skills. They are continuing to work on developing conflict resolution skills and beginning to demonstrate a growing awareness of how to navigate social situations more constructively.  They are yet to understand or appreciate the different points of view of others. They get frustrated when they don’t understand the social interactions of others.

The question is then raised “Why is this so?”

There are many reasons why children develop differently both physically and emotionally. Some examples of what impacts on a child’s development include:

• Financial
• Family conflict
• Domestic violence
• Illness
• Disabilities such as Autism, ADHD, Anxiety, Speech
• Sensory overload
• Diet

We don’t physically see differences in students who are impacted by the reasons listed above. The students don’t look any different, but they may well react or behave very differently depending on the circumstances they find themselves in. We as teachers call this the “Invisible 30Kg Backpack”. Many of our students carry these backpacks each and every day. We often don’t know what is in that backpack, but its contents can definitely have a negative impact on behaviour. Many of these students are still learning to manage distractions and consistently follow school and class expectations. They can experience difficulty taking responsibility for their actions. They need reminders to focus on the task at hand and how to be a good friend.

Through explicit teaching, partnering with parents and utilising the expertise we have available through our school psychologists, pastoral care worker and our learning support team, we aim to help all our students develop positive, respectful relationships with their peers, together with persistence and resilience in their learning. This takes time, teamwork and dedication.

Here’s to taking time as a village to raise our students so that become the best versions of themselves, making Jesus real in everything we do and say.

Mary-Anne Jennings

Principal

Building Update

We are currently working and learning on the site of “Restoration Australia” or so it seems! There is great progress being made with the new administration building as the foundations are nearly complete and we can actually envisage the new building.

To ensure the whole project stays on track, stages 2 and 3 of the project have been brought forward. What this means is that the refurbishment of the downstairs learning area into 3 new classrooms to mirror the K, Yr1 and Yr 2 classrooms above will start in Term 3. We have planned that downstairs we will have Yr 3,4,5 and 6 all together to provide better opportunities for collaboration and fluid learning groups. This was one important learning we took out of our COVID time when we discovered the amazing opportunities for collaboration and fluid learning groups that the K, Yr 1 and Yr 2 rooms provided.

So, our current library is now packed up and non-operational for Term 3 while it gets a makeover to become new classrooms for Years 3 and 4. The old Year 5 classroom is also getting a makeover.

Year 6 has moved into the Teacher Resource Room for Term 3.

Year 5 has relocated to where Year 6 was in Term 1 and will stay there for Term 3.

The Teacher Resource room will be re-purposed (probably Term 4) as our library, with an access ramp being constructed at its doorway. There will also be an access ramp from the current sports shed to the new classrooms' downstairs. It’s all happening!

Our playground will be partially cordoned off as the embankment gets a landscaping makeover to become a high-tech adventure play area with a slide, climbing wall and other great physical activities for students to conquer. Trees will be removed over the school holidays to allow for this new play area to be constructed.

The basketball court will be built in the near future too.

There will be a lot of disruption and noise in Term 3, but we are ready for it. We are so excited to finally, after many, many, many years, get our new building, playground and classrooms plus a basketball court. They say all good things come to those who wait.

School Musical

Yes, the school musical is going ahead as planned. Wednesday week 10 Term 3 (September 24) is our date for the performance. It will be busy and hectic but fun. This year the musical has been written by the students themselves, and we are very excited to be able to support the creative students at St Kevin’s in this venture. We look forward to enjoying their skills and talents as we sing and dance and dramatize their thoughts and story lines.