Robotics

Implications for things you do!  Originally I said that I would take 20 students on a first in basis for robotics.  However, as the expressions of interests came in I slowly took on more and more, with staff cautioning me all the while that I was taking on too many.  Currently our numbers for robotics are 33! Oops!  This makes for a very busy, sometimes loud and congested robotics’ room : 33 children, 15 robots and 4 teachers.  Hence, the pause as we tried to work out a way of continuing, as it is difficult to instruct in this environment with a mask on!  At this point we will delay another 2 weeks.  Initially, I was hopeful that we could just go ahead in 2 weeks – blind optimism.  Any lessons that we miss we will make up in Term 4. In the meantime, I will investigate how we might relocate our lessons to the library.  This isn’t a simple fix as the robots are not a fan of the carpet, but we can probably adjust our intended project.  Thanks for your patience and I will keep in touch,

A Helping Hand

At P&F meetings over the last few months there has been significant discussion on extending a helping hand to members of our own school community when they need it.  At times we all need a hand up!  This might occur because there is a newborn in the family.  We all know how frazzled and overwhelmed life can become when we have a little one consuming our every waking and sleeping (or lack thereof) moment.  At other times, there may be a death in the family or a change in work circumstances.  Additionally, there may be times when health issues arise for parents or children that have a significant impact on daily lives.

We would like to establish a helping hand community here at St Kevin’s.  Are you able and willing to help?  We would like to create at least 3 teams who would be willing to go on a roster to offer a hand when needed.  What it would involve is offering to make a sweet or savoury that we could hand on to a family in need ( any of the circumstances above or more).  This would be an anonymous donation offered in a disposable container with ingredients listed on the lid.  Unfortunately, we do not currently have the space or resources to store these at school but would need families to store at home until drafted into action.  We anticipate that we might only need to call on families once per term. Can you help?

If you are interested in assisting, please email me on kim.hogan@mn.catholic.edu.au

COVID, anxiety and our children

We are certainly living in a time of uncertainty and on return to school things are a little different.  There are some COVID safe procedures that we have kept going but the children now see their teachers with masks on. That’s a change! If we are in the classroom with just the children we are mask free but whenever there is another adult in an indoor setting we mask up. 

As adults we are wondering what may happen next, I am reasonably confident that there will be a good percentage of children who also wondering about what is going on.  Please see below information from BeyondBlue that I have copied.  This is an excellent site that you may wish to check out.

Five tips for parents and guardians

1. Be aware of what kids are watching

On average, adults in Australia spend nearly 100 hours watching TV or browsing online, and it’s safe to assume most people are more tuned in to the news than normal at the moment. Think about how often children are in the room or watching over your shoulder and be proactive about switching off when they’re around.

2. Help them understand

Encourage your child to ask questions about what they’re seeing and explain that sometimes scary things happen in the world and it can be hard to understand why – and it’s really normal to feel scared and worried. 

3. Provide plenty of reassurance

While your day-to-day schedule will no doubt be disrupted, it’s important to develop regular routine to help children feel comfortable and secure. This could be something as simple as having set meal times or reading each night before bed.

4. Focus on the helpers

Help your child see the positives – that there are lots of people working at hospitals, supermarkets and petrol stations to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. You can also point out any acts of kindness, such as discounted meals and free coffee for healthcare workers, as examples of decency in people. 

5. Take care of yourself

Everyone is feeling the effect of the coronavirus, even if you haven’t contracted the illness or know someone who has. It's important to take care of yourself so you can continue to support your family.

• Limit how much news you watch if you’re becoming pre-occupied or feeling overwhelmed. 
• Talk to others about how COVID-19 has affected you.  
• Take care of yourself by exercising, getting enough sleep and communicating with friends and family.
• Seek professional support if you need it. 

Changes in behaviour – what to look for

When children are confronted with something stressful, like the constant discussion and coverage of COVID-19, they’re not always able to express their feelings in the same way adults can. Instead, they show how they’re feeling through their behaviour.

Common reactions include:

• becoming clingier
• having more tantrums or outbursts
• acting younger than their age
• not sleeping as well  
• being more irritable
• talking more about death and dying

If your child is acting differently and you’re worried about their reaction to distressing news, seek support from a health professional or contact  The  Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service.