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Hello Swan Reach,
Hoping the brief rain was kind to those in need and that more will come your way soon. SRAS empathises with the difficulty and struggle experienced by those on the land due to the dryness.
Reconciliation week is with us once more. The National Reconciliation Week 2022 theme, “Be Brave. Make Change” is a challenge to all Australians— individuals, families, communities, organisations and government. The wellbeing needs of ALL Australians and for us, the Swan Reach Community, is an ongoing initiative at SRAS through WeMatter. SRAS encourages a strong sense of belonging – ‘Every face has a Place.’ SRAS is proud of its collaborations with our ATSI families and look forward to engaging in ATSI cultural activities in NAIDOC week. Sam, Ivy and family are currently finishing off our ATSI / MMOT / SRAS hand mural that we started last year at the MMOT launch. The plan is to position it alongside the 2017 Reconciliation Mural at the front of the school and reveal it during NAIDOC Week.
DAYMAP – MOVING ONLINE EXPECTATIONS
Thank you to all families who have connect to, and are using DayMap. Our community has needed an extended transition time to engage with this learner management system, enabling a few issues to be corrected. ICT and using online platforms are the ‘norm’ for most DfE sites and organisations. With the need to utilise DayMap to its full capacity, SRAS is committed to taking our community to the next stage. That means, ALL families will need to access Daymap regularly to access their child(ren)’s learning, and communication from the school. This will include:
- Term overviews
- Student timetables
- Lesson outlines & resources
- Important messages and reminders – eg early finish & assembly
- Excursion notes
- Attendance – report absences
- Newsletters
- Reports – including behaviour
SRAS staff will follow up with families who need to establish or re-connect with DayMap App on their smart phone or computer over the next few weeks. This will be fantastic for all, as lost forms in bags or information you need, will be a thing of the past and at your fingertips.
Mr John Robertson
Principal
COVID UPDATE FROM DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION
The Emergency Management Committee has announced changes to face mask requirements in education settings.
From Monday 30 May (week 5), face masks will be:
- Strongly recommended (but not required) for all adults - including visitors and parents - while indoors, except when teaching or interacting with children
- Strongly recommended (but not required) for students in years 3 to 12 while indoors.
Students and staff will be encouraged and supported to continue wearing a face mask if they choose to.
Supplies of surgical face masks will continue to be provided by the Department for Education to our school/preschool/children’s centre.
Face masks for close contacts
If your child is a close contact and aged 12 years or older, they must wear a face mask when they are outside of the home for 7 days following exposure as per the SA Health close contact guidelines.
Face masks are strongly recommended (but not required) for classroom contacts.
Face mask use in outbreaks
The Department for Education and SA Health have advised that face masks will be required to be worn in education settings where COVID-19 transmission reaches certain thresholds, based on SA Health advice.
In these instances, face masks will be required to be worn indoors by students in years 7-12 only, and all staff and visitors in the school, preschool or and children’s centre for a 14-day period.
You will be advised of the dates that face masks will be required if we reach these outbreak thresholds at our school/preschool/children’s centre.
Exemptions will be made for students or staff who have a medical condition, such as problems with their breathing, a serious skin condition on the face, a disability, or a mental health condition.
Thank you to all parents and students for your cooperation and assistance in implementing the face mask measures at our school and preschool.
RESILIENCE
The article below titled ‘Resilience. Our Power to Cope’ is written by the founder of You Can Do it Education, Michael E. Bernard, Ph.D. With everyone’s resilience being continuously tested by COVID-19, it is timely to share his article. Access to the full article and video is online at: https://www.youcandoiteducation.com.au/2020/05/06/resilience-our-power-to-cope/
Resilience. Our Power to Cope
The strength that helps protect us when faced with stressful events at home and work is RESILIENCE – a combination of thinking and social-emotional skills that help people of all ages manage their feelings and behaviour.
A resilient MINDSET towards stress can change the impact of stress. The degree to which someone holds the mindset that stress has positive consequences or horrible consequences impacts the individual’s performance, productivity, health and wellbeing.
As students, teachers, administrators, and parents prepare for the return of schooling, possibly including distance learning, we need to be aware a person’s resilience is what will help them cope emotionally, including managing their anxiety and being positive about today and tomorrow. We need to stimulate people’s awareness of the ABCs of resilience, including the power we all have to become more resilient needs to be a top priority.
Resilience is what protects all of us from the negative and painful feelings we can experience at these times – much like an umbrella protects us from the rain.
The good news is that everyone can be resilient.
What exactly is resilience?
Simply, it means being aware of how you feel, staying calm when you get very upset, managing your behaviour, so you don’t get too negative, calming down quickly and bouncing back.
When is it needed? Whenever you face difficulty. A difficulty might be dealing with changes at work, like a cutback in hours of employment, working from home, or becoming unemployed. Difficulties at home can be forced proximity with immediate family, lack of opportunities to meet with friends, oversight of children’s distance learning, relationship difficulties.
If we are fortunate not to have experienced much adversity in our lives, we may be unaware of how resilient we are. Only when we face significant threats, challenges or difficulties do we become aware of how sensitive we are to our surroundings and whether we have the inner quality of resilience that helps us cope and prosper.
Epictetus, a Stoic-Roman, wrote about the power of mindset some 2,000 years ago: “People are not affected by events, but by their view of events.“
The answer to the following question sheds light on the strength of someone’s resilient mindset:
“How good are you in being able to see the positive side of stressful events after your initial negative reaction?“
Today, due to being overwhelmed with stress, many of us are less able to respond positively to stressful events as we once were. Pandemic stress has forced its’ way into our lives, disrupting routines, relationships and the way we go about our business. In this instance, formerly resilient people need opportunities to rebuild and strengthen their resilience. When the amount of stress increases significantly, our amount of resilience diminishes.
We know that people’s mindset about stress, when negative, can be altered – to great benefit. It does not take long for people to experience a beneficial effect on their work performance and wellbeing when they learn to re-frame stress positively rather than negatively.
When faced with pandemic stress and the changes that have occurred at work (cutback in hours of employment, working from home, being laid off) and home (forced proximity with immediate family, lack of opportunities to meet with friends, oversight of children’s distance learning, relationship difficulties), it is essential for your emotional health and wellbeing to review the benefits of these changes. These can include more time to pursue hobbies, more time to develop stronger relationships with family members, a re-consideration of work opportunities post COVID-19 and more time to smell the roses.
Here are some simple things you can do to be resilient.
- Be aware of how upset you are.
- Consider the negative consequences of losing control of your emotions and allowing them to rule your behaviour – for the worse.
- It is OK to be upset (don’t beat yourself up). But also remind yourself of the power you have to manage your emotions and that being medium rather than extremely upset is an option and means you are still in control and capable of making good decisions.
- Do not blow the badness of events out of proportion.
- Remind yourself that while you might not like the way someone behaves, you can stand it.
- No matter their age, everyone is still learning how best to get along – everyone makes mistakes – everybody has issues that can lead to negative behaviour.
- Take a few slow, deep breaths to relax.
- If you have to, remove yourself from the situation until you are calmer.
- Discuss the problem with a sympathetic listener.
- Distract yourself by listening to music, taking a bath, or going for a walk.
- Don’t take things personally. And be proud of yourself – no matter what!
Student Photo Day on Friday 3rd June.
Please return your envelope even if you do not wish to purchase any photos.
Family envelopes are available from the Front Office.
Auskick is inclusive for everyone and this term the Year 11 & 12 Sport Studies class have been running sessions with our students in R-6 classes. The sessions take place at 2:15pm every Friday afternoon during Term 2 (see the photos below). If you haven’t already, there is still time to register your child/ren using their government Sports Voucher. Fill out the attached form and return to the school.
The Parents and Friends Committee held the annual Biggest Morning Tea to help raise funds for the Cancer Council in the library this week. We had great attendance and it was lovely to see everyone. We had some very generous donations by the community and were able to raise just over $450. Thank you to everyone for attending and bringing along some scrumptious food to share. Congratulations to Phil Carter who guessed the 'lucky tea pot' - well done Phil!
Thanks, Kate Howie
Parents and Friends Committee
Due date for the next Newsletter is 10:00am, Wednesday, 8th June, 2022. The newsletter is distributed via the SZApp and school website. Printed copies are still available upon request.
Articles can be emailed to dl.0423.info@schools.sa.edu.au clearly marked in the subject box as Newsletter, faxed to 8570 2325 or delivered to the library/front office. Due to the way the Newsletter is now being set up, not all photos are included in the print copy, however there are several photo galleries included online and via the SZApp. Apple devices: open the App store and search and download SZapp, on Android devices open the Play store and search and download SZappa; select the Asia Pacific region and search for Swan Reach Area School. Follow the prompts to register using an email address and create a password to access the online newsletter. Contact the school should you require any assistance.
The Swan Reach Area School website is where you can find all the school information including the newsletter, forms and policies. Please visit https://swanrchas.sa.edu.au.
OPENING HOURS
The library now has a mobile phone for communication. Please let me know if you would like to be included on the message list to receive notifications, holiday and opening hours etc.
The number is: 0460 366 067
'BEING DIGITAL INNOVATION'
being digital is a program to help promote the digital assistance and learning that SA’s public libraries offer to adult South Australians.
The being digital webpage provides a useful portal for those less experienced with technology and digital to start learning the basics. The content featured is provided by partners including Be Connected and the eSafety Commisioner. We encourage you to further browse the courses offered by these partners on their websites to continue your digital learning journey. being digital is jointly funded by State Government and Local Government. We’re making it easy for you to develop your skills and confidence to connect with today’s digital world. Learn more about our being digital program. Need additional assistance? Contact your local library.
The webpage which has learning content by topic and links to related digital literacy programs at libraries is at http://www.libraries.sa.gov.au/beingdigital
COVID-19 DIGITAL PASSPORTS
Can't access your digital passport or load on your phone? The Community Library can scan your paperwork and reduce to credit card size for your wallet or purse. No charge.
3 JUNE | School Photos |
10 JUNE | Student Free Day |
13 JUNE | Public Holiday (Queen's Birthday) |
17 JUNE | Pedal Prix Dinner @ Nildottie Hall |
20 JUNE | Governing Council (Finance 5:30) Meeting 6pm |
21 JUNE | Primary Interschool Sports Day @ Cambrai |
6 AUGUST | Pedal Prix Race @ The Bend (8 Hour) |
8 AUGUST | Governing Council Meeting 6pm |
25-26 SEPTEMBER | Pedal Prix Race @ The Bend (24 Hour) |
PLEASE NOTE COVID RESTRICTIONS WILL APPLY TO ALL
COMMUNITY EVENTS UNLESS ADVISED OTHERWISE.
Swan Reach Christian Women's Group invite you to join them for Bible study and fellowship each month. 11am, second Tuesday of the Month at the Swan Reach Lutheran Church Hall. BYO lunch. For more information please phone Taryn 0427 702 377 or Josie 0419 708 224. All welcome.