11 April 2019

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPALS REPORT

Hello Swan Reach,

When reflecting back on this term at SRAS, our values have shone through the collaborative actions of our school and community members. The respect given by all toward one another has noticeably grown. The vast volume of communication, verbal, written and text messages are testaments to this, along with the success of our sports carnivals, ski for life and 3 way conferences - to name but a few.

It’s highly pleasing to see and hear the excitement being produced by the new look P&F along with the enthusiasm and energy of the Governing Council and Student Representatives. The staff room and classrooms have certainly been immersed with higher engagement and deeper discussions about teaching and learning. As we head toward the holiday and Easter break, it will serve as an opportunity for staff and students to rest and recharge for term 2. Thanks all for your participation, integrity and care to ensure the best possible outcomes for all learners. Have a wonderful and blessed break.

FAREWELL

SRAS fondly farewells our Thai international student, Jirayu Sucharittakul, who is better known as Per. Thanks you for being a part of our school community and we’ll miss your happy nature. We wish you all the best for your future.

STUDENT FREE DAY

Last Friday, staff engaged in professional learning about Mental Health First Aid with accredited facilitator, Geoff Ahern. The following information is taken directly from his presentation:

What is Mental Health?

“..........a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” World Health Organisation (2007)

And not only is mental illness treatable, recovery is expected.

Let’s talk about anxiety.

Our starting point is……………….Anxiety is normal. “Young people today are growing up in an unprecedented toxic climate of stress and pressure.” Young Minds (www.youngminds.org.uk) January 2014

Treatment for Anxiety:

The first thing to say is that we expect recovery.The vast majority of adolescents dealing with anxiety will be perfectly fine (with some bumps along the way).

The first line of treatment is: Talking - “Addressing lifestyle is also of critical importance.” (Beyond Blue).

10 Simple Strategies for Supporting Anxious Kids.

1. Start by slowing down: Take a big deep breath (vagusnerve), try a meditation app.
2. Make time to worry: Write it down, have a “worry box,” use post it notes.
3. Take baby steps: Start with the small stuff.
4. Encourage positive thinking: Remind them of the times they’ve done well.
5. Have a go: Particularly if the young person is a perfectionist.
6. Model coping skills: Show them how you deal with anxiety.
7. Help them take charge: Get them to lock the doors and windows at night if they’re worried about intruders.
8. Be up front about scary stuff: War etc.
9. Check out Brave: https://brave4you.psy.uq.edu.au/
10. Check your own behaviour: Are you a helicopter or lawnmower parent?

John Robertson
Principal

INSIDE THE CLASSROOM

This week We take a look inside Mr Cowland’s 11/12 PE class. They were busy taking groups of year 8-10 HPE students for basketball skill development sessions. This is part of their constraints coaching task assessment where the year 12s have also completed their AIS Community Coaching online course.

UPPER SOUTH EAST ATHLETICS

Twenty two students from Swan Reach Area School were selected to represent “Swaninge” at the Upper South East Athletics Carnival held at Keith on Tuesday 26 March. Check out the next newsletter for a full report and photos from the day.

P & F AGM

Parents and Friends held their AGM on Tuesday 2nd of April. The attendance was very pleasing and it was great to see some new faces to help support P & F. Several items were discussed and we look forward to sharing these with the school community in the near future. President: Hayley Griffiths, Secretary: Mardi Le Brun and Treasurer: Liz Woodgate.

P & F LUNCH DAY

Advanced Notice

Parents and Friends will be holding a lunch day on Friday May 10th - Week 2, Term 2.

MENU

Order forms will go home in Week 1, Term 2.

Please look out for them. Orders will be required by Wednesday 8th May.

Thanks for your support.

School Bus Driver Required

Swan Reach Area School is seeking the services of a school bus driver to initially cover the morning bus run for the Department for Education bus. Applicants will need to have a minimum of a LR licence however MR is preferred. You will need to acquire driver accreditation through the Department of Planning Transport and Infrastructure. To obtain this, a certificate of fitness to drive heavy vehicle needs to be completed by your GP, along with child related employment screening clearance from the Department of Communities and Social Inclusion (DSCI) that can be filed at school. An application for approval to drive a school bus will then be signed by the Principal. All the necessary paperwork can be obtained from the front office staff at school. Once you have completed the process you could have the opportunity to drive more shifts for the department and possibly for private contractors. Please note this is a paid position. Thank you for contacting the school to book in an appointment for DCSI clearance and for any further information you require.

Newsletter Information

The Newsletter deadline for all articles is 10am, on the Tuesday before the newsletter is due. This runs the odd week of each term. Due Date for the next Newsletter is 30 April 2019. 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. Check out the details below to subscribe and get all the latest news from the school

Choose Maths Awards

Are you or do you know an inspiring maths teacher whose influence and impact has shaped learning and success well beyond their classroom? We are looking for Australia’s most engaging and innovative teachers dedicated to fostering student achievement, enjoyment and potential.

Someone whose colleagues and fellow professionals look up to and go to for assistance and guidance and whose positive impact, influence and commitment to excellence has transformed their school’s mathematics program. Someone who passionately communicates the beauty of mathematics and empowers students to succeed. To nominate please follow the link below.

Playgroup

Swan Reach Playgroup at SRAS Early Learning Centre. Tuesdays during term time 10am-12pm. All children birth to school age are welcome for indoor and outdoor play. Please wear sun-smart clothing, bring a hat, water bottle and fruit/veg to share for healthy snack time. $2 per session, per family. Contact Kristy Castle 0438857721

P-CMG

Parent-Child Mother Goose at SRAS Early Learning Centre. From 10am selected Thursdays during term (usually fortnightly). PCMG is a chance to get out of the house for babies and toddlers and their carers. Bond with your children and have fun using the power of songs, rhymes and stories. Trained facilitators Kristy and Claire lead a relaxed session for parents and children with a play and coffee n chat after. Sessions are free and there is no booking involved! Contact Kristy Castle 0438857721

Term 1 dates - April 4th, 11th (Weeks 3,5,7,10 and 11)

Woolworths Junior Landcare Grant

We’ve been successful with our application for a Woolworths Junior Landcare Grant for our project, a Bush Tucker Garden. Swan Reach Area School is one of 538 primary schools and early learning centres throughout Australia receiving a Woolworths Junior Landcare grant to help grow our next generation of environmental champions. The grants are being funded with money made from the sale of the Woolworths recyclable Bag for good™ which was launched in 2018 when the supermarket stopped using single-use plastic bags. The children and teachers are looking forward to working and learning from this project and we’ll keep you updated on the results. Click on the Woolworths Junior Landcare Grant map to read about our project and others.

Ski for Life

Thank you Swan Reach Area School Students, SRC, Ag Team and Staff. On behalf of our Ski For Life Team, we would like to say a big thank you and congratulations to you all. Thank you students for your exceptional effort in organising a fundraising event within your school, raising funds and making a substantial donation to the Ski For Life Charity.

It was a lovely surprise for you to present our team with your donation cheque! We would also like to say well done to your SRC representatives for public speaking at a public event, which was also being witnessed by media and a diverse range of communities within our own community.

We hope you enjoyed the afternoon and the presentation by Ben Pettingill. There was a wonderful atmosphere during the event. Some parts of the weekend were quite emotional around the cause, and there were lots of positives as well as challenges. Overall we as a team grew stronger as the days past. Our team reached our goal of finishing the ski relay of 456km! It was a huge team effort in planning, organising, more planning, more organising, managing our car and road crews, skiing and camp site set up and pack ups daily and boat logistics. It was a huge effort from our whole team.

10 of our 12 team members rotated with waterskiing everyday of the 3 days. Craig our boat owner and driver, was unable to ski as he broke his ankle in a waterskiing training accident a few weeks prior to the event and Livi was our road navigator. Our skiers were Cameron (70k’s), Griffo (70k’s), Briannah (70k’s), Thomas (100k’s), Frommy (70k’s), Nicole (25+k’s), Narelle (28k’s), Karli (40k’s), Hayley (21k’s) and Taylor (30k’s). Each of us achieved one personal goal along the way, which was rewarding to achieve both individually and as a team. The endurance to ski distance was challenging but each of us enjoyed the experience. Our fund-raising efforts saw us achieve way above our goal of $5000, and we raised just short of $10K at $9881.35.

Coming Events

Community Notice Board

Purnong District Hall Trash and Treasure

Easter Saturday, 8:30am start. Egg and Bacon Breakfast. Sausage Sizzle Lunch. Licensed Bar. Sellers $10 stall, set up from 7am. Contact Sue: 0457 357 333 to book a site. Tables inside available.

Exhibition Gallery

Come and visit an exhibition of “Barreloak Products” and “Gumvale Pottery” in the Gallery at the Swan Reach Women’s Rest Rooms. Victoria St, SWAN REACH. Open 10am – 3pm. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday (until the end of April).

Arthritis SA

Arthritis SA will be holding an information session in the Swan Reach Community Library on Monday 13th May, from 2-4pm. All Welcome.