FROM OUR PRINCIPAL MRS LEANNE SMITH

As we settle in to the term we continue to receive updates from the DoE who are following public health recommendations in regard to COVID-19.  As has been shared via social media and the news, with the new variant, we are expecting case numbers to stay higher through August.  We are continuing to follow all COVID safe guidelines using hand sanitiser and reminding student to wash their hands , wiping down high use areas regularly and supporting any one who chooses to wear a mask.  Thank you to all parents for keeping their children home if they are displaying any cold/flu like symptoms.  Please remember there are always RATs available through the office, if you require more.  As part of the recommendations we are asked to minimise the number of large gatherings. We are hoping to have  a whole school assembly this term but we are not yet setting a date until we see how August goes with case numbers.  We will keep you updated via the newsletter.  Keep checking in on Seesaw and there are always great stories from our classes in our newsletter each fortnight. 

USING OUR SCHOOL GROUNDS OUT OF HOURS:

We have great outdoor facilities here at Molesworth Primary School and there are often people utilising these during the weekends and after school.  The basketball court often has people both from the school and elsewhere enjoying a game.  We are always happy to have our equipment used when it is looked after and used responsibly.  Unfortunately over the last couple of months including during the holidays our groundsman has been picking up a lot of rubbish including takeaway bags and containers, empty stubbies and alcohol cans as well as cigarette butts.  One Monday morning there were stubbies and lids scattered through our sand pit.  Fortunately they were not broken.  If you know of people using our grounds or see groups please ask them to care for our amazing school.

BUS TRAVEL AND MOBILE PHONES:

Last week it was reported to the school of an incident of very inappropriate behaviours by a group of students using mobile phones.  Please talk with your child if they travel on the bus about responsible behaviour and that mobile phones are not to be used on the bus at all.  If there is a change for pick up or a message needs to given please go through the office during school time and the messages will always be given to your child.  As you know supervision during bus travel to and from school is a difficult one to monitor.  Making sure our bus drivers are able to drive without distractions is of utmost importance.

SMILING MINDS:

Last term I completed a course on using Smiling Minds in schools. Smiling Minds is a wellbeing program for Primary Schools from Kinder through to Grade 6.   Last week we began training of all staff.  The program structure goes through understanding mindfulness and using meditation to support everyone with their mental health. Mindfulness is about paying attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity and without judgement.

Mindfulness supports learning and wellbeing in several essential and interconnected ways.

As a program to support readiness for learning:

• Supporting readiness to learn, isn’t to say that children aren’t naturally ready for learning. You are no doubt familiar with the strong evidence that children learn from birth. Mindfulness can support this innate readiness by helping to settle and focus children at the beginning of any activity.

As a practice that strengthens and develops important cognitive skills related to learning:

• It improves attention, and improved attention means children are more able to focus.
• It improves working memory, cognitive flexibility, reasoning, planning, goal-directed behaviour and self-regulation – essential skills for learning new information.

Mindfulness can also reduce emotional reactivity and behavioural issues supporting all with self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills and responsibility and decision making.   

A component of the program is meditations followed by a debriefing discussion.  Students will be introduced to the program in the coming weeks.   If you are not aware of the Smiling Minds app it is a wonderful way to share meditation practices with your family.  There are lots and lots of ideas and information on the app about the evidence based benefits.  The app is available on both the App Store and via Google Play.