Term 4 Week 7

We are coming to the end of the 2021 school year (how exciting!!).  The children are engaged in finishing off assessments, projects and oral presentations and the teachers are constantly being amazed with how much the children have grown over the 12 months.  We are constantly grateful for our parent community that supports the learning that takes place at school.  As a leadership team, we look forward to seeing you all at the many events that are scheduled over the next few weeks.

AFTER SCHOOL ON SCHOOL GROUNDS

Just a gentle reminder to follow school rules before and after school.  We love having children in the school grounds after school and understand that it is a lovely time to connect with families in the community.  However, there has been some little children climbing the outside stair banister of the Year 1 building and we are asking parents to ensure that their children do not do this as we want to ensure all children are safe.  We thank you in advance for this.

There have also been some behaviour incidents with high school children that are in the school grounds to pick up siblings.  If you have an older sibling that comes in to collect younger children we kindly ask you to talk with your children about following the primary school rules of ‘Be Safe, Be Respectful and Be Responsible’.  Thank you for this.

AWARD CEREMONIES

Our academic and effort award ceremonies will be held in the last two weeks of the school year.  Please see the criteria for the Awards below.  To acknowledge all the wonderful work our children do in the space of Spanish, Physical Education and Music there will now be a year level award to recognise and value student achievement in these specialised subject areas.

Effort Awards

Citizenship Award – Walker Award

Award Ceremony Dates:

• 30/11 (9:15am) – Year 5 & 6 Academic and Effort Awards

– Year 5 & 6 Academic and Effort Awards

• 1/12 (9:15am) – Year 3 & 4 Academic and Effort Awards
• 2/12 (9:15am) – Year 1 & 2 Academic Awards

ZONES OF REGULATION

This week, teachers and teacher aides participated in a two hour Zones of Regulation workshop.  The workshop connected our current thinking, consolidated shared language and gave us new ways to discuss the Zones of Regulation.  Sometimes you may hear your child talk about being in a particular zone – please see the information below regarding the different Zones of Regulation.

Explaining the Zones 

The following information is to be used as a guide only. Please note that there are several other emotions and strategies that students may implement that are conducive to both this program and their learning.  

Blue Zone:  

• Feelings include: Tired, Sick, Sad, Upset, Bored
• Students may be slumped at their desk, not engaged in activities
• Strategies for the blue zone aimed at waking up the student’s body, helping students feel 

better and regaining their focus. Example include: 

• Have a drink of water
• Movement break or exercise
• Get some fresh air or a run and errand
• Red coloured movement break

Greens Zone: 

• Feelings Include: Good, Happy, Focused, Calm, Relaxed
• Students are settled, ready to learn, sitting up straight and listening to instructions
• Strategies for the Green Zone are aimed at keeping the feelings of in control and maintaining an appropriate level of focus. Example Include:
• Popcorn holds
• Carry heavy object

Yellow Zones: 

• Feelings include: Confused, Frustrated, Annoyed, Excite, Scared, Silly
• When students are unable to correctly respond to a given situation. For example, when student is becoming restless in the classroom because they are unsure if what to do. Often, they are confused about their response to a task or how to seek support.
• When students are in the Yellow Zone, they have a choice of weather they try to return to the green zone or let the situation escalate to the Red Zone. 
• Strategies for the Yellow and Red Zone are aimed at calming the student’s body and/or mind.
• Take 5 deep breathes (in through the nose, out through the mouth)
• Count backwards from 10 slowly
• Figure 8 breathing
• Movement break 
• Positive self-talk
• Classroom card to indicate break and teacher check in on return.

Red Zone: 

• Feelings include: Angry, Out of Control, Mad, Terrified, Aggressive

PREP ORIENTATION/ PREP AND YEAR 1 MOVE ON MORNING

This past Monday, the Prep teachers hosted the new 2022 families.  It was a lovely morning where children were welcomed into classrooms, met the prep teaching team and engaged in activities.  This morning also was set aside for the current Prep children to go to the year 1 building and learn all the wonderful things they will do next year.  The Year 1 children also moved on to Year 2 – once in the Year 2 buildings they learnt about the different eating areas, toilet spaces, playgrounds and learnings.  This transition was set up to ensure children have a sense of what next year will look like.  Over the coming weeks children will be inquire into what the following year will look like, sound like and feel like – this is organised by teachers in an effort to create a smooth transition to the next year level.