Dear Families,

By this time in the term we tend to notice that our students become tired and less resilient. Things that would normally not bother or upset them become major issues. When our students are resilient they feel confident and capable of dealing with life’s challenges and their ability to learn and pay attention in school is improved.

What is resilience?
Resilience is the ability to cope with change and challenges – to ‘bounce back’ and recover when things go wrong. Ups and downs, change and challenges are a normal part of life and everyone goes through periods of feeling stressed, angry or unhappy. But if kids are stressed for long periods of time, stress hormones (particularly cortisol) can build up in their brain and interfere with their ability to learn and pay attention in school. Using healthy coping skills to deal with stress can help your child to pay attention, use higher level thinking skills and learn new facts and ideas.

Resilience involves behaviours, thoughts and actions that can be learned over time. Here are some tips for encouraging resilience in your child.

Strong relationships
Encourage your child to develop a wide social circle of friends through school and extra-curricular activities. Help your child develop and maintain strong connections with yourself and other family members who they can talk to and go to for advice.

By encouraging strong relationships and good communication, your child will have the opportunity to talk about important issues affecting them and feel supported when they experience life’s inevitable disappointments and hurts. Connecting with people provides social support and strengthens resilience.

Self-respect
Self-respect is very important to building resilience. When your child believes in themselves, they will have the confidence to handle challenges and disappointments when they occur. Encourage your child to learn to trust themselves to solve problems and make good decisions. Talk to your child about when they have successfully handled difficult situations in the past – and let them know that previous challenges can help you build strength to handle difficult situations in the future.

Values
Resilience is linked to character traits such as kindness, honesty and empathy. Doing things to help others or ‘make a difference’ can help build children’s sense of worth and strengthen their resilience. Talk to your child about the importance of being kind to other people and encourage them to get involved in age-appropriate volunteering.

Change is part of life
Change can often be scary for children. Help your child understand that change is part of life, and that changes can be positive. Talk about how people grow and learn new things through change. Encourage your child to think about how they have already changed and grown so much since they started school. Try to give your child extra attention and patience if they are feeling anxious about changes in their life – and let them know that though some things will change, they can always rely on your love and support.

Onwards and upwards
When your child experiences a difficult situation in their lives, try to talk to them about it and give them your encouragement and support. Let them know everyone goes through troubles and that bad times don’t last forever. Talk to your child about situations in your own life when you have gone through a hard time or succeeded despite an initial setback.

Encourage your child to think about ways they can make themselves feel better when something upsetting happens – like doing a fun activity, talking with a friend or going for a walk.  Help your child to see the good things in life (even in times of stress) and be optimistic about the future. Encouraging your child to develop a positive attitude will help strengthen their resilience.

Self-care
Encourage your child to eat properly, exercise and get enough sleep – and make sure they have ‘down-time’ to just relax and have fun. Making sure your child is healthy and has time for fun will help them stay balanced and better able to deal with stressful times (this is important for their carers too!).

This week is Sabbath Week. It is typically Week 7 each term and is a week to pause, rest and be present to each day. The Sabbath is a traditionally Jewish custom where one day in seven was devoted to rest and worship. Many other cultures have similar cultural observances.

At St Thomas Aquinas the Sabbath Week is specifically timed when energy levels begin to dip during the term giving us a small pause before completing the final weeks of the term.

God Bless

 
Leah Taylor
Principal

3 Way Conversations will be held in Week 10 on Tuesday, 22 June after 3pm and Wednesday, 23 June before 9am and after 3pm.

This is an opportunity for you to have a 3 Way Conversation between Parents, Teachers and Students to discuss academic results.  These bookings are optional but we urge you to take advantage of the opportunity to meet with your children's teacher/s.

Bookings will open on Monday, 7 June at 6am and close on Monday, 21 June at 12pm.

Parent Survey
We are inviting parents to provide feedback on their experience of our school using an online survey. Over the next week, we will be surveying staff, parents and students. These surveys are an important part of our whole school evaluation and planning process.

We would like to invite you to complete the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey. As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community we would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at St Thomas Aquinas.

The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. You are able to access the parent survey on your computer or mobile device by following this link:

Student Survey - Years 4 to 6
Please find attached here information regarding the Tell Them From Me Student Survey - Years 4 to 6.  If you do not want your child/ren to take part in the survey, you should have completed the attached form and returned it to school by Tuesday, 1 June 2021.

• School Fees for Term 2 are now overdue.
  Please pay asap unless you have arranged a direct debit payment.  We currently have approximately $270,000 in outstanding fees.

• Single-use plastics banned in the ACT
  Changes to single-use plastics in the ACT are officially on the way. From 1 July 2021, the ACT will become the second Australian jurisdiction to commence a ban on the sale and supply of selected single-use plastic items including: 

  • Single-use plastic cutlery 
  • Single-use plastic drink stirrers 
  • Expanded polystyrene takeaway food and beverage containers.

  Please ensure your child/ren have drink bottles and utensils for eating yoghurt, soups etc.

• COMPASS Kiosk has Arrived!!!
  Please note that our Compass Kiosk has been installed.  This requires all parents/carers to sign their child/ren IN/OUT/LATE.

Please note that all students are required to be at school by 9am each day.  If you drop your child/ren off after 9am, please enter the Front Office to sign your child/ren in.  

Parents who have dropped their children off after 9am, and not signed their child/ren in late, will be asked to return to school to sign-in their child/ren via the Compass Kiosk at the Front Office.  This is a CE compliance requirement.

• Absentee Notifications
  Whilst we await the introduction of the Compass Parent Portal, it is preferable that Absentee Notifications be advised electronically as they are now required to be attached electronically.  Notifications can be sent via:

• • SZapp portal - Choose Absentee - see menu below.  Instructions on how to install SZapp can be found here.
  • Email the teacher
  • Email the office via office.staquinas@cg.catholic.edu.au

Thank you for your co-operation.

• Enter the School via the Front Office Only
  For the safety of students and staff, all parents/carers/visitors must enter the school via the Front Office only.  Please do not enter the school via any other door, even if it is for a short period of time to talk to a teacher, check lost property etc.  Our COVID requirements also require all visitors to the school to register with the Front Office.
  
  
• Arranging Meetings with Teachers
  Just a reminder that if you wish to speak/meet with your child's teacher, please pre-arrange a time with the teacher via email as teachers often have meetings and professional development before/after school.

Online orders for Issue 4 due by 9 June 2021

Scholastic Book Club Order Forms have been sent home today.

No cash orders will be accepted at the Front Office for Scholastic Book Club.

The school will still get credits and the books will still be delivered to school for us to distribute, unless parents have requested they be delivered to their home.

Please download the INLOOP App
on your device or order from the online website.

https://mybookclubs.scholastic.com.au/Parent/Login.aspx

 Any questions please contact me via email ksligar@bigpond.net.au

Yes, it is that time of the year again! The end of May is when we start to witness UV levels dropping off in Canberra to levels that are considered low (under 3) for part, if not most, of the day. It is also that time of the year when confusion sets in around sun protection recommendations in ACT school settings.

To keep things simple and consistent for ACT primary schools and early childhood services, many years ago Cancer Council ACT coined the phrase End Of May is Hats Off Day to assist these busy settings with their ‘hats on’ (hats off) behaviour.

So, in keeping with the End of May is Hats Off Day tune, all Canberra primary school students (and teachers) can leave their hats off for the months of June and July due to low (under 3) daily UV levels each day in the ACT.

The End of May spells Hats Off Day for ACT primary schools, for a few months anyway because the Beginning of August is Hats On Again For All Of Us as UV levels start to rise again in Canberra putting sensible sun protection behaviour back on the radar.

Read more about UV exposure and the healthy balance for Vitamin D benefits here.

Community News is located on our website.

The attached advice from the Department of Education, Skills and Employment provides details of information that is collected from our school.

Please view the letter here.

Please ensure your address and contact details are up to date if you have moved since February 2021.  You do not need to do anything else.

Thank you for your assistance.

JUNE 2021
Congratulations to the following students who will be celebrating their birthday this month:

Anna D;  Aleisha MA;  Leo W;  Mackenzie C; Millie A;  Maeve J; Leilani MH; Lucinda B;  Maddison J;  Emily McL;  Samuel B;  Phoebe S;  Zachary M;  Ivy LH;  Luke S;  Liam McC; Mason S;  Annabelle McP;  Emma O'B;  Alexander W;  Eleana O;  Georgia R;  Sam D;  Nella W-S;  Lachlan McL;  Tyrone C;  Xavier V;  Lucas G;  Chuol C