Hi friends, and welcome to Term 2 Week 4. I read something really cool during the week that I wanted to share:

Never discourage a child,

who continually makes progress,

no matter how slow. (author unknown)

L’Arche

As you may know, L’Arche is one of our charities the P&F support throughout the year. I provided some information on the organisation back in the Term 1 Week 7 Newsletter. Last week I thought I’d pop into L’Arche Canberra to introduce myself and check out The Hub. It was lovely to meet some of the staff, although they gave me the sad news that the founder of L’Arche, Jean Vanier, died at the age of 90 on 7 May. The following is taken from the L’Arche Australia website:

Vanier founded L’Arche in 1964 in response to the treatment that people with learning disabilities faced in institutions. There are now more than 150 L’Arche communities in 38 countries around the world, where more than ten thousand people with and without learning disabilities create places of welcome and celebration, sharing in life together.

There are 5 L’Arche Communities and 3 groups in the process of forming in Australia. Dr. David Treanor, National Leader of L’Arche Australia, said: “Jean’s death is a great sadness. His vision was one of radical welcome, inclusion and joy, where marginalised people with learning disabilities are valued and celebrated.

We will of course continue to support this wonderful community organisation, and I will continue to bring you any updates from The Hub.

P&F 2019 Calendar of Activities

I would love to have dates booked throughout the year for either ‘children activity’, family activity’ or ‘parent activity’. We can have examples of what we’ve had in previous years, and either organise the same event, or think of something else. The dates are booked, it’s just a matter of working out what we offer. I am hoping parents feel they can contribute and make suggested changes, no event/fundraiser is locked in (except the Fete, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, working bees, oh and the Christmas concert and BBQ!!! Apart from that though…!!). It may be a little late for this year since we have already had a number of events, but here’s a calendar for your information. I’ll see if I can get this put on SZapp somewhere.

Communications Coordinator

I would like to see if there is any interest from someone to be the P&F Communications Coordinator. Keeping in mind we’re all volunteers and I think as a group we do wonderful things, I would like to plan our messaging to parents a little more. The Coordinator will not be required to write everything (as most events have templates etc already), but they will monitor when messages need to go out to parents and families to ensure enough time for planning. I see it as a coordination role with limited writing, although happy to discuss any options. Please get in touch htpspfpresident@gmail.com.

School Disco

This Friday, 24 May between 6.00pm and 8.00pm (with half time at 6.50pm for anyone needing an early getaway with little ones)! Can’t wait. If anyone can help out at all with the canteen or as a safety monitor, please respond via SZapp. Also, via Qkr you can pre-order a Disco food pack that includes entry fee. Otherwise there will be treats available on the night, and entry is by gold coin. DJ Feerick will be in the house.

Tuckshop

How good is it to have the Tuckshop open every Monday, Thursday and Friday? That’s all.

P&F Fundraising Priorities

Just a reminder to please vote via SZapp for your preferred options for spending by 30 May. No need to vote in order of preference as the system doesn’t recognise it, just your top three choices (from top down in the list). If you would like to make a suggestion in the ‘other’ category, you will need to select your other two choices first, then ‘other’ last. If you have any problems please just email your choices to me at htpspfpresident@gmail.com.

Fete Committee

Soooooo, next year is Fete Year! For those of us that were around last year, what a fabulous Holy Trinity Fete we had. There was a wonderful Fete Committee who worked extremely hard to pull together a great family and community day. It’s time though for them to sit back and enjoy what others can bring to the day. It’s never too early to call for interested people to get together, make new friends, throw around a few ideas and have a laugh. What makes it even more attractive is the Committee from last year have put together a comprehensive handover pack. Sounds like a fun group already (although it’s current membership is only the handover pack!).

Fundraising Committee

I would really love to establish a Fundraising Committee. Jen Graham does a fabulous job at coordinating all our fundraising throughout the year, and some extra help would be great! You may have some ideas on what we could do, or be really good at sourcing prize donations, or organising the logistics of an event. Any help would be fabulous! If you are interested in joining the Fundraising Committee, please email me at htpspfpresident@gmail.com, or grab me for a chat around the school. We have a couple of fundraising ideas in the pipeline, and really need some help running with them. I already have a couple of people interested, a few more would be great!

Until next time, take care and I look forward to meeting more of you throughout the year. Thanks for reading to the very end!

Cath Day

P&F President

Eveland Hekima

Last week Holy Trinity raised $562.00 at the Bake Sale. Thank you to Year 5/6 for preparing the delicious treats!

Next week Years 1 and 2 will organise a Movie Day which will be held at Lunchtime in the hall. Movie details to come. 

Global Schools Trivia Night

All are invited to the Global Schools Trivia Night. Enter tables of parents and friends.
This year there will be a student trivia competition running parallel to the adults, just for primary school students in our inter-school trivia competition!

Date: Friday June 14th 2019

Time: 6 pm for 6.30 pm start to 8.30 pm

Venue: Holy Trinity Primary School, School hall

Theme: Colourful Africa or Your school’s colours

Lots of prizes to be won!

Dates for your Diary

Thursday 30th May 9:30am - Whole School Mass, Feast of the Ascension

Friday 31st May, 11.40am - Movie day fundraiser

Saturday 1st June 6pm - Parish Mass

Monday 3rd June 2.30pm - Prayer Celebration, 2R

First Eucharist Dates

PRESENTATION TO PARISH AT WEEKEND MASSES:

Holy Trinity Church, Curtin    6.00pm Saturday 1st June 2019

Holy Trinity Church, Curtin    5.30pm Sunday 2nd June 2019

PRACTICE/RETREAT FOR CHILDREN:

Thursday 13th June - 9.00am–2.15pm

SACRAMENTAL CELEBRATION:

Saturday 15th June - 6pm

Visit to Fred Ward Gardens 

Last week the preschoolers made cards, filled with love, and visited the residents of Fred Ward Gardens to share the cards and sing. We visit Fred Ward Gardens several times a term and the residents are always keen for us to return. Below are some photos of their visit.

Buddy Time

This week the Ground Parrots enjoyed a visit from their 5/6 buddies for a combined music (and movement) class with Mrs Fletcher.

Stay and Play

Playgroup for pre-preschoolers and their families. Wednesday mornings from 9am-10.30am in the ELC Playground (weather permitting). Parents, grandparents, carers and children are all very welcome.

Woolworths Earn to Learn

The ELC is collecting stickers for the Earn to Learn program. Collection boxes are in the foyer.

6 tips for parenting anxious kids

 by Dr Jodi Richardson 

If you’re the parent of an anxious child you’re most certainly not alone. The number of children experiencing an anxiety disorder is currently estimated at 117 million worldwide. Here in Australia, there’s an average of 2 anxious kids in every classroom; and they’re the ones with a diagnosis. Many more anxious kids are yet to have their anxiety identified and understood.

As much as we’d like to, we can’t rid our kids of their anxiety, but we can help them to manage it in ways that enable them move it from centre stage and get on with living a vibrant, rich and meaningful life.

Here are 6 tips to support you to parent your anxious child:

1. Explain anxiety

Anxious kids can struggle to explain how they feel and can worry that no-one will understand what they’re going through. That’s why explaining anxiety is an important step in supporting an anxious child. The knowledge that anxiety is well understood, that other kids experience it and that it’s manageable brings them immediate relief.

Teach your anxious child that the part of their brain that protects them from danger is always on high alert. Called the amygdala, it’s meant to protect them from genuine danger but for anxious kids, it can be almost constantly activated.

Explain that when they feel anxious, their amygdala sends signals to their body to fight or flee from the threat, whether it’s real or imagined.

Next, talk about the body changes such as increased heart rate, rapid breathing and an upset stomach that power them up to fight or flee. They might even feel dizzy, hot, sweaty and panicked. Anxiety effects thinking and behaviour too.

2. Respond with empathy

In the midst of an anxious moment it’s natural to want to reassure anxious kids they’ve got nothing to worry about. Reassurance works in the short term but it soon wears off and they come back for more, which becomes an unhelpful pattern.

Instead, respond with empathy and validation. Use ahhh statements such as:

• “Ahhh, I see you’re feeling really anxious right now, I know how hard this is for you”
• “Ahhh, I know you’re feeling really worried right now, it’s not much fun feeling like that is it?”

Anxious kids need to know you understand what they’re going through.

3. Show the amygdala they’re safe

Once the amygdala senses danger, the cascade of events that follow can’t be stopped. The body and brain will respond as if the danger is immediate. The best way to help an anxious child calm their anxious brain is to teach them to show their amygdala they’re safe. Deep and intentional breathing helps an anxious child to calm their amygdala and will begin to reduce their anxious symptoms. Practise intentional breathing regularly between anxious times before applying this technique in the midst of an anxious moment.

4. Practise mindfulness -the antidote to worrying

Anxiety is distress now about a possible future event, which is why worrying is common for anxious kids. When an anxious child’s mind fast-forwards to an upcoming event or expectation, their amygdala can respond as if the ‘threat’ to their safety is immediate. The antidote to worrying is mindfulness. Put simply, mindfulness is paying attention to what’s happening in the present moment. It may take time to learn, but is a powerful anxiety management strategy once it’s mastered.

5. Practice defusing sticky thoughts

Anxious thoughts can get stuck, refusing to budge no matter how much attention is payed to them. Defusion is a strategy that helps anxious kids look at their thoughts rather than from them.

Imagine your anxious child is worried about an upcoming test. They’re thinking “I’m going to fail the test”. The thought makes them feel awful. Defusion helps kids (all of us) to look at their thoughts by reminding them that the words in their heads are indeed just words, not reality.

Your anxious child can defuse his unhelpful thoughts by putting a statement in front of the thought such as: “I notice I’m having the thought that I’m going to fail the test.” Alternatively, he can say the thought in a character voice like Darth Vader or Peppa Pig, or sing it to the tune of happy birthday or a nursery rhyme. Defusion puts distance between anxious kids and their thoughts and is a wonderful skill to learn.

6. Get the fundamentals right

Ample sleep, good nutrition and exercise are essential for anxious kids. Support your child to adhere to their optimal bedtime so they wake naturally around the time of their alarm, reduce their sugar intake to support their gut health and to exercise regularly for optimal mental health.

These are some of the many strategies that you can share with your child to support them to recognise and manage their anxiety so they can live life in full colour.

(Source: parentingideas.com.au)

Athletics Carnival

Our annual Athletics Carnival is planned for next Wednesday 29^th May 2019. We are in desperate need of parent/grandparents assistance. Volunteers are asked to measure for field events, assist with places for track events and help with novelty activities. Teachers will be rotating with students throughout the day for the track and field events. If you are able to help in any way this will be greatly appreciated. Please contact Michael Feerick to let him know your availability for this event.

Walk Safely School Week

Holy Trinity are participating in this national initiative this week. Well done to all the enthusiastic `students who have been walking to school this week. We have a walking school bus this Friday 24^th May. The meeting points for the walking school bus are North Curtin Playing Fields (corner of Dunstan/Throssell St) and the underpass near Curtin Primary (corner of McCormack/Carruthers St). The walking school bus will meet at 8:20am and depart at 8:30am to arrive at school before the bell. If your child wishes to be part of the walking school bus it is the parent’s responsibility to walk with their child to school. The school does not take any responsibility of students outside of the school grounds and there is no teacher on duty at school until 8:30am each day. Each day the students who walk to school will receive a raffle ticket to win new sports gear. On Friday morning at the assembly winners from the raffle will be drawn.

More information about walking safe to school can be found here https://www.realinsurance.com.au/school-safety

The Holy Trinity community celebrated the National Simultaneous Storytime in the hall on Wednesday. This event was celebrated in both Australia and New Zealand. This year there where over 1 million children involved. It was a great celebration and the audience loved hearing all about the adventures of Macca and his friend Al.

Next week we celebrate Reconciliation Week, below is a quick overview on the how and why of the week. At Holy Trinity all classes will be involved in a range of activities throughout the week. 

Before it all begins we have National Sorry Day on the 26^th May – Celebrated this year on the Sunday at the beginning of Reconciliation Week (with a public holiday in the ACT on the Monday).

National Sorry Day is where we remember the past policies of forced child removal and reflect on the history of the Stolen Generation.

Did you know?

• The first Sorry Daywas held on 26 May 1998—exactly one year after the Bringing Them Home Report was presented to the Parliament.

 Reconciliation Week falls on the same dates every year….

27^th May - 3rd June.

During this time there are two significant events that are celebrated/remembered

Day one of Reconciliation Week:

27^th May (1967) – the Referendum was held and more than 80% of Australian voters said ‘Yes’ to count Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the census and gave the government the power to make laws for the good of those peoples.

Last day of Reconciliation Week:

3^rd June –we remember the Mabo case which ran for 10 years. On the 3^rd June 1992 the High Court of Australia decided that Terra Nullis (empty land) should not have been applied to Australia. Native title was recognised.

God Bless,

Kate Mertz and Mel Punyer

       TERM 2, WEEK 5 - WED 29 MAY

Team Leader: Mark Bauer, Rian Foley, Anne Hitchings, Nigel Baker, Mary-Anne Winchester