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9WEEK

OF 11

Term 2

Gilson Gazette - 12 June 2020

Pr Goltz On Location for Online Chapel

2020

Weekly Newsletter for Parents, Students and Friends of Gilson College

Lorne

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Contents

general newsUNIFORM SHOP ........................................................................4EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE UNWELL ...................4FEES REMINDER ........................................................................4KEYBOARD LESSONS .................................................................5

primary newsPARENT TEACHER INTERVIEW ....................................................5STUDENT BIRTHDAY CAKES ........................................................6COMMUNICATION WITH TEACHERS DURING TERM 2 ...............6WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SUPPORT RETURN TO SCHOOL? ............6

seCondary news

PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS. ..................................................7

photosYEAR 4S LEARNING ABOUT DISABILITY AND INCLUSIVITY ..........8VACATION CARE PROGRAM TERM 2 BREAK .............................10

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The Song Keepers – because we need to be inspired.

When our family became Christians, my father was in a fortunate position where he was able to donate his time and skills to do volunteer work for our Aboriginal people. Consequently, as a young pre-teen and into my adolescence I was privileged to have many friends from our indigenous community.

In a similar way German missionaries came to Australia in the 19th and 20th centuries to set up missions around Australia and were responsible for a lasting legacy.

One of the more well-known communities was the Hermannsburg Mission in Northern Territory – now known as Ntaria. It was here that Albert Namatjira, one of Australia’s best artists was born and his landscape paintings have been praised around the world.

Another legacy were the German sacred hymns that were taught to the locals in their own ancient languages - Western Arrarnta and Pitjantjatjara. This blend of ancient singing traditions with 14th century German hymns has been passed down from the 1870s and has been preserved due to the work of a charismatic conductor.

Morris Stuart was a young man from Guyana in South America who met a young Aussie girl in London and after they married, raised their four children. Four decades later Barbara, who is a painter, indicated she wanted to paint the amazing landscapes of Australia’s outback and so they set off for Alice Springs. While Barbara was out the door with her paints and easel, Morris had time on his hands, and, as a former pastor, he soon began to invite people to join a choir. Gradually a musical legacy was revived.

Morris developed the choir in Alice Springs, but soon word spread and other communities asked him to help them – Areyonga, the Hermannsburg Ladies Choir (Ntaria), Mutitjulu, Docker River (Kaltukatjara) – and eventually six remote communities had choirs.

After five years Morris suggested that they combine the choirs and the self-confidence developed and the tributes began to arrive. These remarkable women took their music, their stories, their identity and cross-cultural collaboration to the Australian people, then to Rajasthan and Delhi in India and to the USA. However the most poignant excursion was to Germany. It was here that they were taking back the baroque hymns first taught to their great grandparents by German Lutherans.

In a somewhat sad sub-plot it was noted that in Germany the songs have almost disappeared, but those truths and melodies have been well-looked-after by the song keepers in the Central Australian desert for 140 years. If you can spare two minutes and forty-two seconds you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUFXbQAX9Z4 or you can read it about it here: https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2018/07/10/song-keepers-strong-family-song If you want a bit more on the inspiring and charismatic director Morris Stuart then go here:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-14/morris-stuart-and-central-australia-aboriginal-womens-choir/9739982

If you want to be uplifted, if you want to be inspired, if it’s true, if it’s noble, if it’s just, if it’s pure, if it’s lovely, if it’s of good report, and if it’s virtuous and praiseworthy… (Phil 4:8)

then worth a thought.

Mark B Vodéll Principal

Editorial: The Song Keepers

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general news

UNIFORM SHOPThe College Uniform

Shop will be open from Monday through to Friday for next week only at the standard hours. Note the the UniformShop team will only be able to serve a family at a time. Orders via email will continue.

EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE UNWELL

To keep our students, staff and families safe, all families must adhere to the following expectations when sending students to school.

Brayden on location for online Chapel

Students who have any signs of illness must not be sent to school. This includes high temperature, runny nose, sneezing, colds, coughs etc. If a student attends school with any illness, they will be sent immediately to sick bay where they will be sent home. Please help to keep our school open by adhering to these guidelines.

FEES REMINDERA reminder to all

families that fees are now overdue. We have two weeks left of Term 2. If you have yet to settle this please do so as soon as possible via phone or on

Verse of the Week “Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead

for the widow.” Isaiah 1:17

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site. Do contact our College Bursars for alternative arrangements.

KEYBOARD LESSONSDear Parents,As students begin the

transition back to onsite lessons many are keen to start their keyboard lessons again as well.

Unfortunately the Department of Education has ruled that instrumental teachers cannot return to onsite face to face lessons until term 3.

This means that all students who took up online/Zoom lessons during term 2 will continue to receive their lessons online until the end of term 2.

For those who wish to return to their keyboard lessons at school in Term 3, please either call Music Foundations on

0404 469 220 or email music.foundations@outlook.com.

We really hope to see you all back at a keyboard

very soon.Dianne Trickey

Music Foundations

primary news

PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEW

Parent-teacher interviews will be Tuesday 23rd June and Wednesday 24th June. Booking for these appointments will open soon. Details of how to book an appointment time will be sent out through via email. Due to the COVID 19, interviews will take place over Zoom. Classroom teachers will send out a Zoom invitation via DIREQT message on SEQTA. Upon joining Zoom, you will be placed in a waiting room. Teachers will be managing the waiting room according to appointment times. Please note that these interviews are only ten minutes in length, and focus on student learning. To ensure all appointments are able to be kept, we request

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these time frames be respected. If you would like to discuss any other issues with your child’s teacher another time will need to be arranged.

STUDENT BIRTHDAY CAKESDue to health and

safety of our students, please note that we will not be accepting any food to share in class until further notice. We ask that parents refrain from sending in birthday cup cakes to school until further notice. We will still celebrate students birthday’s and draw special attention to their day, without the cake.

COMMUNICATION WITH TEACHERS DURING TERM 2

As per the Principal's letter, parents are not able to come into the internal school areas / buildings without an appointment in order to reduce the number

The VALUE for Week 10 of Term 2 will be:

Fairness is the quality of making judgements that are free from discrimination, favouritism or bias. “Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.”

Isaiah 1:17

fairness

of adults on campus - please note the following communication options:

• Email or direqt message staff on SEQTA for all queries - this is the best option.

• If you would like to speak with a staff member please email them requesting a call back.

• If you require a face to face discussion with a teacher, you can arrange a Zoom appointment with them by making this request known via email.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SUPPORT RETURN TO SCHOOL?

• Positive Talk and Modelling - keep calm and talk positively about school and friendships - build resilience and provide support and encouragement.

• Encourage school

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attendance - normalise it again. Staying at home when children don’t want to leave only makes it harder. We can support you with this.

• Ensure adequate rest and sleep - set regular bedtimes, children need more sleep than adults to function best.

• Minimize screen time as we transition away from online learning - we want to reverse this dramatically and restore screen time back to ‘normal’ levels.

• Reduce or remove access to news and social media on Covid-19 - there is substantial research on the harmful effects of young children viewing news in general. Be mindful of the effects of this on their mental health.

• Ensure adequate nutrition, exercise and fresh air - building strong immune systems.

• Friendships - keep encouragement high as they reconnect with friends. While this will be joyful, it can also

create tensions as students get used to greater contact with each other again.

• Focus on gratitude - on the drive home ask your child “What went well today?” (WWW) Share www for you too. Gratitude supports positive mental health.

secondary news

PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS Parent Teacher Interviews for Secondary will be held on via Telephone on Tuesday June 23rd and Wednesday June 24th.

The booking code on School interviews has been emailed via SEQTA. The booking site will open on Monday 15th June at 9.00am.

If you have any questions or you would like any assistance in booking your interview sessions please contact the College office on 9365 9365.

photos

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YEAR 4S LEARNING ABOUT DISABILITY AND INCLUSIVITY

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School Crossings Victoria INC, PO BOX 3032 Mornington 3931, info@schoolcrossings.com.au, www.schoolcrossingsvictoria.com.au

School Crossings Victoria Inc.

Is your Lollipop person the sweetest? Nominate your Lollipop person for the 2019/2020

School Crossing Supervisor of the year award.

Jump online and complete a nomination at www.schoolcrossingsvictoria.com.au.

Your support of this program will help ensure your

School Crossing Supervisor is shown the appreciation they deserve for their commitment to

the ongoing safety of our children.

GGiillssoonn CCoolllleeggee Vacation Care Program 29th June — 3rd July 2020 Week 1

Monday 29th June Tuesday 30th June Wednesday 1st July Thursday 2nd July Friday 3rd July

Cooking Cranberry Oatmeal and

Cinnamon Scones

Marbled Nail Polish Cups

Cooking Spinach and Mushroom

Chimichangas

Wheel of Exciting Tastes

Cooking Brown Rice Pilaf

Guess the secret sound

Challenge

Cooking Berry Cupcakes

INCURSION

Make your own apron

Cooking Cheese biscuits

DIY Kaleidoscope

Hours: 6.45am — 6.15pm Breakfast Club: Finishes at 8.45pm Morning tea: 10.30am Lunch: 12.30 — 1.30pm Afternoon tea: 4pm

Our activities will be offered during the day and the children will have the opportunity to work with any or all of them. Our everyday games and play spaces will be available throughout each day. Activities may alter depending on children’s interests.

Gilson College Vacation Care Program 6th July — 10th July 2020 Week 2

Monday 6th July Tuesday 7th July Wednesday 8th July Thursday 9th July Friday 10th July

Cooking Nacho Cups

Mystery touch box

Cooking DIY Gourmet Pizzas

Identify the smell

Cooking Chocolate Chip Ice-cream

Cookies

Movie & Popcorn

Cooking Corn, Spinach and feta

muffins

Five Senses day

Party Day

*Lunch Provided*

Our daily morning tea may include: Fresh fruit such as apples, pears, oranges, pineapple, bananas, watermelon, cantaloupe,

Kiwifruit, strawberries, mandarins and grapes. A nutritious afternoon tea is made during the day by the children

Please ensure that children have their lunches with them each day, there is a fee charged if lunch is forgotten.

VACATION CARE PROGRAM TERM 2 BREAK

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Returningtoschoolanxietyfreeby Michael GrossGoing back to school after the enforced COVID-19 break is a

source of mixed emotions for many children and young people. Some students, who revel in face-to-face interactions, just can’t wait to reconnect with friends and teachers. Others who have appreciated the break from constantly being emotionally switched on when at school may be reticent to return.Regardless of how your child reacts there’s bound to be a level of anxiety attached to returning to school after such a long break. The following strategies sourced from my book, Anxious Kids, will help your child make a smooth transition back to school.

Park your expectations

School undoubtedly will be a different experience for students post COVID-19. It may require you to adjust your expectations, particularly academically, so patience is definitely required. Education is a long game, so if you are worried about your child missing the educational beat, recognise that this experience has been a blip on the educational curve. It’s worth remembering that anxiety loves company. Park your expectations for a time, so your child won’t pick up your anxieties.

Understand that their anxiety is real

An anxious child desperately wants a parent to understand that they feel anxious and apprehensive. Even if, you can’t comprehend the impact that a return to school has on their state of mind and physiology, recognise that their anxiety is real. “Ah, I see you’re worried that you won’t know what to do when you go to school” is the type of response that an anxious child wants from a parent. Validating your child’s feelings will help them feel safe and secure, putting them in a good position to make a return to school. “Mum/dad know that I’m feeling nervous” is very reassuring for a child.

Prepare them

Worriers and anxious types in particular, like to know what’s ahead. Prepare your child for a return by discussing the safety procedures the school will be implementing. Let young children know that an adult won’t be accompanying them past the school gate. Ask your child what they are looking forward to and check in with how they are feeling about a return. Check in regularly with how they are feeling and correct any misconceptions.

Focus on reconnection

Make reconnection the theme for your child’s return to school. He or she will have to reconnect with friends, teachers and learning, which takes time. In all likelihood, your child’s teachers will use many strategies to help your child connect with their friends, reflect on their time at home and move them back into full-time learning mode. Support these activities and reassure your child that they’ll feel comfortable very soon with their school experience.

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Stay off the roundabout for a while

This period will mirror the start of the school year when your child had to adjust to new teachers, different classmates and a new year level. Adjusting to change takes a great deal of personal energy, so your child or young person may become tired, grumpy, even moody at home. Make allowances for these personal changes and make sure they have plenty of free time to unwind after school to relax and play.

Take care of yourself

In recent months parents and teachers have been doing significant emotional labour. The learning and adjustment curves have been massive, with little time to relax and take a break. Consider your own emotional resources and make your wellbeing a priority, which will make it easier for you to stay calm if your child experiences difficulties.

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown many difficulties, requiring us all to quickly adapt to new situations. Flexibility is a prime characteristic of resilient people, so if nothing else, getting through these times will make us all more resilient.

MichaelGroseMichael Grose, founder of Parenting Ideas, is one of Australia’s leading parenting educators. He’s an award-winning speaker and the author of 12 books for parents including Spoonfed Generation, and the bestselling Why

First Borns Rule the World and Last Borns Want to Change It. Michael is a former teacher with 15 years experience, and has 30 years experience in parenting education. He also holds a Master of Educational Studies from Monash University specialising in parenting education. Submitted by : Andrea Farquharson, Wellbeing Coordinator

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Provided as a part of our school’s Parenting Ideas membership parentingideas.com.au

INSIGHTS

Conquering kids’ techno-tantrums

Many of us have witnessed our kids or teens emotionally combust when asked to switch o� their gaming console or put theirphone away. I colloquially call these ‘techno-tantrums’. Many of us fret that this signals that they’re ‘addicted’ to technology andfind ourselves worrying about why they behave in such intense ways.

So, what makes technology so psychologically appealing for kids and how can we help them to unplug so that screen-timedoesn’t end in scream time?

Technology is so appealing

Technology has been intentionally designed to cater for our kids’ most basic psychological drivers. As humans, our three mostbasic psychological needs are the need for connection, competence and control.

Technology caters for these needs in very clever ways. For example, our need for relational connection explains why many of ourboys are obsessed with multi-player video games and girls are infatuated with social media. These online tools have also beendesigned to help young people experience competency- gamers see tangible measures of their performance by their levels ofattainment, or battles won. Scrolling through YouTube and ‘selecting’ which video they’ll watch next also enables young peopleto experience a sense of control and agency over their lives – something they biologically crave.

Here’s what technology does to their brains and bodies

Digital technology impacts on children and young people in the following ways:

‘It feels good’

When our kids use a screen it’s usually a pleasurable experience for them. Their brains secrete the neurotransmitter dopamine,which makes them feel good. This means, when you demand that they turn the device o�, you’re terminating their production ofdopamine (pleasure response).  It’s better to provide a choice of more appealing transition activities when you want them tomove away from a screen. For example, suggest that they ride their bike, or walk the dog a�er they’ve switched o� the device.

‘I want more’

The online world has no stopping cues, so our kids and teen never feel ‘complete’ or ‘done’. They can always refresh social media;continue to play to attain another level in a game; or watch another YouTube clip. This is also referred to as the state ofinsu�iciency.One parenting tips that works is to give your children and teens hard end points. Rather than giving them a quantity of time (forexample, you can watch an hour of TV today), give them the finish time (for example, I’d like you to switch o� the TV at 4:30pm).

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Provided as a part of our school’s Parenting Ideas membership parentingideas.com.au

‘It’s so novel’

Our brains are wired to seek out new and interesting stimulus. The online world is always instantly gratifying, fast-paced andrequires minimal cognitive e�ort. In comparison the o�line, real world doesn’t always o�er novelty. The real world is a lotslower-paced, and it’s not always instantly rewarding and interesting like our kids’ digital world.

Ensure your kids and teens have ample time to experience boredom. Our brains were never designed to be switched on andprocessing information as they are in the digital world. Opportunities for boredom allow the brain time to reset and help ourkids become accustomed to not always being ‘switched on’.

Related webinar

Our school has a membership with Parenting Ideas. As part of this membership, you can attend the upcoming webinar‘Understanding techno tantrums’ at no cost.

About

In this webinar Dr Kristy Goodwin helps parents and carers understand why children and teens emotionally combust when theydigitally-disconnect, and how to establish new, healthy technology habits.

When

17 June 2020 8:00pm AEST

To redeem1. Click this link: https://www.parentingideas.com.au/parent-resources/parent-webinars/webinar-understanding-techno-tantrums2. Click ‘Add to cart’3. Click ‘View cart’4. Enter the voucher code TECHNO and click ‘Apply Coupon’ Your discount of $37 will be applied.5. Click ‘Proceed to checkout’6. Fill in your account details. These details are used to login to your account and access your parenting material7. Click ‘Place Order’The voucher is valid until 17 September 2020.

Dr Kristy GoodwinDr Kristy Goodwin is a digital wellbeing and performance speaker, author and researcher (and mumwho also deals with her kids’ techno-tantrums!). She’s the author of Raising Your Child in a DigitalWorld, and a media commentator who doesn’t suggest that we ban the iPhone, or unplug the gamingconsole (digital abstinence isn’t the solution). Kristy worked as an educator for fourteen years beforebecoming an academic and speaker who’s on a mission to help children, teens and adults tame theirtechnology habits so they’re not a slave to the screen. For further details visitwww.drkristygoodwin.com.

https://www.parentingideas.com.au/parent-resources/parent-webinars/webinar-under-

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SECONDARY CALENDARTERM 2 2020

Wek 10

m 19th JuneReports Available on SEQTA

Week 11

m 23rd June to 24th JuneParent Teacher Interviews Via Phone

m 26th JuneLast Day of Term 2

TERM 2 2020Week 01

m 13th JulyFirst Day of Term 3

CALENDAR 2020

Lorne

PRIMARY CALENDARTERM 2 2020

Week 10

m 19th JuneReports Available on SEQTA

Week 11

m 23rd to 24th JuneParent Teacher Interviews Via Zoom

m 26th JuneLast Day of Term 2

TERM 2 2020Week 01

m 13th JulyFirst Day of Term 3