In this issue

Arrival time and supervision

Please be aware that students are to be on campus no later than 8.30am.

We have noticed a number of children arriving late.

Being late to school disrupts the routines and procedures the children need in order to settle in well to the day ahead.

It is expected that students arrive at school on time.

• Supervision for students (Year 1 to Year 6) is offered under the mango tree adjacent to the tuckshop from 8.00am.
• Prep children are supervised under the veranda adjacent to the Prep classrooms.
• Children will be supervised until they are collected by their class teacher at 8.25am – 8.30am. The roll is marked at 8.35am sharp.

Thank you for supporting us in regard to these important procedures.

Resilience in Children

Dr. Justin Coulson is a prominent psychologist, author and speaker. Below, I share with you some insights from his presentations and published materials.

Please note that Dr Coulson is presenting to parents (available to St John’s parents) on Tuesday 15 August – time to be advised.

After a successful radio career Justin returned to school in his late 20’s where he earned his psychology degree from the University of Queensland and his PhD in psychology from the University of Wollongong.

Since then he has written multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and scholarly book chapters, as well as several books and ebooks about parenting, including the 21 Days to a Happier Family (Harper Collins, 2016) and 9 Ways to a Resilient Child (Harper Collins, 2017).

Justin is also a highly sought-after international speaker delivering keynote speeches and workshops to boost wellbeing and improve relationships for parents, teachers, students and employees.

Justin has worked with The Commonwealth Bank, American Express, the Office of the Children’s E-safety Commissioner, The Federal Government’s Department of Social Services, Life Education, and hundreds of schools.

Justin is an Honorary Fellow at the Centre for Positive Psychology in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne. He is a consultant to the Federal Government’s Office of the Children’s e-Safety Commissioner and has acted (and continues to act) in an advisory capacity to well-known organisations including Beyond Blue, the Raising Children Network, Life Education, Intel Security, and the Alannah and Madeline Foundation.

In addition, Justin is consistently sought after by the media for his expertise. He writes a weekly advice column for Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, appears regularly on The Project, the TODAY Show, Studio 10 Mornings and several radio stations around the nation. He is also the parenting expert at kidspot.com.au, Australia’s number one parenting website.

Justin and his wife Kylie have their six daughters (yes six!) and live in Queensland. Together they have successfully taught their children to sleep in their own beds, wear clothing even when it’s hot, use the bathroom, and eat at least some of the food on their plate most of the time.

In education, we hear the resilience word all the time. We hear it from parents who want to raise resilient children. We hear it from teachers who are growing and educating children. We hear it from universities who want students who are confident, competent and resilient. We hear it from the world which needs courageous and resilient adults to create change and overcome challenges.

But what is resilience and how can we actually do something about growing this in our young people?

Resilience is the ability to cope with life’s inevitable challenges. As we know—now in the age of COVID, even more so—life is full of hard stuff. Yet humans are actually created to do hard things. Think about a 9-month-old baby attempting to walk—that is hard. Think about triathlons, marathons and Olympics—they are hard. Think about people surviving in famine-ravished countries—that is hard. Think about Christ, the trials he endured and the ultimate sacrifice he made to bring the promise of eternal life to humanity—that was a level of hard beyond our comprehension.

Our children are going to face tough times during their lives; our job as educators and parents is to equip them with the belief that they can triumph over challenges; to help them recognise that it is through adversity that we become stronger, wiser and kinder.

Justin Coulson through his website Happy Families, provides some practical tips on how to grow your child’s resilience:

FOUR WAYS TO A RESILIENT CHILD

1. A strong parent-child relationship
   The single most important factor contributing to having resilient children is a stable, committed relationship with a supportive parent or caregiver. The more you spend time with your children, the more loved and supported they will feel and the more resilience they will build.
2. Develop their strengths
   One of the best things for promoting resilience is having the belief that we are competent and able to face challenges. We can help our children develop these skills by helping them find their strengths. Sometimes our children’s strengths aren’t immediately obvious. We might need to cast a wide net, spending time (and maybe even money) to find the passion that really lights them up.
3. Develop autonomy
   Controlling our children makes them anxious. Constantly, making decisions for our children or ‘fixing’ things undermines their decision-making skills, their confidence and their resilience.
4. Teach hope
   Hope is having a goal, the belief that you can create a route to that goal and the belief that you can navigate that pathway to reach that goal. Teaching your child to be hope-ful gives them resilience. When hopeful people experience failure, they develop new pathways to pursue and alternative routes to their goals. Hope-less people just give up. We can teach our children to be hope-ful. Help them find a goal and develop the plans and routes to achieve that goal. When they get stuck, teach them to tap into their resourcefulness and initiative by brainstorming new ideas and seeking new skills.

Below are some helpful ways of supporting children’s emotional development:

1. Helping your child develop emotionally

Children’s abilities for recognising, understanding and managing their emotions are influenced by the ways the adults who care for them acknowledge and respond to their feelings. When children learn to manage their emotions they are also better able to manage their behaviour

2. Listen and validate the child’s emotional experience

Listen to what children say and acknowledge their feelings. This helps children to identify emotions and understand how they work.

3. View emotions as an opportunity for connecting and teaching

Children’s emotional reactions provide ‘teachable’ moments for helping them understand emotions and learn effective ways to manage them. You might say, “I can see you’re really frustrated about having to wait for what you want. Why don’t we read a story while we’re waiting?”

4. Encourage problem-solving to manage emotions

Help children develop their skills for managing emotions by helping them to think of different ways they could respond. You might say, “What would help you feel brave?” or “How else could you look at this?”

5. Set limits in a supportive way

Set limits on inappropriate behaviour so that children understand that having feelings is okay but acting inappropriately is not. You might say, “I know you’re upset that your friend couldn’t make it over, but that does not make it okay to yell at me.”

For more information and tips about childhood development you could visit www.kidsmatter.edu.au

Cited – St Peters Lutheran College; Dr Justin Coulson; KidsMatter

Think about what the first half of the year has been like for you.  How would you describe it?  Would you say, “It’s been busy!”  “It’s gone fast!”  “Can’t believe my child is half way through Prep already!”  “Can’t believe my child is nearly finished Primary School!” How would you sum up this year so far?  When we look at our lives and see the passage of time, we soon realize that our life is a journey and there are always changes afoot.  We see these changes happening not only in the world of technology but in the day to day happenings of our lives and the lives of our families and friends, plus all around the world.

So what can sustain us in this ever changing world? For the Christian, it is knowing that there is an unchanging God who walks with us through the changing scenes of life. Someone who is reliable and constant. Someone who is faithful and true. Someone who loves and cares for us and gives us hope and a future.

“Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars, who does not change like their shifting shadows.”               James 1:17(NCV)

God is not only unchanging but He is also faithful; meaning He is reliable and can be trusted. He is loyal, constant and dependable. With a God like this who is for us, we can face change and the passage of time confidently, knowing that the God who is beside us is the God who goes before us.  “(God’s) compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”  Lamentations 3:22

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

“Keep Praying!”  I have never seen a storm last forever. Seasons change but God remains faithful to His wonderful promises.”

(www.MotivationalWordsofWisdom.com )

End of Semester One

As we are reaching the end of Semester One, I’m sure you’d agree that this semester has been tremendously busy – boy time flies! I wish to convey my thanks and congratulations to the students, staff and parents of our school for all that has been achieved. End-of-Semester Reports will soon be issued electronically and I encourage you to reflect upon your child’s successes and areas for growth and have meaningful conversations together about such.

On Friday, 23 June 2023, we will host our End-of-Semester Awards and Closing Chapel Service. In advance, I congratulate those children who will be awarded, on merit, for achievements throughout the semester. We acknowledge all children who have demonstrated strong efforts and achievements this semester. The name of the game is to keep growing, keep developing. In the words of Cliff Young – famous ultra-marathon runner, “The race is not to the swift, but to those who keep on running”.

Thank you for working in partnership with us.

Grace and Peace

Chris Mallett

PRINCIPAL