Dear Parents/Carers

I hope you were all able to enjoy the long weekend.  

On Monday the staff were busy writing reports and organising classes for 2023. The School Improvement Team spent the day reviewing the Key Improvement Strategies and targets set in our Annual Implementation Plan. Every year we review against the targets that were set the previous year, and plan priority areas for the next year. The priority areas are driven by our four year strategic plan which is due for review in 2023. 

On the back of the last couple of years and the impact CoVID has had on the mental health of our youth, the Department of Education has set out 2023 Priorities for all schools. One is based around student outcomes, in particular mathematics, and the other is wellbeing focussed with mental health at the forefront of our minds. 

Resilience … it’s a familiar word, isn’t it? But what does it really mean?

When we talk about resilience, we’re talking about a person’s ability to cope with ups and downs, and bounce back from the challenges they experience during childhood – for example moving home, changing schools, studying for an exam or dealing with the death of a loved one. Building resilience helps children not only to deal with current difficulties that are a part of everyday life, but also to develop the basic skills and habits that will help them deal with challenges later in life, during adolescence and adulthood.

Resilience is important for children’s mental health. Children with greater resilience are better able to manage stress, which is a common response to difficult events. Stress is a risk factor for mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, if the level of stress is severe or ongoing.

https://www.heysigmund.com/5-simple-ways-build-resilience-well-children-dr-hazel-harrison/

On Wednesday we hosted an afternoon tea for the Rowen Street Kinder families. Rowen Street Kinder will be located temporarily at Parkhill next year while their premises undergo some building works. 

We also held our first of four transition sessions, with 20 children coming along to the classroom and parents joining Michelle and I for an information session and some morning tea in the library. It was so pleasing to hear their chatter about the positive school community we have at Parkhill and singing the praises of the Preschool Program. Michelle and I smiled as they talked about the wonderful things they hear about our little school. 

We have finally secured a date for our Swimming Carnival. We will be celebrating the program on Monday 12th December – more information will follow. We are also excited to be able to hold our annual Athletics Carnival on Tuesday 22nd November – again, more details will follow. 

I hope you have a super weekend.

Best wishes,

Elaine Mitskinis

Principal