YAS News - Week 8, Term 3 2022
A note from the Principal
As we near the end of Week 8, it is hard to believe that Term 3 is almost over. I hope you enjoyed the show if you managed to go. We received a Bronze Medal in the school section for our Olive Oil in the Royal Adelaide Olive Awards.
On Monday and Tuesday this week I joined the staff and Year 4-5 students on camp. What a great opportunity it was to spend time with the students and participate in the activities.
NAPLAN results have arrived and will be posted to families prior to the end of the Term. If you would like to make a time with me and/or your childs Teacher to discuss the results, please contact the school.
On Thursday 22nd September there will be a National Day of Mourning - Public Holiday so the school will be closed.
Until next time, take care and keep warm!
Christine Bell
A note from our Pastoral Care Worker
It has been a week now since Queen Elizabeth II died. It has been rather incredible to see the outpouring of grief of a whole nation and many thousands around the world.
To quote the new King Charles III, “Queen Elizabeth was a life well lived…”
Her long life was founded on her strong Christian faith. A personal faith that underpinned her work for peace, reconciliation and her heart to serve her country.
With thanks to technology, you could watch just about every detail of the Queen’s funeral. That being said, I wonder how our young ones think and understand death.
It’s only natural that we want to protect our children from the subject of death and dying. But what do you do, how do you talk with your children when the subject comes up?
I read an article this week by child psychologist Andrew Greenfield, where he says being ready to take in information about death is not necessarily dependent on age, but of maturity and cognitive development. If you child is asking about death, don’t dismiss them, listen to them.
The following could be helpful.
- Be honest with your children. Saying phrases like “they’ve passed away” or “they’ll be up there watching over us” means nothing a child who has no concept about death.
- You could use the illustration of the circle of life, the seasons of life or the fact that every living thing has a beginning and an end. Sometimes we as parents can feel so inadequate or scared we might say the wrong thing, so we tend to steer clear of the subject of death.
- Talk about death before it happens in your family
- Let your children ask the questions, rather than bombarding them with information. What you say has a lot to do with the maturity of the child, less about the actual age of the child.
- Show your children it's OK to be sad
- Kids can't sit with "big feelings" for too long, so plan a fun activity for after your talk
- Keep memories alive — make a scrapbook about someone who died, visit their favourite place or cook a recipe they loved.
We wish we could wrap them up in cotton wool and not have to deal with some of these more serious issues of life, but … death and grief are going to be part of their experience.
If I can be of support at this time or anytime in the future, please give me a call. I’m here to care and support you.
We are pleased to be able to honour the Queen’s death by flying our new flags at half-mast in line with government protocols.
Wendy
