Dear Parents and Carers,

I find myself often chatting with parents and carers about how to support their child when they are stressed and anxious. Just like in adults, when a child is stressed, a fight-or-flight response kicks in, producing higher heart rate, breathing and blood pressure, along with clinging, shaking, hiding, screaming, acting out, running away and sometimes nausea. Because a child has not yet learnt the adult coping skills, it’s extremely difficult – if not impossible – for children to think logically or control their behaviour until the fight-or-flight response has dissipated and that can take up to an hour. Below are some strategies we can teach children to use when they are feeling stressed and anxious.

Take deep breaths Anxiety is often accompanied by rapid, shallow chest breathing. Inhaling for three seconds from the abdomen, holding it for three seconds and exhaling through pursed lips for three seconds can lower the heart rate and induce relaxation.

Get active Physically demanding tasks like wall push-ups, walking up the stairs or climbing a jungle gym can help calm and centre a child.

Make a plan Taking specific actions can help children understand and tolerate stress.

Use rituals These can be stability anchors that relieve stress if they’re rolled out before, during, or after, anxiety-producing events – for example, always taking a child out for ice cream after a doctor’s appointment.

Name it to tame it Children can be asked to tell a story about what they are worried or upset about and why.

Narrow the focus Meditating, colouring or focusing on a specific feeling, activity, sight or conversation can produce relaxation.

Laugh Humour can distract, reframe, relax muscles and release endorphins. Try playing a goofy game, watching a cartoon or telling family jokes.

Reflect After dealing successfully with a fraught episode, walk the child through what worked: On a scale of 1 to 10, how hard was it? What is one thing that helped you get through it?

(Acknowledgement: “8 Simple Ways to Soothe an Anxious Child” by Erin Leyba in Psychology Today, May/June 2020)

God bless.

Rachel Smith
Principal

Uniform
Most students wear the correct uniform every day taking great pride in their appearance and as representatives of our school. Some students test boundaries by wearing socks, hats and sport shorts that are not part of our uniform. I do request your support in ensuring your child is in the full uniform. I am happy to support you in any way I can.

Learning Showcase
Tomorrow, Thursday 25^th March between 2pm and 4pm we will be having our first Learning Showcase for the year. We are very excited to be welcoming parents and carers back into the classroom for these, as we were unable to hold our Learning Showcases last year. We ask that on entry to your child’s classroom you sign in using the Check In Canberra App. Each classroom will have a copy of the QR code to enable this. If you do not have the App, teachers will have a sign in sheet for you to fill in. If you have multiple children you only need to check in at the first classroom. Please remember to social distance when you are visiting. Thank you for your support with this.

Winter Uniform

It is customary for our students to begin Term 2 by wearing their winter uniform. Similar to previous years we are allowing a two week transition from summer to winter uniform. Students will be able to wear either their summer or winter uniform for week 1 and week 2 of next term. It is expected that all students will commence week 3, 3rd May with the winter uniform.

School Disco – Save the Date
Please mark Friday 30^th April as School Disco on your calendars. Our P&F Committee work hard to make our school discos a wonderful community event. More details to come shortly.

Term Two Starting Date – Tuesday 20^th April
Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn has declared Monday 19^th April as a pupil free day for all Catholic schools in Canberra. Students will commence Term 2 on Tuesday 20^th April.

Fifth Sunday of Lent

John 12:20-33
In this week’s Gospel, Jesus teaches his disciples about the way in which he will be glorified by God, and a voice from heaven is heard to affirm this teaching. Jesus teaches his disciples that we cannot hold on too tightly to the things of this world if we want the happiness of following him. Sometimes this means that we have to give up things in order to help others. When we do this, we show ourselves to be good disciples of Jesus. Giving up something, even when it is to get something else, can be particularly difficult for young children to understand. Through this week’s Gospel, we can begin to teach the Christian way of sacrificing for others. Pray together as a family asking Jesus to help us follow his teaching, letting go of things so that we can help others.

Peace Prayer of Saint Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

Sacrament News
Please pray for our First Reconciliation candidates as they prepare to make the Sacrament of Reconciliation next Wednesday evening.

May you know the greatness of God’s love and forgiveness on your special day.

First Reconciliation

Palm Sunday Liturgy
This Friday (26^th March, 10.30am) 5/6 Blue will be leading our school in a Palm Sunday liturgy. All are welcome to attend.

Holy Week Liturgy
Next Thursday (1^st April, 10.15am) 5/6 Gold, 3/4 Blue and 1/2 Gold will be leading our school in our school Holy Week liturgy. Together we will journey through the sacred events of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Resurrection. All are welcome to attend.

Vinnies Superhero Day: Let your superpower shine!

Who: Everyone at St Benedict’s Primary School
Why: To fundraise and raise awareness about the amazing everyday St Vincent de Paul superhero volunteers and their good works.
Cost: A gold coin donation
Wear: Create and wear your own superhero costume and include a label with your unique superpower. Be creative! Let your imagination run wild! Think of the amazing superpowers of the St Vincent de Paul volunteers...KINDNESS, COMPASSIONATE, EMPATHETIC, CARING, HELPFUL, GRATITUDE, FRIENDLY and many more!

Year 1/2 Needs Guest Speakers
Year 1/2 are currently learning about role models, their characteristics and values. We are seeking parent guest speakers, particulary those who are in vocational careers (nurses, doctors, fire fighters, carers, police officers, social workers etc.). Please email Nat Wright if you are able to help.

natalie.zarb@cg.catholic.edu.au

PlayStation
Does your child have a PlayStation? We’ve put together a few pointers to help keep your child safe whilst online. We would always recommend that you check the age ratings of any games your child is playing/wishes to play to ensure they are appropriate and also spend time with your child playing on their games console so you can monitor what they are doing and who, if anybody they are interacting with. This will also lead to more open conversations.

PlayStation Network rules
Playstation have created the PSN Rules for children to read specifying what players aged 7–17 need to know before going online with PlayStation: https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/legal/psn-rules/

Block Players
Show your child how to block players should they need to: https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/support/account/block-players-psn/

Report inappropriate behaviour
Show your child how to report any inappropriate content/conversations: https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/support/account/ps5-report-behaviour/

Parental Controls
Make sure you set up appropriate parental controls (as well as any additional settings that are offered within any games your child is playing). Parental settings on a PS include features such as restrict communication with other players and setting spending limits.

PS4: https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/support/account/ps5-parentalcontrols-spending-limits/ PS5: https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/support/account/ps4-parentalcontrols-and-spending-limits/

Further information
https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/support/account/psn-safety-parentsguide/

Users of this guide do so at their own discretion. Current as of the date released 1.1.21.

Important dates to note for this term are:

25 Mar    Learning Showcase

26 Mar    Yr 5/6 Blue Palm Sunday Liturgy, 10.30am

              Ways of Being Award Ceremony, 2.15pm

28 Mar    Palm Sunday

31 Mar    Sacrament of First Reconciliation 5:30 - 6:30pm

1 Apr      Holy Thursday

               1/2 Gold, 3/4 Blue and 5/6 Gold

               Holy Week Liturgy, 10.00am

               Outdoor Education day

               Term 1 concludes

20 Apr     First Day - Term 2 - Full winter uniform.

The following notes are going home this week.

P&F Working Bee
Working_Bee_note_2021.pdf

Vinnies Super Hero Day
Vinnies_Super_Hero_Day_poster.pdf

Sacrament of Confirmation 2021
Confirmation_enrolment_Form_2021_updated.pdf
Confirmation_2021_initial_letter.pdf

Yr1 and Yr2 Seesaw
Year_1_2_Seesaw_2021_Introduction.pdf

Learning Showcase Invitations
Learning_Showcase_invite.pdf

School Fees
Thank you to all the families that have already paid their school fees.  School Fee reminders were sent out yesterday and all fees are due by Thursday 1st April.  If you have any concerns regading paying your fees, particularly due to COVID-19, please contact either Ms Rachel Smith or Mrs Belinda McRae at the Front Office.

A Lens on Learning

Code Club 

“We made a beehive with our legs to keep the bee bots in and we liked to share and press the buttons.” Verona

“My favourite part of Code Club was playing with the Bee Bots.” Saffron

“I would say it was really fun because of coding and everything.” Fred

“It was really great.” Hunter

Student Leadership News

National Day of Action Against Bullying
Last Friday we held National Day Against Bullying, which is also known as Anti Bullying Day. The students in our school did some fun activities that taught them about how to show kindness, what to do if you become a victim of bullying or if you witness someone getting bullied. Kindergarten to Year Two drew a portrait of themselves. Then they wrote around the portrait how to show respect and kindness to their peers. Years Three to Six made chatterboxes with different scenarios and facts about what they should do in a situation where bullying is involved.

Last week we also looked for people in our school (who were being upstanders and who were being the best they could be) to get a ‘Bullying, No Way!’ upstander award and two additional bee tokens.

To go forward we would like to have students getting an upstander award every 5 weeks because we think that getting an upstander award is very special.

Liturgical  Leaders

An Update From the Environmental Leaders
Since we received and began to use the coloured bins all around the school, we have seen a huge improvement in our recycling at school. It has been very nice for Year 5/6 students (who do the bin duties) to be able to recycle nearly all appropriate waste at our school instead of having to put it all in the red waste bin (as they did previously when most waste was contaminated). This is saving our Year 5/6 students time and also our school money! Well done everyone.

“The colours tell me which bin is the recycling bin and that makes it easier for me.” Lydia

“They’re bigger. This makes it easier to fit more rubbish in.” Eli

“I know that yellow is mixed recycling and red is rubbish.” Elias

Extra curriculum music lesson are provided at the school by the following businesses.  If you are interest please contact them directly.

Happy Birthday to the following children who celebrate their special day this week: Hugo S, Viola H, Hassem A and Gordon S.

Kindergarten: Scarlett L, Keisha L and Nathanael M

Year 1/2B:  Sandile N, Eyad M, Ilina D, Isabella M, Henri R and Ava K

Year 1/2G:  Noah W, Elias S and Molly F

Year 3/4B:  Taliyah M and Lucy W

Year 3/4G:  Nicolas B and Charlie W

Year 5/6B:  Tessa P and James N

Year 5/6 G: Angus C, Tia I, Mia N and Oliver J

Year 1/2G:  Jack K

Year 3/4B:  Tyler A

Year 3/4G:   Vivienne K

Year 5/6B:  Sophia R

Year 5/6 G: Mia T

Cookie Dough Fundraising 

Thank you to all the families and friends of families that have purchsed Cookie Dough orders.  All orders are still due to arrive next week, just in time for some holiday baking. More information will be sent out once a delivery day is advised.

Our school tuckshop is still currently closed.

We will let you know as soon as it is open and students are able to order from the tuckshop.

A reminder that when the tuckshop opens counter sales only occur at Recess time and lunch orders must be ordered in the morning. Don’t forget to use the Qkr! App to place your child’s order. Volunteers are always welcome. No amount of time is too small.

Apple slinky Tuesdays
We would like to thank the wonderful parents that have offered to come and do slinky apples for students each Tuesday morning.  There is no cost, we just ask that students bring their own apple to be slinkied for fruit break.

St Benedict's Parish
Office Hours: Tuesday to Friday 9am to 12noon
Phone: 62957879
Email: narrabundah@cg.org.au
Web:  website: http://cg.org.au/narrabundah/Home.aspx

Parish Team:
Fr Rembert Fernando MGL
Fr Baiju Thomas MGL
Monica Nulley-Valdes and Cathy Schneider (Parish Secretaries)

Mass Times:
Saturday Vigil - 6pm
Sunday - 9am
            - 6pm Charismatic Mass
Youth Mass every 4th Sunday (6pm)

Baptisms: 11.00am, 2nd and 4th Sundays of the Month.