Newsletter 6 2 March 2022
From the Principal
Hi everyone,
I hope that you are well. The past week has been stressful and difficult for many in our school community. If you need assistance at this time, please get in touch. If the school can’t help you directly, we may be able to access other support for you.
I understand many are still without power and the clean up can’t begin just yet. It is indeed a challenging time. I understand the Brisbane City Council are offering kerbside collection for flood damaged items (that can’t be cleaned) for people in flood damaged areas.
On top of the weather event, we have had a number of families reporting new COVID-19 cases. Please find further information regarding COVID-19 management here.
Gladys Street is dry and the crossing is operating. Until a full clean up is carried out, please do not allow children to loiter in the area. Thanks to our crossing supervisor Margaret for being as steadfast as always.
Again, please reach out if you require assistance at this time.
Best wishes
Simon Vaseo
Principal
From the Head of Curriculum
Supporting children’s self-control through play and physical activity
Following on from my article a few newsletters ago about Professor Richie Poulton, CNZM FRSNZ and the Dunedin study. I have had some requests from parents and staff about specific games and activities that can be played with children to help them improve impulsive behaviour and concentration.
Here are some games specifically designed for The ENGAGE (Enhancing Neurocognitive Growth with the Aid of Games and Exercise) programme developed through both the University of Otago, New Zealand and Queens College of the City University of New York, United States of America. The ENGAGE programme aimed to improve children’s skills in many areas as well as their ability to regulate their behaviour and emotions, their memory, concentration and co-ordination. ENGAGE was developed by Dr Dione Healey, PhD in Psychology and Dr Jeffrey Halperin, PhD in Psychology.
Please note children are not expected to play more than 30mins in total of any or a combination of these activities.
Copy me - start with a short sequence and provide increasingly longer sequences of actions for your child to copy (e.g., touch your nose, then knee, then ear, then elbow). Make sure your child watches you complete the full sequence first and then copies what you have just done. Adjust the game so that it is challenging for your child, but not too difficult for them. The sequences may get more complex over the week as they improve this skill.
You can make all sorts of sequences, for example, dance moves or using props. Another way to increase the complexity of this game is to ask your child to repeat your sequence in backward order! Copy me games are great for developing children’s attention and memory skills, and, at times, can also require co-ordination and inhibitory control.
Tip: You may also switch leaders in this game so that one time your child copies you and the next time you copy your child so they find the game more fun! When copying your child, you can also make mistakes on purpose to see if they can remember what they did well enough to catch you out!
Musical statues – play music from your phone or you can make a sound like clapping or singing. When the music/sound stops your child needs to keep still until the music starts again. While the music is playing you can get your child to be moving in a certain manner; for example, very slow skipping or running very fast on the spot. This teaches self-regulation by having to transition from various speeds to a complete stand still. As you play this game you may wish to make it more difficult for your child. You can do this by increasing the time spent standing still (e.g., the length that the music is paused) or the number of times your child has to stop and restart. While the core skill targeted is inhibitory control (e.g., standing still when the music stops), musical statues also requires attention & memory (e.g., for the rules of the game), and co-ordination.
Relaxation - Relaxation games typically focus on developing emotional and inhibitory control. Muscles can be stretched and tensed by playing this game where children are asked to do the following:
- March straight and upright around the room like a stiff soldier for 10 seconds.
- Run on the spot and go all floppy shaking your arms around for 10 seconds.
- Screw up your face to look like a scary monster and hold it like that for 10 seconds.
- Pretend you are branches of a tree in the wind by waving your arms above your head – for 10 seconds.
- Roll up tightly to become as small as possible and keep trying to get smaller and smaller for about 10 seconds.
- Stand tall and stretch your arms up to the sky for 10 seconds trying to get taller and taller.
- Pretend to be a big heavy elephant and move round the room very slowly for 30 seconds.
- Move as calmly and slowly as possible and only talk in a very quiet voice to encourage relaxation.
- Finally lie down and be a “sleeping cat” by lying as still and quiet as possible for about a minute. Try not to move at all just breathe slowly (time will vary according to your child’s ability to remain still. You could start at 10 secs and gradually build to a minute.
I hope you find these activities enjoyable. Possibly you could share with me the activities you had most success with.
The links below provide more information on the ENGAGE program outcomes and The Dunedin Study.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24735230/
https://dunedinstudy.otago.ac.nz/publications?category=2
https://dunedinstudy.otago.ac.nz/
Lauren Grayson
Head of Department - Curriculum
Crazy Hair Day – help Darci raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation!
Darci (Year 6) is shaving her head this year to raise money towards finding a cure for blood cancer.
A Crazy Hair Day will be held on Friday, 4 March 2022 to help her raise funds.
Students can donate a gold coin and come to school with their hair in a crazy style, dressed up in either ribbons or with colourful hair spray.
If any student doesn’t want to participate in crazy hair, but would still like to donate, that’s ok too.
Collection boxes will be located in each classroom, and we’ll announce how much we raised together the week after the event.
For more information on why Darci has decided to do participate, see her website via the following link:
Darci's Fundraising Website - The World's Greatest Shave
Darci will be shaving her head at the Camp Hill Antique Centre, 9:30am Sunday 20 March 2022.
From the P & C
Important Message from Buranda State School P & C
We know that many families in our community have been affected in different ways by the recent weather events. This is the time when communities need to step up and help each other. We at the P & C would like to offer assistance to any families who have lost school supplies and uniforms.
Please get in touch with Sarah at sawarner@bigpond.com and we will work something out.
Stay safe and well and a really hope everyone gets their power back on soon.
Sarah Warner P & C Vice President
Please update your P&C Membership
Our March AGM will soon be here, and that means your 2022 Annual Membership to the P&C needs to be renewed.
It's time to renew your P&C Membership! Please click the following link, it will take you about 3 minutes to complete.
Every person needs to renew every year to be able to vote and keep up to date with what's happening around the school and in your local community.
Can you help on our P&C?
Every year the P&C needs executive members to keep our P&C up and running. We will be looking for a new President as well as a Vice Treasurer, have you got skills and time you could offer our school community? At our AGM, we will be calling for a new executive, and we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch via president@burandasspandc.org.au for a chat.
Buranda State School P&C secured funds for 2022 Winter Solstice and 2022 Buranda Fest.
Great News! Brisbane City Council has now officially confirmed that they will help the Buranda State School P&C for funds for both the Winter Solstice which will be held on Saturday 18 June 2022 and Buranda Fest which will be held on Saturday 17 September 2022.
Both events are funded in total for $3,000 each so look out for more information in the coming months, we will be looking for volunteers interested in event coordination, and general running of each event day.
Uniform Convenor
The P&C is looking for a Uniform Convenor to work flexibly, in a paid role three hours a fortnight. If you are interested in running our Uniform Shop, please get in touch via president@burandasspandc.org.au
Tuckshop Convenor
The P&C is looking for a Tuckshop Convenor to work flexibly 6 - 10 hours a week in the tuckshop. If you are interested in running our School Tuckshop, please get in touch via president@burandasspandc.org.au
Zoe
P & C President
Buranda SS P&C Association
Iceblocks returning Wednesday 9 March
Iceblock day will be returning on Wednesday 9 March.
Please purchase new cards through Qkr! Last year's cards can be re-used but remember to update your child's class. All new cards can be collected by students from the tuckshop when they collect their iceblocks. Preps will have their cards delivered to their classroom for distribution.
From Helping Hands
Hello from Helping Hands Team,
A huge thank you to everyone who has dontated sheets, please keep them coming. This is to encourage the children's nature play.
Our hearts go out to everyone who is flood affected, please let us know if there is anything we can do. Please stay safe.
Thank you all.
Community
Buranda BushCare is back for 2022!
We welcome all ages as we together to re-create this beautiful little patch of riparian shrub near the school bridge on Norman Creek. Please come and visit and see if you can spot the local yellow robin in the picture…look near the big gum tree.
Caring for Country…especially this busy corner of Yuggera Country… is a wonderful way parents and carers can connect their children to nature and good mental health.
We supply everything you need: gloves, tools, happy people, local knowledge, and a way to fight climate change….your very own carbon sequestration and nature connection project!
Our next event is on Sunday March 6th from 7 – 10 am…. but come anytime!
If interested please text Bryn on 0439 300 375 or better still, follow and respond on the facebook page (search Buranda Bush care) https://www.facebook.com/BurandaBCC/
Buranda Bush Care
