THE LEADER IN ME

One of the things that sets our school apart from other schools is our student wellbeing program, with one of the key features of this being The Leader In Me program. On the schools website there is a publication – Parents Guide to the Leader In Me – which I encourage every parent/carer to read  and refer to from time to time – please see link:

https://www.seafordps.vic.edu.au/uploaded_files/media/the_leader_in_me_parents_guide.pdf

Think of how you can implement some of the philosophies of the program at home and how the language of the program can become a part of the conversations family members have with each other.

I also encourage you to talk to your child about what they have already done at school this year as part of The Leader In Me. Each child’s grade has established its class Mission Statement which was in the previous newsletter. They will have been developing their own mission statement, set up their first academic and personal WIG (Wildly Important Goal) and will be working with classmates to establish term 1’s class WIG which all class members can contribute towards. For the first few weeks we will be focussing on Habit 1 – Be Proactive. Please see that last page of the newsletter for an overview of this habit.

In the near future all grades from 1/2 up to 4/5 will elect two Lighthouse Leaders from their class. These children will meet regularly with Ms Kruger with their role being to make the school a better place for everyone.

DUET MUSIC PROGRAM – THE SONG ROOM

Mrs Wilders and Mrs Eales have successfully applied for a grant to provide an enhanced Music Program at the school. This program is called “The Song Room” and will provide trained Artists to work alongside our teachers building capacity whilst implementing a program for all of our classes which will engage and excite them through music. Not only will we receive this expertise working at Seaford, but we will also be provided with up to $4000 worth of additional equipment to support the program. As soon as we are advised as to when this program will start, I will let you know.

AIR PURIFIERS

These have finally arrived at the school and have been placed in each of the 8 classrooms. These will provide an added layer of protection for students against COVID

DOGS IN SCHOOL GROUNDS

Other than Cody, our therapy dog, dogs are not permitted in the school at any time when children are present, even when on a leash, so that if you drop off and pick up your child from school and want to bring the family pet, I would ask that you do not enter the school grounds. We also discourage dogs being given free roam of the school grounds, before and after school and on weekends, although this is very difficult to monitor. Most pet owners are responsible people who pick up after their dogs, but unfortunately this is not everyone and we do like to avoid having children play on the oval when there are droppings that need to be avoided – not always successfully.

LUNCHTIME ACTIVITIES

The staff at Seaford are looking at setting up a selection of lunchtime activities to give some more choice and variety for the children to do during their lunch breaks. One of these activities will be quiet games which will involve children doing board games, puzzles and similar activities. Oscar in grade 4 and I are requesting that if any family has games etc that they no longer need and are complete and are in good condition, if you are happy to donate these to the school they would be put to good use.

Oscar thought that these could include : Jig saw puzzles, Bingo , Dominoes, Connect 4 , Uno card games etc, Scrabble, Monopoly, Tic Tac To , Boggle , or any other age appropriate games.

SCHOOL COUNCIL:

With a new year comes a new school council. The school council is an integral part of any Victorian Government School. The role of the school council is to ensure that the governance of the school is in accordance with all department and government requirements. It establishes the direction of the school and sets goals and targets of the school through the School Strategic Plan and the Annual Implementation Plan. School Council is responsible for things such as:

Finance including budgets; Fund Raising; Canteen; Uniform; Buildings and Grounds; School Lease Agreements; and much more

The school council at Seaford Primary School comprises both parent and staff representation. We have 8 parent reps, 4 staff reps and the principal who is the executive officer of the council. Parent and staff reps are filled through an election process and elected members sit for two years. Every year, half of the council retire, and these positions are then filled through an election process.  We can also have up to two community member who are co-opted by the school council to provide additional expertise when particular projects are being undertaken at the school. Currently we do not have any community members of school council.

School council meets once each month and must meet a minimum of eight times throughout the year. Meetings go for a maximum of two hours and the day and time of these meetings is determined at the first meeting of each new council so that it is convenient for all members.

There will be 4 vacant positions in the parent category of school council for the period 2022 – 2024. As from Monday February 21^st, nomination forms will be available from the school office. A reminder will be sent out via Compass late next week.  You may self nominate or nominate another eligible parent provided they consent to the nomination.  Please give this your serious consideration. Being a member of the school council not only gives you an opportunity to be involved in the governance of the school, but it will provide you with a greater understanding of the way in which your school operates as well as getting to know and work with other parents and staff at the school.

Should you need more information of the role of the school councillor and the commitment expected of councillors, please feel free to contact me.

The Leader In Me

Be Proactive

‘Thinking is one of the most important weapons in dealing with problems.’  Nelson Mandela.

Be Proactive means to take responsibility for your choices and behaviours. Habit 1 is the key to all of the other habits; that’s why it comes first. Be Proactive says, “I am in charge of my own life. I am responsible for whether I am happy or sad. I can choose how I react to other people or situations. I am in the driver’s seat.” Young children can easily learn to understand that different choices yield different results. The goal is to teach them to think about those  results before they decide what to do. Discussions can focus on taking care of themselves,  taking care of their things, reacting or not reacting to others’ behaviour, planning ahead, and thinking about what the right thing to do is. With your child, think of ways to Be Proactive at home.  Most of us react to a situation immediately, without taking time to think about the   results of our actions. Part of Be Proactive is being able to stop and think before we act.

What you can  do at home to support Habit 1

Discuss with your child how they were proactive at school – what did they do, what was the result of their actions, and how they felt. 

It would be great to have these written down and displayed at home where they can be seen and referred to. How does ‘Be Proactive’ look at home – how do you as parents demonstrate ways of being proactive. How do you react when things don’t go quite the way you want them to. Remember that children are always watching and will model behaviours of people that they look up to.

Kind regards

Michael