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Find out what’s happening in the life of our school! $$PLAIN_TEXT_PREVIEW$$
Routine Acts of KindnessWe all know that ‘getting fit’ does not take a week. Instead, you need to intentionally schedule exercise sessions a few times a week. Last year, I completed my first marathon in Melbourne and it was an incredible experience, especially getting to finish by completing a lap of the MCG. It took 15 weeks of training, five nights a week, for me to tick a marathon off my bucket list. Some nights I would be training up to 2 hours in rain, sleet or even in the dark. Some days I would have preferred to have been drinking a cup of tea and admiring the view of the snow-capped Mount Wellington from my living room instead. Training for a marathon is both mentally hard and physically hard. Completing a marathon requires you to be deliberate and intentional in creating a routine of at least five running sessions a week. ‘Being kind’ should involve routine acts of kindness, where you are consistently deliberate and intentional in being kind to others. I have never liked the phrase or the connotation of ‘Random Acts of Kindness’. God is always kind, compassionate and slow to anger, and therefore, He expects us to always show kindness, even to people who we may deem ‘unworthy’ of receiving it. This kindness cannot be reduced to a spirit of civility - a bland attempt to ‘be nice’ to people. (Wax, T, 2009). God does not call us to be selective or random in the kindness that we show to others. Instead, kindness requires intentional action to all. In John 13:34-35, Jesus says: “A new commandment I give you; that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” We know that Jesus showed his loving-kindness on the cross for us, and we were so undeserving of this. His act of kindness to us should be both the motivation and the power for us to be kind to others. Friday is ‘You Can Sit With Me Day’, and the theme is ‘Encouraging Kindness’. Our students will spend some time on Friday, thinking about how God has shown kindness to them, what kindness is, and how they can be deliberate in showing kindness to others. Some classes are writing letters to Glenview residents, while others are thanking those who were kind and helped them during distance learning. We want to be a transformative community at Northern Christian School, where we show kindness to others on account of our love and commitment to Jesus. It’s Jesus’s love that enables us to show kindness to the undeserving. I encourage us all not just to have a day or a week focusing on being kind, but instead create a daily routine where you think, pray and ask this question: ‘Who might I intentionally show kindness to today?’ We give thanks to God for the kindness he has shown to us, and we pray that we will be a community that will be intentional and deliberate in being kind to others with the same loving-kindness that God has poured on us so richly, in Jesus. Miss Bethany Armstrong - Principal
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Online Approvals SystemOn Monday 1 June you should have received an invitation to update your contact details and your child/ren’s health details via our new online approvals system. This will also make providing permission for school excursions and camps much easier. Consent2Go will replace our current paper-based system and Skoolbag. This will reduce the numerous pieces of paper that parents and carers have to fill out and send back. No more lost notes at the bottom of the school bag! As part of this change, all parents/carers will be required to update their personal information and their children's health data by
Friday 12th June. If you did not receive the invitation please contact the school to confirm your email address. If you have any questions or concerns please contact us.
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School Bus Travel - Track your BusWhile we can give you an approximate time of arrival at your stop in the morning, there are often delays as children are still making their way to the stop or have run inside for a last minute item. These delays have a flow-on effect to the rest of the bus run and can cause frustration for other families, including the driver. Please ensure your child is ready and waiting at the stop BEFORE the bus is due to arrive. Therefore, we encourage all parents who use our free O’Driscoll bus services to download the Transportme App. At times the buses may run late, be running early, or you would just like the peace of mind that your children are on the bus. All of this is possible by registering on the App. You can track their location in real time instead of waiting at the bus stop unnecessarily. You can see exactly when the bus is to arrive, and ensure you child is ready and waiting for collection. Instructions for downloading and configuring your app are easy to follow.
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From the School Counsellor
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We would like to introduce you to Bella, the Therapy Dog. Bella accompanies me to school and assists in my work with students. Several years ago, Bella and I participated in a special training school where we learned really important skills to enable Bella to become a Certified Therapy Dog. Bella is a healthy, active and fun-loving dog, with an adorable temperament, low-allergenic and particularly gentle and compliant around children. If you have met Bella you will have noticed she is very much a ‘feelings-filled’ pooch.
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Why does Bella now come to Northern Christian School? Over the years research has shown that therapy dogs can enhance children’s psychological development, improve social skills and increase self-esteem. Other benefits include teaching responsibility, compassion, and respect for other living things. Dogs in the classroom can be used to calm fears, relieve anxiety and teach skills. |
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Why does Bella now come to Northern Christian School? Over the years research has shown that therapy dogs can enhance children’s psychological development, improve social skills and increase self-esteem. Other benefits include teaching responsibility, compassion, and respect for other living things. Dogs in the classroom can be used to calm fears, relieve anxiety and teach skills. |
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Therapy dogs, properly managed in the school setting, can make a difference to educational advancement, as well as contributing critically to emotional and relational development. Bella and I spend time with students at Northern to help them to grow and develop well. If you see Bella please feel free to say hello and give her a pat. Mrs Julie Weeks -
School Counsellor |
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Therapy dogs, properly managed in the school setting, can make a difference to educational advancement, as well as contributing critically to emotional and relational development. Bella and I spend time with students at Northern to help them to grow and develop well. If you see Bella please feel free to say hello and give her a pat. Mrs Julie Weeks -
School Counsellor |
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During our Distance Learning Program, I had the privilege of teaching Year 2. During that time, we particularly enjoyed learning about artists Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso and Wassily Kandinsky. Students completed their own works of art while learning about the artists’ interests and their use of colour, shapes and faces. God has given us all the ability to be creative. I wish Mrs Miller and Year 2 all the very best with their learning for the rest of the year. Miss Andrea Marks - Teacher
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Stop, Drop and Go!Thank you to everyone who has been cooperating with the new Stop, Drop and Go! arrangements and making the transition back to school safe for our community. A reminder that parents are to remain in their vehicles until 2:55pm before entering the school grounds to collect younger students, and should not be waiting outside classrooms while teaching is still occurring. This is not only disruptive, but also does not help to maintain a social distancing environment. A reminder that students that are not going on the school buses after school are required to be picked up by 3:10pm. By 3:15pm, students who are still waiting for the parents to pick them up will be taken to the office and parents will be contacted. |
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As many of you are aware, our uniform supplier has told us the stock delays are due to the COVID-19 crisis. We have been working hard to find a solution to this issue, and are happy to announce that we now have short-sleeve polo tops in stock. If you pre-paid your order earlier in the year, we will send your order home with your child. If you need to exchange sizes please return the item/s for the correct size. If you have a unpaid order, please collect your shirts from the Office by Friday to ensure the stock is available. Once we are satisfied we have fulfilled as many orders as possible, we will be ready to welcome over-the-counter sales from Monday. We do not have any further stock arriving this week and are not currently taking any further pre-orders. We appreciate that due to the colder weather arriving many parents are seeking to purchase trackpants, however, please remember that navy trousers are available, and cheaper than the trackpants, if your child is requiring long pants for winter. We are hopeful that in the coming weeks the remainder of our uniform items will be available. Once again, pre-ordered stock will be given priority, and then normal purchases can resume. Please continue to monitor the newsletter for further updates. We thank everyone for their understanding and patience.
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A gentle reminder to parents about head lice. If lice is sighted in your child's hair, you will be contacted immediately to collect your child and you will be required to treat their hair. Your child is not permitted back at school until treated. Parents must be satisfied that there is no evidence of eggs or living head lice before your child returns. A follow up check each day for seven days is advised to ensure complete eradication of the head lice. After your child returns to school, staff cannot and will not check your child’s hair, however, sighting of live lice will require your child to be sent home again. Thank you for your ongoing support.
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Due to our response to the ongoing COVID-19 virus, all special events at school have been cancelled. Any events that are rescheduled will appear below and on the Northern Calendar. JUNE
8th | Public Holiday
10th | Year 4 Virtual Assembly JULY
3rd | Last Day of Term 2
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All School AbsenteesFor absentees please fill-out our Absentee Form OR email us before 9.30am. An SMS will be sent to parents for unexplained absences. Please ensure late students who arrive after 9.00am are signed in at the office. If students are leaving early they are required to be signed out
at the office. A doctor’s certificate is required for more than three days’ absence. Please notify the office before 2.30pm for any messages your children need before leaving school.
NewslettersIf you've missed a copy of the Newsletter you can also view previous editions on the Newsletter Page. Parents PageDon't forget our Parents Page, with Handbooks, Homework Policies, Term Dates, Medical Forms, a Feedback Form and lots more!
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