Coronavirus Update 3

Although it is becoming more challenging to say that we are operating in a climate of ‘business as usual’, I would like to assure all our families that at this time Christian Schools Tasmania (CST) and our schools are continuing to monitor and follow the advice of National and State Health authorities and we are still focusing on our core responsibility to ensure that our students are being well-cared for and are receiving an excellent Christian education…

Helping Children with Worrying News

Firstly we would like to refer parents and caregivers to the communication circulated earlier this week by our CEO. We would like to encourage people to check their email regularly as we will update you if our advice changes.

This week we’ve had many parents and caregivers email or chat with us, asking for help with talking to their children about the Coronavirus.

We know the past two weeks have brought some scary stories to our news cycle. I found this very helpful article below written by Sally Lloyd-Jones a well-known Christian children’s author. I hope this will be helpful in your conversations with your children.

With fears of coronavirus, your children may be feeling worried and nervous. How can we talk to children about worrying news?

I think this one tip can be very helpful:

Let children lead your discussion. Assess what they know. Start by asking what your child has heard about the scary thing. That way you answer the questions they have—not the questions you assume they have. (If we answer questions they don’t have, we risk adding to their anxiety with things they hadn’t even thought of.)

Give children a chance to voice their worries. You’ll find that often what’s on their minds is very specific: What if my mum gets sick?

When you have those difficult discussions from the starting point of their questions and worries, you can often help lessen their fears because you address them head-on.

How do you answer their questions? Here are some thoughts.

1. Be honest and direct with your answers. In all of my writing, I make it a point never to talk down to children. I think the same is true for talking about hard news: children need direct, honest answers, not empty reassurances. For example, many children right now are scared about coronavirus. You’ll have to use your discretion about whether it’s age-appropriate for your child.

2. Focus on the helpers. We can take a lesson from Mr Rogers, who said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” Doctors, scientists, and teachers are helping with the coronavirus. Show children that helpers are all around and that you – no matter how small – can be a helper, too. Think of ways you can help together, and do an activity that makes children feel like they’re contributing.

3. Remind children that God is in charge. This excerpt from Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing helps:

   Every morning we enter a new day. Who knows what the day will bring? God knows. Which is why He tells us not to be afraid. He has already gone ahead of us into the new day. He knows the way, what will happen, all we’ll need. In the morning we can put our day in His hands. And let Him bring into our day–into our year! – whatever He has for us. And then, in the evening, we give it back to him. And trust him with all that happened in it.

I encourage our school community to allow children to lead those hard conversations about their worries. Listen to them. Take their fears seriously. And let those conversations lead back to this truth, that God knows what the day will bring, and we don’t have to be afraid.

Miss Bethany Armstrong - Principal

Year 1 News

It has been a great start to the year in Year 1, with students learning to focus on their learning tasks and rejoice in the progress they are making.

We have started our devotions this year by reading through the Jesus Storybook Bible. This is a great resource for students to gain an understanding of the Bible holistically whilst teaching them individual Bible stories. The students in Year 1 are confident in communicating with God through prayer.

Year 1 are focusing on Building Community this year, looking at this on three different levels: local, national and international. Each week students spend time with students in different classes to learn how to cooperate, communicate and learn from each other.

This semester we are exploring programming with the use of Bee-Bots, robotic cars and a few other devices.

Science and HASS have been subject areas that students have enjoyed this term as we have been exploring living creatures and what they need to survive. Last week we had a wasps’ nest brought into class by Jarrah Green, which provided students with the opportunity to explore wasps on a new level and gain a deeper understanding of how amazing God is in His creation.

Mrs Tara Williams - Year 1 Teacher

From Our Counsellor

At Northern Christian School, we want to support and encourage you in these uncertain times.

Our children see us at our best and our most vulnerable. Our children will see us when we are exhausted, frightened, sad, angry and when things in our lives and world feel like they are falling apart.

As parents, we can show our children how to be brave. Their courage starts with ours. The way we deal with our anxieties and worries can show and lead them in dealing with theirs. It’s tough to do, it means digging deep and focusing on them rather than our feelings. 

So that you can be well-prepared and support your family please read this article that will help as you have conversations with your little ones.

Mrs Julie Weeks - School Counsellor

An Opportunity to Bless - Wellington Christian School

Each term this year, we will be taking the opportunity to bless a community, small group or individual, either in Tasmania, the mainland or overseas.

This term we have chosen Wellington Christian School. This small Primary School is located in Wellington, about 50km from Dubbo, in the central west of New South Wales.

In a recent email from the principal Jo Blatch, wrote:

We have been in the worst drought in recorded history here in Central Western NSW for a number of years. For our farming families, who attend our school, life has been very hard work and it has only been in the last 2 months that we have experienced any rain.

Some of our students have never experienced what it’s like to have to eat lunch on the verandas. There hasn’t been a wet weather day for about 3 years!

God has blessed us with some beautiful falls of rain over the last 6 weeks it’s softly falling as we speak! Our brand new rain gauge in the playground will get its very first reading this afternoon.

The land around Wellington is finally looking green for the first time in years. Sadly, for many farming families, it won’t have an impact right away. It will take them years to rebuild stock numbers after having to sell the majority of their cattle and sheep. The debt they have accrued because of 3 years of failed wheat, canola and barley crops is quite significant. Farmers are sewing crops again at the moment and are hoping and praying that this year they won’t die straight after germination.

Other families who attend our school are struggling because they own small businesses that are usually supported by the agricultural industry - shearers, fencing contractors, even cleaners. It will be quite a while before they are back to full operation.

Last year our Year 2 and Year 4 students at Northern wrote cards and letters of support and encouragement to students at Wellington. This year we asked Jo if we could bless them in some other way and she replied:

Our school has a lot of old, broken musical instruments. One thing we are doing this year is expanding an opportunity for students to have piano lessons from a private teacher. An electronic keyboard, with weighted keys like a piano, is something we would love to work towards purchasing.

Such a keyboard would cost between $1500 and $2000. We would like to contribute towards this by having a fundraising activity which will be organised by our new Student Council, for later this term.

Please pray for this school community and our student leaders as they organise an event which will raise funds to help purchase a new keyboard.

Mr Malcolm Lacey - Missions Coordinator

Enrolments are open for 2021!

If you're a parent with a child to enrol in 2021 we'd love to hear from you now. We also currently have space this year for students in Prep and Year 4 through to Year 6.

To start the application process, please fill in our online form.

You can find out more about our Kinder program via our website or view our Kinder promotional film on YouTube.