2024 The Messenger T1 Wk 4

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THE MESSENGER Term 1 Week 4 Tuesday 20 February 2024

DEAR SCHOOL COMMUNITY Welcome again to the 2024 school year. Thank you to the parents who were able to join us for our first assembly and morning tea I hope your children have begun their 2024 journey well and that you are beginning to find some rhythm & routine now that school is back. Yesterday, you would have received a Sentral message with an attachment that outlines our ‘Student use of smart devices and screen time policy.’ The sections on phones and screen time are below. I encourage you to read the full policy, talk about this with the members of your class community, and share your thoughts and opinions with an open mind. When should I give my child a phone? We strongly suggest that parents wait until at least the conclusion of Year 8 before allowing their children to have a smartphone/ watch etc. Once your children have a smartphone, the issues accompanying the use of social media begin, and managing the risks around this requires extensive intervention from parents. We believe students are better developmentally equipped to navigate these online spaces from the end of Year 8 onward. We encourage each class community to discuss and align themselves with this recommendation for the benefit of our whole school community. Screen Time Regular and excessive screen time (including gaming) is discouraged for all children, especially before Year 9. We recommend parents carefully assess the age appropriateness of the content they are exposed to. To benefit fully from a Steiner education, children need every opportunity to develop their creative play, to learn to occupy themselves independently, to enjoy interacting with family and friends, and to learn about the world through active exploration and participation. Children may require times of being ‘bored’ to turn towards these activities more easily.

My gratitude for the Earth’s new growth and blossom-beauty and for the high, blue sunlit skies fills my soul and I want to lose all that is small in me and soar into the beauty of the cosmos. RUDOLF STEINER

These issues can be difficult to navigate but they will be easier the more aligned we can be in our approaches. Enjoy! Glenn Hood | Principal

ALL SCHOOL EVENTS AND DATES: WWW. MANSFIELDSTEINER.VIC.EDU.AU/CALENDAR

GRAPEVINE

MORNING STAR Sandi Valerio

The Morning Star children have been singing songs of Summer time, waves in the ocean, fishing songs and finally rowing their boats to shore. Our first weeks have been focused on settling in and finding a place in the Kinder that feels like home. Our stories reflected the summer months and of new adventures to meet the children on their journey as they begin their Kinder years. The story of the’ Grass star man’ had the children clapping and singing with a catchy tune, whilst the ‘Three billy goats gruff’ story gave them the feeling of strength as the billy goats showed courage and trust as they explored a new environment. Nature days on Fridays have been well received, the children have built cubbies with rainbow cloths, built dams and lakes in the sandpit with friends and enjoyed sunny days with outside picnics for morning tea. We finished our program with pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and having the told story of the Pancake man.

ROSA MUNDI Jack Finegan

In Rosa Mundi we have been settling in breathing in and out and focusing on our new rhythm in Prep! We have been retelling and acting out our favourite stories through play. The Chinese New Year story of Nian has becomes a new favourite. Sadly, due to the recent storm we have lost our shady tree by the Sandpit and there is a sense of something missing in the yard. The Rosa Mundi children are ready to get started on some new and exciting ideas to fill the space. In craft Preps are creating Pom Pom bunnies ready for their Easter Festival.


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