Newsletter 4 july 2018

4 July 2018

SACRED HEART COLLEGE Tel: 011 081 2203 Reception: 011 081 2200 Fax: 011 648 5204 Website: www.sacredheart.co.za

PRE-PRIMARY AND PRIMARY SCHOOL

Calendar 11 July Inter-house Cross Country 13 July

Newsletter Date: 4 July 2018 Dear Parents, Guardians and children We are halfway through the year. Can you believe we have already lived through six months? Let us put our heads down, always keeping our eyes above the horizon, and work hard as we aim for the end of the year. Keep warm!

World Cup dance 25 July Sacred Heart’s Got Talent 3 August End of Term 2 4 September Term 3 begins

“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.”

Victor Hugo

SHC Primary School News

Staff News Welcome back to Mrs Lindsay-Smith after her long leave. We also welcome Mrs Correia, who will be filling in for Mrs PatonMills while she is on leave.

Ms Newbery will be leaving us at the end of Term 2, to take up a teaching post in Abu Dhabi. We wish her well in this new venture, and thank her for her commitment to our learners in her time with us.

Mrs Leanne Peters will be taking Ms Newbery’s classes until the end of the year. She is an experienced and passionate teacher, who was HOD at her previous school.

World Cup dance We will be celebrating the World Cup with a dance on Friday 13 July, in the school Hall, from 17:30 to 21:30. We encourage parents to bring their children to this fun event.

Cost: R180 per family. This includes two cold drinks, a photo and popcorn. Supper and drinks will be on sale.

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4 July 2018

Shout Out Congratulations! Rhys Wilkinson-Felgate, Grade 4, has been selected to represent the U10 Eastern Gauteng team at the SA Open National Judo Competition in Port Elizabeth on the 2-4 July. We wish him well.

Well done to the Grade 6s, who have painted amazing water colours of the school this week.

Sports Department News The new co-curricular programme will be focusing mainly on hockey and pre-season athletics. Hockey is not compulsory this year and children in Grade 3 to 6 can sign up to play matches. Please make sure that your child has shin-pads and a gum guard. The school has sticks but children are welcome to bring their own.

The inter-house Grade 3-6 cross country will take place on Wednesday 11 July. Grade 3s will start at 13:30; Grade 4s at 14:15; Grade 5s at 14:30 and Grade 6s at 14:45. Children must wear the correct house shirt.

Motivating kids the Maya way Although neuroscientists are just beginning to understand what's happening in the brain while we pay attention, psychologists already have a pretty good understanding of what's needed to motivate kids.

Psychologist Edward Deci has been studying it for nearly 50 years at the University of Rochester. And what does he say is one of the most important ingredients for motivating kids?

"Autonomy," Deci says. "To do something with this full sense of willingness and choice."

Many studies have shown that when teachers foster autonomy, it stimulates kids' motivation to learn, tackle challenges and pay attention, Deci says. But in the last few decades, some parts of our culture have turned in the other direction, he says. They've started taking autonomy away from kids — especially in some schools.

"One of the things we've been doing in the American school system is making it more and more controlling rather than supportive," Deci says. And this lack of autonomy in school inhibits kids' ability to pay attention, he says.

"Oh without question it does," Deci says. "So all of the high stakes tests are having negative consequences on the motivation, the attention and the learning of our children."

Now, many parents in the U.S. can't go full-on Maya to motivate kids. It's often not practical — or safe — to give kids that much autonomy in many places, for instance. But there are things parents here can do, says cognitive psychologist Mike Esterman. For starters, he says, ask your kid this question: 'What would you do if you didn't have to do anything else?' " "Then you start to see what actually motivates them and what they want to engage their cognitive resources in when no one tells them what they have to do," Esterman says. Then create space in their schedule for this activity, he says.

Source: KQED News. 1 July 2018. https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51509/how-to-get-kids-topay-attention?

SHC Primary School News

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4 July 2018

Blankets Blankets are available from main reception for R100 each.

Physio corner Children spend most part of the school day at their desk. But if their posture at their desk is poor they are more prone to develop back pain or lose concentration during their lesson. Their hand writing can also be affected if a child is not comfortable at a desk, which in turn can affect their class work. Kids with back pain will usually become adults with back pain. So it is important for us to encourage good back care habits from young.

Correct sitting postures at their desk: This includes using appropriate furniture for your children when they are using computers, playing at a table or doing their homework.

When seated at a desk the chair needs to be at a height where they can rest their fore arms on the desk. Their elbows should be homework book/keyboard height and their forearms parallel to the floor. Their feet should be resting on the floor with their knees and hips at a 90 degree angle. If their feet are unable to touch the floor, then a block needs to be placed under their feet to give them that support to prevent back pain (dangling feet can place a strain on the back).

If a child leans over a desk, or fidgets whilst sitting, it is possible they have weak core strength.

Being uncomfortable reduces both the quality and quantity of the work being produced and can make your child reluctant to study.

Outstanding Big Walk Forms The official sponsor form and donation must be in to the Primary School office by Friday 13 July.

All forms have to be accounted for in compliance with the NPO rules and regulations governing fundraising. It really is very disheartening to have so many forms outstanding, as the big walk was held on 7 June.

If your child has lost the form, a note in the diary is required and a small donation would be appreciated, as all monies raised go to the various charities we support.

SHC Primary School News

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4 July 2018

Closing time on Fridays A reminder that the Primary School children finish at 13:30 on Fridays. You are welcome to fetch your child at that time, if you can.

Mandela Day: 18 July We will join the world in celebrating Mandela Day on Wednesday 18 July. We believe that the focus of Mandela Day should be on families doing 67 minutes together in the wider community.

Some suggestions are: • clearing litter in the streets, local park or town centre • making sandwiches for the homeless • donating to your favourite charity • donating unused clothing and toys in good condition to those less privileged • donating blankets to shelters for the homeless, especially in this cold weather.

Foundation Phase news In the Foundation Phase, we are encouraging, teaching and reinforcing the idea that having good manners is still important. Courtesy, politeness or having good manners is all about respecting others and yourself.

Please assist us by reminding your children to greet others, to say please and to say thank you. If we are respectful to others, then we are more likely to be treated with respect. If we show good manners, then we are likely to encourage others to behave respectfully towards us. Treat others as you would like to be treated.

SHC Primary School News

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