Issue 14 / 15 November 2013
From the Head of Junior School Last Tuesday night we hosted our annual presentation night. This was a fantastic night where we could celebrate another fantastic year at St Andrews. We were able to rejoice with the Year 6 students as they celebrate the end of one journey and begin to look forward to the next phase of their lives. We were able to marvel at the God given talents of the students. It was truly a great night. There are a lot of other events planned for the Year 6 students. The closing chapel on the 6th of December will be
the 28th of November. The theme is coming together well and promises to be another great night for the students. Last week we held an information session for parents who are entering into Year 6 next year. From 2014 the Year 6 families will be required to provide an iPad for their children to use at school. The major aims are: anywhere/anytime learning, teaching children to be confident and responsible users of technology and to enhance the teaching and learning. Molly O’Brien, Saoirse Harding, Tenika Fielder, Olivia Bowmer, Luka-Belle Buckingham, Kiraina Palma and Mikka Palma have been raising money for Cambodia water wells. They managed to raise $655. This can purchase four water wells with hand pumps. Each well serves five families. They also had enough left over to buy a fishing net. Congratulations to these girls who have worked tirelessly to raise money for these projects. Their efforts will go a long way to improve the lives of people in Cambodia. We are very proud of their self-initiated action. Class Coordinators I would like to say a big thank you to all of the class coordinators for their work this year in building the St Andrews community. Your efforts have been appreciated by all. There were a range of events from coffee mornings, discos, barefoot bowls, movies, play dates and lots of great gatherings. Next year we will again be looking for class coordinators, so if this is a way that you might like to volunteer your time, please keep an eye out at the beginning of the year when we call for volunteers.
led by the students while being assisted by Pastor Terry. The students will be heavily involved in the whole service. There have been a number of Year 6 parents who have done a lot of work in preparing for the Year 6 graduation dinner on
Farewell Year 12 Students Today saw the farewell of the Year 12 students with the Junior School students forming a guard of honour from the chapel up to the COLA. This was very meaningful for both the graduating class and Junior School students. I was very excited to hear that there have been 40 offers of direct entry into Bond, Griffith and Southern Cross Universities. This is a great endorsement of the academic program that
exists at St Andrews Lutheran College and we can all feel very proud of the excellent results that have been achieved by this year’s graduating class. Darrin Schumacher Deputy Principal/Head of Junior School
Chaplains Chat Encountering God… Ways in which God encounters His people has been the theme of Chapel in our school over the past weeks. On one particular occasion Jesus encountered a Tax Collector named Zacchaeus. This fellow was a crook and all the town of Jericho despised him due to his ‘robbery’ of them through illegitimate taxes. Jesus actually went home with Zaccheaus and ate a meal in his home. Ultimately, Zacchaeus’ encounter of Jesus was totally life changing. His life was turned around and this restored his relationship with the people. Ultimately leading him to pay back 4 times the money he had crookedly acquired from them and living the rest of his life in relationship with God.
Art News PAT 2014 As we move rapidly through Term 4 a reminder that unless a cancellation notice is received, PAT enrolments will roll over into 2014. If your child does not intend to continue their lessons, please complete the online form on the College Website. We now have waitlists for many of our PAT Teachers so it is important to advise us if you no longer require a lesson. Any enquiries regarding PAT Tuition can be sent to performingarts@salc.qld.edu.au NB Those students involved in Mini Musos or Yr 3 & 4 Strings must complete the letter to indicate whether they are continuing in the PAT Program. If you are considering taking up PAT lessons in 2014, please get your application forms in this term. These are available online through the College Website. End of Year Concerts As we approach the end of Term, we have a series of end of year concerts to showcase and celebrate our students. These are all held in the RBT. All are welcome to come along and support our performers. Evening of Song - Tuesday 19th November 6.30pm RBT A showcase of our PAT Singing students. Dance Night - Wednesday 20th November 6.30pm RBT This evening is a showcase of both Classroom and Co-Curicular Dance at St Andrews. It has been a great year for Dance and all are welcome to attend this evening as we celebrate our very talented dancers.
People still encounter Jesus in similar ways today but generally those of us who recognize his call on our lives haven’t had such a massive ‘conversion’ experience. All people who encounter Christ through the Bible are transformed – our students at St Andrews are transformed as they encounter God in worship times and the daily activities of our school as God’s love is lived out. The transformation may almost be imperceptible but God is certainly at work as His life, death and resurrection is proclaimed and lived out in our school. Just as Zaccheaus took Jesus back to his house for a meal – he is also hoping to travel home from school with each of us and spend 24/7 with us so that the transformation that he is carrying out may move from being imperceptible to completely life changing as it was for Zacchaeus. God’s Peace and Love, Graeme Schache Chaplain
Piano Soiree - Thursday 21st November RBT Mini Maestros (Years 1 – 3) 3.30pm Pianoramas (Years 4 + ) 4.30pm Speech and Drama Concert - Tuesday 26th November RBT Years 1 – 3 3.30 – 4.30pm Years 4 – 11 4.45pm – 5.45pm Bands Soiree - Friday 29th November RBT Please note change of date from 28th November 3.30 – 4.30pm. A showcase of our Year 3 Strings, String Ensemble and our Combined Concert Band. NB At the end of this concert all Year 3 Strings Students and Mini Musos are to sign in their instruments and music books. Mini Musos and Yr 4 Strings 2014 Following our recruitment process, letters of offer into these programs will be mailed home this week. If you receive a
placement please email your confirmation to performingarts@salc.qld.edu.au by Friday 29th November (end of Week 8). After this date, your child’s place will be offered to the next child on the waitlist. I would encourage parents to discuss the expectations with their child and ensure that both are willing to commit to the experience. Learning a musical instrument has so many benefits and can bring a lot of joy – but it does require focus and commitment from both parent and child. If you would like to discuss this program further please email mattp@salc.qld.edu.au or paulo@ salc.qld.edu.au Priscilla Scott Head of Arts priscillas@salc.qld.edu.au
Uniformshop News Uniform Shop January Opening Hours The Uniform Shop will close at 10am on Friday 6th December and will reopen: January 2014 Wednesday 15th - Friday 17th Monday 20th - Thursday 23rd Friday 24th January
8 am - 12pm 1 pm - 4pm 9 am - 4pm
*If you cannot attend during these times please contact the Uniform Shop to make an appointment. New students and families with 3 or more children are also encouraged to book an appointment time.
Year 3 News The Year 3 students have been inquiring into different Celebrations and Commemorations from around the world. During the week, an Indian celebration called Diwali the festival of lights was held. A rangoli is a colourful design made on the floor near the entrance of a house to welcome guests. During our art time, the students of Year 3 created their own rangoli outside each classroom.
Week 1 Of Term 1 Monday 27th January - closed for Australia Day Holiday Tuesday 28th - Friday 31st 8am - 10am Wednesday 29th 2.30 - 3.30pm Help Us Serve You Faster - Email Your Order The Uniform Shop gets very busy towards the end of the year and in January. If you know what sizes you need to buy (or try on), you can help us by emailing your uniform list by 10am (3pm in January) so we can gather the items you need and have them ready for you the following business day. uniformshop@salc.qld.edu.au Second Hand Clothing If you wish to use your 2nd hand credit in January, please submit your items before the end of term. Sorry, but all items received in January will not be processed until after the back to school rush. All items must be freshly laundered and ironed. Blazers must be dry cleaned and the receipt shown. (Please note that the proceeds from the sale of blazers will be credited only after the blazer is sold). Jacqui Desfosses Uniform Shop Manager uniformshop@salc.qld.edu.au
Tuckshop News With the school year almost at an end we would like to thank all of the volunteers that have helped us out. The time that you have given us made our days easier and we are truly grateful. Mid next year will see us in our new Tuckshop. This will not only be exciting, but a great new facility that we can all enjoy. If you have any outstanding accounts, if payment could be made please by terms end would be greatly appreciated. As we will be running down our stock levels towards the end of term, some menu items will be taken off flexi schools. Sorry for any inconvenience caused. Trina van der Kamp Tuckshop Manager tuckshop@salc.qld.edu.au
Wild after School Art Classes Learn to Create Draw and Paint..... Use your imagination it is fun for everyone! Monday 3pm - 4:30pm - Meet outside room 12B. Most art materials are supplied, Expert tuition artist/teacher and free snacks supplied. Don’t miss out, Book Now! Text/Call - 0402328987 or 55773293 after 7pm
Dates to remember November Friday 15 Year 2 Barefoot Bowls – Broadbeach Bowls Club – 6.00 to 8.30pm Monday 18 Year 6 Parents’ Coffee Morning – Plantation House – after drop off Years 4-12 Sports Awards Evening – 6.30pm – Ruth Butler Theatre Tuesday 19 An Evening of Song – 6.30pm to 8.30pm – Ruth Butler Theatre Wednesday 20 Dance Showcase – 6.30pm – Ruth Butler Theatre Year 2 ARL Fun Day – Firth Park, Mudgeeraba – 9.30am to 2.00pm Thursday 21 Year 5 Coffee Morning, Plantation House – after drop off Piano Soiree, Ruth Butler Theatre – 3.15pm Friday 22 Year 3 End of Year Picnic – Pirate Park, Palm Beach – after pick up Year 4 End of Year Picnic – Schusters Park – 4.30pm Monday 25 P-2 Swimming Tuesday 26 Years 4-6 Special Awards Assembly, Multi Purpose Hall – 8.40am Speech and Drama Concert – 3.30pm Wednesday 27 P-2 Swimming Thursday 28 P-2 Swimming Year 6 Dinner – Colonial Golf Club Friday 29 P-2 Swimming Music for Sunsets – Ruth Butler Theatre – 3.15pm
Parents and Friends Association
St Andrews P & F News The AGM was held last week and the following members of the St Andrews community were elected to the P & F for 2014: President – Daniel Renneberg Vice President – Julieanne Andrews Treasurer – Michelle Brown Secretary – Nicole Ainger It was great to see the familiar faces at the meeting as well as some very welcome new parents from 2G. I think they were pleasantly surprised at the number of projects the P & F has funded around the school and will continue to do so in the coming year. We are interested to hear from anyone who has any ideas for fundraising next year, as the Fete will not be held until 2015. There are a number of large projects which have been suggested the P & F may fund, including a Grandstand and fit out of the new Tuckshop which will be built under the CRC in 2014. The first meeting of 2014 will be held in Term 1 on the 12 March and we will be looking to introduce a new “terms of reference” to replace the existing Constitution. The Constitution included the business units (Uniform and Tuckshop) which the P & F is no longer responsible for. The new terms of reference are available on the website and we welcome any comments you may have at the next meeting or by emailing pandf@salc.qld.edu.au
Sponsors The P & F would like to thank the following sponsors for their continued support of our school. Please show your support for these businesses.
by Michael Grose - No. 1 parenting educator
The good and the bad of digital technology for kids The jury is still out as to the educational benefits, or otherwise, of digital technology for children – and until a clearer picture emerges parental vigilance is paramount writes Karen Fontaine Like moths to a flame, 21st-century children gravitate to touchscreen-enabled tablets and mobiles – so much so, that a study across Australia, New Zealand, the US and Britain found more two- to five-year-olds are able to manipulate apps than tie their shoelaces or ride a bike. However, given the relative infancy of these devices – and hence a dearth of studies into the effects on children of their long-term use – it’s becoming increasingly difficult for parents to decipher which apps stand to actually maximise their children’s learning. ‘We are still beginning to understand the possibilities that new technologies like iPads can have on experiences that engender learning for children,’ says Dr Denise Chapman, a lecturer at Monash University and an early-childhood specialist for more than a decade in the US and Australia. Dr Chapman points to research from Dr Jackie Marsh of the University of Sheffield, who said that ‘these virtual worlds are fast becoming a part of the online landscape of play for young children and rather than dismiss them as irrelevant, or deride them as potentially harmful environments, academics and educators need to examine their affordances more closely in order to identify what children gain from their playful engagement in these worlds and how their experiences can be built upon in early years settings and schools’. It is through play that children learn, Dr Chapman says, and iPads ‘just happen to be a part of, and compatible with, children’s play’. Still, according to two surveys of US teachers released late last year, there is a widespread belief among teachers that students’ constant use of digital technology is hampering their attention spans and ability to persevere in the face of challenging tasks. Scholars who study the role of media in society say no long-term studies have been done that adequately show how – and if – student attention span has changed because of the use of digital technology. But, as The New York Times reported, ‘there is mounting indirect evidence that constant use of technology can affect behaviour, particularly in developing brains, because of
heavy stimulation and rapid shifts in attention’. Dr Jordy Kaufman, a senior research fellow at the Swinburne University of Technology, is looking into the effects of tablet use in 140 three- to seven-year-olds. He has found that tablet use has no negative effects on executive function, which is the cognitive ability to exercise control and manage tasks such as planning and problem solving. He has also found that, for some children, touchscreens appear to motivate and enhance learning rather than hinder it. Dr Kaufman’s results indicate that calm, creative activities on the touchscreen, such as painting, were similar to their ‘real world’ counterparts in that they ‘do not seem to adversely affect children’s behaviour or attention in the short term’. Kristy Goodwin, director of www.everychancetolearn.com.au and a lecturer at Macquarie University, says her own research into the 150,000+ ‘educational’ apps available on iTunes found 72 per cent are aimed at toddlers and preschoolers, the majority of them promoting rote learning (a memorisation technique based on repetition). However, she says iPads are not an ideal tool for rote learning and young children are better off using apps that stimulate creative expression, language development and problem solving. Page 1 of 2
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‘In an ideal world, parents should be using iPads to enhance their children’s communication skills and opportunities for creativity,’ Dr Goodwin says. ‘When they are not being used as a digital babysitter or a digital pacifier, there is a lot of upside to using them in the right way.’ In her book Screen Time, journalist Lisa Guernsey lays out a framework – which she calls the three Cs – for thinking about media consumption: content, context, and your child. She poses a series of questions such as ‘Do you think the content is appropriate?’ and ‘Is screen time a relatively small part of your child’s interaction with you and the real world?’, and she suggests tailoring your rules to the answers, child by child.
All apps are not created equal
to your device’s photo album. All of the on-screen movement is captured as a short video with your child's voice narrating. Suitable for 3 to 8
‘So many apps have been designed not by educators but by 20-something
year olds. An excellent app for developing creative expression and
app developers and there is no real scrutiny (as to their educational
language skills.’
benefits) before they are put in the educational category. All iTunes does is check for inappropriate language or links to inappropriate websites,’
5. Kids Flash Card Maker – ‘This creative app allows children (and
says Kristy Goodwin, director of www.everychancetolearn.com.au.
parents) to make their own interactive flashcards. Insert your own
‘That said, there are some fantastic apps and they can be the most
photographs using your camera roll or camera app, record your own
amazing tools when used in developmentally appropriate ways.’
voice and videos as well. Suitable for children aged 3+ years. A great way to use this app is to create a ‘morning routine’ chart using the app
Here, Kristy lists her top five apps (as of August 2013):
and take photos and videos of children performing their daily tasks to get
1. Toontastic – ‘This app comes highly recommended. It is a creative app
ready in the morning.’
that allows users to draw, animate and share their own cartoons through imaginative play. Press the record button, move characters onscreen, and record your narration! Toontastic will play back the animation and voice
Beware the ‘pass-back effect’
as a cartoon for users to share on ToonTube. Suitable for children aged You see it in cafes and shopping malls everywhere and now it has a name
3+ years.’
– the ‘pass-back effect’. It’s where parents hand their mobile device to 2. My Story-Book Maker – ‘This app allows young children the
their child to pacify, placate or simply please them.
opportunity to create their own digital stories with ease. Students can draw their own pictures, take photos with the built-in camera and record
Dr Joanne Orlando, a lecturer in education at the University of Western
their voice. The finished story can be emailed or uploaded online. This is
Sydney, is researching how apps contribute to children’s learning.
a wonderful app to develop children’s capacity to reflect. For example,
She wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald that giving a child a mobile
it can be used to annotate and describe digital photos after a visit to the
phone every time you want them to be quiet can be ‘as detrimental to
zoo or after a holiday. Suitable for 3- to 12-year-olds.’
their development as giving them a lolly each time they throw a tantrum’.
3. Play School Art Maker – ‘This free app is ideal for Australian children
‘Consistently demanding children disengage with the world around them
familiar with Play School. Using this app, students can create movies and
and expecting them to be quiet all the time limits their opportunities
drawings using Play School characters. This app supports creative play,
to learn how to engage confidently with society,’ Dr Orlando wrote.
social interaction and language development. Suitable for children aged
‘It teaches them that they are not important. They may be having fun
3 to 5 years.’
using a device, but the message is subliminal. We should develop the skills of children to use mobile technologies as valuable learning tools.
4. Draw and Tell HD – by Duck Duck Moose – ‘This app allows children
They are fast becoming a way of life for young people, and it's our
to create a digital artwork and simultaneously records their voice as they
responsibility to ensure that children use them in a way that helps them
draw. Then it saves both the artwork as well as their verbal narration
reach their potential.’ Page 2 of 2
parentingideas.com.au
parentingideas.co.uk
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Michael Grose Presentations PO Box 167 Balnarring Vic 3926 p + 61 3 5983 1798 f (03) 5983 1722 e office@parentingideas.com.au All rights reserved. For more ideas, support and advice for all your parenting challenges please visit our website. 2013 Michael Grose
facebook.com/Parentingideas.com.au twitter.com/michaelgrose