URStrong

In the lead up to our URStrong workshops happening next week, here are the four friendship facts that they talk about in more depth. Undewrstanding these facts about friendships helps students to understand changes and provides teachers and parents with language to discuss these friendship issues as they arise.

These four simple truths allow our students to develop realistic expectations and feel successful in their friendships:

1. No friendship (or relationship) is perfect

Our students need to understand that conflict is a normal, natural part of a friendship – and they can survive it. When children learn to face their Friendship Fires, as we call them, and resolve conflict in a way that respects themselves and others – they are less likely to engage in unhealthy behaviours. Helping our students become master conflict-resolvers, rather than conflict-avoiders, fundamentally helps shift a school culture to a place of kindness and respect.

2. Every friendship is different

This seems like common sense, but children often expect every friendship to operate in the same way. They need to understand that every friendship is different because every person is different. This means, what works with one friend may not work with another. If your child is experiencing a challenging friendship, encourage them to describe when they feel most comfortable with that friend. What are they doing when it feels difficult or complicated? Help your childs become strategic about their friendships by identifying what works and devising a plan to address things that are not working. Our children need to understand that each friendship is unique and requires its own set of instructions.

3. Trust and respect are the two most important qualities of a friendship

Trust and respect are the foundation of a strong friendship. When mistrust or disrespect develops, the foundation starts to crack. Ask your children: ‘What does trust look like in a friendship?’ Discuss topics like secrets, reliability, loyalty, honesty and promises. Ask them: ‘What does respect look like?’ Discuss topics such as listening, inclusivity, discrimination, stereotypes, family values and religious beliefs. Exploring what trust and respect looks like in action, helps our students identify the key ingredients of a healthy friendship.

4. Friendships change… and that’s okay

Friendships are constantly evolving because people are always changing. Sometimes we change, learn and grow alongside our friends; sometimes we simply grow appart or friendships become unhealthy, even toxic. Our children need to become comfortable with this natural ebb and flow of friendships and accept that some friendships may only last a brief time. Remind your children they deserve feel-good friendships and, as hard as it is, sometimes even the ‘best’ friendships change… and that’s okay.

Teaching and reinforcing these four concepts empower students to create strong boundaries and make smart choices within their relationships; helping them set the stage for healthy friendships to grow. When friendship skills are explicitly taught, our students learn how to manage the realities of all their relationships and schools become a place of harmony and belonging.

URSTRONG Parent Night/Open Night/Book Fair

Outlined below are the details of our upcoming Open Night, Book Fair and URSTRONG Parent Workshops. We are all very excited and looking forward to welcoming everyone to this wonderful showcase of student work, promoting the love of reading coupled with the opportunity of sharing the URSTRONG message to all families. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday 11th September.

We have been implementing the URSTRONG program in classrooms and this term we’re excited to be hosting a visit at St Michael’s. URSTRONG is an internationally recognized Social-Emotional Wellbeing program that empowers children with the skills, language and self-confidence to be better friends and develop healthier relationships. We are especially fortunate to have Dana Kerford, the founder of URSTRONG, present these workshops to us.  To learn more, please watch a short video describing the impact of URSTRONG on children and parents around the globe here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_xtdWphUC4&feature=youtu.be

URSTRONG’s Language of Friendship workshops will take place on Tuesday, September 11^th, 2018 on our Open Night. Tickets are $25 per person (students and parents both purchase a ticket), and the P&F have kindly agreed to provide a 50% discount for the first 100 tickets purchased.

Use the promo code STMICHAELS to receive 50% off per ticket. Registration Required!

Tickets to the workshops include handouts and an opportunity to ask questions one-on-one.

Please see below for the workshop that’s right for you and your children:

Language of Friendship Jr (Grades 1 & 2 + Parents): 4:00 to 5:30pm. Click on the below link to register

https://urstrong.com/event/language-friendship-junior-parent-child-workshop-st-michaels-school/

Language of Friendship (Grades 3-6 +Parents): 6:00 to 7:30pm. Click on the below link to register

https://urstrong.com/event/language-friendship-st-michaels-school/

Staff at St Michael’s are continually implementing tools and strategies to support our efforts in creating a safe and caring school. We believe that empowering our students with the URSTRONG strategies will create a school community where children are better able to manage their relationships in a safe and respectful environment.

Mercy Day St Michael’s Feast Day Celebrations

Wednesday 12th September 2018

As part of Mercy Day celebrations we invite the school community to celebrate Mass at 9am at St Joseph’s Church. The focus and theme for MERCY DAY 2018 will be to explore and unite our school community though the values of Faith, Truth, Compassion and Service. After Mass there will be class stalls available followed by a complimentary sausage sizzle lunch and icy pole for students.

Schedule
9am Mass
11am Stalls on bitumen area
1:30 Tabloid sports on BIC

Class teachers will be sending home further information regarding class stalls.

The children are invited to wear free dress on this day (for a gold coin donation) incorporating the Mercy colours of blue and white. Representation can be as simple as wearing one item depicting these colours.

Children are also invited to bring a small amount of coins (no more than $5) to spend at the stalls in a zip lock bag.

Book Fair

The St Michael’s annual Scholastic book fair starts Monday 10th of September and runs until Thursday 13th September 2018 and will be held in the school library. This event enables our children a hands-on experience where they can discover the love of books. The Book Fair helps encourage our children to be excited about reading and sales of books help our school to earn
literacy resources.

So please come along and show your support, this will ensure a successful event which in turn will benefit our school. Reading is out of this world!

Book fair Opening times:

Netball

A clarification from last week’s newsletter about the parent helpers from the Year 6 netball team. Thank you to Ivana Scotford for coaching the team with Robyn Raftis as assistant coach. And thank you to Petra Richardson for being team manager.

Assistant Principals
Lisa Liebregts and Ryan Powles