We would like to say a big thank you to our library volunteers, your time helping us is greatly appreciated. This year has looked different to most with our ability to have volunteers being limited and some volunteers even taking home covering, so thank you for your understanding.

 We would love to welcome you all back, along with anyone interested in becoming a volunteer in the new year! If you would like to become a library volunteer please contact Sophie on Sophie.CalvertSmith314@schools.sa.edu.au.

Thank you, Sophie and Vasi-Marie

It has been another unusual year but we have come through this and our students have developed and learnt. It has been both an honour and a privilege to work with you in moments of joy, difficulty, sadness and confusion. Thank you so much for letting me work with your students.

As we break for the holidays it’s important to look after not only the wellbeing of your children but your own wellbeing also. As the saying goes, you can’t drink from an empty cup. Wellbeing doesn’t need to take a lot of time or money, small mindful breaks can make a huge difference. A five minute break with a cup of tea/coffee, a piece of your favourite chocolate eaten mindfully, noticing all senses as you breathe slowly and deeply, a short walk,  stopping to put 6 pieces in a large jigsaw puzzle, or just sitting quietly. 

Be kind to yourselves these holidays and enjoy special moments with your families.

My warmest wishes to you all for the holidays, I look forward to working with staff, students and families again next year.

Julie 

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We wish to advise parents/carers of the outcome of the 2022 Materials & Services Poll conducted by the school Governing Council. 

The School community voted in favour of making the prescribed sum of $432 legally recoverable. The votes received were 210 For and 28 Against. Invoices will be forwarded to all families early in the new school year. 

Registration forms will be available from the front office in Week 1 of term 1 in 2022, for sports being offered in this term. Please see below a list of after school sports available to students  

If you have any queries please contact Michelle Gabrisch, Sports Co-ordinator by email:  michelle.gabrisch115@schools.sa.edu.au 

Dear Parents & Carers,

I am delighted to announce that our long awaited building works will finally commence on the 2^nd December 2021. In the initial stages, we will have reduced access to our northern and southern carparks and the areas surrounding our current gym, Kibby, Komlos and JP music rooms as the contractor’s fence off their compound and put in place their traffic management systems.

We have already relocated our French and Performing Arts programmes to alternative learning spaces and our PE programme will be based from the Netball & Basketball courts. Our private music instructors have also recently relocated to their new music suite in the Gillard building which was recently refurbished to meet their needs.

Our students will continue to have access to the oval during the build however, a traffic management system will be developed to ensure our students safety. Access to the oval will be closed off using gates whilst equipment is being delivered or moved around the builder’s compounds. We have used this traffic system previously with other major building works and our students have managed it very well.

The contractors expect to complete the new gym and performing arts learning spaces by early August next year. Between now and then, I do believe our students will thoroughly enjoy watching both the demolition of the old buildings and the building of the new ones during the weeks and months ahead. 

We will endeavour to keep you up to date with the build’s progress in future newsletters.

Warm regards, Scott 

We are currently finalising the placement of students into their classes for 2022. As always, staff have worked very hard thoughout this process, to create balanced and supportive classes for the children they have nurtured this year. We understand that anticipating a new teacher and class can be a nervous time for students and parents.

Please find below some wonderful advice by Madhavi Nawani Parker, from Positive Minds Australia, which you may find helpful in supporting your child through the change.

Worried about your child’s class placement in 2022? It’s perfectly normal for you and your family to be thinking a lot about this. After all, children spend all day at school.

It’s only natural to have a preference for a particular teacher and normal to feel worried or disappointed if they don’t get them.

It’s important to know that a child’s emotional adjustment to leaving this year’s teacher and preparing for next year’s teacher is interconnected with your feelings about it.

Make sure if there are any special reasons you feel your child will benefit from a particular teacher or cohort, that you express these to your school early, before they start configuring classes.

Here are some ways you can help make the transition smoother for your child if you or they didn’t get the news you were hoping for.

* Hear out your child’s feelings but try and avoid fixing their feelings by adding your own feelings, judgements and solutions. Feelings need to come out, be present and move through. They don’t have to be excited about the teacher they got, to learn from that teacher in the long run. The feelings you see in that initial moment aren’t necessarily reflective of how they will feel long term - especially if you don’t react with them. Humans need time to process change. When news is fresh, we can go through many feelings of resistance and uncertainty. That doesn’t mean that what’s coming is necessarily bad. You can gently say something like, ‘you really wanted X , so of course you’re disappointed. I understand. We can talk more after a cuddle/ play/ hot chocolate. (Basically, you want to avoid talking while their logical brain is switched off and emotions are high). Listening calmly and quietly is golden.

* Avoid looking upset about the placement in front of your child. If they are upset, they will naturally look to you to help them feel better. This doesn’t mean you have to fake being excited if you’re not (they’ll see through that) but it does mean you do your very best to be calm, confident and if you can’t be hopeful, try and be neutral. Children need us as an emotional compass when they experience uncomfortable feelings.

* Before you go in to pick them up on the day they receive their placement, remind yourself to try and trust the process. There are multiple layers to how class placements are allocated that couldn’t possibly be explained completely. School leaders and staff put in huge amounts of thought into student personalities, learning styles, teaching styles, class size, who asked to have who in their class and much more that is happening behind the scenes we’re not aware of.

* Schools genuinely do their best with this decision. If you’re upset, it’s possible they are too but when weighing everything up, had no other direction to turn. Supporting your child’s teachers and school is a crucial part of your child’s psychological and academic success there.

* Your reaction to next year’s teacher news is hugely important to your child. Your confidence, hopefulness and regulated emotion is crucial. If you’re not happy, try and keep these feelings in the back ground and discuss them privately with another adult. Children are too young to take on their parent’s worries. If there is a genuine problem, take logical action without involving your child in the stress associated with it.

* Your child’s emotional connection to and respect for their teacher and school is deeply connected with your connection to and respect for their teacher and school.

* Children learn, grow and strengthen in resilience by being with a broad range of personalities and communication styles. When things are unrealistically perfect and easy, they can get stuck in their comfort zone. To build confidence for later on in life, you need to experience a broad range of peers and situations and discover that through talking about feelings, asking for help, establishing boundaries and building your social emotional skills, you can handle a lot of what life has in store. Be there to hear their thoughts and feelings out, but above all show you have confidence in your child to get through. If situations are dangerous, toxic or damaging your child’s learning and psychological health, always talk to school staff and if necessary, other experts to ask for and seek help. Seek out the support of a health professional too if necessary. On the surface, do your best as your child’s most important adult and leader to show your confidence that your child will be safe and cared for, always.

* Do something heartwarming and compassionate for yourself. If you’re upset and stressed it’s not because you’re weak or incapable. It’s because our children hold our hearts and when they hurt, we hurt. You need to look after yourself first and foremost.

The advice above is general and based on general child development, resilience and confidence research. It is written with the very best intention to help you. Without knowing your individual circumstances it’s not intended to replace your expertise as a parent or the expertise of educators and health professionals. Always seek tailored expert advice if you feel your child’s physical or psychological health is at risk in any way.

Wishing you all the very best with class placement news if you live in the Southern Hemisphere.

Hang in there beautiful parents

xx Madhavi Nawana Parker

https://positivemindsaustralia.com.au

The predicted weather for Tuesday 23^rd is expected showers and 22 degrees. We are in the process of contingency plans for our Mitcham Celebrates concert.

We will continue to monitor the weather forecast and hopefully we won’t have to change our plans. If changes are necessary, we will let our community know as soon as possible.

Please find below updates to important dates and school events for Term 4 2021.

On the 11^th of November, Remembrance Day, we once again gathered to remember past students who gave their lives in battle. Our senior students lead an assembly which embodied the spirit of Mitcham Remembers. We welcomed Dr Peter Brune, a former Mitcham Primary teacher and war historian, to help lay wreaths. Dr. Brune initiated the Mitcham remembers program for our year 6 and 7 students. (Excerpts by our Senior school students).

This year our Years 6 and 7 have studied World War II, in which Mitcham Students served in all areas of war – from battling on the front line, to being a driver and delivering supplies. As you walk down Memorial Walk you will notice stone heads each side. Each one represents one of the brave men who went to battle from our school. Women also served in War and had equally important roles.

We came together to commemorate Armistice Day which has become known as Remembrance Day. We honoured all of those Australians who have given their lives for our freedom during two World Wars, Korea, Vietnam and recent Peacekeeping conflicts. Among them, 62 Mitcham students

Although an awful world event, we felt a sense of pride studying World War II, and more specifically, the Mitcham students who were involved. We feel connected to them as we found out what Mitcham School was like back in the day, where they lived around this area, who was in their family and what little old Mitcham Village was like.

The Last Post is a famous musical piece associated with War times. It is played for two reasons. It is played to signify the end of the day’s activities in the Armed Forces, and it is also played at military funerals to signify the sacrifice of a soldier, sailor or airforce person’s passing. 

We welcomed Henry, one of our Year 7 students, to sound the Last Post.

Thank you also to Freya & Niona who began the service with a drum and bagpipe tune

The ODE is a poem which written in 1914 during WWI by an English author. It has become tradition to read this at any Remembrance or Commemoration service.

The sun sets and rises each day, and as we awake, we are free Australians. The future is ours, thanks to the sacrifices of those before us – including our old Mitcham students. Go into the day, remembering those who gave everything for us to have the freedoms we have today. Be thankful, grateful and optimistic for the present and the future. Be kind to one another, and the world, so that the atrocities of war and conflict can be kept as history.

A big thank you to Richard Mocke and his children Bailey and Ross who planted the white crosses on behalf of the Mitcham School Community, near the National War Memorial on North Terrace in the lead-up to Remembrance Day.