Primary School news
Emma Clemens – Deputy Head of Primary
Paws b Mindfulness – Part 4
Throughout Term 2 I wrote about the Paws b Mindfulness course taught to Year 2 students. This term students in Years 3-5 will be participating in Paws b revision lessons. They were taught the full curriculum in 2016, therefore the lessons this term will be for consolidation. Below is a summary and links to the four Ma Nishma Articles on Mindfulness.
Term 2 Week 3: Introduction to mindfulness and training our puppy mind
Term 2 Week 8: ‘Team Brain’ made up of the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala and insula
Term 2 Week 10: Storytelling mind and growing happiness
Term 3 Week 2: Breathing meditations
Mindfulness is about appreciating and enjoying each day. The present moment is so often squeezed out and we are captivated by our past or future rather than enjoying the blessings of the present. “If you’re not mentally present in the small moments, you could be missing half of your life.” (John Kabat-Zinn).
Research in neuroplasticity shows that what we practise mentally becomes stronger. Activity in our prefrontal cortex can vary depending on positive or negative emotions. The practice or focus on the positive can increase activity in the left side of the prefrontal cortex. Our mind is always focusing on something, we are lost in thought 47% of the time. Often we focus our mind on constant worrying which reinforces the same worrying thoughts and neural pathways. The power of neuroplasticity is the ability to change the structure and function of our minds in responses to experiences.
When training our mind and attention, it is important not to focus on getting rid of thoughts but rather intentional awareness of thoughts. This is a gradual journey which takes many years to develop, therefore it is important not to become harsh or negative with your thoughts.
There are many practices that both children and adults can use to develop mindful awareness. The purpose is not escapism, being disconnected or entering a state of mindlessness. Rather the practices provide the opportunity to become more present and aware so that your response to adversity is not reactive, but rather proactive and intentional. Four of these mindfulness practices are summarised below:
Breath Counting: Start by observing in the in-and-out breath. Catch the moment when the air enters your nose and then leaves your mouth. Observe where you feel the breath, in your chest, tummy, shoulders or rib cage. Next count how many breaths you take in a minute. The cycle of in-and-out breath is counted as one breath. Then focus on lengthening the breath. Count in for three on the in-breath and then out for three on the out-breath.
Starfish/Finger Breathing: This is a variation on breath counting using the hand as a guide for the breath. Spread your fingers out like a starfish and trace around your fingers as you breathe in and out. On the in-breath trace your index finger up your pinkie finger and on the out-breath trace your index finger down your pinkie finger. Repeat for each finger tracing up and down for the in-breath and out-breath.
Anchoring/FOFBOC: Use the lower half of your body as an anchor when you are feeling anxious or worried. Focus on your feet and how they connect to the floor. Recognise any sensations or feelings such as the texture of your socks or pressure from your shoes. Then expand your attention to scan across your lower body from your ankles to your waist. Focus on the anchor of your feet on the floor and then expand awareness to your breath. The acronym we use with the children is Feet On Floor, Bums On Chairs (FOFBOC). This reminds them to use the lower half of their body as an anchor.
Body Scan/Torchlight of Attention: Systematically and intentionally move your attention and thought across and through the body. Pay attention to different regions of the body by recognising the tensions and sensations. Use the cycle of breath to consciously relax each part of the body. The illustration we use with the children is to move the torchlight of attention across their body. They picture a torch shining light on different parts of their body as they complete a body scan.
Young ICT Explorers Competition
Congratulations to Dean Klugman and Aiden Kanevsky who will be attending finals of the Young ICT Explorers Competition on Sunday 6 August. Dean and Aiden have entered a web app called DnA Pet Care developed using Snappy Appy Pie. The judging event is being held at The University of New South Wales.
The aim of the Young ICT Explorers Competition is to encourage school students to create high quality Information and Communication Technology (ICT) related projects. Students have to apply what they have learnt in the ICT classroom to develop a technology-related project. They are required to submit an extensive report documenting the process of developing their project. The event was judged on the creativity, uniqueness, quality and level of difficulty for each project. We wish Dean and Aiden all the best at the finals and look forward to hearing about the showcase experience.
In 2016 Emanuel hosted their inaugural Innovation Showcase. The purpose of the Innovation Showcase event was to provide an opportunity for our Primary School students to exhibit the projects they have been working on during ICT extra-curricular activities. This year we will be expanding this showcase to include a range of STEM-related class and extra-curricular projects. The showcase will take place in Term 4 Week 8 on Friday 24 November.
CIS Netball Trials
On Monday Brooke Rosen, Tess Endry and Eden Levit participated in the combined Independent Schools (CIS) Netball trials. The girls were selected to be in the ASISSA representative team which participated in the trial competition for CIS. The girls played superbly and the standard of the competition was incredibly high. Thank you to Stuart Taylor for accompanying the girls and encouraging them in this competition.
Deborah Blackman: Keep Them Safe – Parent Presentation
On Thursday 10 August Deborah Blackman will present on ‘Talking To Children About Difficult Topics’. We highly recommend this session to parents who have not attended this talk in previous years. She also runs sessions in class with our students for Years K, 1, 3 and 5. In the presentation Deborah gives essential strategies for child protection and protective behaviours, as well as offering ways to raise these conversations with children. We think that it is very important that home and school provide the same message about this very important topic. The presentation is from 7.30-8.30 am in the Primary Library. Supervision will be provided for K-6 children on Waxman Drive.
BBQ Day
When: Monday 21 August
Why: Raising money for Prince of Wales Children’s Hospital
Cost: $3.50 for sausage sizzle
Booking: On the day, students need to bring a sealed envelope with the correct money inside (no change will be given). On the front, please write the child’s name and the order. The options are listed below:
Canteen: The canteen will be closed and it is requested that students do not bring dairy.
- Sausage sizzle $3.50
- Gluten free sausage sizzle $3.50
- Vegetarian sausage sizzle $3.50
Circle Of Friendship Day
When: Monday 29 August
Why: Raising money for Sydney Friendship Circle
Cost: Gold coin donation
Dress: Plain clothes day, purple theme
Calendar Links
Term 3 K-2 Assembly Items
- 11 August (Week 4): 1B Miss Hynek’s Class
- 25 August (Week 6): YK Hebrew
- 8 September (Week 8): KH Ms Yunis’ Class
- 22 September (Week 10): School closed for Rosh Hashanah