2 December 2016

Newsletter Articles

A WORD FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The last week of school has arrived and I am sure that parents are looking forward to the long holiday break when they can spend some quality time and have fun with their children and young people and have a break from the school routine.

Christmas is always a special time to be together with your immediate family and your extended family sharing the good news of the birth of Christ which was about family and how important it is.

As we have gone through this year we hope we have provided you with some information that is useful to you as a family, a parent and as part of a P & F at your local school.

Next year we intend to have some more targeted messages for you around a range of topics and hope that these can be forwarded to all members of your school community. We are always looking at ways to improve our service to you as parents and as P & Fs and any suggestions you might have are always welcome.

We will continue with our parent engagement development and hope we can work with more schools to look at how they engage families and how we can help them do it better. Dr Debbie Pushor from the University of Saskatchewan will be joining us again in May to further our work across the state and we will provide a programme to you early in the new year so that you can participate in Debbie’s sessions and learn more to assist our children and young people to have their own success at school.

We hope that you have a safe and happy Christmas and look forward to the New Year with hope and that you enjoy this precious time with your children and family and we are eager to provide great communication to you in the New Year.

God Bless

Carmel Nash, Executive Director

Christmas Catechesis through Carols

There are now at least three distinct Australian versions of The Twelve Days of Christmas commonly sung at this time of year. Christmas time, we now discover, is a time when possums play, lizards leap, wombats wash, crocs snooze, dingos dig, brolgas dance, sharks surf, koalas cuddle, parrots prattle etc. It’s all nonsensical good fun – ‘tis the season to be merry, after all!

It would be a pity, however, if the original purpose of carols like The Twelve Days of Christmas was somehow lost in cultural translation. Although it was always intended to be a joyful, comedic song, this sixteenth century English carol carried a deeper level of meaning. It was written at a time when it was difficult and dangerous for Catholics to live their faith openly and to pass it on to their children. It became necessary to make up secret codes to outline their Catholic system of beliefs and so make it possible, through memory alone, for the faith to be passed on from one generation to the other without benefit of churches, schools or clergy.

The Twelve Days, silly as the words may sound, is nothing other than an Aide-mémoire for parents and lay catechists to hang their teachings on. In this case:

The Twelve Days – the time of celebration from Christmas Day until the Epiphany
My true love gave to me – God is the giver of life and love who gives the sinful world
A partridge in a pear tree – His son Jesus, who by his cross (pear tree) and resurrection offers us the gift of salvation.
Two turtle doves – the Old and New Testaments in which salvation history is recorded
Three French hens – the three gifts of the Magi acknowledging Jesus as priestly king whose Kingdom is not of this world and established through suffering
Four calling birds – the four gospels which sing out the Good News
Five golden rings – the Pentateuch, those first five books of the Bible recording the story of creation and the faith journey of the people of Israel
Six geese – the six precepts of the Church urging fidelity to the Eucharist and other sacraments and material support of the Church.
Seven swans – the seven sacraments of the Church
Eight maids – the eight beatitudes of Matthew’s gospel
Nine Ladies – the nine choirs of angels, guardians of God’s faithful
Ten Lords - the Ten Commandments, the great ethical guide
Eleven Pipers – the company of Apostles (minus Judas), the original leaders of the Church and their successors
Twelve drummers – the central doctrines of the faith as found in the Apostles Creed

What better time than during the family Christmas festivities for old and young to give recitals of favourite rhymes, songs and dances and, at the same time, for Catholic faith to be taught and reinforced along with other family traditions.

Of course the first Christmas storytellers were the Shepherds who so effectively communicated to others the angel’s message: I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by all the people. Today in the town of David a savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10)

Whether openly or secretly, fostered or prohibited, this simple story of Christmas has been told in every language and culture. Each country produced its own catechetical aids - carols, stories, trees, wreaths, candy canes, puddings and special treats, bells etc. These traditions and symbols were also designed to take us beyond the actual events at Bethlehem to an appreciation of all the gifts that the Christ child brings: peace, gentleness, compassion, forgiveness, hope and joy. We pass these stories and the values in them on to our children every year at this time.

In Australia, it matters little whether the child Jesus becomes a kookaburra in a gum tree rather than a partridge in a pear tree as long as the meaning of Christmas is not obscured, as long as children once again have the opportunity through song, story and symbol to encounter that generous God who invites them to walk with kings, kneel with shepherds, sing with angelic choirs, and approach the child in the manger to be filled with wonder, surprised by joy and overwhelmed with love.

FOR YOUR P & F

Annual Audits

All P & F Associations must have their accounts audited yearly. This means that any books/accounts that the association holds must be included in this audit. All sub-committees that hold funds must be included eg. Tuckshop, Uniform shop, Fete committee etc.

AGM & AGM Checklist

The Annual General Meeting - Each P & F Association must hold an Annual General Meeting in accordance with their constitution. Your constitution should give you guidelines as to when and how the meeting should be held.

QAST Talking Tuckshops Regional Workshops Term 1 2017

Sessions will include an opportunity to get to know other local tuckshop convenors, a group exercise to develop and cost menu items and ways to boost your school's tuckshop star rating. Members and guests are welcome.

Cairns: Saturday 4th March 2017
Townsville: Saturday 4th March 2017
Gold Coast: Thursday 9th March 2017 (Evening Session)
Rockhampton: Saturday 11th March 2017
Toowoomba: Saturday 11th March 2017
Sunshine Coast: Thursday 16th March 2017 (Evening Session)
Bundaberg: Saturday 18th March 2017
Brisbane: Saturday 25th March 2017
Mackay: Saturday 25th March 2017

Further information and registration will be available in coming weeks at the QAST website or contact QAST on 3324 1511 or email enquiry@qast.org.au.

STATE GOVERNMENT

An important message from Queensland’s Chief Health Officer for all Parents & Friends

The latest report of Queensland’s Chief Health Officer, The health of Queenslanders 2016, highlights the role of school environments in facilitating healthy behaviours in children.

PARENTING

Countdown to release of Year 12 results and OPs

Final results and OPs will be available in student learning accounts from 9 am on Saturday 17 December 2016 on the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s (QCAA) Student Connect website.

Students need their 10-digit Learner Unique Identifier (LUI) and password to log into their learning account and access their results online. If students don’t know their LUI, they should ask their school for it. Schools will be closed when results are released, so it is important that students find out their LUI before the end of term.

Hard copy results will be posted to students on Friday 16 December. Students can expect to receive their Senior Education Profile in the mail from Monday 19 December. Depending on students’ individual circumstances, this may include a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE), Tertiary Entrance Statement, Senior Statement or Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA).

Free Program Building a Brighter Future for Kids and Parents

The Triple P – Positive Parenting Program is taking Queensland by storm with thousands of mums and dads taking advantage of free courses and seminars across the state.

Developed in Queensland, the Triple P program focuses on giving parents evidence-based strategies to raise healthy, happy children.

Free group, individual and DIY Triple P parenting support is available to all parents and carers as part of this Queensland Government initiative.

Organise a free seminar at your school by visiting www.triplep-parenting.net to find a Triple P provider in your area.

To promote the availability of free Triple P support to parents, schools can also order free brochures, posters and other promotional material in hard copy or electronic form by emailing qld@triplep.net.

Public demonstration site now open for NAPLAN

Significant planning, development, research and trialing have been going on behind the scenes to make sure we are all ready to move NAPLAN online from 2017 over a two–three year period

Interesting ways to get your children to be calm

What to do after you yell at your kids

Do you fit the mean, strict and awful definition of a mum?

There's a new hierarchy of parenting meanness and it mainly concerns mothers.

Not so long ago, a mother was considered mean if she was critical of her kids, if her discipline was heavy-handed, or if she played favourites with her kids. But that definition has changed. Now a mum is mean if she expects kids to get themselves up in the morning, make their own snacks or empty their own school bags. How mean is that?!

And strictness has changed. A mum was thought to be strict if she didn't allow young children to visit a friend, let a teenager to go to a party, or expected everyone to be at the meal table on time. A mum was strict if she had high expectations for her children's behaviour and wouldn't tolerate their rudeness or selfishness.

Now a mum is strict if she expects her children to look after each other at home; to cook a meal for the family or to help a parent out at work... without being paid. How strict is that?!

And 'awful' was a derogatory term used for a mum who neglected her children's basic rights for food, housing and safety. Now a mum is awful if she lets her kids go to school without lunch; if they don't do their child's homework when they struggle or they let kids go outside in winter without wearing a jumper. How awful!

Mean, strict and awful were once terms a parent avoided like the plague. Now, due to significant societal shifts in parenting, these terms no longer hold the same meaning as they once did.

If we don't want kids to grow up with a strong sense of entitlement (see Nick Kyrgios) mums and dads should wear these terms like badges of honour.

Go mean mum if your meanness helps you raise independent kids who can look after themselves.

Go strict mum if your strictness helps you raise socially-connected kids who know how to contribute to their families and schools.

Go awful mum if by being awful you allow kids to struggle and give them the space and opportunity to solve their own problems.

All power to mean, strict and awful mums, as their parenting will help produce a generation of independent problem solvers who know what it takes to succeed at work, in their families and in relationships.

Here’s to better parenting and putting a smile on your dial!

Michael Grose

December & January School Holiday
Small Group Programs

Youth Excel December Program

Confident Kids and Teens Workshops
wth Psychologist Amelia Read

Confidence Kids and Teens Workshops are a small group programs designed to help young people develop the strength and skills to win at home and school. This will be a CBT based group aimed at enhancing resilience and emotional coping skills in young people. The group will also address depressive and anxiety related concerns along with teaching social skills.

Date: December 13th and 20th

9.00 – 11.00am: Primary aged program (8 – 12 years old)
11.00 – 1.00pm: High school aged program (12 – 15 years old)

Content for both Primary and High School Program

Session 1: Enhancing Confidence

• Communicating with self, friends and family
• Identifying personal strengths
• Expressing personal emotions and hearing others emotions

Session 2: Problem Solving

• Problem solving techniques to enhance confidence
• Shortcuts to making positive life choices
• Building awareness of unhealthy thinking habits

Who is Amelia? Amelia Rose has a naturally warm and compassionate approach to working with young people, making it easy for her to relate to young people of all ages. Amelia combines this warm nature with her experience to provide tools to help young people both within the home and school environment.

Cost: $40 registration fee when a current MHCP is in place, $120 when no MHCP is in place

How to Register: Give our office a call to register on 3482 3466!
Be quick – 10 spaces per program available.

Youth Excel Psychologist Amelia Read

Youth Excel January Program

Self-Discovery Workshops with Psychologist Gail Phelps

The self-discovery workshop is a small group program designed to help young people develop a strong sense of who they are and cope with the inevitable obstacles of growing up including study demands, performance expectations, peer pressure, conflicts and family difficulties. The self-discover program aims to help young people develop a clear sense of who they are and growing into, what is important to them in the upcoming year.

High School Aged Program

Dates: Monday 9th and 16th January
12.00pm – 2.00pm – High school age program (12 – 15 years old)

Primary Aged Program

Dates: Tuesday 10th and 17th January
12.00 – 2.00pm - Primary aged program (8 – 12 years old)

Content for both Primary and High School Program

Session 1

• Identifying strengths to build self esteem
• Working out who I am and what is important to me
• Dealing with expectations at school and home

Session 2

• Setting goals to get myself close to who I want to be
• Problem solving for when I don’t know what I want to do
• Finding your confident place

Who is Gail? Gail Phelps is an extremely talented and relatable psychologist who is loved by all the young people at Youth Excel. Gail has a creative and special interest in child and adolescent health and is very much looking forward to these programs!

Cost: $40 registration fee when a current MHCP is in place, $120 when no MHCP is in place

How to Register: Give our office a call to register on 3482 3466!
Be quick – 10 spaces per program available.

Youth Excel Psychologist Gail Phelps

FUNDRAISING

Fundraising Mums

The top three articles this year were 'Tips to Running a Quiz Night', 'Simple Side Show Alley Games for School Fetes' and 'Top Tips to Run a Profitable Cake Stall'. It's obvious then that the majority of readers are DIY Fundraisers, so I will make sure that in 2017 there are lots of hacks and fresh ideas on how to design and run your own fundraising events.

Almost all fundraising companies run their sales in one of two ways, which have become known as the 'Lamington Drive' and 'Chocolate Drive' styles of fundraising. For a bit of fun I did a bit of research into these two different styles for the article What is the Difference Between Lamington and Chocolate style Fundraisers. It made me hungry to write.

In anticipation of end of year parties and graduation events, I looked at How to Make a Lolly Buffet which you can find here and my favourite, How to Make a VIP Section for an Outdoor Movie Night, which has a lot of fun and simple ideas for setting up a special area, which may be used to raise extra funds, as a raffle or auction prize or as a reward for students (or entire classes) who performed well during the year.

What are the top five fundraising hacks?

Plan your ‘thank yous’ long before your event is finished. Create a list of everyone who volunteered, donated, sponsored and helped. Make Certificates of Appreciation with their name and the details of your school/club event and date.

Fundraising Tip

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

Volunteer Grants 2016

The Community Grants Hub, on behalf of the Department of Social Services (DSS), is inviting organisations and individuals/authorised signatories representing volunteer based community groups to apply for Volunteer Grants 2016 funding.

These grants aim to support the efforts of Australia’s volunteers. They provide small amounts of money that organisations and community groups can use to help their volunteers. They are part of the Government’s work to support the volunteers who help disadvantaged Australian communities and encourage inclusion of vulnerable people in community life.

Schoolzine

Schoolzine is proud to be a digital partner and supporter of Parents and Friends Federation.

Schoolzine has been an industry leader in digital school communications for 14 years. They are dedicated to customer service, product development and understanding the school landscape that keeps them at the top of the industry. Schoolzine’s Parent Engagement Platform consists of 3 packages, an eNewsletter, Mobile App and Website offering. Purchased separately or together, they guarantee each package will make engaging with parents easy and even enjoyable for a school of any size. Schoolzine addresses the need for media-rich, interactive content that engages parents.