Term 2, Week 7 - Friday 12 June 2020

Term 2, Week 7 Update

Welcome to our Week 7 edition of the Newsletter.

Schools, like our learning, are a work in progress.  With this in mind, it is great to see the new fencing under construction on the Kintyre Road boundary, along with new gates for the Womma Oval car park.  As you know, our fences along Morialta Road and parts of Glen Stuart Road are also in need of replacing; something we look forward to completing over the next three years as part of our general maintenance program.

Pandemic fatigue and recovery
Adapting to change takes energy.  Adapting to sudden and unpredictable changes in our lives take even more energy; something we have all experienced over recent months.  While we have all found ways to cope with the changes, we should not underestimate the fact that it takes time for us to recover our energy and positivity following such a crisis.

It is possible that, as life gets back to normal, we still struggle with tiredness and irritability even though so many things are on the improve.  Just as we understand it can take a while to recover from extended periods of physical exertion, the same is true of the psychological and emotional strains of keeping 'everything' together during the recent crisis.

In the school setting, we are conscious that our students and staff tend to tire towards the end of a busy term, especially in the winter months.  We suspect that this year everyone will experience greater levels of fatigue due to the enormous energy we consumed just navigating our way through the last few months.  It might be that we adults will suffer these effects more than our children, who tend to bounce back a little quicker when things return to normal.

During such times, we find that attending to the little things like daily routines, getting sufficient sleep and exercise, keeping to a balanced diet while practising extra patience and tolerance for those around us makes a big difference for us and our community.

It is amazing how seemingly large problems appear much more manageable after a good night's sleep.  Similarly, taking a few moments to reconsider the tone of an email, for example, can make a huge difference to the outcome we are seeking when everyone has been under extra pressure.

Learning to manage ourselves during times of stress and unpredictability are critical skills. The Australian Curriculum articulates this learning in the following way:

Students with well-developed social and emotional skills find it easier to manage themselves, relate to others, develop resilience and a sense of self-worth, resolve conflict, engage in teamwork, and feel positive about themselves and the world around them. (ACARA)

So, rather than pretend that conflict, doubt, and uncertainty are not part of 'normal' life, we must actively teach boys how to respond to such everyday challenges.  Wrapping our children in 'cotton wool' by trying to shield them from negative experiences can deprive them of the very lessons that will serve them well throughout life.

Hopefully, some of the silver lining in our shared COVID-19 experiences will be some useful lessons in developing greater personal and social capability as we work towards a new normal.

As we approach the end of this week when all EREA schools have returned across Australia, please CLICK HERE to view a communication to all of our parents and caregivers from Dr Wayne Tinsey, EREA Executive Director.

Being Men for Others
A few weeks ago, a parent attending one of our Principal's Tours asked me what we do to help boys become men for others.  It was a great question and I was happy to provide a couple of examples of the types of projects boys undertake to make a positive difference in the world.  Today's Beanie Day for Motor Neurone Disease is the latest example of such initiatives. 

In the midst of our daily routine, the beanies both remind us of the needs of those who suffer and give us the opportunity to contribute to the research efforts through our donations.  Congratulations to our Prefects for their enthusiasm, commitment, and extra effort to give us this chance to be men and women for others this week.

Best wishes for the week ahead.

Brian Schumacher
Principal

Community Notices

Enrolment of Siblings

As a reminder to our parent community, if you would like to enrol a sibling of a current student please contact our Enrolments Officer on enrolments@rostrevor.sa.edu.au or phone
(08) 8364 8244.  Specifically, if you are seeking a 2021 enrolment of a sibling, applications should be completed and submitted now.  Further information can be found on the College website 'Enrolling at Rostrevor'.

Canteen Information

https://www.rostrevor.sa.edu.au/canteen.html


Uniform Shop Hours & Information

https://www.rostrevor.sa.edu.au/uniforms.html

Term Dates

2020 Term Dates

Term 1: Wednesday 29 January to Thursday 9 April 2020
Term 2: Tuesday 28 April to Wednesday 1 July 2020
Term 3: Monday 20 July to Friday 25 September 2020
Term 4:  Monday 12 October to Friday 4 December 2020

http://www.rostrevor.sa.edu.au