“O how blessed is this place where we touch God’s own face in the presence of each other.
May we who pray and draw near, know that our God is here, who is Father and Mother.
Here where all children are blest, stranger will be our guest, one with Jesus, our brother.”
~David Haas
Dear Preschool Parents
The girls have been very busy the last 2 weeks painting stones in class for our very special 150th commemorative display. They were fascinated to see everyone at work creating this special area of the playground and can’t wait for all to be revealed on the school’s birthday. Here is a sneak peak of the sensory walkway under construction and we thank Garth Andrews and his team, especially Henry Davis, and Susanna Becker, a Springfield parent, and her team from Susanna’s Gardens, for all their hard work.
The girls are looking forward to the birthday picnic at school on Friday 5 March, and we wish Springfield, and our assistant, Amy Peterson, a very happy birthday for Sunday 7 March.
The Nursery and Pre-Reception girls have been learning all about their homes and other homes around the world and proudly learned and recited their addresses for their classmates.
The Reception girls have been learning all about the history of our wonderful school. This will be the theme for the rest of the preschool next week too as we remember the brave Dominican sisters who travelled here from Ireland in 1871 to set up Convents in South Africa.
There are lots of lovely events planned for the school during the next week or two and the girls will receive a birthday treat.
Our Community Outreach for this term is to donate a box of Easter Eggs or some non-perishable food items for local feeding schemes and childcare facilities.
DIANE VILJOEN
Head Preschool
Reception birthday
celebrations ...
SPRINGFIELD CELEBRATES
150 YEARS
Dear Parents
Dear Foundation Phase Parents
Birthdays are special occasions celebrated to honour life and love. The school’s 150th birthday is significant in so many ways. If we attempt to cast our minds back all those years, life at Springfield was very different to what it is now. Often when I walk past the final resting place of our Western Cape Dominican Sisters, namely the Cemetery located near the Art Centre, I ponder the magnitude of their lives and what they have accomplished. I knew many of those Sisters so the memories are personal. In many cultures, our ancestors, forefathers and mothers play a significant role. Let’s honour and hold them in prayer as they continue to grace a sense of presence in our lives.
On this our 150th Birthday, I’d like to pay tribute to those incredible women who helped shape this school community and many other Dominican schools in Cape Town.
We will celebrate with joyous recognition of these phenomenal women on Friday, and enjoy a picnic in the garden continuing to share in a spirit of friendship, love and community.
The beautiful spontaneity and laughter of children will be prevalent in the Convent Garden on Friday as together we represent a kaleidoscope of personalities, characters and dreams.
Happy 150th Birthday Springfield!
To Praise- To Bless- To Preach
May God continue to bless this community of Sisters, staff, pupils and parents for many years to come.
Gillian Stubbs
Head of Foundation Phase
God’s Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu/ Douglas Carlton Abrams -
‘Each of us carries a piece of God’s heart within us. And when we love one another, the pieces of God’s heart are made whole”
24 February 2021
Georgia Mundy 1B, Emma Rookledge 1D, Georgina Watson 2D, Cara Mabin 2P, Nicci Warner 3B, Megan Agoustatos 3F & Omphile Mpofana 3M
3 March 2021
Bibi Aisha Dhorat 1B, Alice-Joy Mukahlela 1D, Anna Steenkamp 2D, Sarah Whittington 2P, Jodi Sheahan 3B, Emma Price 3F & Erin Skinner 3M
Grade 1 girls are learning about Farm Animals and made butter in class. The girls enjoyed eating their butter on crackers.
Tools not Toys
The Senior Primary classes are fortunate to be able to integrate devices into our teaching and learning on allocated days of every week. We use a multitude of educational platforms to ignite critical thinking, creativity and collaboration of our learners. It also gives the option for them to research topics, plan writing, prepare presentations whilst learning relevant IT skills.
It goes without saying that no device can replace an engaged and productive teacher. The use of devices enhances teaching and supports learners on many levels, particularly those with barriers to learning. It is a skill to integrate devices in a productive and non distracting manner, this is being managed effectively by the teachers. It helps the children to remain connected to the ever changing world around them. Often, sharing of devices enhances collaboration between pupils, an important role of learning.
Below is some insight into the variety of platforms made available to the learners.
Content Sharing - eg Google-Classroom and the entire Google Suite
Creative Expression - eg Seesaw, Flip Grid, Canva
Educational Programmes - eg Mathletics, Prodigy, MineCraft, Cyberwall
Written Expression - eg Journaling and Blogging
Presentations - eg Google Slides, Ipad Camera
Kinesthetic Learning - eg Go Noodle
Communication - eg Google chats and Google Meets
Assessments- eg Quizlet, Kahoot
As we continue to develop a forward thinking and dynamic learner-centred curriculum, we are constantly learning new ways at integrating technology optimally into the classroom. As we upskill our learners, we ensure that teachers are also upskilled to keep abreast of the technological world we are immersed in. We look forward to increasing the number of school devices by 2022. There is an exciting initiative afoot to introduce own devices for Grade 6 and 7 learners at the start of next year.
From the book The Aliens Have Landed at Our School!
We have bought a new computer
that’s the fastest ever seen.
It has terabytes of mem’ry
and a forty-eight inch screen.
It has all the latest gizmos
and accessories galore.
It has every last peripheral
they carried at the store.
It has disk drives by the dozen
it has twenty-seven mice,
and it even has a microwave
included in the price.
It can teach you how to mambo.
It can play the violin.
It can calculate the distance
from Botswana to Berlin.
It can speak in seven languages
with scholarly finesse,
then defeat the world’s grandmasters
in a tournament of chess.
It can conjure anti-gravity,
or build a time machine.
Our computer is undoubtedly
the fastest ever seen.
When we went and bought it yesterday
we thought it pretty neat,
but today our new computer
is already obsolete.
~ Kenn Nesbitt
Karen Smith
Head of Senior Primary
Dear Parents
I came across this lovely article recently which is a good read. I’m sure many of you are dealing with a child with uncomfortable emotions given the stress we are all under, not least of all them.
As always, please don't hesitate to contact me (gcloete@springfieldconvent.co.za) if you have any questions, need to talk or would like me to support your daughter.
Warm regards
Gabby Cloete
Mentally strong kids understand that they can be in control of their emotions rather than allowing their emotions to control them. Kids who know how to regulate their feelings can manage their behaviour and keep negative thoughts at bay. But, children aren’t born with an understanding of their emotions and they don’t inherently know how to express their feelings in socially appropriate ways.
A child who doesn’t know how to manage his anger may exhibit aggressive behaviour and frequent angry outbursts. Similarly, a child who doesn’t know what to do when he feels sad may spend hours pouting by himself.
When children don’t understand their emotions, they may also avoid anything that feels uncomfortable. For example, a child who is really shy in social situations may avoid joining a new activity because she lacks confidence in her ability to tolerate the discomfort associated with trying new things.
Teaching kids to regulate their emotions can reduce a lot of behaviour problems. A child who understands her emotions will also be better prepared to deal with uncomfortable situations and she’s more likely to perform at her peak. With coaching and practice, kids can learn that they can cope with their feelings in a healthy manner.
Teach Personal Responsibility
While it’s healthy for kids to experience a wide array of emotions, it’s equally important for them to recognize they have some control over their feelings. A child who had a rough day at school can choose after-school activities that boost her mood. And a child who is angry about something her brother did can find ways to calm herself down.
Teach your child about feelings and help her understand that intense emotions shouldn’t serve as an excuse to justify misbehaviour. Feeling angry doesn’t give her a right to hit someone and feelings of sadness don’t have to lead to moping around for hours on end.
Teach your child that he’s responsible for her own behaviour and it’s not acceptable to blame others for her feelings. If your child hits her brother and claims it because he made her mad, correct her terminology. Explain that everyone is in charge of their own feelings and their own behaviour. While her brother may have influenced her behaviour, he didn’t make her feel anything.
It’s equally important to remind your child that she’s not in charge of other people’s emotions. If she makes a healthy choice, and someone else becomes angry, that’s OK. It’s an important lesson that kids need to be reinforced throughout their lives, so they can resist peer pressure and make healthy decisions for themselves. Instilling good values and strong character will give your child confidence in her ability to make good decisions, despite other people’s disapproval.
Teaching Your Child About Feelings
Practice Tolerating Uncomfortable Emotions
Uncomfortable emotions often serve a purpose. If you’re standing on the edge of a cliff, anxiety is a normal emotional response that is meant to alert us to danger. But, sometimes we experience fear and anxiety unnecessarily.
Teach your child that just because she feels nervous about something, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad idea. For example, if she’s afraid to join the soccer team because she’s nervous she won’t know any of the other kids, encourage her to play anyway. Facing her fears—when it’s safe to do so—will help her see she’s capable of more than she thinks.
Sometimes kids become so used to avoiding the discomfort that they begin to lose confidence in themselves. They think, “I could never do that, it’d be too scary.” As a result, they miss out on a lot of opportunities in life.
Gently push your child to step outside her comfort zone. Praise her efforts and make it clear that you care more about her willingness to try, rather than the outcome. Teach her how to use mistakes, failure, and uncomfortable situations as opportunities to learn and grow better.
How to Help Change a Child's Negative Mood
Children’s moods are often highly dependent upon external circumstances. A child may be happy while she’s playing and sad moments later when it’s time to leave. Then, her mood may quickly shift to excitement when she learns she’ll be stopping for ice cream on the way home.
Teach your child that her moods don’t have to depend completely on external circumstances. Instead, she can have some control over how she feels, regardless of the situation.
Empower your child to take steps to improve her mood. That doesn’t mean she has to suppress her emotions or ignore them, but it does mean she can take steps to help herself feel better so she doesn’t get stuck in a bad mood. Pouting, isolating himself, or complaining for hours will only keep her feeling bad.
Help your child identify choices she can make to calm herself down when she’s angry or cheer herself up when she’s feeling bad. Identify specific activities that can boost her mood. While colouring may help one child calm down, another child may benefit from playing outside to burn off energy.
Identify specific choices your child can make when she’s feeling bad and encourage her to practice trying to help herself feel better. When you catch her moping, for example, try saying, “I think moping around today may make you stay stuck in a bad mood. I wonder what you could do to help your mood?” Encouraging your child to get active or do something different will empower your child to take control of her emotions in a healthy manner.
EXTRAMURAL CHOIR NOTICE
'Choir practice or rehearsals, choir competitions, choir performances and inter-school choir events are suspended under Adjusted Alert Level 3.' (Government Gazette: 12 February 2021).
Parents will be informed once 'Choir' is able to resume. Thank you.
Times:
Senior Primary Choir: Mondays 14.30 - 15.30
Junior Primary Choir: Wednesdays 13.30 - 14.15
Our Community Connect Club has been busy recycling stationery to pass on to schools that are under resourced. Should you have previously stationery at home that is not being used, please consider sending it to school so that we can find it a new home.
Some pics of our lovely girls hard at work!!
MARSHMALLOW EASTER EGGS - As part of our Easter Outreach programme, we are appealing to the girls to bring strips/box of marshmallow Easter eggs to school to be distributed to charities. These donations of Easter eggs bring so much joy to many children. All Grade 1 to 7 donations of marshmallow eggs must be taken to the classroom or the secretaries’ office up until Wednesday 24 March. The class with the winning amount of eggs donated, will be allowed a civvies day!
Schedule a weekly social media fast
Social media can be a great resource and a way to stay up-to-date with friends and family. But, it can also be a mentally exhausting. People have seen improvements in their mental health after designating a day off of social media once a week. Many people already use Sundays as a day of rest and resetting their mind for the upcoming week - so Sunday could be your family social media-free day.
“The rules for No Social Media Sundays are simple: on Sundays, stay off social media. No posting, no scrolling. No Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. If you break the rules, which can happen, restart immediately - no shame. No matter how imperfect any No Social Media Sunday’s practice is worth implementing.
It is especially important for our children and if your job has you sitting in front of a computer all day, dedicate one day every week to be off the grid and away from screens as much as possible. Not only will that decrease eye strain and improve your mood, it will also give you more opportunities to be more physically active throughout the day. Both your mental and physical health will thank you.
All the best and enjoy the last for weeks of Summer.
Kindest regards,
Merrill Velensky .
Junior School Term 1 2021
Extra-Mural Times
Dear Parents
For those parents wishing to place a pre-order for their daughters next term, please complete the order form and email to sean@foodstheatre.com
VERY VERY IMPORTANT - Please ensure that your daughter’s name and grade as well as a contact number are also entered on the order form.
Payment can be ether by EFT or Snap Scan
Our banking details are:
A/C holder - S G Keyser Bank – ABSA Wynberg Account number – 9089098372
There are no pre-orders on the last day of term.
Sean contact details are:
0823060345
Tel – 021 797 9637 ext. 245
Many Thanks
The Tuck Shop Team
Pre Order Form 2021