Dear Preschool Parents

The girls have been very busy the last 2 weeks painting stones in class for our very special 150^th 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

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.