Junior Focus

Welcome back to Term Four for 2022, and a warm welcome to families new to Pacific this term. Term Four is always such a busy term, and we look forward to engaging with the numerous events and celebrations that the end of the year brings. It was wonderful to be surrounded by the business and industry of the students returning to class this week.

Social and Emotional Blockers

This term in our You Can Do It program; we will be focusing on social and emotional blockers. These can be defined as worrying, feeling down or angry, not paying attention and procrastination. They are called "blockers", as they can sometimes block our way forward to building success and striving to achieve. During the term, the students will be encouraged to become "lifesavers". The example pictured suggests that techniques for unblocking worries may include

•          self-talk

•          taking positive action

•          talking to someone and

•          calming down through actions and thoughts.

No one practice or method works for everyone. We aim to provide a range of strategies for our students to use when and where they are needed. This will continue to be covered in our Foundation and Junior Assemblies.

Recognising Growth and Achievement

This year, as a College, we have continued our implementation of the Pacific Way across the Foundation and Junior College. It has always been important to recognise when individuals achieve personal goals. This has been in the form of a You Can Do It Award often handed out within year-level meetings. This term we transition to a Pacific Way Certificate that hopes to broaden the scope of celebration of students across the areas of self, others and community. We are excited to see how this will allow us to recognise the growth of our students as they interact with the program and see the growth in themselves and others.

Keeping Safe in our Neighbourhoods

On the 29^th of this month, the Day for Daniel will be recognised in schools across the Sunshine Coast and increasingly, across the state and country. It is a time to recognise the potential threats to our community and to educate our students on ways that help to keep them safe. The theme surrounding this year is brave conversations.

Fortunately, examples of actual harm to our children in their neighbourhoods are rare, and our communities' connection is strong. Unfortunately, many of us are aware of the devastating impact that the disappearance of Daniel Morcombe had on his family and the community in general. In the passing years, his family have fought hard to make sure that his memory will live on through the foundation and every year the child safety message is communicated.

The foundation website, https://danielmorcombe.com.au/ has many resources about how we may equip our children to understand and read signs that aim to keep them safe. These resources are age-appropriate and cover a range of topics. In the lead-up to Day for Daniel this year, I will be covering some of these messages in our assemblies this term, and I encourage you to peruse the resources and discuss their contents with your children.

Take care, and God bless.

Mr Damian Davis, Head of Staff and Students P-5