TERM 3 - WEEK 8 ABBOTSLEIGH NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2019 IN THIS ISSUE The Headmistress Senior School Chaplain News Community Events Shuttle Junior School Time flies faster than a weaver’s shuttle. FROM THE ACTING HEADMISTRESS Look Up, Reach Out: R U OK? Day 2019 A conversation (and seeking help from an adult) can make such a difference. Mrs Megan Krimmer Headmistress Recent data from ReachOut has revealed UPCOMING EVENTS that many young people do not reach out for Monday 16 September assistance when they experience anxiety, SS AbbSchool Drama Recital depression and/or stress. In her second article about the importance of wellbeing Tuesday 17 September this term, Mrs Cannon writes: Year 8 STEAM Day JS AbbSchool Drama Recital ‘Looking after the wellbeing of our girls is of paramount importance to us at Abbotsleigh. Wednesday 18 September We aim to work together with parents to Year 3 Wellbeing Day ensure that we monitor and care for the girls in all aspects of their wellbeing, and if we Thursday 19 September Year 5 Father Daughter have any concerns we talk with girls and Bush Dance parents to make sure the girls are supported. We also encourage girls to talk with us and parents to contact us, should they have Friday 20 September Always talk to an adult if you are concerns about their daughters. Interschool Drone Challenge worried – they can help. SDN Debating Grand Final At Abbotsleigh we recognise and support We also urge the girls that if they are Infants Music Concert R U OK? Day – a national day of action to worried about the mental health or safety encourage conversations with friends and of a friend or their own mental health family who may be struggling. Our girls are and safety, to speak to an adult who can very good at looking out for each other and assist them and, if necessary, seek further this day helps to remind the girls to check support for them. in with their friends; to ask if they are okay, to listen not judge, encourage action if this The girls in the Senior School were is needed and then to check in again. A all given an R U OK? wristband and conversation can make such a difference. this handout outlining how to start a conversation around mental health Visit the R U OK? website for more concerns as well as helpful contact details information. should any girl be struggling. These contacts include talking to an adult at home, at school, in the boarding house, Visit the Parent Portal to edit your profile, view the calendar and view parent notices. 01 TERM 3 - WEEK 8 ABBOTSLEIGH NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2019 at church, their GP or calling the Kids Parents are always welcome to contact Helpline 1800 55 1800. There is support Mrs Liz Cannon, Director of Wellbeing at school for all girls when needed – and Counselling if you have any concerns including teachers, tutors, coordinators, regarding your daughter, or call Liz on counsellors, chaplains and our school 9473 7836. nurse. There is also information on wellbeing and mental health issues available in many places including outside Mrs Cannon’s office and in the SS Library. I would encourage all parents to check in with their daughters and, if they are concerned about their wellbeing, to seek support. Sometimes talking can be difficult, so this article on how to have a great conversation may help parents to get started. Additional resources for parents can be found on the ReachOut website, which is an excellent source of information in regards to parenting teens and mental health. Should you ever be concerned about the immediate safety and mental health of your daughter, you should call 000 for an ambulance or take your daughter to the nearest hospital to seek mental health support, just as you would with a physical emergency. Chaplain Copycat or the Flattery of Imitation Rev Jenni Stoddart Chaplain Don’t be a copycat. Have you said She would ruffle his hair and always All of us are imitating copying those words? If I ever complained to my comment on how amazing it was. someone. What kind of young women mother that someone was copying me will our daughters grow to be if they she would always say, ‘Imitation is the She never understood why he would decide to be shaped the God who made sincerest form of flattery.’ God invites scowl so much when she did so. She them and shows his character in the us to be copycats. He invites us to assumed he didn’t enjoy getting his sacrifice of Jesus? imitate his character. hair cut. Then finally one day as she ruffled his hair he burst into tears. With ‘Be kind and compassionate to one My friend is a hairdresser. She tells great big sobs he looked at her and another, forgiving each other, just as the story of the little boy that would said, ‘But I want hair just like my dad.’ in Christ God forgave you. Therefore come regularly to her for a haircut. Of course, standing next to him was his be imitators of God as dearly loved He had amazing curly unruly hair that dad who had not a wisp of hair on his children’. Ephesians 4:32 – 5:1 on a little boy makes everyone smile. head. The little boy just wanted to be like his dad. 02 TERM 3 - WEEK 8 ABBOTSLEIGH NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2019 Community The Entertainment Book Mrs Natalie Doyle APA Entertainment Book Liaison As has been the case in previous years, an App (iPhone or Android). It is very the APA is selling the Entertainment convenient to search by restaurant name Book to add to the funds we raise (for example) or look for offers in your for Abbotsleigh. It is excellent value, location. The offer is then redeemed providing thousands of offers, including directly from your mobile device. up to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers for many 2. A BOOK membership restaurants, cafés, arts, attractions, (Entertainment™ Book Membership) hotels, travel, and shopping. which will provide you with a hard copy It is possible to purchase: of the book, including vouchers. 1. A DIGITAL membership Entertainment™ Memberships still sell (Entertainment™ Digital Membership) for $70 and include over $20,000 in If you’d like to have a look through one of which is downloaded onto your phone as offers you can use until 1 June 2020. the books, there are samples on display at Reception on both campuses. To purchase a membership, please use this link which takes you to the For any questions, please contact Abbotsleigh page to place an order. Natalie Doyle. Uniform Shop Holiday Trading Mrs Lorraine Boothby Uniform Shop Manager Term 4 will see the girls back in their summer uniforms, so please note the Uniform Shop holiday trading times in case you need to purchase any items for the coming term. Holiday opening – 9.30 am-4 pm • Friday 27 September • Thursday 3 October Monday 18 November 2019 • Tuesday 8 October to Friday 11 October Kate Forsyth’s book Term 4 The Blue Rose discussion • Monday 14 October 2019 (9.30-5 pm) 7-8.30 pm Regular trading hours resume from Tuesday 15 October. Visit the Uniform Shop page on the VIP Room (Level 4) Abbotsleigh website for more information. Judith Poole Sports Hall RSVP to Deepa Pillay 03 TERM 3 - WEEK 8 ABBOTSLEIGH NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2019 Junior School Mood Bending Exercises Ms Sally Ruston Head of Junior School We know that to focus on academic physical fitness.’ 2018 AHKA Report achievement to the detriment of Card from Schranza et al, 2018 wholistic wellbeing is a recipe for 2. ‘Physical activity is highly correlated disaster. It is for this reason that we with positive mental health outcomes.’ give equal weight to data on our girls’ Paediatrics Journal, Alverez-Beuno et social and emotional wellbeing to that al, 2017 of their academic attainment. To this end we gathered data on our girls from It is for this reason that I spoke with Years 3-6 with the Australian Centre for girls in Infants Assembly last week Educational Research (ACER) Social about the connection between physical Emotional Wellbeing survey earlier this activity and feeling happy. I talked year. In comparison to same age peers about the fact that sometimes we feel in other primary schools throughout cranky, annoyed, sad and bad for no Australia, we know our girls score good reason. I asked the girls what especially highly on social engagement they thought would be a good action and efficacy. They know how to to take when feeling this way. Few connect, make friends and sustain could identify that by being active they relationships. They also know that by could help themselves self-regulate working hard they can improve. They and return to a happy state of mind. love to learn and care deeply for our Indeed, one of the questions on the environment. ACER Survey asks the children to state whether exercise is related to feeling The area of comparative weakness happy. 36% of our girls didn’t know this, for our girls is in the domain of self- in spite of the education we have done • Twice-weekly PE lessons delivered efficacy. They are incredibly hard on in this area. Poignantly, many believed by expert teachers themselves. They are unforgiving if a that eating chocolate would make them • Co-curricular programs in sport, mistake is made. Their self-talk can happy. dance, fencing, equestrian, skiing often be negative. While this in itself is not good news, it is very helpful to In Primary Assembly this week we have When girls receive consistent messages know where we, as the kind, caring also shared with the girls the message from school and home, we are more adults in our girls’ world, can focus our from R U OK? that promotes dance as likely to see traction and action.