“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” – Martin Luther-King Jr.

Over the years I have noticed that our world has become more fractured as people have developed and almost promoted a ‘them’ and ‘us’ mentality.

Then there are the people who promote a team spirit and want togetherness. When you think of teambuilders who’s on your list? The first person I think of is Abraham Lincoln, a man known for battling depression, but is best remembered for keeping the states united while abolishing slavery and modernising the economy. No surprises that he is consistently Americans most popular and widely respected president.

“My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” – Abraham Lincoln

Another person on my teambuilders list would be Bob Marley, the Jamaican singer-songwriter whose music inspired and entertained a generation of people. While some of Marley’s views were controversial and failed to acknowledge the harmful effects of some substances, he was a teambuilder.

“I don’t stand for the black man’s side, I don’ t stand for the white man’s side. I stand for God’s side.” – Bob Marley

 One more teambuilder for the list would have to have be Trevor Huddleston. Now I hear many of you saying ‘Trevor who?’ Trevor was an English clergyman who lived for many years in South Africa during the reprehensible apartheid years. Nicknamed Makhalipile (dauntless one), Trevor was about building people and strengthening the society, and at the same time he was resolute in dismantling apartheid.

There are many South Africans who maintain that Huddleston was a significant influence in their life and these include Hugh Masekela (the father of South African jazz) who was given his first trumpet at the age of 14, by Huddleston. Emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu was another who maintained that Huddleston was a man of integrity and a positive force in his life.

Huddleston passed away in 1998 at the age of 84, however if you should visit Bedford, England where he was born, you may see a bust with the following inscription:

“No white man has done more for South Africa than Trevor Huddleston.” – Nelson Mandela

As Christians we recognise each person on the planet is a son or daughter of the Creator God and therefore deserves respect and to be treated with dignity and love. So if this is what our community, our country and our world needs, and we are wanting to put more names on the teambuilders list, would your name or mine be there?

It’s worth a thought.

Mark B Vodell
Principal

The mindsets described so far underscore the mind-brain/body connection. Mindsets are powerful and influential; they can be either energising or draining; they can help or hinder you on the path to success.

Each of us has our own unique way of thinking, feeling, and choosing, and this is reflected through our mindsets. Knowing about the mind-brain connection and the power of the mindset is central to understanding what successful living entails, but actually applying healthy mindsets in your life will only happen when you understand your identity. The way we each think, feel and choose (thinking patterns) characterises our identity (an ongoing process) and giving us a sense of purpose. This sense of purpose helps us reflect on who we are in a deep and meaningful way.

Viktor Frankl, a Jewish neurologist and psychiatrist who spent three years in a Nazi concentration camp, saw purpose and identity as life-saving. The Nazis blatantly tried to dehumanise their victims by stripping their identity and therefore their meaning and purpose. Despite the terrible surroundings and the dehumanising tactics, Frankl observed that some people were able to not only survive but hold on to their identity and sense of purpose in a collapsing world.

Purpose is incredibly powerful. Once patients understand their customised thinking, it is easy to activate the power of the right mindset. What is your wonderful customised thinking? Next week Dr Leaf will help the reader unpack their own profile.

Consider the mindsets we have covered:

· Thinker/controlled thinker mindset
· Words mindset
· Controlled Emotions mindset
· Forgiveness mindset
· Happiness mindset
· Time mindset
· Possible mindset
· Gratitude mindset
· Community mindset
· Support mindset
· Healthy Stress mindset
· Expectancy Mindset
· Willpower mindset
· Spiritual mindset 

Think, Learn, Succeed
by Dr Caroline Leaf, pages 105-107

Over the past week staff have once again made a mammoth effort in preparing learning material and packs for students from Foundation to Year 10. It’s incredible that once again across Victoria teachers have been preparing to take their classes online. This isn’t the first time we have had to consider how to adjust programs to this format. With much work happening behind the scenes at school, we want to encourage our students to prepare from their end too. Although students are not excited about not coming to school, and engaging with staff and their friends, this time our students are not new to online learning.

Our students are more familiar with:
• Online mode of learning, and although not ideal see its value
• Understanding why learning is online
• Understanding more what is required
• Navigating the online routine
• Participating in online activities (discussions, blogs, quizzes, group projects, zoom etc.)
• The importance of observing basic netiquette
• Managing their online learning workload.

We wish all our students well as we enter into Term 3. We are in this together and look forward to the learning and successes we will experience together. See you all next Monday:)

Semester Reports are now available to parents via the SEQTA Engage portal.

If you need assistance with accessing SEQTA Engage please contact reception.

If you are sharp-eyed and have an attention to detail, you may have noticed something different about our campus in the last week. This week we have had a demolition team in to remove the old house on the hill. While it was a little sad to see this old farmhouse go, it was past its use-by date.

The house we believe was built sometimes in the 1960s and at that time the area would have been quite remote, but I can imagine folks sitting on the patio or verandah and looking down over the valley. Today, suburbia has caught up and the area has become quite residential. Fortunately, we had some students and staff on campus who were able to witness this little bit of history coming to a close.

Throughout this year, we have continued to work on numerous aspects of our Mernda campus and this is just one small piece of the overall plan and we attach a copy of our master plan which has been refined. We are continuing to work with various consultants to see the completion of Grafton Road and a number of other matters.

Author: Michael Grose

Our choice of words when communicating with kids makes a huge difference when trying to get their co-operation. The more we push a child who is resistant, the more likely they are to push back and display greater opposition.

Sometimes one word can cause a child to fold their arms and thrust out their jaw in ‘you-can’t make-me’ defiance. Let’s take a look at some words that invite resistance, especially from strong-willed children who like to have their own way.

Resistance words

• Must – for example “You must be on time!”

• Never – for example “You should never be rude to your teacher.”

• Always – for example “You should always clean your teeth before bed.”

• You – for example “You need to go to bed now!”

• Don’t – for example “Don’t yell at your brother.”

Why they invite resistance

‘Must’, ‘Never’ and ‘Always’ are absolute terms. They cannot be modified in any way. Absolute terms invite resistance from children and young people who do not like to be told what to do. Strong-willed children and young people often view these terms as open invitations to resist. If you have more than one child there is a good chance you have one of these children. If you were to say ” You must be nice to your brother”, a young resister thinks “We’ll see about that”.

Healthy alternatives

To help with this, you can replace absolute terms with more moderate alternatives that don’t back a child into a corner. For example:

• Try “Please be on time” rather than “You must be on time.”

• Try “It’s best to be polite to your teacher” rather than “You should never be rude to your teacher.”

• Try “Clean your teeth before bed” rather “You should always clean your teeth before bed.”

Let them know what you will do

Many children do not like to be told what they should do. They like to think they are calling the shots. These children are not misbehaving – they just want to feel that they are in control. Which means sometimes, their instinct to resist becomes greater than their desire to follow. Instead of telling your child what to do, let your child know what you will do. It’s a subtle but powerful shift.

For example:

• Try “I’m saying good night now” rather than “Go to bed now.”

• Try “I’ll put the meal on the table when it’s set” rather than “Set the table!”

• Try “I’m driving you to school at 8.30” rather than “Get ready by 8.30.”

• You need to follow through if this is to be an effective use of language.

Avoid ending an instruction on a negative

Ending an instruction on a negative only drives the negative behaviour deeper into the sub-conscious mind of your child. Saying “Don’t yell at your brother” will ensure that your child will keep yelling again and again.  Instead, say the behaviour you’d like in positive terms. For example say: “Speak quietly to your brother” rather than “Don’t yell at your brother.” If you can’t eradicate “Don’t” then develop the habit of ending on a positive. For example: “Don’t yell at your brother. Speak quietly.”

Words matter

Your choice of words makes a huge difference in terms of getting co-operation from more challenging kids.

Of course, some parents believe that their kids should always do as they say, so their language is peppered with absolutes and negatives. This invites resistance and can lead to an ongoing battle between parents and children. If this is the case, then maybe the language you use could benefit from a little tweak.

Find More Articles At:
www.parentingideas.com.au/blog/

Everyday Enviro with Elise – It’s the little things

Author: Elise Catterall

Last week I had an epiphany while in the shower. It seemed a small epiphany but it lead to a big realisation for me. While mindlessly shampooing my hair, after yet again dispensing too much product (from my gorgeous refillable shampoo/condition/bodywash pump dispensers) it hit me just how often I over-dispense.

And it’s not just in the shower; when I stopped to think about it, I realised that every time I dispense pretty much anything, I’m usually using too much. Whether it be dishwashing liquid, laundry powder, toothpaste, moisturiser, even my homemade cleaning solution, it’s poured, scooped, squeezed, and scooped carelessly and mindlessly – and most importantly, wastefully.

I am so conscious of waste and yet here I am being so wasteful in tiny, regular increments throughout the day. Does it sound like it shouldn’t matter? I can see that it might – after all we are talking millilitres or milligrams at a time – but, like the adage goes, it’s the little things that count. All those individual moments of waste all add up.

The more we mindlessly use or take out more than we need, the sooner we will need to buy more of that item, so our overall consumption goes up. Higher consumptions leads to more manufacture, more depletion of resources, more creation of waste through packaging, more transport costs and so on. It’s a spiral. All from squeezing too much toothpaste on our toothbrush. The good thing? When turned around, those individual moments of saving can also add up.

Like all things wastefulness, the answer is mindfulness and a bit of education. For example, having more focus during my shower will mean I’ll only take that one pump of shampoo and going more slowly and being present when I’m applying my moisturiser will mean I won’t have to spread the excess (read: waste) on elbows and hands just to get rid of it.

Equally, if I take the time to education myself on just how many scoops of detergent are needed for my white wash, I won’t randomly throw in three when one is sufficient. I also now know that I only need a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on my toothbrush.

It seems so blindingly simple that I can’t really believe I have wasted as much as I know I have. Better late than never.

Find More Articles At:
https://planetark.org/

After a very hectic Term 2 with online learning for much it, staff and students were delighted to be able to wear their pyjamas on the last day of term. Staff and students enjoyed being able to come to school and spend the day relaxing in their winter PJ’s or warm onesies.

Students donated a gold coin to support the school’s My Mission charity which goes towards supporting schools and orphanages in Myanmar. Congratulations to students for a wonderful effort, we raised $231.50 ($78 Secondary ; $153.50 Primary) for My*Mission!

Sharing a book with a child is fun! It’s a time for closeness, laughing and talking together – and it can also give children a flying start in life and help them become lifelong readers.

If you’re not feeling confident about reading aloud or sharing books, don’t worry – there’s no right or wrong way to enjoy a story together. But if you’d like some tips, here are a few pointers to help you out.

Full Article at:
https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/tips-and-advice/reading-tips/

In light of the new restrictions in place for VIC, the Happy Hands program will be deferred to Term 4.

We know lots of families are in anticipation for it to start up again, but we need to ensure the health of our community.

We look forward to Term 4!

Happy Hearts is all about bringing bible stories alive through creativity and play-based learning for young children. Produced by Carolin Schmitz, founder of Happy Hands Art time, with her son Xander, viewers can expect lots of fun interactive singing, an engaging SENSORY box story and a MESSY craft to complete at home each week and share.

Each episode runs for about 20 mins with a new one uploaded each week! Your children will experience bible stories in a fun and creative way! You can also join our closed group Facebook page to share your child’s masterpieces weekly and be part of our creative community. This is such a fun way for children to experience the amazing CREATOR we serve.

Episodes can be found on the YouTube channel link below;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChA3awtIwqlYKzKakcBTPNw

Author: mycareermatch.com.au/

Pandemics have a history of spawning cultural and labour transformation. Research shows that many Australians, and particularly young people, are anxious about their future career prospects.

So, what advice do we have for high school students?

Megan Lilly, Head of Workforce Development for Ai Group, says Career Advisers “need to look forward, be flexible in their advice and mindful this labour market in the short-to-medium term may be quite limited. They need to help students manage transitions so they can become effective in the labour market as soon as practical.”

Nothing should change, except …

For year 9, 10 and 11’s nothing should change except we’d recommend they include technology subjects. People entering the workforce going forward must have higher technological skills than in past generations, and these skills will be in demand when students are ready to find a job.

For Year 12 students thinking of leaving school and going out to work, think again. Unless they have a secure job to go to, continuing their studies is strongly recommended. They won’t regret time spent learning rather than being unemployed. For those going to university or VET stay with your plan.

More students in higher education

More young Australians are expected to head to universities as youth unemployment rates stay high in the coronavirus-driven economic crisis. The number of Australians wanting a university education is expected to rise in 2021.

If students don’t want to go to university, or can’t get into a university course of their choice, then a VET course has great prospects. School students often make career decisions based on biased and outdated views of vocational and education training (VET) according to a Griffith University study. Many universities offer VET courses and include a pathway option to an undergraduate enrolment.

So where are future jobs heading?

A 2020 ING Future Focus Report explores the rapid acceleration of digital technologies, combined with the compression of change and the impact this is having on the jobs and skills needed for the future workforce and how COVID-19 has accelerated innovation.

Listing Top 20 emerging and in–demand jobs, the report explores new career opportunities and ones designed to minimise risk and reflect changes brought about by the pandemic.

Click here to download the report

Find More Information At:
www.mycareermatch.com.au/