Dear Parents and Guardians, 

Welcome to Week 6. It is hard to believe that we are in Week 6 already and the children have been introduced and engaged in many programs during the Term.  

Second Step   

 This Term all classes are introduced to the Second Step Program. Second Step SEL is research-based, teacher-informed, and classroom-tested to promote the social-emotional development, safety, and well-being of children from Early Learning through Grade 8. Children learn and practice vital skills for listening and paying attention, having empathy, managing emotions, building friendships, and solving problems with others. The 25-minute interactive lessons and discussion-based activities with distinct grade-level experiences. The lessons focus on Social-Emotional Learning:   

• • Mindsets & Goals   
• • Recognising Bullying & Harassment   
• • Thoughts, Emotions, & Decisions   

• • Managing Relationships & Social Conflict  

These lessons will continue throughout the Year for Prep to Year 6.  

Zones of Regulation    

The Zones is a systematic, cognitive behavioural approach used to teach self-regulation by categorising all the different ways we feel and states of alertness we experience into four concrete-coloured zones. The Zones of Regulation uses four colours to help children self-identify how they’re feeling and categorise it based on colour. The curriculum also helps children better understand their emotions, sensory needs, and thinking patterns. They learn different strategies to help them cope and manage their emotions based on which colour zone they’re in.  

The Green Zone   

The green zone is used to describe when you’re in a calm state of alertness   

Being in the green zone means you are calm, focused, happy, or ready to learn. This is predominantly the state you want your child to be in.   

It’s also the state most needed in the classroom in order to learn.   

 The Yellow Zone   

The yellow zone describes when you have a heightened sense of alertness. This isn’t always a bad thing, and you still have some control of your actions when you’re in the yellow zone.   

Being in the yellow means you may feel frustrated, anxious or nervous. But, it could also mean you’re feeling excited, silly, or hyper – which is okay in the right situations.   

The Red Zone   

The red zone describes an extremely heightened state of intense emotions. When a person reaches the red zone, they’re no longer able to control their emotions or reactions.   

Being in the red zone means you’re feeling anger, rage, terror, or complete devastation and feel out of control.   

The Blue Zone   

The blue zone, on the other hand, is used when a person is feeling low states of alertness or arousal. When you’re in the blue zone you may be feeling down – sad, sick, tired, or bored. You’re still in control, as you are in the yellow zone, but with low energy emotions.   

Positive Behaviour for Learning   

Our school community has identified the following school wide expectations to teach and promote our high standards of responsible behaviour:   

• Be Respectful  
• Be Responsible  
• Be Resilient  
• Be Ready for Learning  

PB4L assemblies take place on Monday’s at 2pm followed by Second Step lessons.  

Personalised Learning Plans (PLPs)   

Over the next few weeks the teachers are in the process of writing Personalised Learning Plans (PLPs). Personalised learning is a process that supports a wide range of students with additional learning and support needs. This includes students who may require support in one or more of the following areas: learning (including high potential learners), behaviour, social/emotional, cultural/language (including international students, boarders and learners of English as an Additional Language or Dialect) and those who have educational support needs arising from disability.   

Teachers, with the support of the Leader of Diversity, and in consultation with parents, collaboratively decide which adjustments and/or goals are to be targeted and determine appropriate strategies and supports to be implemented. It is the teacher’s responsibility to implement these planned strategies in order to support students to meet their goals.  

Teachers will direct School Officer support and plan for adjustments on a weekly basis. Teachers communicate weekly with School Officers regarding student progress and make adjustments as needed.  

Evidence is collected regularly and uploaded to ENGAGE. PLP meetings are set 6 monthly and will determine if current goals have been achieved before setting further goals. The teachers will meet with Parents of PLP students in Week 8 of this Term.  

This week Ms Tosca Grainger - Dee our School Counsellor is visiting us in Weipa and providing her service to St. Joseph's School. Please see Tosca’s article below. 

I look forward to meeting you all and working alongside you throughout the year on your child’s journey of learning.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to make contact with myself at a convenient time that suits. My email address is   mturner@cns.catholic.edu.au 

Kind Regards, 

Melanie Turner. 

Bringing Up Great Kids Program – Term 2 

Dear Parents 

It is my pleasure to offer a crafted program for parents called Bringing Up Great Kids in Term 2. 

Bringing Up Great Kids is a reflective, mindful, respectful program that provides parents with an opportunity to reflect on their parenting journey. 

Bringing Up Great Kids provides a friendly and safe environment for parents to learn from each other as they continue their parenting journey. 

As a school community we would like to offer this group program. We envisage this program would be multi-modal including face to face and on-line (zoom) sessions. 

The duration of the program is for 6 weeks. Each lesson will take 90 minutes. 

The program content is detailed below. 

Program Content 

The Bringing Up Great Kids’ program supports parents and carers to: 

•        learn more about the origins of their own parenting style and how it can be more effective;
•        identify the important messages they want to convey to their children and how to achieve this.
•        learn more about brain development in children and its influence on their thoughts, feelings and behaviours;
•        understand the meaning behind children’s behaviours and how to respond to children’s underlying feelings and needs.
•        explore new ways of communicating with children;
•        discover ways for parents to take care of themselves and to find support when they need it.

If you are interested to participate in the Bringing Up Great Kids Program in Term 2 or have any questions or queries, please do not hesitate to contact me tgraingerd@cns.catholic.edu.au .  

I look forward to connecting with you. 

Warm regards, 

Tosca Grainger – Dee.