For students in Year 9 the focus in using the “Managing Me” Canvas Resource has been in addressing the very issue of “Discussing Mental Health”. For some students it is understandable that this can be a challenging topic to understand and embrace as poor mental health is sometimes interpreted as a sign of weakness and, as such, seeking support can feel embarrassing. Unlike for example with a broken bone, poor mental health is sometimes misinterpreted as being imaginary or attention seeking. However, expert opinion, such as reports provided by Mission Australia and the Black Dog Institute, reveals that almost one in four young people aged 15 -19 years  meet the criteria for psychological distress. The consensus amongst professionals is that when poor mental health extends for a period of time and impacts on a person’s ability to function in their work and daily lives this is a sign of a health issue deserving attention. It is how individuals respond to this situation that is vital.

Professionals agree that preventive efforts, early intervention and appropriate treatment provide the best approach to allaying what could be a serious impact of adolescent distress. With the clear majority of mental health issues developing before the age of 25, and most starting in adolescence or early adulthood, it is critical that students are aware of how to support themselves and others and to be proactive in seeking assistance should this be needed.

The “Discussing Mental Health” section of “Managing Me” makes available a variety of resources including Apps to track mood and facilitate mindfulness as well as useful readings and posters. Practical strategies for managing anxiety, anger and low mood are also covered in the following topics:

• I Need Help With My Mood
• How Can I Manage My Anxiety?
• How Can I Manage Low Mood or Depression?
• Anger Management Strategies
• Mindfulness Exercises
• How Can I Manage My Stress?

REACHOUT.com

As all the girls prepare for examinations and assessments which occur towards the end of the academic year the following article provided by REACHOUT.com offers timely advice as to how a few key changes may help avoid being stressed or distracted.

Stress Swaps: Ways to reduce exam stress

It’s safe to say that this school year has been a wild ride. Whether you’re learning from home – goodbye uniform, hello comfy clothes – or still attending school, chances are you’re feeling a little uneasy about everything that’s going on. Staying on top of your studies can be hard enough at the best of times, but the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has thrown in a few extra curveballs. Balancing assignment deadlines, exam prep and a new way of learning can add up to a pretty stressful situation. Not to mention that learning from home is accompanied by many distractions.

Set up a reward system

One of the hardest things about focusing on your studies at home is sidestepping the many distractions and temptations that are on offer there. Who wouldn’t find it easier to escape into an eight-hour streamed series when you’ve hit a wall with your studies, rather than push through it? But instead of denying yourself all distractions, try a work-and-reward system. For each hour of study, you could reward yourself with something like an episode of your favourite show, an online game, or a FaceTime call with friends.

 Sharing is caring

Sometimes a natural reaction to stress is to switch off, shut down and tap out, by turning off your notifications and pretending that whatever is going on simply doesn’t exist. This is especially true with the current global crisis (when all anyone can talk about is coronavirus), when pulling away from your pals and going AWOL might sound like a good idea. But in times of stress, whether it’s school-related or otherwise, talking to people is typically the best way forward. Give your friends a chance to lend a hand by letting them know what’s up with you. If they’re aware that you’re having a tough time and aren’t travelling so well, they’ll check in with you more often. 

Love the list

Every school student knows that their brain is busiest JUST as they switch out the lights and try to fall asleep. Suddenly their mind is overcome by worries, concerns and thoughts, and sleep seems like a distant possibility. This is particularly true if you’re feeling anxious or nervous about an upcoming exam or assignment. Take back control by writing a checklist before going to bed of the things you need to do, and the things you’re worried about. Putting them down on paper is a smart way to make big problems seem a little more manageable. 

Quarantine clean

There is no better way to buy time than by creating jobs that require your immediate attention: My assignment will have to wait because I MUST organise my bookshelves in alphabetical order! While a tidy workspace will help you to focus and concentrate – both of which are important for study/school – don’t get sucked into the trap of spending all day arranging and rearranging your desk. Try to pick an area to work that has some natural light, and set up a space that is calming and free of clutter. 

As always, parents and guardians are strongly encouraged to be proactive if they have concerns about the mental health of those in their care. The local GP, for example, can provide valuable advice about ways to support those who may be experiencing poor mental health issues or to refer for appropriate professional support.

HOWEVER

Please note: in the case of a mental health emergency, please contact 000 or go to your nearest hospital emergency department.

Students can collect a participant pack from the Junior School Library.

Students are asked to seek sponsorship for the books they read during the readathon.

Sponsors are asked to make all payments online at https://readathon2020.tear.org.au/tara 

All proceeds go to the work of TEAR Australia, in particular projects that support basic education. 

Unit 1, 4 Solwood Lane, Blackburn VIC 3130 

Post: PO Box 164, Blackburn VIC 3130 

Phone: 03 9264 7000 or 1800 244 986 (Free call) 

For further information on student participation please refer to the Readathon letter here.

For information on TEAR Australia please click here.

Of the three entries that were selected and submitted, all three received awards. 

• Ava H (1 LuluBell) - Stage 1 Entry Bronze Award
• Alice L (3 Bronte) - Stage 2 Entry Silver Award
• Scarlett D - (6 Aissa) - Stage 3 Bronze Award

All three pieces will be published in the 2020 WriteOn Anthology which is an incredible achievement for the girls as writers as well as for the School. 

I am so proud of all the girls who demonstrated courage and creativity by submitting a piece of work. It was a pleasure to mentor the girls through the writing process and it was wonderful to see their progress as they exercised how to take on feedback and apply it to their writing.

Congratulations to Ava, Alice and Scarlett. 

After the judges have experienced every performance, they then have to choose a group of students to perform as part of the ‘Performer of the Year’ final concert.

Our 13 finalists have been selected for this prestigious occasion after showing outstanding technical and expressive skills in their lunchtime recital performance. 

Dance: 

• Livia Z
• Olivia W
• Sofia C

Voice:

• Emily G
• Tiasha J

Instrumental:

• Elise F
• Leila O
• Connie L
• Claire Z
• Helena Z
• Hannah M

Piano:

• Charlotte M
• Eden W

In preparation for POTY 2021, girls in Years 3-6 can start thinking about their item whether it is acting, dancing or playing music.

1. Select a suitable drama script or a piece of music to play or to dance to.

2. Discuss your selection with Ms Mann or Miss Bec.

3. Prepare your item with plenty of time to make changes throughout the term.

Well done to all our actors, dancers and musicians who improved and refined their skills this year by going through the audition process. 

Congratulations to our 13 finalists! The POTY concert will be held later in the year so we look forward to celebrating our girls then.

“Explicitly teaching children how to develop healthy friendships and manage conflict in a positive way is at the heart of helping them flourish.” 

Stage 2 students focused on the theme of “Heart of Friendship” where they learned to respectfully disagree with others by choosing the right words at the right time. 

We learned to find the right time to sort out problems; it can’t be when everyone is around.  It was good because Dana asked us to think about what we could do next time. We brought in stuffed toys from home and used them to practise using the right words. Chloe - Year 4

The Stage 3 workshop focused on “Friendship Fires”. There were three key ideas: friendships are always changing; all friendships are different, and trust and respect are the most important components of a successful friendship. 

Doing the workshop on the computer meant we had to think carefully about what we wanted to ask via the chat function and to save up all our questions until it was question time. The online format still worked well and I liked taking part in the workshop.  Mysha – Year 5

Parents can find out more about how to best support their children at: https://urstrong.com/parents/ and are encouraged to talk to their children about these recent in-school workshops.

Congratulations to each girl who participated in the competition and thank you to Mrs Brogan for her enthusiastic support. The ‘Write a Book in a Day’ process can be challenging at times, but it was pleasing to see how active listening and a willingness to compromise when needed, led to a successful and productive experience for all students. The five teams sought sponsorship from families and friends to raise money for the Kid’s Cancer Project with excellent results. A copy of each book will be put into a hospital for sick kids to enjoy.

Images from the front covers of the books are featured below. Please visit the Junior School Library to enjoy reading the complete stories.

While working at home, students only had their Arts Journal containing small pieces of paper. The drawing task was designed around taking nine pieces of paper from the Arts Journal and drawing images of the bush on each one based on concepts of either the regeneration or the disintegration of the bush environment. Many students focused on the subject of the recent bushfires and their impact the Australian bush.

Jet is a Tara Boarder and lives West of Bourke on a large  property. The environment is very important to her. She has seen the drought affect the land and the devastating effect on native birds and animals. She has also seen the change in the environment as the result of rain, where the areas became green again and more birds and animals were seen in the Macquarie marshes near her home. Jet chose to focus on her environment for this series of drawings and has shown the land, animals and particularly birds and the changes she has observed in the environment.

Prior to the activities, Year 9 PASS students spent class time planning the sessions to lead small groups of girls through a skills circuit. Alternative activities were designed for students of all ability levels, some for extension and others with the aim being successful completion of a new skill. Year 5 students had the opportunity to reinforce Artistic Gymnastics skills for a range of stations including beam, bar, vault, floor and more. One of the activities was a race on the blue mats while doing different types of gymnastic skills e.g. bear crawls and high skips. All students from year 5 were very enthusiastic and there were smiles all round.  

This learning experience allowed Year 9 students to develop more improved communication and coaching skill, enhanced by the Year 5 students high level of participation. Overall, this educational experience was most enjoyable for both the Year 9 PASS students and the Year 5 participants. 

Year 9 PASS comments…

“At the beginning I was quite nervous to lead a circuit on my own, but it was very impressive to see how every student, irrespective of their ability, was willing to give everything a go.”

“I felt quite nervous and anxious about presenting in front of the year 5 students and how the kids would behave as I had never done anything like this before.” 

“We really enjoyed working with Year 5 and I hope to do this type of activity again sometime in the future.”

“We had awesome fun and enjoyed teaching Year 5 some new skills to take with them into their gym unit.” 

“Year 9 really enjoyed the experience and developed a range of communication skills.”

Year 9 PASS Class: Imogen, Celeste, Rhema, Anastasia, Kate, Cameron, Isabella, Chloe, Henrietta, Jessica, Chiquita 

Year 5 Comments…

“It was really good fun. Year 9 explained everything about how to do skills. They were not judging if you did anything wrong.” Milly

“Yes, it was a lot of fun. We had a laugh. Year 9 would always help you.” Olivia 

The first things that caught our eye were banana leaf trays. We started brainstorming ideas and materials that we could use and decided to create a stylish women’s handbag. We began in the workshop by sanding the trays to make them line up without any gaps. Then we attached the hinges to enable the bag to open and close. The trickiest part was attaching the required hooks for our buckle. This was difficult as the trays were soft and easily cracked. Lastly, a strap was attached before finishing the bag off by covering the inside with red velvet and the outside in black leather. That is how we repurposed banana leaf trays into a bag. 

Many other groups also showed their creative thinking skills by upcycling their rubbish. There was a working clock and barbecue made from aluminium cans, tealight lanterns made from tin cans and plant labels and tongs made from bamboo spoons. Overall it was a fun learning experience for Year 8.

I am very lucky to have been able to be a part of it as I own my own small business where I rent out tents for girls' birthday parties. I began my small business by starting out on ‘Facebook’ and ‘Instagram’ and sharing photos of my product and receiving customer feedback. I reached out to many consumers through my social media pages and eventually started making a profit. After learning about the importance of ‘saving not spending’, I have decided to save all the money I make. Liz taught the class and I a lot about money and applied to real-life experiences. I for one, know that I learnt a lot from the program which I have since implemented in my business. If you are interested in booking for your daughter's perfect party, please contact me at ‘Sleep over tent parties DIY’ to book. 

This program taught us so many important things about financial management and am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to take it.

The Tara teams were successful in their matches over this weekend, with new divisions created due to the latest restrictions. Therefore, over the next weeks of term, Tara will be playing matches against MLC, PLC Sydney, Santa Sabina and Meriden. Tara 1 had a very strong start against Meriden, but were unable to hold their lead, coming just short of the win. The girls should be extremely proud of their effort throughout the match and for their teamwork. Special congratulations to Skye B for her consistency in her shooting and for always being an option to the ball. Tara 6 and Tara 10 both had exceptional performances and won their matches. Tara 2 played well and although they lost, Amy M played a great match, gaining lots of rebounds and helping bring the ball down the court to provide opportunities for her team to score. Tara 12 also had a great win and focused on implementing the skills they had learnt during training into the match. Congratulations to all teams and good luck for the following rounds!

Netball - Round 2

• S1 - Tara 1 vs PLC Sydney 1 
• S1 - Tara 2 vs PLC Sydney 2
• S2 - Tara 3 vs PLC Sydney 4, Loss, 6-30
• S2 - Tara 4 vs Meriden 3, Loss, 12-36
• S3 - Tara 5 vs Meriden 7, Loss, 6-28
• S3 - Tara 6 vs Meriden 8 
• J1 - Tara 7 vs MLC 2, Loss, 7-32
• J1 - Tara 8 vs PLC Sydney 12, Loss, 6-34
• J2 - Tara 9 vs PLC Sydney 14, Loss, 8-14
• J3 - Tara 10 vs PLC Sydney 17, Win, 5-3
• J3 - Tara 11 vs Meriden 16, Loss, 4-6
• Y7.1 - Tara 12 vs PLC Sydney 21 
• Y7.1 - Tara 13 vs Meriden 21, Loss, 6-18
• Y7.2 - Tara 14 vs Meriden 24, Loss, 6-11

This week saw Tara's second round matches in their new divisions and much success for our teams. The Tara Firsts had a challenging match against PLC Sydney and although did not come away with the win, they are to be congratulated on their strong second half performance. All of the girls arose to the challenge and Jaz H should be congratulated for her impressive intercepts throughout the match. Tara 4 and 5 both played against Meriden and did not win but were able to implement many of the skills they had worked on during training that week. Congratulations to the girls in these teams for their strong rebounding and feeding into the circle. Tara 10 had a great match against PLC Sydney, winning 5-3. The stand out in this performance was the teamwork shown consistently throughout the match, with the girls communicating to one another effectively on the court to ensure they were aware of their roles. Tara 11 also had a very close game against Meriden, just losing by 2 goals, but should be proud of their constant effort in defence to block their opposition from moving down the court. Well done to all girls and good luck for the next round! 

Netball - Round 3

• S1 - Tara 1 vs MLC 1, Win, 34-30
• S1 - Tara 2 vs Meriden 2, Draw, 18-18
• S2 - Tara 3 vs Tara 4, Loss, 18-25
• S2 - Tara 4 vs Tara 3, Win, 25-18
• S3 - Tara 5 vs PLC Sydney 9, Loss, 4-9
• S3 - Tara 6 vs  PLC Sydney 10, Win, 14-6
• J1 - Tara 7 vs PLC Sydney 11, Loss, 20-41
• J1 - Tara 8 vs Meriden 11, Loss, 12-17
• J2 - Tara 9 vs Meriden 12, Loss, 18-20
• J3 - Tara 10 vs PLC Sydney 18, Win, 9-4
• J3 - Tara 11 vs Meriden 19, Win, 10-7
• Y7.1 - Tara 12 vs Meriden 20, Loss, 8-27
• Y7.1 - Tara 13 vs PLC Sydney 21, Loss, 0-33
• Y7.2 - Tara 14 vs BYE

In Round 3 of the regional competition Tara teams had another great week of netball. The Tara Firsts had a close match against MLC and a very strong fourth quarter, allowing them to come away with a 34-30 win. A special mention to Sarah F who caused many turnovers in defence by putting consistent pressure on the opposition. Tara 2 had a great match against Meriden which was also tight the entire time. They had an 18-18 draw and Isabella G should be congratulated for her strong feeding into the circle. Tara 6 had a strong win against PLC Sydney, winning 14 - 6 and so did Tara 10, winning their match 9 - 4. The Junior Firsts played against PLC Sydney and although they did not win, their consistent efforts in defence are to be congratulated. The Junior Seconds lost to Meriden 17 -12, however well done to Anastasia C for her work in bringing the ball down the court and always being an option for her team to pass to. Tara 11 beat Meriden 10 - 7 and had a great match, focusing on their movement around the court, with someone always being an option towards the ball. Congratulation to all of the Tara Netball teams and good luck for the following rounds. 

Sophie B - Netball Captain

Hockey - Round 1 (Central Region Draw)

• Div 2 - Tara 1 vs BYE
• Div 4 - Tara 2 vs MLC 4, Win, 1-0
• Div 3  - Tara 3 vs PLC Sydney 7, Loss, 1-2
• Div 5  - Tara 4 vs PLC Sydney 5, Loss 0-1

Saturday 22 was a first round of the new regional divisions due to COVID-19. The competition changed last week and this change will remain till the end of the season. Tara teams will now compete against MLC, Meriden, PLC Sydney, and Santa Sabina. Tara teams will be only playing on AstroTurf, no grass games and there will be no finals. 

The Tara Senior Firsts had a bye in Round 1. Tara Senior Seconds played MLC at MLC. This was their first game on a synthetic surface for the year and the team played well. With the defence line ensuring that they were getting the ball out of the circle quickly before the opposing team, MLC had a chance to shoot a goal. The Seconds spent most of their game near the opposing goal with their attacking players making multiple attempts at goal. This resulted in Tara winning 1-0, which Alexandra D scored. The Tara Junior Firsts played at PLC Sydney. The team played their best game yet, just a shame they couldn’t get a draw or a win. The goal they scored was a great team goal using some of the patterns of play that we have been practicing at training. Sanjula played goalie and has some magnificent saves as well. PLC were a pretty strong team so 1-2 was a decent result. The Tara Junior Seconds unfortunately lost 0-1. 

Hockey - Round 2

• Div  2 - Tara 1 vs PLS Sydney 2, Draw, 1-1
• Div 4  - Tara 2 vs Santa Sabina 6, Win, 3-1
• Div 3 - Tara 3 vs Santa Sabina 6, Win, 3-0
• Div 5  - Tara 4 vs Santa Sabina 5, Win, 3-0

Saturday 29 was the second round of the new designated central region season. Tara Senior Firsts played magnificently against PLC Sydney. Talking with each other and passing the ball up and down the field in attack, and holding the defence line really payed off. The goal scored was a great team goal using many techniques down the field. PLC Sydney was a pretty strong team which resulted in a Draw 1-1. Tara Senior Seconds played against Santa Sabina in this round. The Seconds winning their match 3-1. Alexandra D took the first goal, Catherine C took the second, and Sarah K took the third. The team also had many close calls that unfortunately missed by a couple of centimetres. Tara Junior Seconds also played Santa Sabina. The team did amazingly at communicating, passing and running the ball, particularly Chelsea C. This resulted in them winning 3-0 with all goals scored by the amazing Inika N.

Alexandria R - Hockey Captain

Tildesley Tennis

On Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July, the Tara Tildesley Tennis team represented Tara in the annual competition held at Pymble Ladies’ College. Our teams played well and with COVID restrictions the spectator level was down. They showed brilliant teamwork, athleticism and determination. Our doubles teams, Kathy G (Year 11) and Olivia L (Year 11), as well as Georgia M (Year 10) and Jessica S (Year 9) played extremely well, putting up a good fight against the opposition. Zoé G (Year 9) also played incredibly in her singles matches, putting her serving skills to good use. A big thank you to Ms Musto, Mr Brackin and the tennis coaches for organising this day to happen, as well as training the girls up for the competition.

Natalie T - Tennis Captain

It’s 7:35 AM and I am outside Junior School in “my new spot”. It is cold, but I would not want to be anywhere else at this time of the day. As a class teacher my day always began and ended at the doorway to the classroom. Doug Lemov, in Teach like a Champion, wrote about the threshold of the classroom and the power of teachers standing at their doors to set the tone as students enter and communicate they care. In recent months I have reimagined this setting as I now stand at the entrance to the school.

Every morning along with temperature checks and hand sanitising, I have the privilege to check in with every student and staff member in the Junior School. This new morning ritual has taken me back to my roots as a classroom teacher and reminded me that one of the best things about teaching is everyone has a fresh start every morning, the chance to  make a good first impression each day. Being outside and talking to parents and students creates a welcoming atmosphere and keeps me in tune with what's going on. It's a win-win situation.

The poet Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.  In a school setting, the words of Maya Angelou greatly resonate with many of the day-to-day routines, including how we greet others. The way we start our interactions—through words and actions—can reveal a number of characteristics about us, such as our comfort level, and interest in learning about others. Greetings can help us build new connections with others and strengthen bonds, especially when we make sure that the other person knows they are important to us. 

My new morning routine has had many unexpected consequences. One of the most enduring is the group of Year 6 girls who join me each morning. Not because they must, but rather because they saw a need and thought they could help. Each morning these girls arrive in full school uniform, pop on a glove and open car doors for the families of the Junior School. On occasion I have found one of them in “my spot”, checking temperatures, greeting girls, and wishing them a great day. You can’t beat that. They have become the first contact with the School community every morning. They offer a welcoming smile and a “how are you this morning?”. They assist with girls juggling bags and scooters and musical instruments and flowers for the teacher and cupcakes and Number Smash/Wonder Words books, and on one occasion, a sheep! In doing so, they provide a reassurance for younger students as they transition from home to school. For our youngest students they walk alongside them and settle them into their learning spaces for the day.

These Year 6 girls embody the teacher-student interactions which are at the heart of the School. They, like me, use the morning greeting to check in with students every day. Are they smiling? Do they seem distracted? As a group we take the time to chat with the girls which is an opportunity to notice the little things, creating a space for students to have a fresh start each day, to open their minds to the possibilities that await them, developing a willingness to try new and challenging tasks. 

Research shows that greeting students as they come into school and their classroom creates a feeling of belonging and readiness to learn. We know that for girls, the driver for learning is the social connection and it is this connection that activates their cognitive skills. By starting the day with someone saying to them, “I see you, I know you, I’m connecting with you, and you’re important to me,” we bolster a feeling of belonging and readiness to learn.

Each morning is like a pulse check to see where the girls are. Are they going to have a good day? Many of my interactions over the hand sanitiser are very intentional to build deeper relationships, to get to know students, to find out something about them. In turn they get to find out something about me. We get to make a connection and this all starts before they have even walked through the door. This time in the morning is invaluable for setting a tone, favourably impacting the overall climate and culture of the school.

Why do positive greetings work? When teachers use strategies like this, they help “establish a positive classroom climate in which students feel a sense of connection and belonging. This is particularly important considering the research demonstrating that achievement motivation is often a by-product of social belonging” (Cook, Fiat, Larson, et al. 2018).  In other words, when students feel welcome at school, they’re more willing to put time and effort into learning.

While we can’t and wouldn’t want to live in long-term lockdown mode, these past few months have demonstrated our capacity to adapt and change. This is important as in all the disruption we are experiencing, there are lessons to be learned. The power of saying good morning, making eye contact and wishing someone a great day has far reaching consequences beyond that of good manners.

References

Allday, R. A., & Pakurar, K. (2007). Effects of teacher greetings on student on-task behavior. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 40(2), 317–320.

Cook CR, Fiat A, Larson M, et al. Positive Greetings at the Door: Evaluation of a Low-Cost, High-Yield Proactive Classroom Management Strategy. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. 2018;20(3):149-159.

Lemov, Doug, 1967-. (2015). Teach like a champion 2.0 : 62 techniques that put students on the path to college. San Francisco :Jossey-Bass

https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/3503.Maya_Angelou