Safe technology use: David Hine

The use of screens has been linked to brain development in babies and young children. When children use screens too much at a very young age, they can get used to the vibrant colours, shapes, sounds and fast movements. This is very stimulating for the brain. The neurotransmitter dopamine, which is linked to pleasure, is released. Children can want more of this and learn to prefer instant gratification over real world activities.

If young children use screens at all, make sure they view high quality, educational programs. It is important for adults to watch programs with children to help them understand what they are seeing.

Recommended screen times

Current Australian recommendations for children’s daily use of all screens, including television, computers, tablets, phone screens and games are:

• No screen time for children under 2 years. This is an important time for children’s brain development. Interactive play and connection with other children and adults is the best way for them to learn language skills, to learn to think creatively, solve problems and develop fine motor skills. Passive media viewing may keep toddlers entertained but it doesn’t teach these important skills.
• One hour maximum for children under 5 years. Programs and games should be selected and monitored by parents and not include violence.
• Two hours maximum of recreational screen time for children 5 – 18 years. This is in addition to screen use for school.

David Hine
Head of Junior School

Dates to Remember

Staff News
We thank Mrs Christie Wilson for teaching 2T this term while Mr Sam Tirrell was on Long Service Leave and Mr Tom Latchford who has been teaching Health and PE in Years 1, 2 and 4. The boys have enjoyed having both teachers in the Junior School this term.

Thank You

1. Thank you to all the parents who attended the important Parent/Teacher Interviews last week. The teachers appreciated the opportunity to provide feedback on each boy’s progress and to hear from parents about how they see their son’s ongoing academic, social and emotional development at Saints.
2. My sincere appreciation to the families in the Junior School for such a positive and rewarding Term 3 for 2018.  Thank you to all parents for your active involvement in the life of the School and for contributing to such a warm community feel at Saints. Parents have been involved in classroom activities, attending weekly assemblies, coaching and watching weekly sporting fixtures, planning and organising school wide events, and supporting teachers with creating a dynamic teaching and learning environment for the boys.

Junior School Summer Uniform

Boys are reminded to return to School in Term 4 dressed in their summer uniform, which includes:

• Short sleeve banded shirt with School crest (R – 6)
• Summer grey shorts (R – 6)
• Brown sandals or long summer socks and black shoes (R – 6)
  (boys in Reception and Year 1 may wear velcro black shoes)
• Saints hat for play, PE lessons and School sport (R – 6)

A Call for Junior School Volunteers
The Junior School runs a very successful Learning Assistance Program (LAP), which is supported by a regular group of Volunteers who provide an hour and a half (1.5 hours) of their time from 8.45 – 10.15am once a week. This program is of significant benefit to a number of boys in Years 2 – 6 with their literacy development, and only operates with the generous support of our Volunteers. If you are interested in becoming a Volunteer at the school and would like more information about joining our friendly and supportive LAP team, please contact:

Geraldine Waldron, LAP Coordinator
P: 8404 0415 or E: gwaldron@stpeters.sa.edu.au

Traffic Safety
St Peter’s College is situated in close proximity to the CBD of Adelaide, and adjacent to the Botanic Gardens. The School campus sits between two high-traffic roads of North Terrace and Hackney Road. The safety of our boys is of paramount importance and caution must always be taken when walking, riding or driving in this vicinity.

Pedestrians
When boys are crossing North Terrace on their way to and from School, they must always cross at the pedestrian traffic lights situated near Trinity Street. Boys should not cross the road at any other place, even when traffic is stopped for the lights.

Boys who need to cross Hackney Road must use the traffic lights on the corner of North Terrace, or walk under the bridge (over the River Torrens) to the north of the School. Alternatively, boys should use the pedestrian island opposite the entrance to Plane Tree Drive.

In the Junior School, parents should use either the North Terrace or Hackney Road car parks. Parents are asked to respect any designated spaces signed for Staff parking.

The Junior School Avenue is open for parking until 9:30am. It is then closed for traffic throughout the day and reopens at 2:30pm.

Drop-offs
Parents may drop boys off inside the School grounds in the Hackney Road carpark, North Terrace carpark or in the Avenue. Please note there is no parking in the Avenue.

Photographs on Social Media
Out of respect to other families within our School community, St Peter’s College asks that photographs taken at any School event or function that contain images of other students not be published, distributed to others or placed on any form of social media, without the consent of the relevant student’s family.

Outside School Hours Care
The Before School Care Program at St Peter’s College operates from 7:00-8:15am each school day. The After School Care program runs from 3.00-6.00pm school days.

From 2 July 2018, the Government has replaced the Child Care Rebate (CCR) and the Child Care Benefit (CCB) with the single Child Care Subsidy (CCS).

There are now three key things that will determine how much subsidy each family will receive.

1. Your combined family income
2. Your fees (Hourly rate caps apply for each service type)
3. Your fortnightly activity

More information is available at:

https://www.education.gov.au/ChildCarePackage

To find out how these changes affect you please contact Centrelink or visit:

www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/child-care-subsidy

Car Parking

1. I would like to remind parents of the regulations regarding use of the Junior School carpark. People using the carpark need to stick to the 10km/h speed limit and follow the arrows to assist us with the safety of our boys and their families.
2. Could parents who are collecting boys in the area near the School Uniform Shop please ensure they do not park around the round-about at the end of the road and also do not park in front of cars that are parked in marked car parks, making it impossible for these cars to leave the car park.
3. Could parents please respect and take note of the fact that there are disabled carparks in the Junior School. We currently have parents parking in these bays who do not have the appropriate permits.
4. Parents have indicated that there are parents who are driving whilst on mobile phones in our school carparks, and potentially endangering the safety of our Junior School boys. Obviously we would ask that parents do not engage in this illegal practice.

Playground Supervision
Each morning teachers supervise the playground from 8:15–8:30am before the boys go to class for the start of the school day. Boys who arrive at school before this time should go to Outside School Hours Care (OSHC). After school there is supervision of the exit points to 3.40pm. After this time, any boy not at a co-curricular activity or still waiting to be collected by a parent will be taken to OSHC by the teacher on duty.

Parents are responsible for the supervision of their son on any playground equipment after school, as teachers are rostered on duty at various exit points in the Junior School. We do ask that boys do not play on the equipment outside the Years 3 and 4 classrooms until after 3:15pm. 

Lost Property
We have 4 lost property bins in the Junior School.

1. One near the photocopy room outside 1G.
2. Two in the Bickersteth Building opposite the 3N classroom (for all clothes).
3. One outside the Art Room (for all lunch boxes and bags).

We would encourage boys to check these bins for any lost property, as all left-over items are donated to charity at the end of each term.

Term Dates for 2018

Term 1             30 January – 13 April

Term 2             1 May – 29 June

Term 3             24 July – 28 September

Term 4             16 October – 7 December

Term Dates for 2019

Term 1             30 January – 12 April

Term 2             30 April – 28 June

Term 3             23 July – 27 September

Term 4             15 October – 6 December