Sammy D Foundation Visit

On Friday of Week 4, the year 6s were able to participate in a workshop by the Sammy D Foundation. 
 
The Sammy D Foundation was created by Sam Davis’s family after he was sadly killed by one punch. Neil, his dad said that a five-year-old could have thrown that punch and he still wouldn’t have made it. The purpose of this foundation is to “help end violence and empower young people. Their “aspiration is for all young people to live their best life free from violence.”
 
Sam was described as funny, sporty, nice and “that guy you would just want to be around.” When Neil, his dad, was describing these things all that was going on in my head is how the family must have felt, how his friends felt now that Sam was gone.
 
The guy that threw the punch would now have to live with guilt for the rest of his life because of one wrong decision. I know I wouldn’t want to live with something like this happening to my friends or family. We learnt how to be a mate and to safely stop our friends from fighting. We learnt regulation strategies and empathy for people. This gave us a better perspective. To stop and think before quick actions that could affect us in the long term. 
 
This was something sad but needed to be learned about and we are thankful to the Sammy D Foundation for them taking the time to teach us.

By Arizona G 6W
 

Transition, Change and Managing Anxiety

For many, Term 4 is a really exciting term full of enjoyable activities and celebrations of the year that they’ve almost finished. However, for others, the end of the year brings much anxiety and uncertainty for the next year. For these people, the prospect of changing classes or schools, moving up a year, or moving into a new classroom brings a sense of dread and anxiety.

Some tips from Beyond Blue (2022) are;

1. Start by slowing down: Encourage your child to take some slow, deep breaths to calm the physical effects of anxiety. Practice together by breathing in for three seconds, holding for three seconds, then out for three. Once they're feeling a bit calmer, you can talk through what's worrying them.
2. Make time to worry: Setting aside some designated time to deal with worries can stop anxious thoughts from taking over. Try creating a daily ritual called ‘worry time’ and encourage children to draw or write down whatever’s bothering them. You can make the activity a bit more fun by decorating a ‘worry box’ or building a ‘worry wall’ out of post-its. When the time is up – after 10 to 15 minutes – shut the worries up in the box or tear them off the wall and say goodbye to them for the day.
3. Climb that ladder: Instead of skirting the scary situation, you could try a technique called ‘laddering’ – breaking down worries into manageable chunks and gradually working towards a goal.
Let’s say your child is afraid of water and swimming. Instead of avoiding the pool, create some mini-goals to build their confidence. Start out by just sitting and watching other kids swimming. As they feel more comfortable get them to try dangling their legs in the water, then standing in the shallow end, and so on.
4. Encourage positive thinking: Kids with anxiety often get stuck on the worst-case scenario or 'what ifs' in any situation. You can help them shift these thinking patterns by:
•    reminding them of times they've dealt with similar issues in the past and how things worked out OK
•    helping them to challenge the scary thought with facts and evidence. For example, we know that crocodiles can't survive under our bed
•    make a plan for how they'll respond if things don't go as they'd like.
5. Have a go: Anxious kids often worry about making mistakes or not having things perfect. This can lead to them avoiding situations or activities – they’d rather sit out than get it wrong. Emphasise giving new things a try and having fun over whether something’s a success or failure.
6. Model helpful coping: Don’t just tell your child how to overcome emotions – show them. When you get anxious or stressed, verbalise how you’re coping with the situation: “This looks a bit scary, but I’ll give it a go.” And hey, you might even knock off one of your own fears.
7. Help your child take charge: Think about what you can do to make your child feel like they have some control over the scary situation. For example, if your child gets anxious about intruders, make shutting and locking their bedroom window part of their night-time responsibilities.
8. Be upfront about scary stuff: Lots of kids have worries about death, war, terrorism or things they see on the news. This is all really normal. Talk through their fears and answer any questions truthfully. Don’t sugar-coat the facts – try and explain what’s happening in a way that puts their fears in perspective. 
9. Be BRAVE: Check out BRAVE – a free online program to help kids cope with worries and anxiety. There’s a tailored version for younger kids (8-12), one for teens (12-17) and an accompanying program for parents.
10. And finally, check your own behaviour: Kids pick up all sorts of signals from the adults in their lives, so have a think about the messages you’re sending. Over-protective family members can inadvertently reinforce children’s fears that the world is a dangerous place where everything can hurt you. Similarly, parents who ‘over-help’ are subconsciously telling their kids that they can’t do anything without adult support.

If you’re prone to ‘helicoptering’, try taking a step back and waiting next time before you jump in. It can be hard seeing your child distressed, but figuring things out for themselves is an important step in building resilience.
https://healthyfamilies.beyondblue.org.au/age-6-12/mental-health-conditions-in-children/anxiety/strategies-to-support-anxious-children 

If you are concerned that your child is struggling with anxiety, please make contact with their teacher or make an appointment to speak to one of our Wellbeing Team members.

God bless you,

Deb Clifford
Deputy Principal