Dear Parents,

As we all settle back into the routine of our “COVID normal” world we would like to thank you all for your ongoing support and understanding of the changing place we find ourselves in as we navigate each new piece of advice as it is given. We have been advised this week by DOSCEL that temperature checks will no longer be required. We have also been advised that Grade 6 Graduation ceremonies can take place, however what this event may involve and look like will be guided by DOSCEL.

Since returning to face-to-face learning this term, our focus for the children is about keeping things as normal as possible and allowing them time to socially reconnect with their peers and settle back into the routine of school each day. An important part of this is helping the children to re-establish and/or develop friendships with each other. We know strong friendships allow children to grow into well-adjusted adults with strong social skills. The Department of Education website has some tips for how you as parents can support this:

Your child’s friendships can often change.  It is the quality of friends that your child has that is important, not the number. Whether your child has one special friend or many friends isn’t the issue. As long as they are happy and content, they’ll do fine. 

Sometimes your child will argue with their friends. Not all arguments are bad. They are an important part of growing up. Talk to your child about:

• what things they like to do with their friends
• the things they like about their friends
• the ways your child could show their friends how much they mean to them
• how their friendships are going. If there are problems, this gives your child a chance to talk to you about them.

Listen to your child and use open-ended questions.

Sometimes friends do things that upset us. This doesn’t mean the friendship has to end. Understanding that everyone makes mistakes is an important lesson to learn.

Friendships are usually made between people who have the same interests. Making friends can take time. Some children find it easy to make friends. Others find it difficult. You know your child best. If you know your child is nervous or shy when making friends, you can encourage them to:

• say hello and smile
• look for another child who seems shy and talk to them
• ask questions to start a conversation, like what do you like to do outside of school or do you like Maths, music, running?
• listen to other children when they are talking and find out if they have things in common.

You can also support your child’s interests and get them involved in clubs or groups. This means they can make friends with children outside of school too.

If your child has friendship concerns, the staff at St Mary’s are always willing to support them in navigating through this situation. Being proactive is always important in these situations so please contact the school or your child’s teacher if you have any concerns with your child’s friendship situation.

Enjoy your Melbourne Cup long weekend!

Kind regards,

Joel