This year Healthy Harold was teaching the children about the benefits of physical activity, understanding our feelings and ways to stay safe in the community. This links wonderfully with our yearlong inquiry ‘Self-Awareness Facilitates Wellbeing’ where the children are taught how to care for their bodies and minds.
We began our sessions by moving our bodies and observing what happens to us when we do physical activity. The children had many great ideas about why it is important to move our bodies and do physical activities each day in order to keep us fit and healthy. We learnt that Harold was going to run in a relay race to help him and his friends keep their bodies healthy.
Then, Harrold was getting ready for the relay race and his body started to feel funny. The children identified ways that our bodies react when we start to have certain feelings, such as being nervous, just like Harold. The children discussed some things that happen to their bodies when they begin to feel nervous, following this we brainstormed ways to help us feel calm. There were many great ideas shared from talking to someone, taking a deep breath and having a drink of water.
Finally, Year 1 had to put together different puzzles to show a picture of a place in our community. Some examples were the beach, the park and a classroom. The students shared ideas about ways we are safe when we are in these places and what we can do if we feel unsafe.
All of Year 1 thoroughly enjoyed their visit to Healthy Harold and learnt a lot from the experience. The students came home with a ‘Ready, Steady, Go!’ booklet with many exciting, fun and educational activities to complete at home to show their knowledge of the session.
This year, the Somerset College students in the Junior School recognised Safer Internet Day throughout Week 3 by participating in various activities in their Information Literacy lessons. Students in the ELP listened to and interacted with age appropriate stories that covered topics such as asking for permission before using a digital device, telling a trusted adult if they see or hear something online that makes them feel sad, scared or worried and ensuring that there is a healthy balance between screen time and physical play.
If you and your family are interested in developing a technology agreement that can assist in making good choices online and ‘finding the balance,’ feel free to download the Play School technology agreement. This agreement is intended for kids under the age of five, however, it can easily be adapted for older children.
Similar themes were discussed in Years 3 to 6 and the main question that was explored was, ‘How are you making the internet a safer place?’ Students understand that the internet is a fun place to explore but they need to do so in a safe and responsible way by using their critical thinking skills. They know that they should conduct themselves in the same way they would in the real world. Simple yet powerful messages such as ‘be kind online’ and ‘think before you click’ are helping to keep our young people safe.
Parents and carers are encouraged to continue these conversations with their children about what these key messages mean and how they can be applied to real-life situations on the playground as well as outside of school.
Thank you in advance for your support and please help spread the word and raise awareness about the importance of a safer and more positive internet. To see what others have done to promote Safer Internet Day or make use of the resources available please visit here.
A universally designed curriculum is proactively designed from the outset to meet the needs of the greatest number of users. UDL identifies barriers, preferences, needs of individuals and goals of learning. Educators design flexible assessment and develop flexible and engaging methods and materials.
Our Teacher Assistants are a valued human resource for our students and as such have begun a series of professional development workshops provided by Independent Schools Queensland, aimed at the latest research into inclusive education. A multidisciplinary approach, in which all adults working with students and share this knowledge provides a greater depth of insight into individual student needs.
Our Teacher Assistants are committed to providing the best opportunities for students and we thank them for their dedication.
We arrived outside the gym, eager and interested in what we were about to be learning about. To our surprise, our activity for the day was an interactive treasure hunt around the school! This hunt was based on different values that are important in becoming the best version of ourselves and help us to lead a happier, healthier and more successful life.
Each group was given a different set of values - some of these included gratitude, kindness, patience, integrity and courage. We formed two teams per house, and divided ourselves into different categories of creators, researchers, runners and a group manager. Together we worked as a team to figure out the clues we were given, the runners would go and collect the value from the location of the clue, bring it back to us and collect the next clue. Whilst all of this was happening, the researchers would find a definition of the value that the runners had retrieved, why it’s important and how it can be displayed. The creators then took this information and made a poster creatively displaying the value and its properties.
This Wellbeing lesson perfectly ties in with the theme for this term; Self. Whether we realised it or not, this activity helped us to experience so many different positive aspects of wellbeing that we often forget about. When was the last time you paid someone a random act of kindness? When was the last time you took a step back and thanked the people in your life you are most grateful for? Through this activity, we learned that by demonstrating more of these values, not only will it benefit others, but you will find that giving someone else a compliment or doing something for them (even if it’s just holding a door open or helping them hold their books), often makes you feel good as well.
So, in preparation for the upcoming, Random Acts of Kindness Week, I challenge you to give one person a compliment per day, help out someone in some way or another, and be grateful for what you have, even the small things.
Right now, my compliments go to the Wellbeing teachers, without whom, this amazing first lesson would never have been possible, and the staff and College leaders from last year who helped to form the Wellbeing Committee. My act of kindness will be to help the committee in any way that I can to help us achieve our goals for this year, and strive towards many new accomplishments to come. (I think this lesson can be counted as the first!) And finally, my thanks go out to every student, staff member and parent supporting, helping and looking out for one another – you have no idea what one kind or thoughtful action can do.
The good news is, our actions really can make a difference!
“Action may not bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.” – Benjamin Disraeli
The following evidence-based action themes are key to building personal happiness or wellbeing (NEF, 2008):
Think about what you are already doing, what you might like to do more of and how you might integrate some of these intentional activities into your everyday life. Try to do things that make you feel joy, as that way you will be more likely to stick to it!
The concept of the Homework Club, which has been around for the past two years, has been broadened to take in four days (Monday to Thursday) from 3.30 pm till 5.00 pm. Years 7 to 9 meet in the Design Centre and Years 10 to 12 meet in in the Senior Learning Centre.
Staff with expertise in Maths, English, the Sciences and the Humanities have been allocated for these times as have Alumni from 2019, who excelled in their school work. These people have one aim and that is to help students who attend. Student are welcome to come for one or all four sessions and whilst their attendance is noted via a roll, there is NO COMPULSION to attend.
The feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive.
So why not attend and gain the benefit of the free advice of experts in their field??
This an initiative that the College is willing to support financially because we understand the value of academic self-discipline.
Next week will see another academic initiative. Thursday 20 February selected Year 12 Students will teach Maths, Chemistry, Physics, English, Business (QCE and IBDP) to their peers in numerous Academic Breakfast in the Ray Dining Room from 7.20 until 8.30am. The College will supply breakfast to ALL attendees (to serve as Brain Food). The idea to have several Academic Breakfasts a term where students tutor students. This initiative is open only to Year 12 students. There is a registration form on the Year 12 School Box page for interested students.
The only question is: “Why wouldn’t you come?"
Yours in academic success – for our students, Dr Brohier
Lochlen Brenssell demonstrated his off-season was well-spent displaying pace and power to score four tries. Alex Miles and Sam Capel showed experience in the midfield, whilst LT Anae and Christian Kiri added punch up front.
Young guns Patrick Sowerby and Riley Briggs also had strong games. The starting team was ably assisted by some impact off the bench in the form of Jacob and Harrison Hall.
The Indigenous All Stars Team is set to feature a host of NRL Superstars with the match returning to its spiritual home of the Gold Coast, 10 years after the inaugural game was launched.
Their visit to Somerset adds to an ever-expanding list of professional sporting teams who have selected the College’s Sports Precinct, as their venue of choice to fulfil their training needs.
Somerset Spartans U8 Green was the first team to play. Their opponent was Varsity Knights. Presenting as a very physical side gave our Spartans a difficult afternoon. The game ended 9 to 2 for Varsity Knights. Thanks to Hugo from the Whites who helped the Green team.
Somerset Spartans U8 Blue played straight after the Green team. Their opponent was GCFA. Unfortunately, Zhander was injured in the first half and watched his teammates playing from the bench. The players needed to give more effort. Improving the quality of passing in the second half saw the Spartans score some great goals and end the game 4 to 2.
Somerset Spartans U8 White was the final Somerset game of the afternoon. White versed Victory, number one on the league table. Before the game started, we spoke about the scenarios that could occur in the game. No matter what happened the players were to continue doing their best, show good sportsmanship and be positive to our teammates.
Ending in the Top 4 qualified the Spartans Blue team for the finals. This is an impressive achievement for the side, given the boys are born one year below the other players in the League.
Should they win the semi-final, the Spartans will play the grand final in the same afternoon, at the indoor courts at Robina High School.
If any questions, please contact the coordinator of Football and Futsal: mdekruijf@somerset.qld.edu.au
The past Saturday players showed their passion for the game, all turning up in extremely wet conditions. The wet weather won’t stop the keen players from playing Football. Spartans train in the rain, play in the rain and win in the rain.
The Under 6 and Under 7 started at 8.30am. The boys and girls are lucky with their coaches this season, having former Somerset First XI Football players Kydra Walden and Cooper Jones working with them.
Following the youngest teams, we welcomed the Under 8s, 9s, 10s and 11s. In these age groups we have coaches Ryan Campbell, Sean Wang and Fabio Basile assisting Coach Maarten.
While the kids are playing, the parents followed the Referee Course delivered by also previous First XI Football player Keita Emsden.
Great to see our students back at our College!
If you would like to join the Football Club, please contact our coordinator Maarten de Kruijf. mdekruijf@somerset.qld.edu.au
Some results of note are as follows.
Queensland Multi Event Championships – held over two days comprising of seven events each.
For all three of these students it was their first ever State Championship level competition. The experience gained from competing over two days, against many well-trained athletes was invaluable and I am sure it will benefit them greatly in the year ahead.
Queensland 3000m Track Championships – Held at Queensland State Athletics Centre.
Over the coming weeks we are preparing for the House Cross Country (Friday 21 February); the Queensland State Championships (5 to 8 March); and the Australian Championships in Sydney (21 to 29 March) for several of our Elite Athletes at Somerset College.
Cross Country and Athletics training is in full swing this term so please check the Training Schedule on Schoolbox and come along and support the Spartan Athletics and Cross Country Programme. Open to everyone who wants to learn how to Run, Jump and Throw and be the best version of YOU!
For further information please contact, Mark Ladbrook on email at mladbrook@somerset.qld.edu.au
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