table of contents

editorial ............................................................................................ 2 elc ................................................................................................... 4 sport ................................................................................................ 5 visual arts ........................................................................................ 6 jspg ................................................................................................. 7 FoPA ................................................................................................ 8 dobsons ........................................................................................... 9

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editorial When you become a parent, something happens to you emotionally – you have so many more tears of pride and joy. And they may spring at the most inopportune time. I had one such experience on Friday as I sat cross-legged on the floor looking at and listening to the first ever Prep-hosted assembly in the history of Clarendon. Those of you there would know what I mean – it was simply fantastic. At that moment, I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else and any problem seemed inconsequential. Indeed, there is nothing better than watching your own children and children you feel personally invested in perform. I guess that is one of the reasons why it is so critical that we ensure every family is able to see their children perform in the upcoming showcase. In the words of one parent, “…a hope for a better 2017 process is a weak and insufficient consolation.” To this end, it has been heartening to see families offer tickets to other people and work together to ensure a positive outcome for all. I sincerely thank all those people who have helped the Junior School Community out in this way. On a different issue, I’ve been interested in mindfulness for some time now and have practised it in a haphazard sort of way over the last year or two. Below are some of the big ideas about mindfulness as well as a summary of a recent Time Magazine article entitled ‘Mindfulness in Schools’.

Mindfulness is about training attention and being in control of our mind. Regaining our attention and managing distractions is possible because we can exercise our attention just like a muscle. The more we practise the better we get.

The point of concentration is on the present moment. We can be mindful when we eat – really savouring and tasting every mouthful. We can be mindful when we listen – really listen to another person, not writing an email, watching TV or scrolling through social media during a conversation.

It’s about being non-judgemental of our thoughts and experiences. But can we really not judge our thoughts and what happens to us as not being either good or bad? Yes. We have thousands of thoughts a day (between 50,000-70,000); it is too exhausting to add meaning to each and every one of these. We simply allow thoughts to come and go, only paying attention to those that are going to benefit us. Being mindful helps us decide what is worth our energy and what can wait.

Practise your focus. Just as you would a music lesson – set aside 10 minutes and pay close attention to a task you do regularly. It could be reading, listening to music or preparing a meal. As you do the task consciously, think about what you are doing.

Avoid ‘multitasking’. We know this is a no-brainer, yet we all try and do it. Why? Because we think we can. We may even think we’re good at it and believe it saves time and energy.

Research shows that how we use our brains – and particularly what we pay attention to and practise repeatedly – actually gets hardwired into the brain. If you are jumping from task to task your brain will get good at it. You are training your brain to only pay attention for short periods of time. What do you think happens when you then go to a meeting or sit in an exam? You will find your mind wandering and find it hard to concentrate for extended periods of time because that is what you have trained your brain to do.

With practice, you get better at noticing when your thoughts and focus wander and can gently bring them back to the task at hand, significantly improving your attention and efficiency.

Mindfulness teaches students to express emotions. This is extremely important for emotional wellbeing.

Mindfulness also helps our gratitude. It teaches students to focus on the good things rather than the bad because it makes us happy. However, when a negative emotion is expressed, it is important to let students know that all emotions are normal and ok to feel. Emotions are like the weather; they change all the time! Gives students an opportunity to open up that conversation and recognise what may have otherwise gone under the radar.

Memory is stronger for emotions than words. People remember better how they felt rather than what was said.

In this Time Magazine article, Mandy Oaklander reports on the spread of mindfulness programs in U.S. schools. ‘That mindfulness is taking place alongside math in elementary school says something about the stressed-out state of kids’ brains these days,’ says Oaklander. ‘Educators increasingly believe that mindfulness can be an antidote to three of the biggest mental-health challenges that kids face: anxiety, trouble paying attention, and bullying.’ A robust body of research shows that, for adults, practising yoga, meditation, and deep-breathing exercises can reduce stress, ease anxiety, improve sleep, prevent illness, reduce depression and even mitigate pain. Can there be similar benefits when K-12 students learn how to monitor their bodies and emotions and better communicate their feelings to others – especially young people afflicted by ADHD, anxiety and depression? ‘These are not niceties,’ contends Patrick Tolan of the University of Virginia. ‘These are critical capabilities. If children today don’t learn how to take care of themselves, it’s going to have an enormous impact on our health care costs and the health of our nation.’ Lisa Flook of the University of Wisconsin has done preliminary research showing the positive effects of mindfulness training in schools. ‘A body of

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work shows there are innate pro-social and altruistic qualities present from a very early age in children,’ she says. ‘This is a way of nurturing the seeds of kindness in children.’ Randye Semple of the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine agrees: ‘There’s an almost immediate calming effect of mindfulness practice. Essentially, mindfulness is attention training. We’re showing them that attention can be increased, that it can be ramped up and it can be trained.’ Researchers are finding that calm breathing triggers the part of the nervous system that’s the opposite of the fight-or-flight response, slowing heart rate, lowering blood pressure and getting kids to focus on what is happening in the moment. ‘The Mindful Classroom’ by Mandy Oaklander in Time Magazine, October 3, 2016 (Vol. 188, #13, p. 44-47). Steven Belcher Head of Junior School Return to menu

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elc During these last two weeks, the ELC children have been involved in a theme based around traditional Aboriginal culture. They have been discussing Dreamtime stories and have particularly focused on the story of ‘The Rainbow Serpent’. The highlight was the children’s participation in an interactive Aboriginal Dance and Music Workshop on Friday 11 October. The presenter was Phil and he explained that he was an aboriginal man who had grown up in the Robinvale area, near Mildura. He played his clap sticks with some different techniques and all the children had the opportunity to play them too. Phil showed us different moves to represent many Australian animals and we moved around the room as emus, kangaroos and snakes to a variety of music. We also listened to and joined in a traditional song that his grandmother had taught him. The children learnt interesting facts about the Aboriginal people and enjoyed the opportunity to actively be involved in different dance scenarios. In addition, the children have been participating in activities such as creating the Aboriginal flag with coloured stones, painting Australian animal pictures, painting boomerangs and stones, making emu callers, rain sticks and didgeridoos and writing Aboriginal symbols. They are also enjoying contributing to an entire ELC project of creating a large rainbow snake.

Emma Collenette Head of ELC Return to menu

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sport On the last week of the holidays, Mason Young, Max Mason, Jack Cleary and myself travelled to the Gold Coast to represent Victoria at the National School Futsal championships. There were teams from all over Australia and we were the only team representing Victoria. Some states had three teams. We played two games on the first day, three games on the second day and two games on the third. Out of the seven games, we only won two. Nonetheless, we showed great teamwork and competitiveness in the other games we played. To make the finals on the fourth day, we needed to make the top four teams in our age group. Unfortunately, we missed out. When weren’t playing in the tournament, we had an awesome time at our accommodation getting to know our team mates who live all over Victoria. We stayed at a caravan park that had a waterslide and, even though our parents came on the trip with us, all of our team mates stayed together in cabins with our team manager and coach. On the final day, there was a big celebration at Dreamworld. This event announced all of the winning teams from each age group as well as awarded individual players who were outstanding in the tournament. After the tournament Max Mason, Jack Cleary and Angus Fraser received notification that they were eligible for the under 10 age group next year and had been selected to play for Australia in California. Paul Stephens Head of Junior School Sport & PE Return to menu

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visual arts I was fortunate to attend the ‘breakfast with the artist’ event at the Art Gallery of Ballarat, the morning after the opening of the Archibald Prize exhibition. The artist’s name was Daniel Butterworth and he painted the portrait of ‘Annie’ an famous chef from Trentham. Daniel is a Primary Art teacher living and working in Kyneton and a very prolific practicing painter. He mostly paints very large portraits, often with himself as the subject, in a bold expressive but naturalistic way. It was interesting listening to Daniel speak about his ‘story’, in regard to creating his Archibald entry; meeting the subject, the initial conversations between artist and model, the preliminary drawings and photos, the over wet house paint that had a tendency to dribble and the trip to Sydney with his Archibald entry in the back of his ute. I was inspired to get into my own painting and begin playing with my favourite media again after this his fun tale. The artist then spoke about educating students and his art classes and the management of his ‘space’ in Kyneton. My ears pricked and I wasn’t the only one to ask numerous questions about his approach, methods and assessment. He truly is a passionate man and his passion obviously rubs off onto his students. He said, “Every child should love Art and they should run to the Art room, excited to start every lesson”. I totally agree. The Art curriculum should be equally ‘skill’ and imaginatively based, evolving and developing together in and around different media and themed tasks. I know at BCC that we think long and hard about our tasks and how they will link, connect and grow from term-to-term and from year-to-year. Then we evaluate them and re-evaluate them, so that they always suit the year level and continue to challenge our students. We have a process that works very well. Sometimes I think it would be liberating to throw my lesson plan out the window and just spontaneously teach according to my artistic instinct. But I'm not sure covering recycled computers in Vaseline, sticking cornflakes all over them and using peas to create images on the screens, as Daniel's students had, would enable our students to gain the necessary artistic understanding, knowledge and skill that we want them to acquire. I am very happy to have my unit plans to follow, guaranteeing a successful artwork at the end of a design or art process. My artistic instinct can be used to inspire children in the given task and to give good advice and feedback to cover all questions. The brekkie was delicious and the Archibald Prize exhibition was great – all in all, a fabulous morning - elements of which I am looking forward to sharing with my students. Vicki Gerardi Co-ordinator of Junior School Art Return to menu

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jspg

Upcoming events as follows:

o November 13 2016 - Family Bicycle Ride –Looking like the bike path from Brown Hill to The Gong is washed out and will not be repaired in time. New location being sought and will be advised via the App and facebook. Ride from 11am, sausages on BBQ from 12pm.

o November 17 2016 – Junior School Parents Group Annual General Meeting – 8pm at the Lake View. Come along, put your hand up for a role on the night if you’re interested. Drinks to be provided using some of the proceeds from the Lake View fund raising card (if you don’t have one ask at the office – 20% of everything you spend gets donated to the school).

o November 25 2016 - Trivia Night - Ballarat Golf Club. Tables of 10 to be purchased. Drinks at bar process. Hot and cold food platers, one each per table. Price $20 per person including light snacks. Tickets going on sale this week.

o November 28 2016 – School Uniform Recycling Sale – opportunity to buy and sell second hand school uniforms. Items for sale to be dropped of the week before the sale. More details in the next edition of the Echo.

o December 2016 – UnitingCare Christmas Appeal – Last year we donated over 500 gifts. A box will be placed in the foyer to collect gifts for children of all ages from mid November. UnitingCare will collect the gifts after assembly on the last day of term. No need to wrap.

o TBA - Blokes’ Drinks

Next Junior School Parents Group Meeting: Date Thursday 17 November, 2016 Time 7.30pm, AGM at 8pm Venue The Lake View Hotel. Everyone is welcome. Paul Belcher JSPG President Return to menu

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FoPA Friends of Performing Arts AGM and dinner All are welcome to attend the FoPA Annual General Meeting and dinner. Date Tuesday 22 November Time 6.30pm Venue The Lake View Hotel Please send all RSVPs to Helen in the PAC Email pac@clarendon.vic.edu.au Phone 5330 8288 Judi Eppingstall President Friends of Performing Arts Return to menu

dobsons Ballarat Clarendon College has an onsite uniform shop run by Dobsons. A percentage of every purchase is returned to the school. Location and contact details The Uniform Shop is located at 16 Ajax Street, Ballarat. The Uniform Shop is located next to the Health Centre (please refer to map below).

Telephone: (03) 5330 8305 Email: bac@dobsons.com.au Normal Trading Hours (during school term) Tuesdays 1pm-4.30pm Wednesdays 8.30am-11.30am Fridays 1pm-4.30pm Opening Hours November 2016 – February 2017 Details of our additional Opening Hours for Orientation Days, Head Start and the P&F Second hand Book Sale can be located on connect@clarendon. Please note that we will also be open on Ballarat Show Day (Friday 11 November) and Saturday 12, 19 and 26 November. We would be happy to email you a copy of our November 2016-February 2017 Opening Hours. Do you need an appointment outside of our Trading Hours? We also offer individual fitting appointments. Please contact Leanne on (03) 5330 8305 during Trading Hours or via email bac@dobsons.com.au to arrange a suitable time. Buy Early and Save Promotion Our Buy Early and Save Promotion has commenced and will be available on purchases made in store until Monday 28 November, 2016. We would be happy to email you a copy of our Price List. Summer Uniform In stock, a full size range of dresses, shirts and shorts. Payment Facilities EFT and Credit Card facilities are available. You can also apply, in store or online, for a Dobsons account. Credit Card Authority forms are available at the Uniform Shop. Cheques are not accepted.

The Alannah and Madeline Foundation Dobsons are proud to support The Alannah and Madeline Foundation via a variety of support platforms through donation and fundraising activities.

The Stationery Kit is available in-store and all proceeds go directly to The Alannah & Madeline Foundation. JSPG, Parents & Friends and 1920s Club Merchandise We have various items for cash sale on behalf of the Junior School Parents Group, Parents & Friends and 1920s Club. The items available include organisational bags, knitted beanies, Parents & Friends caps, rowing caps, rowing badges and rowing polar fleece vests. Buying or Selling Second-hand Items Dobsons also sell, in store, a range of second-hand uniforms on behalf of parents. A donation will be given to the Parents & Friends for each sale of second-hand uniforms. Please contact us to discuss. For online buying or selling, please visit www.uniformswapshop.com.au

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