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What's happening in Term 4:
November:
26 Tuesday: Mayfield camp starts Grade 2, 3, 4
29 Friday: Mayfield camp finishes
December:
3 Tuesday: Student Forum
4 Wednesday: Committee Meeting @ 6 pm
4 Wednesday: 1/2 Environment Day
4 Wednesday: Prep Environment Day
5 Thursday: Kinder Bike Day
6 Friday: Schools Triathlon Gr 3-6
9 Monday: 3/4 Environment Day
9 Monday: Garden Market @ 3pm
10 Tuesday: Leavers Day
11 Wednesday: 1/2 Bike Day
12 Thursday: Whole School BBQ with Biggies led games
13 Friday: Gathering 11-12 noon (all welcome)
13 Friday: Last Day Term 4 (finish at 12 noon)
November:
26 Tuesday: Mayfield camp starts Grade 2, 3, 4
29 Friday: Mayfield camp finishes
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From Julie
Camps have been a really important part of The Cottage School since its inception in 1975. Our Small School Big Difference publication makes the point that camps for all ages provide a refreshing learning experience that encourages the development of the whole child. Nurturing the whole child is a fundamental part of our school mission. We commit significant resources to making camps the central experience they are because we understand the importance of camps for: developing social and team work skills; building strong, positive relationships between staff and students which in turn enhances learning; developing decision-making skills; fostering independence and building self-confidence; increasing environmental awareness and generally learning a whole host of new skills. Some would claim that camps encourage and stimulate students’ creative wild-side by being away from technological devices and more in tune with nature.
However, we know that for some children, and their parents, just the thought of camp can be anxiety provoking. Children might worry that they will not sleep well; think they will get homesick; worry about camp activities they may not enjoy or want to do; worry about needing to make decisions about self-care and relating to less familiar people; and then there is the possibility of the unfamiliar food. Fortunately for children attending Cottage School their parents are generally really tuned into helping their child deal with these anxieties by: being well prepared, talking positively about camp, communicating effectively with teachers prior to or post camp and sharing any specific concerns. This communication together with the positive camp experience helps build trust and reduce future anxieties.
We regularly hear feedback from parents of students who have gone on to high school after finishing year 6 here at Cottage School about how well prepared our students are for high school learning and life. Camps contribute significantly to this preparation both in terms of our students attitude to their own learning which is noticeably intrinsically motivated and in terms of their independence when camping with their new school. Our students shine in such outdoor learning situations because of their earlier experiences here. The benefits of going on school camps are tremendous and can be life-changing for some. I still remember camping on the shores of the old Lake Pedder …
A reminder that the parent survey closes on Monday.
For those who are yet to complete it, the link is HERE
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