Lighthouse News 07-2015

Lighthouse News
Crawford Pre-Primary School La Lucia | Issue: 07/2015 |
7 May 2015
A Note from Sue’s Desk…
Dear Parents,
I hope all our families enjoyed quality time together over the long weekends. It is so good to be
back to routine!
With the change in our weather as we progress towards winter, please could I remind parents
NOT to send their children to school if they are unwell. It is unfair on the other children and
teachers as it encourages further exposure to germs. We are reinforcing tissue use and hand
washing to try and keep us all healthy. Please see note on Diphtheria on page 2.
I would like to extend my grateful thanks to all the parents who donated peanut butter, made a
cash donation or assisted with the making of over two thousand sandwiches for the
Refugees. The daily feeding of over four thousand people in the camps north of Durban is a
mammoth task and our support for the Domino Foundation is a small way of giving back to a
devastated community.
On Friday, 22 May, all the staff will be involved in our CrawfordSchools National Training
Day, where we will be engaged in motivational, inspirational presentations and workshops;
broadening our educational experience. School will be closed for the day as this involves all
staff on the campus.
This week we are focusing on saying hello and goodbye in our values programme. Please
could I ask moms and dads to encourage and reinforce the greeting of their teachers in the
morning and the need to say goodbye. At times a parent will take a child at the end of the
school day without saying goodbye. Goodbye is not only a sign of respect, but it reinforces the
handover from school to home and provides confirmation that the child has left school. It is our
responsibility to ensure the whereabouts of each child and this assists with our school security.
I am away in Gauteng on conference for the week of the 4th – 8th May and Vicki Snyman will
be Acting as Principal in my absence. I have no doubt that the school, with the support of all
the staff, will continue to run smoothly.
I would like to wish our Mothers a HAPPY MOTHERS DAY on Sunday. It is indeed a gift
to be a mother and to be a daughter or son with the connected love of a mother.
We never know the love of a MOTHER until we become a Sue Pilkington-Williams
PRINCIPAL
MOTHER ourselves.
PARENT TIP
PARENT
TIP!
Our Parent Tip is based on discussion with our Occupational Therapist, Janet Potterton, who focused
on working and learning with our children in the school. We have the school morning to explore,
discover and facilitate the acquisition of specific skills and the application of knowledge in a variety of
contexts. However, some children display developmental delays or the need for further exposure to
specific learning areas over and above what can be achieved at school. Occupational Therapy may be
recommended which is a specific individualised programme for a child. Parents then may ask what
they could do to help their child and below are some activities that are simple but the most effective in
supporting your child:
ACTIVE OUTDOOR PLAY – the brain body connection is crucial to the development of all skills.
Swing your child on a swing
Allow them to run, ride a bicycle or climb outdoors
March, skip, balance, hopscotch
Let your child use play dough or plasticene
Let your child practice cutting with a pair of child scissors. The fingers used in cutting are the fingers used in a pencil
grip
Any vertical drawing while standing. Wash windows or the car – this used shoulder girdle
Counting items e.g. count pasta as it is put into the pot
Play dough / Salt dough recipe:
2 x cups flour, 1 x cup salt, 1 x cup water, food colouring
- mix together until the dough forms :)
DIPHTHERIA ALERT!!!
This being Global Vaccination Week, Dr Yacoob Coovadia (University of KwaZulu-Natal clinical
microbiology lecturer) said that the sudden resurgence of diphtheria in Durban was extremely concerning
especially because the bacteria was airborne and spread through inhalation when the infected person sneezed or
coughed. A disease last seen in Durban 26 years ago has killed a child and has two others critically ill, with doctors
fighting to save them with antibiotics.
Patients were generally kept in strict isolation. Because of this, their families and those who had been in close
contact with the children were tested and given antibiotics as a preventative measure.
After the outbreak, the Department of Health conducted a “catch-up” vaccination campaign in the area and schools.
In a statement issued during the observation of Child Health Week earlier this month, Health MEC
Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo said his department was “determined to accelerate child health services drastically to save
more children’s lives”.
Symptoms of Diphtheria:
High fever
Bluish colour to the skin
Sore throat
Difficulty breathing
Bloody nasal discharge
Headache
Cough
Fatigue
The chills
http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/deadly-disease-alert-for-durban-1.1851748?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook#.VUH2tbf9ncc
Issue: 07/2015
Page 2
THEMES FOR THE SECOND TERM
Our 2nd theme is:
ALL THINGS BRIGHT, BEAUTIFUL AND PATTERNED
(11/05/2015 – 29/05/2015)
We will take a look at colour, shades, patterns and camouflage.
The stories selected for the theme are; The Little Red Hen, The Mixed Up Chameleon, Elmer the
Elephant
MY SCHOOL
April 2015 funds raised = R 1831.20
WELL DONE to all our parents who support our school through
the MySchool initiative.
Please remember to get your very own MySchool card!
Application forms are on the d6 Communicator.
P4C CORNER
Remember to ask your child this question and let
your teacher know their response...
Which would you choose between and why:
Grumpy OR sad?
Issue: 07/2015
Page 3
CRAWFORD PRE-PRIMARY CARES
Feeding the Refugees:
Crawford Pre-Primary La Lucia sponsored R2982.70 worth of bread towards
the sandwiches made for the refugees (funds used were from the 2014 Art
Exhibition and 2015 Valentines Day collections).
Over 2000 sandwiches were made
R1727 cash was donated from you; our generous parents
Thank you so much for your participation and donations.
Issue: 07/2015
Page 4
A PROMISE TO MY CHILD
By Nikki Bush
I promise to feed you, clothe you and put a roof over your head,
Although, this may vary in quality and quantity from time-to-time.
I promise to teach you to be resilient and resourceful,
So that you can succeed and thrive no matter what life may throw at you.
I can't promise you that you won't get hurt by life,
And that horrible things will never happen.
But, I do promise you that as long as I am alive,
I will love you and be there for you.
I promise to shower you with unconditional love and encouragement,
And to hold the space for you to become, well, YOU!
I promise to help you to discover your unique talents and gifts.
And I look forward to hearing the verse you will create and one day sing.
I promise you that you will have good and bad moments,
But life may surprise you.
I promise that as you grow and gain perspective, what might initially seem negative,
May well be the best gift of all to help you to a better life.
I promise to keep growing and working on myself.
It's not your job to make me happy, it's mine.
You have helped me to discover more about me,
About parts of myself I have never seen or met before.
You create an invitation for me to dance with life,
And when you ask me to dance,
My answer is a resounding “Yes!”, and, “Thank you!”
For the personal adventures you bring to me every, single day.
I promise you a place at my table, always,
Regardless of your choices.
When you were born, you were a precious gift from Life,
But you are also a gift to Life.
As your parent,
I promise to honour you and protect you,
And when the time is right, to let you go,
So that you can take flight and make a dent in the
Universe.
You will forever be in my heart,
One that is so enriched by your being in the world.
I love you my precious child.
May you be inspired and encouraged on your parenting
journey.
Issue: 07/2015
Page 5
DATES TO DIARISE
DON'T
FORGET!
SUNDAY, 10 MAY 2015
•
MOTHERS DAY
FRIDAY, 22 MAY 2015
•
STAFF NATIONAL TRAINING DAY
- school is closed
FRIDAY, 5 JUNE 2015
•
PARENT PLAY DAY
We never know the love of a MOTHER until we become a
MOTHER ourselves.
NEWSLETTER ARTICLES:
Has your child done something special,
funny, cute - done something fun or different
during the holidays … got a new baby
brother/sister, new pet, etc. … please send
us a photo with a short written note telling
us about it and we will publish it in our
newsletter!
Issue: 07/2015
Crawford Pre-Primary
School La Lucia
P O BOX 186
UMHLANGA
4320
Tel:
031-562 0057
Fax:
031-562 0059
Email: aparrott@crawfordschools.co.za
Website: www.crawfordschools.co.za
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