Welcome back to term 3 everyone.  What a chilly start to the term we have had.  It has been lovely to welcome new families to our Alkimos PS community and seeing students settling in and making new friends.

Strength In Unity Week  

Strength In Unity Week is celebrated annually in the last week of term 2. It is a combination of NAIDOC where we celebrate Australia’s Indigenous culture and Harmony Week and its motto ‘Everyone Belongs’. Rotational games are played over the week to encourage team work and build a sense of belonging while embracing our rich Indigenous culture. Throughout the week, students participated in wonderful activities planned to strengthen our knowledge about, and reflect on the cultural diversity of our community.

We started the week with a special Muster – our school community joined our wonderful school choir singing which was followed by a Kaal (Fire) Ceremony let by Mrs Birchall. Students received a Balka leaf to place onto the fire as a symbol of accepting and reflecting on the purpose of the ceremony. During this, Phil Farmer played the Yidaki (Didgeridoo).

Kaal Ceremony: Traditionally, people from all over the world used to sit around the kaal. It symbolised a home, a place to eat or sleep before housing or when travelling on country. Kaal creates a space that we can come together to talk, relax and enjoy each other's company. It promotes a bond between people and country. It can build a sense of community for the people sharing the kaal.

Some of the fantastic activities that our Strength in Unity team organised for students during the week were:

Djert Warn – Tool Making with Mekhi Yarran

Dordong Waangkan – Yarning Circle

Nyinyarn – Echidna drawing

Boorn-Midi – Artefact Display

Yidaki with Phil Farmer

Kitj Koordajiny – Spear Throwing

Yongka Barlanginy – Kangaroo Jump

Boorn-ak Waangkan-Message Stick Relay

Wetj noorook barniny – Emu egg walking

Social Media

Use of social media platforms has exploded in the past decade. There are many positive benefits of social media use and unfortunately negative aspects as well as social media can be a hub for potentially harmful or questionable activities. It is such a tricky space for children and parents to navigate.

• Young people use social media to connect with others they may or may not know offline in the ‘real world’.
• Online profiles have basic information that forms your child’s social media identity - people identify each other through their profiles and also by what they post online
• Young children mostly start using social media to play online games; they may then graduate to platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr, Kik and Facebook

What's Positive About Social Media Use?

Social media can help kids:

• stay connected with friends and family
• interact with a more diverse group of kids than they may be used to
• volunteer or get involved with a campaign, non-profit, or charity
• enhance their creativity by sharing ideas, music, and art
• meet other people who have similar interests
• communicate with educators and fellow students
• find health information
• learn about current events
• get support when they feel sad or anxious

At school, students are involved in ongoing responsible Digital Citizenship lessons throughout the year.  Having open and honest communication around Social Media use is also very important.  There are many support options available for parents and students.  The websites below offer a wealth of informative guides around issues that may arise due to Social Media use.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/resources

https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/social-media-and-safety

 https://www.esafekids.com.au/about

 Good luck to our interschool Cross Country team who are competing tomorrow – we know you will demonstrate good sportsmanship both on and off the field.

Kind regards,