Parents and Friends and EHV

The Sathya Sai Parents and Friends requested an EHV lesson, so one Friday morning, 9 participants (including one small child) who attended the EHV lesson. They were deeply moved by the love revealed in the EHV hour on Truth and Honesty, the values for this fortnight. School EHV convenor Mrs Sandy Naidu provided some overheads showing EHV awakening the language of understanding and emotional intelligence; the 'WHY we do EHV'.

Sandy then took us through silent sitting, Mrs Roz Molloy and Mrs Gowing unfolded a mind map and Roz told a story about Truth and Parables with people dressed in a skeleton and veiled in hat and scarves respectively. Cath Brown played the flute for our values song and Mrs Naidu took us through an activity followed by a visualisation by Roz, who spoke about the powerful integration of values through these 7 Teaching Techniques.

Every child experiences this for the first hour of each week plus constant integrated awareness all week!

Visit to Green Hills Nursing Home

Classes Kinder to Year 3 had the wonderful privilege of spending time with the elderly at the Green Hills Nursing Home. Through Right Conduct and Love, the children brought gifts of music/song and lovingly knitted knee rugs and socks made by the "Smiley Club" with Edith. Despite the differences in age, the elderly were treated with respect and dignity, worthy of our praise and admiration. Well done, Smiley Club!

Community Wisdom ~ Health Week

Sathya Sai Primary school received many visits during Health Week, in ordre to imbibe the community wisdom and learn healthy choices. Wendy Cameron visited and taught about the importance of food choices. Uncle Arthur and Poppy Hillcoat visited and told stories about not reacting. 'I love you' is a great thing to say from our hearts ... we recalled the Value of the Week, Right Conduct - lived as 'responsibility', and our quote, 'I am responsible for my own actions'.

In the Year 1/2 classroom, for Health Week, students started doing some outdoor physical activity: they exercised, went for a walk or jog in the fresh air, then we did some Yoga. Returning to the classroom, they brainstormed what being healthy is. They decided that health includes mental, physical and spiritual health.

The school hall was very busy on Wednesday during the First Aid and Police Officers' talks to the students. Fay Gleave, regional officer of Saint John's, engaged all the students in the talk on first aid, especially by inviting some to role play some situations of danger. Incidents like snake bites, a broken leg were some of which aroused most children's curiosity.

After that, students and teachers benefited from listening to very important information given by the police in the talk on alcohol and drugs. They highlighted that the damage caused by them is not only physical and psychological, but social as well, once it affects one's family, friends and the way interaction happens with society.

Murwillumbah Fire Brigade visited on the next day. Two members from the fire brigade came and showed students around the fire truck. They showed the gas tanks, biohazard suits, a breathing apparatus, gas masks and the water control panel. After the tour all students lined up to shoot witches hats with the high pressure hose into a goal net.

On Friday love and wisdom flowed from Moyia O'Brien who, with her sister Dorothy, ran SWARA in central Brisbane for many years, caring as occupational therapists for handicapped young people. The primary focus of all of their work has been the human values philosophy of this school. During her address to the school assembly at the end of a stunning week, Moyia spoke about adding to Love in the World by living the values.

Visit to Organic Farm

Grade 5/ 6 and Kindy 1/2 went for an excursion to an organic farm and learnt all about keeping the soil healthy by composting. Composting creates friendly bacteria, worm juice and appropriate pH levels to help plants grow naturally. When the soil is healthy the plant becomes healthy. We also leant that a natural way to deal with weeds is using woodchips from the pine trees.

A group of students who showed character by concentrating on a small area and weeding that area with love and concentration - the best they could. After they finished the area they moved on to the next area and after 25 minutes they had weeded about 5 metres of the garlic beds. It looked excellent! What a life lesson. Sometimes things can look so overwhelming but when we do our best and take one step at a time - we accomplish excellence.

MHS Principal inducts new SRC leaders

Murwillumbah High School Principal, Mrs. Carmel Thew, inducted the new student leadership team at Friday's assembly. Mrs. Thew said that it was a delight for her to see parents and friends so involved with students at the school. After a 45 minute assembly, she was delighted with the behaviour of the students and said that she could feel the peace in the school, as she walked into it. Mrs. Thew thanked the Principal for inviting her and later said how good it was "to see values not just as an add-on to the curriculum, but so obviously integrated right through it".

The two musical performances that achieved first place in the local festival were performed beautifully. The SRC and EHV leader, Mrs. Naidu, was proud to introduce the new school leaders and to lead them in their pledge.

The Student leaders pledge:

• I will live the five human values of Love, Truth, Right Conduct, Peace and Non-violence with respect and responsibility in all of my own behaviour.
• I will model the values for those I lead.
• I will achieve my goals through the work of others without using position or power.
• Serving myself, my class, my school and my country; I will do this with all my heart and courage.

Musical Excellence:
Festival of Performing Arts

Sathya Sai Primary school entered in two sections of the annual Murwillumbah Festival of Performing Arts at the Tweed Civic Centre from 17th June - 10th July. There were several rehearsals in the streets of Murwillumbah. Here are the senior students with recorder teacher, Jenny Hibberd.

Congratulations to all students who performed so beautifully at the Murwillumbah Festival of Performing Arts in June. Both groups won their sections playing musically, with good ensemble and excellent discipline both on and off stage. Here, you can see the ensemble rehearsing in town:

What a pleasure it was for Mr. Jenkins and Jenny Hibberd, Recorder Teacher, and supporting teachers and parents to be part of this event, winning is only the obvious result of a competition. What these prizes showed was:

• A commitment by both students and their parents (especially because it was in holiday time) to arrive at the venue on time and dressed correctly.
• The students ability to plan and work consistently towards a goal
• Initiative on the part of the students in learning and practising their parts at such short notice.
• Responsibility and reliability at attending rehearsals
• The ability to concentrate under duress
• The cohesive and supportive staff at the Sathya Sai School

All of the above are necessary life skills needed in the workplace, family life, school life and social situations.

A wonderful trust in the staff and students from Mrs. Gowing, who enabled the school to purchase the new recorders that have so fired up the enthusiasm of the students.

Academic Excellence
International Competition & Assessment for Schools

27 of our students this year participated in this international competition. The University of NSW, Sydney conducts an annual assessment opportunity for students and this year we had a growing number who tested themselves against themselves, gaining great experience. The test also enabled them to transcend test fear and release their innate academic strength. 5 Students participated in English, 11 students participated in Mathematics, 4 students participated in Science, and 7 students participated in Computer Skills.

News Items, January - July, 2007

Archived News Items