A seminar for school principles, teachers, etc

Thursday June 20th 2019
9am-12pm

The Heath Centre
St Andrew’s Cathedral School
Level 5, St Andrew’s House
Sydney Square

Bookings essential (no charge, morning tea provided)

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presented by
Andrea Musulin 
West Australian Child Protection Society
and Lachlan Bryant,  Professional Standards Unit, Anglican Diocese of Sydney
It is a sobering reality that in Australia 1 in 4 children will be abused before they turn 18 and most of these children will never speak about it!

The recent Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Data project for the Anglican Church noted that the average age for a child to be abused was approximately 11 years old.

While there is no foolproof system for protecting children and young people, schools can contribute significantly to the personal safety of children and the empowerment needed to disclose abuse when it occurs.

This workshop will highlight how schools can develop protective mechanisms in children to prevent child abuse occurring and empower them to speak out.

These measures teach the child to seek appropriate help when they are not feeling safe.

The workshop will include the following topics.

  1. How the Royal Commission is shaping the child protection landscape for institutions and particularly schools.
  2. Why it is imperative for protective behaviours to be taught early, from pre-school years and throughout adolescence.
  3. Educational programs to assist children to be safe from all forms of unsafe and hostile situations in which they may find themselves.

Under the Education Act NSW 1990 all non-government schools are responsible for providing a safe and supportive environment for students. A key component of developing such an environment is educating all members of the school community about issues of personal safety including students.  As such this workshop is a must for school principals and key staff in Primary and Secondary schools and should not be missed.

Introduction

Ministry to young people is vibrant and exciting work, and also greatly significant to the life of the church. Teaching young people about Jesus is kingdom work. It is a service to the young people, the church family, and to God himself that offers great opportunities, but also carries significant responsibilities for the wellbeing of the young people in our care. If we as church members and leaders take the teaching and leadership of young people seriously then we must provide an environment that is safe from any form of harm.

This booklet sets out the guidelines and Code of Conduct for leaders involved in youth ministry, whether paid or unpaid. This includes youth group leaders, youth camp leaders and so on.

For the purposes of this booklet, youth ministry refers to ministry to high school students, or otherwise teenagers under the age of 18. There is a separate booklet for leaders engaged in ministry to children up to and including Year 6.

Contents

  • General principles for ministry with young people  

  • The role of the youth ministry leader
  • Screening and training of leaders
  • Code of Conduct
  • Guidelines for Youth Ministry activity
  • Reporting abuse
  • Contact details

General principles for ministry with young people

Young people have rights

Young people have the right to be safe and well looked after when they are in our care. They have the right to be protected, listened to and their particular needs addressed in all church activities, whether mixed age or young-person specific.

Leaders are responsible

All those exercising a pastoral ministry involving young people in the church have responsibility for the safety and welfare of the young people in their care.

Abuse is power misused

Leaders have authority over young people because of their positional power and because of their greater age, maturity, physical size and life experience. Abuse arises from the misuse of authority or power.  Any form of abuse is always wrong.

The role of the youth ministry leader

It is your role to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety and welfare of the young people in your care.

This will involve:

  • ensuring that you satisfy the screening and training requirements; and
  • complying with the Code of Conduct and guidelines contained in this booklet.

Screening and training of leaders

Sadly, many young people have been abused physically, sexually and emotionally by trusted members of their communities, including people in churches. As a result, there are requirements for people involved in any kind of work with youth and children that we as leaders must comply with, both under NSW law and the Anglican Church’s ordinances.

Legal requirements

Any person involved in child-related work (including all volunteers) must get a Working With Children Check (WWCC) clearance (subject to some exemptions). A child is defined as a person under the age of 18 years and therefore “child-related work” includes youth ministry activities.

Your church must verify the WWCC number with the Office of the Children’s Guardian to determine whether the person has been cleared or barred.

Diocesan requirements

A person who wishes to volunteer or work in a children’s ministry position must usually:

  • Obtain a WWCC clearance that must then be verified by the parish;
  • Make a formal application for the children’s ministry position, including producing proof of identity documents and providing references (www.safeministry.org.au/);
  • Undertake Safe Ministry training within three months of starting the children’s ministry position, followed by a Refresher course every three years; and
  • Read, understand, and comply with Faithfulness in Service.

In addition, it is recommended that all volunteers are a member of a parish for at least 6 months before entering into a children’s ministry position in that parish.

A “children’s ministry position” means any paid or unpaid position to which a person is appointed by or on behalf of the minister or the wardens that involves activities primarily related to, and physical or face-to-face contact with, children. Examples include youth group leaders, youth camp leaders, etc.

The Diocese uses the phrase “children’s ministry position” to cover both children’s and youth ministry positions. When you see the term “children’s ministry position” used in this document, it includes youth ministry positions.

In our parish system, the Senior Minister has the ultimate responsibility for appointing people to children’s ministry positions, even though in practice that responsibility is often delegated to other leaders.

Providing information for records

You must provide your full name, date of birth, WWCC number and details of the Safe Ministry training you have undertaken to your parish’s Safe Ministry Representative, as they are required to keep these records.

Youth Ministry Code of Conduct

This Code of Conduct is written to protect both the youth in our churches, and you as a leader from situations where your integrity or actions might be questioned.

In the exercise of your ministry you must:

  • Never abuse young people or cultivate relationships in order to initiate or cloak abuse of young people.
  • Never become romantically involved with any young person participating in the youth ministry (Years 7-12 or otherwise under the age of 18).
  • Never be alone with a young person away from the presence of other adults.
  • Never have young people to your home or visit young people in their home when no other adult is present, except with the permission of a parent or guardian.
  • Never touch a young person in a manner which is inappropriate given their age, gender or cultural background.
  • Never physically discipline a young person.
  • Never make drugs, alcohol or cigarettes available to young people.
  • Never develop inappropriate special relationships with particular young people that could be seen as involving favouritism or any form of special treatment.
  • Never engage in any contact with a young person that is secretive (whether physical or through electronic media or in any other way).

There are good reasons for this code of conduct. Those who seek to abuse children may use group-based activities in order to gain the trust of a young person. Having gained that trust, they may then engage in one-to-one activities that offer an opportunity for abuse to occur, including sexual abuse.

Sexual abuse of a young person often starts with something relatively minor, but can then gradually build up to more involved behaviors through a process of grooming. It is often characterized by secrecy.

Those at greatest risk of child abuse in ministry are undoubtedly teenagers. This is because youth ministry more easily allows for the possibility of one-to-one unsupervised contact. This is why there must always be more than one adult leader present, and that no opportunities present themselves for a leader to engage in one-to-one activity with a young person away from the presence of other adults.

A breach of this Code of Conduct may raise issues concerning your fitness to continue as a leader.

You are to inform the person responsible for Youth Ministry in your parish, or the Senior Minister or the Safe Ministry Representative if you observe another leader acting in a way that may be contrary to this code of conduct.

Guidelines for Youth Ministry Activities

The guidelines that follow cover a wide array of issues for youth ministry activities, such as the supervision of activities and their appropriateness, the physical safety of the those involved, the importance of parental consent, transportation and trips away, forms of communication with young people, as well the issue of meeting up with young people outside of programmed events. However, there are three golden rules that are relevant to all of the guidelines.

The Golden Rules

Two or More

There must always be two leaders aged 18 years or over present for all youth ministry events.

Never Alone

Leaders must not be alone with a young person, and should make sure, as far as possible, that other leaders are not left alone with a young person.

Stranger Danger

Leaders should be on the alert for people wandering around – a person unknown to the leaders or not part of the youth ministry should not be allowed access to young people.

a. Physical safety of young people

One of the ways that we can protect young people in our churches is to make sure that they are meeting in a physical environment that is appropriate and safe for them.

Consider particularly the suitability of the space, the safety of the space, and the safety measures in place by asking the following questions. Ideally it is preferable if you are objectively able to tick all the following boxes ‘yes’.

Suitability of the space

  • Are toilet facilities available?
  • Is the space appropriate for activities such as games?
  • Is the equipment being used suitable and appropriate for the ages using it?
  • Is the floor non-slip and splinter-free?

Safety of the space

  • Is the area to be used a safe distance from roads or traffic?
  • Is the area far removed from places where people may engage in unsafe behaviour (such as smoking or drinking alcohol)?
  • Is any glass installed at floor level safety glass?
  • Is the heating safe to use?
  • Are all electrical wiring, sockets and appliances regularly maintained and in a safe condition?
  • In regard to areas that may be used for games and outside play, has the area been checked for items that may pose a potential hazard and such items safely removed (such as broken glass, or discarded needles)?
  • Is all furniture in a safe condition and without risk of toppling onto a child (such as stacks of chairs)?

First aid and safety measures

  • Is there a fire extinguisher and fire blanket accessible and available on-site?
  • Is there a well-stocked first aid kit at the activity site?
  • Is there a specific person in the church who is responsible for checking the first aid kit regularly and replenishing it?
  • Is there a specific person on-site who is trained in first aid?
  • Are all leaders aware of the fire safety and evacuation procedures?

b. Supervision of activities

An important part of providing a safe environment is making sure you have enough leaders present to adequately supervise the activities taking place.

The degree of supervision required will vary according to the nature and environment of the activity, the age and maturity of the young people and the size of the group.  In considering the number of leaders required, take into account:

  • the age, number, ability and gender mix of the youth; and
  • the venue, time, duration and nature of the activity.
  • The suggested supervision ratio for low risk onsite events with youth would be 1:10 (one leader for every 10 youth), after the minimum requirement of 2 adult leaders is met.

Where the risks in the activity increase, the supervision should also increase. For example, if you were to take the Year 7 and 8 youth off-site to do indoor rock climbing, it would be appropriate to reduce the ratio to 1:6 (one leader for every 6 youth). This is to account for the high-risk nature of the activity and the fact that it is off-site.

c.  Appropriateness of activities

You should thoughtfully consider what message young people may learn from the way events are organised and conducted. Games or activities that could in any way emphasise gender, physical, intellectual or ethnic differences should be assessed for their appropriateness. 

To minimise the possibility of youth being harmed, you should give careful consideration to any activities or games that require young people to act alone or in pairs independent of leaders.

You should review in their entirety any DVDs, youtube clips, computer games, graphics, photographs and lyrics that you intend to show young people. You should also make sure that any elements containing violence, sexual activity, nudity, drug use, coarse language or questionable lifestyle are appropriate for the intended audience. In assessing whether something is appropriate you should be governed by the age of the youngest person present. Exercise particular care if a TV show, film or computer game has been recommended by the Office of Film and Literature Classification as unsuitable for youth of a particular age (eg, PG, M or MA classifications). MA rated material will rarely be suitable, and material rated M may or may not be suitable with parental consent. If in doubt, seek the advice of a supervisor or colleague.

d.  Parental consent

You must have the written consent of a parent or guardian before taking youth away from church premises, and you must keep them informed of the place and timing of the event.  If you can, include parents or guardians in the leadership team.

Ask parents or guardians for information about any particular physical needs (eg, allergies), mental health needs (eg, depression) or safety needs of youth in your care.

And never administer medications to a young person without the written consent of a parent or guardian.

e. Transportation

It is the responsibility of parents and guardians to arrange transportation to and from youth events for their child, unless another specific arrangement is in place.

You must have written permission from a parent or guardian before a young person can be driven anywhere by someone other than the parent for the purposes of a church activity.

When making transport arrangements, take reasonable steps to ensure that:

All drivers or operators are licensed (green Ps or above), responsible, experienced, and are not impaired by alcohol or any other mind-altering or addictive substance; and

All motor vehicles and other forms of transport used are registered, insured, safe, and fitted with age appropriate restraints or safety devices (e.g. seat belts, life jackets).

Leaders should avoid being alone with a young person in a motor vehicle or driving a young person home unaccompanied, even with parental permission. If such a situation is unavoidable, inform another leader of the trip and the reason for it.

No matter how rewarding it is for you, caring for your loved one and maintaining your own life is extremely difficult. It is extremely important that you get a little time to relax. Otherwise, you may get fatigued and depressed with constant in-home care.

Setting up a respite care service schedule should never make you feel guilty. This schedule will actually make a better family caregiver in the long-term. Even if it’s just an extended lunch visit with a friend, that break from in-home care will give you the energy you need to be the best caregiver possible. Even if you’re the best multi-tasker in the world, no one can truly do it all.

Who Needs Respite Care?

senior

Unfortunately, many caregivers don’t even realize that respite care is an option. They push themselves to the point of actual illness before someone tells them that they can get help. As a primary caregiver, you know very well that your loved one depends on you. But they can’t depend on someone who isn’t caring for themselves as well.

A 2005 study released by The Commonwealth Fund showed that about 16 million adults of working age spend time caring for another family member. Nine million of those adults have developed health issues of their own. It is obvious that caregivers pay the price to take care of their loved ones. Respite care providers can help reduce the overall burden.

Helping Them Understand Respite Care

Accepting personal care from someone else is not an easy choice for anyone. The decision can seem like a loss of independence and it is often overwhelming and depressing for a loved one.

reduce-the-long-term-emotional-and-physical-stress

While it is obviously important to respect their wishes, it is also essential that they are receiving proper care. The process of convincing them to accept respite care should be done with the acknowledgment of their feelings, constant reassurances, and overall respect. This is not something you should rush them into.

Choose the Right Time and Place

Due to the sensitive nature of the conversation, you should really think about the time and place you choose to bring up respite care. Starting this conversation on Christmas Day may not be the best idea. Instead, pick a random day to take them out for lunch. The more emotion you can take out of the situation, the better. That’s why their own home may not be the best place for this conversation.

Direct the Conversation with Questions

It is always better to let the other person in a conversation like this one come up with their own solution. If you can ask the right questions, you may be able to get their acceptance of respite care faster than you thought. You can ask questions like “what would you do if you fell and I was out running errands?” or any other questions that might help lead them to respite care as an option.

Do Your Homework

This is not a discussion you should start without doing some research first. Look into the respite services that are available near you so that you can be ready to discuss different options with your loved one. Hearing about the specifics reassures them that you care about their needs and want the best for them.

Keep the Focus on Your Loved Ones

While it may be difficult to take your own needs out of the equation, it is important to keep the focus on the needs of your loved one. You don’t want them to misunderstand and feel like you’re deserting them. Talk about their safety and overall health. Consider the current situation and get them thinking about the future. Be honest and acknowledge their feelings at all times.

Focus on the Benefits

If the conversation starts to head in the wrong direction, you can start to steer it towards the many benefits that in-home respite care can provide. Discuss the ways respite services could improve your relationship, enhance their overall care, and discover new things. These discussions may open their eyes to things they hadn’t considered before.

Ask Someone Else for Help

While it may not be easy to admit, your loved one may not listen to you as well as they would someone else. If there is a religious leader, a friend, or another relative that they would be more willing to listen to, don’t be afraid to get them involved when considering a respite caregiver.

If They Still Resist

Introducing respite care to your loved one is already a difficult process, but what if they resist the idea? How can you help them understand why it’s the best choice?

The first step to overcoming this problem is to figure out the reasons for their reluctance. Sometimes, you may need to look for emotions behind their actual words. For example, if they say something like “I don’t want help from strangers,” that may really mean “I’m too embarrassed to let anyone else help me.”

You should try to understand and acknowledge feelings and address them. Let’s say that your loved one is truly worried about respite care being the first step towards permanent care in a nursing home. You would want to have a clear conversation about the plan for returning home once the respite care is over.

In many cases, it is also helpful to get a primary care doctor involved in the discussion. Elderly parents tend to listen to professionals better than they do their own children.

If you’ve already narrowed down the options a bit, take some small steps to prepare them for such a change. Depending on what type of respite care you’re considering, you can ask an aid for a quick visit at home to introduce themselves. If a daycare center is your top choice, consider taking your loved one to visit during an activity. This way they can slowly get used to the idea of respite care.

If, after all these conversations, the resistance is still there, it is best just to be completely honest about your need for a break. Tell them that it doesn’t change anything between you two, but that a temporary break will actually be better for both of you over the long-term.

Different Types Of Respite Care

There are actually several different types of respite care. Your current situation and the feeling of your loved one will help you determine which one is best for you. There will always be the opportunity to change types in the future.

In-Home Respite Care

Sometimes family and friends can be excellent sources of temporary help. They are also a great first step for those reluctant to start respite care. However, if that option is not available or if your loved one requires skilled care, you can hire in-home aids independently or through an agency. There are in-home aids which can provide personal care services, skilled care services, homemaker services or even just companion services.

Daily Care Centers

These centers offer an option for care outside of the home. They promote the individual’s abilities, strengths, and overall independence while ensuring their needs are met. Many participants enjoy this type of care because it gives them the opportunity to socialize with others like them in a safe environment. For caregivers trying to work during the day, this type of respite care can be especially helpful. However, these centers have limited hours and do not care for participants overnight.

Residential Care Facilities

Whether you need respite care for a period of just a few days or a few weeks, residential care facilities provide care on a 24/7 basis throughout the individual’s stay. This type of care makes it possible for primary caregivers to take extended breaks or vacations without worrying about their loved one. In a good residential care facility, each participant will stay in a safe and supervised environment that is designed to meet their own specific needs.

Even if you provide the best care possible for your loved one, the long-term effects of stress can destroy your health and overall well-being. When the psychological, physical and emotional toll of providing primary care starts to wear you down, you must remember that you have options. Respite care might be the perfect answer to improving the situation for both you and your loved one.


Depression has many faces

Different people experience depression in different ways.

Life experiences affect people differently so what triggers depression in one person won’t necessarily make somebody else depressed.

Depression can last from a few weeks to months or even years if left untreated.

How does depression start?

People might begin feeling depressed for many reasons. For example:

  • After a specific event like a relationship breakup
  • It’s genetic and runs in the family
  • It’s linked with another health condition

You may not know why you’re depressed and that’s okay

What does depression look like?

Depression is a combination of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. If you’re depressed you might:

  • Feel on-edge, worried, or anxious
  • Have trouble sleeping
  • Not have any energy
  • Not feel like eating
  • Not feel like showering or getting dressed
  • Get annoyed or upset by little things
  • Stop enjoying things you used to find fun
  • Feel that your life is pointless
  • Feel empty or numb
  • Feel cut-off from others and alone
  • Feel negative about yourself
  • Feel angry
  • Have thoughts about wanting to die or hurt yourself

Different types of depression

Depression can take many forms and can last for only a short time, a very long time, or anywhere in between.

  • Major depression – sometimes called major depressive disorder, clinical depression, unipolar depression, or simply ‘depression’
  • Melancholia – a severe form of depression reflected in slowed physical movement and loss of pleasure in almost everything
  • Psychotic depression – when people lose touch with reality and may involve hallucinations or delusions
  • Antenatal and postnatal depression – women are at risk of developing depression during pregnancy or after the birth of their baby
  • Bipolar disorder – sometimes called manic depression, the person experiences extreme highs and lows
  • Cyclothymic disorder – when people alternate between long periods of feeling manic and long periods of feeling depressed
  • Dysthymic disorder – similar to major depression except it’s less severe but symptoms can last longer
  • Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) – is where changes in seasons cause depression and may be related to changes in light exposure

If you’re concerned that a child or young person you care about is experiencing anxiety or depression, or at risk of suicide, it’s important to let them know that you’re worried. Supporting your loved one and getting them to open up can be challenging. It's important to stay patient and listen.

Talking about thoughts and feelings can be difficult for young people – it doesn’t always come naturally. They might get angry when you ask if they’re ok, or they might shut down and say nothing. You might find it difficult to talk openly too. Approach these conversations with respect, thoughtfulness and try to avoid judgement. Let them know why you’re worried and what you’ve noticed. Encourage them to talk about how they are feeling and share any current things that might be stressing them out.

Regardless of where your loved one is at, all young people need to know that they are loved, respected and trusted. Anything you can do to reinforce this for them will be valuable.


“Professional help and a supportive environment were the main things in my recovery. I always had somebody to go to when things were bad or when I was feeling really down. I had people who were constantly checking up on me to see if I was okay.” Tianna, 19 

Talk about what’s going on

Let your young person know you’re concerned and want to help. Create an environment where they can open up, and make sure you give them space to talk. Don’t be afraid to ask about how they’re feeling and talk about what is going on. It can also help to find out more about anxiety and depression – either before you have the conversation, or by doing some research together.

" Look for small ways that you can make a positive difference and provide comfort and support, and keep doing them – in my case I realised that a simple back or foot massage before bedtime helps my daughter relax and go to sleep. It helps both of us to know that I can help in this way. "

Next steps

In today's match we say Smith vs Metalik was the best match we ever seen before and that match is for the VACANT Cruiserweight Championship  and Smith has a best dream he never dreams before for winning his first Cruiserweight Championship and without a respect Smith shake Metalik hands for all of his hard work. Finally John Smith won his dream title that he ever dreamt before 


Congrats to the First ever Cruiserweight Champion and Former Intercontinental Champions 

Also John Smith will added to the Record Books 

Congrats John Smith ( Newly crowned Cruiserweight Champion)

What will he gonna say for his winning award celebration next Thursday! 

Introduction

Welcome to the plain English report-writing course. All you need is a pen, some paper, a little time and the will to learn.

There is no great mystery about writing clear, concise and effective reports. The writing skills you will learn in this book will work in all types of 'business' writing - letters, leaflets, memos and so on. What makes reports different is the formal way they are organised, and we'll be looking at that.

All the examples are genuine.

The answers to all the exercises are at the end of the guide.

At the end of the course is a list of common bureaucratic words with plain English alternatives.

So what's plain English?

First let's say what plain English isn't and destroy some of the myths about it.

  • It's not 'cat sat on the mat' or 'Peter and Jane' writing. Almost anything - from leaflets and letters to legal documents - can be written in plain English without being patronising or over-simple.
  • It doesn't mean reducing the length or changing the meaning of your message. Most of the UK's biggest insurance companies produce policies that explain everything fully in plain English.
  • It's not about banning new words, killing off long words or promoting completely perfect grammar. Nor is it about letting grammar slip.
  • It is not an amateur's method of communication. Most forward-looking senior managers always write in plain English.
  • And finally, it is not as easy as we would like to think.

Sadly, thanks to the bureaucrats of public service industries, local councils, banks, building societies, insurance companies and government departments, we have learned to accept an official style of writing that is inefficient and often unfriendly.

But in the last few years, many of these offenders have started to put things right, either rewriting their documents clearly or training their staff in the art of plain English or both.

The advantages of plain English are:

  • it is faster to write;
  • it is faster to read; and
  • you get your message across more often, more easily and in a friendlier way.

If you spend more than an hour a day writing, you are (to an extent) a professional writer. So it's vital that you get it right.

Plain English Campaign has led the way in the field of clear communication. The Campaign edits and designs documents for the country's largest organisations and runs hundreds of training courses every year. Now Plain English Campaign has used all their experience to put together this teach-yourself course on writing reports in plain English.

So what is plain English? It is a message, written with the reader in mind and with the right tone of voice, that is clear and concise.

Keep your sentences short

We're not going to join in the argument about 'what is a sentence?'. Just think of it as a complete statement that can stand by itself. Most experts agree that clear writing should have an average sentence length of 15-20 words.

This does not mean making every sentence the same length. Be punchy. Vary your writing by mixing short sentences (like the last one) with longer ones (like this one), following the basic principle of sticking to one main idea in a sentence, plus perhaps one other related point. You should soon be able to keep to the average sentence length - used by top journalists and authors - quite easily.

At first you may still find yourself writing the odd long sentence, especially when trying to explain a complicated point. But most long sentences can be broken up in some way.

Exercise

Here are some examples. Split them where suitable by putting in full stops. You may need to put in or take out words so that the new sentences will make sense. But don't change anything else.

1 From a formal report of a disciplinary interview

I raised your difficulty about arriving ready for work on time and pointed out that your managers had done their best to take account of your travel problems and you had agreed with them that the Green Lane depot was the most convenient place for you to work, however, your initial improvement was short-lived and over the past two months your punctuality has dropped to a totally unacceptable level.

2 From an electricity company

I do not seem to have received the information required from you to set up your budget scheme, and I now enclose the relevant form and ask that you fill it in and return it.

3 From a solicitor

If you could let me have the latest typed version of the form in the next seven days, whereupon I suggest we meet here on 19 December to finalise the text so that you could then give me an estimate of the cost of producing a typeset proof.

4 From a credit company

I refer to the earlier notice served in respect of your account as the arrears now amount to the sum shown above, you leave me with no alternative than to commence court action and details of your account have been referred to the company's solicitor.

Actives and passives

Do you want your reports to sound active or passive – crisp and professional or stuffy and bureaucratic?

Well, this is where we have to get grammatical. Most people know that a verb is a 'doing' word, like 'make', 'do', 'play', 'talk' or 'write'. There are many ways to split verbs into different categories, but we're just going to consider the difference between active and passive verbs.

Passive verbs make writing duller and harder to understand. Active verbs make writing livelier and more personal.

But what are active and passive verbs? Let's take a simple sentence: 'The boss slammed the door.'

Here, we can call the boss 'the doer'. The verb is 'slammed'. And the door is what we can call 'the thing'.

In almost all sentences that contain active verbs, the doer comes first, then the verb and then the thing. There will probably be lots of other words as well. For example: 'The boss, in a fit of temper, slammed the door to the outer office.' But the order of doer, verb, thing stays the same.

With passive verbs, the thing comes first: 'The door was slammed by the boss.' You can see that by making the sentence passive, we have had to introduce the words 'was' and 'by', which means the sentence is now much clumsier.

Remember that the doer is not always a person and the thing is not always a thing! 'The tree crushed Peter' is active but 'Peter was crushed by the tree' is passive. And remember 'passive' has nothing to do with the past tense.

Here are some more examples of sentences containing passive verbs. Our 'active' versions are underneath each one.


    • The matter will be considered by us shortly.

(We will consider the matter shortly.)


    • The riot was stopped by the police.

(The police stopped the riot.)


    • The mine had to be closed by the safety inspector.

(The safety inspector had to close the mine.)

Sometimes the doer gets left out.

Sentences with passive verbs can make sense without having a doer. For instance, 'the door was slammed', 'the cheque had been cashed' and 'the report is being written' all leave out the doer.

People used to officialese often write reports that are full of passive verbs, with sentences like these.

  • 35 sites were visited in three weeks. Procedures were being properly followed at the sites visited.
  • Overheads were not kept under control despite an awareness of the budgetary situation.

Neither of these sentences has a doer. So the reader may be left asking, 'Who visited the sites?', 'Who was following procedures properly?' and so on. Changing to active verbs reveals the 'doers' and sharpens up dull and unclear sentences.

  • We visited 35 sites in three weeks. At the sites we visited, we found that staff were following procedures properly.
  • Managers were not keeping overheads under control, despite knowing about the budgetary situation.

You will notice that in the last sentence we have used an active verb instead of 'an awareness of'. As we shall see later this is an example of changing a 'nominalisation' into a verb.

Spotting passives

There is another way of spotting passive verbs which is especially useful when the doer isn't mentioned in the sentence. First, passive verbs almost always have one of the following words added on - be, being, am, are, is, was, were, will be. They are all formed from the verb 'to be'.

Second, they have a thing called a 'past participle'.

This table shows you how to get a past participle from a verb.

VerbPast participle
askasked
claimclaimed
dodone
writewritten

So a complete passive verb could be 'will be done', 'has been formed' or 'was watched'.

Here are some examples:

  • Care should be taken when opening the door.
  • The outcome will be decided next week.
  • Applicants will only be accepted if proof of purchase is enclosed.
  • It can be done.The problem could not have been foreseen.

Good uses of passives

There are times of course when it makes sense to use a passive.

  • To make something less hostile – 'this bill has not been paid' (passive) is softer than 'you have not paid this bill' (active).
  • To avoid taking the blame – 'a mistake was made' (passive) rather than 'we made a mistake' (active).
  • When you don't know who or what the doer is – 'the England team has been picked'.
  • If it simply sounds better.

But aim to make about 80-90% of your verbs active.

Exercise

The difference between active and passive verbs is not easy to grasp. So if you are confused, read this section again. If you are not, spot the passive verbs in the following examples and change the sentences around so that they use active verbs.

1 From a DVLA letter (you will need to invent a doer for the first verb)

The tax disc was sent to you at the address on your application form but it was returned by the Post Office as undeliverable mail.

2 From a building society

In the Investment Account Statement which was sent to you recently, it was indicated by us that we would write to you again concerning the monthly interest that has been paid to you under the terms of your account.

Introduction

Email has changed the way we work – allowing us to communicate cheaply and quickly with colleagues, suppliers and other contacts around the world. Many of us now use it as our main means of communication during the working day. But what are the best techniques to use when writing emails?

Are the rules for writing emails different to those we have already learned?

Emails are written communications, and their purpose, generally, is to send information. If we relax the rules of grammar and clear communication, we will fail to get our message across. So it is important to stick to the usual guidelines. However, emails are normally less formal than a printed business letter.

Etiquette

There is still some confusion about the correct way to write emails, which 'tone' is appropriate, and whether to use slang or abbreviations. It is best to open and close an email using 'Dear' at the beginning and 'Best wishes' or 'Regards' at the end.

'Hi' is not really appropriate for business emails unless you are familiar with the person you are writing to. If you do not know the person's full name, use the person's title (for example 'Dear Director of Customer Services').

Always think about the reader. Remember that people are unlikely to be offended if you are tooformal, but some may think you are being rude if you are too informal.

Spelling and grammar

You should always write emails with the same care you would use to write a formal letter.

Always check your spelling and grammar – most email applications have a tool which you can use to do this automatically. Remember that sloppy communication gives a bad impression of both you and your organisation.

Resist the temptation to use the shortcuts of 'text messaging'. While some people may understand what 'cant w8 2 cu' means, a lot of people do not.

Addressing an email

  • To – this is where you type the email address of the person you are writing to.
  • CC (courtesy copy) – this is for the email addresses of other people who need to see the information in your email.
  • BCC (blind courtesy copy) – addresses that you put in this field are 'hidden' from the other people who receive the message. For example, if you wrote an email to your insurance company but wanted a solicitor to read it for reference without the insurers knowing, you would use this field for the solicitor's address.

Always use the correct field so people know who you expect to act first on the information.

Email examples

Here are two email examples. The first contains all the worst aspects of a bad business email. The second shows you a good example template you might want to bear in mind when writing your business email.

How not to write a business email

Whatever you do, don’t do this…

Dude!

I’m just wondering about a possible meeting being set up. What it is, don’t worry about it, but could we, like, arrange something maybe? No rush!

Hey did you see Eastenders the other night? I love it, it’s AMAZING. ☺

Anyway, yeah, cool. Speak soon, if you want. Don’t worry if not.

Cheers!

Dx

The opening is clearly too informal and impersonal – if you don’t know the name of the recipient use ‘To whom it may concern’ or ‘Dear Sir/Madam’.

However, if you do know the name of the recipient, use it. ‘Dear Name’ – as by not doing so you’ll seem ignorant. After all, you’re meant to be building a professional relationship with the person in question.

The opening paragraph is too casual, informal and unprofessional. And, crucially, there’s no thank you for responding to the initial email.

The second paragraph is a poor attempt at adding a ‘personal touch’. As long as you’re professional, courteous and polite, there’s no need to throw anything like this in. Yes, it’s email, not a letter – but there is no reason or excuse for letting standards drop, or giving the wrong impression.

The third paragraph is far too casual and indecisive, leaves too much room for doubt, and suggests someone easily placated and generally not all that bothered. And emoticons are a definite no-no.

‘Cheers!’ is best avoided, unless you’ve already developed a long-term relationship with the recipient. Even then, it’s not ideal in a business capacity.

Finally, always finish with both your full first name (at least) and a proper sign-off. This is far too casual and is what you might expect to see in a text message. You must remember that it’s incredibly easy to slip into bad habits. Always write as though to a managing director – because, until you know otherwise, you might be!

How to write a business email

Far better to follow this example…

Dear Stephen

I hope you are well. It was great to hear from you – thank you for your time.

Could we set up a meeting on this? Let me know when’s best for you and we can arrange something. It’d be great to discuss this in person, rather than by email.

If you have any further questions on this, don’t hesitate to ask.

I look forward to speaking to you again.

Kind regards

David

Key points to remember

  • Be concise. Remember that some people receive and read hundreds of emails every day. Try to keep to a maximum length of five paragraphs. If your message is very long (for example, notes about a report) consider sending it as an attachment.
  • Don’t use an inappropriate email address from which to send your email (such as 'hotlips@yahoo.co.uk'). If you do not have a business email address, set one up using your name or your company name.
  • Make sure you title your email clearly in the subject box as this helps the reader to refer to your email at a later date. Try to keep titles short.
  • Use 'plain-text' for your formatting rather than HTML (which creates web-page-style emails). This will mean that everyone reading your email will see it as you intended. Bear in mind that not everyone uses a computer to access their email, and people may be using a device that can only display text.
  • Use bulleted lists and keep paragraphs short. If you are writing to someone for the first time, structure your email as you would a letter, with a beginning, a middle and an end.
  • Do not use block capitals. They give the impression you are shouting at your reader.
  • Do not use 'emoticons' (combinations of letters which represent emotions) in formal emails.
    For example: :-) (happy) or :-( (sad)
  • Avoid over-familiar language, slang or abbreviations - such as LOL (laugh out loud) or BTW (by the way).
  • Don't be sloppy with grammar or ignore formatting. It may be quicker to write your email without using capital letters, but it looks unprofessional to the reader.
  • If you are sending pictures or documents with your email, make sure that they are a reasonable file size (less than 5MB) as big files can cause problems for the person receiving them. Make sure you tell the reader that you have included an attachment.
  • Always reply to an email as soon as possible to show the sender that you are dealing with the information.
  • Try to avoid sending unnecessary replies (Thanks!) as they waste readers' time as well as clogging up email systems.

Disclaimers

Many companies insist on using an email 'disclaimer' at the bottom of all their outgoing emails. There is some doubt as to how legally binding these disclaimers are, and they are best used simply to tell the reader that the contents of an email are confidential. If you are responsible for drafting a disclaimer for your department or company, try to keep the length to a minimum, and make sure that readers can distinguish it from the rest of the text.

Don’t forget that a disclaimer doesn't necessarily mean you are not liable for any defamatory statements you make in the email.

Signatures

Like disclaimers, 'signatures' should be kept short. Include your name, company address and contact details, and a company registration number where appropriate. Avoid including product slogans or website links that are irrelevant to the content of your email, and don't include 'meaningful quotations' such as 'Seek and ye shall find' when writing business emails. It looks pretentious, and won’t necessarily convey the right image of your company.

Current Championship Holders Record Books

Universal Championship

Current Championship Holders: Riley Johnson

Since when: 9 February 2019- PRESENT

Past Championship Holders: Adam Anderson

When:  4 July 2018 - 9 February 2019

WWE Championship

Current Championship Holders: Peter Smith

Since when: July 4 2018

United States Championship

Current Championship Holders: Will Dawson 

Since when: 28 January 2019 - PRESENT 

Past Championship Holders : Benjamin Carter 

Since when: April 25 2018- 28 January 2019

Women's Championship

Current Championship Holders: Olivia Cassidy

Since when: 29 November 2018 - PRESENT

Intercontinental Championship

Current Championship Holders: Alex Stewart

Since when: 8 November 2018 - PRESENT

Past Championship Holders: John Smith

Date of Relinquish: 6 November 2018 ( Due to his contract)

Tag Team Championship

Current Championship Holders: Jay Nelson & Nate Steve 

Since when : 25 February 2019 - PRESENT

Past Championship Holder James Adler & Michael Gillespie

Since when: May 25 2018- 25 February 2019

Past Championship Holders: N/A

Cruiserweight Champion : 

Current Championship Holders:John Smith

Since when: 14 February 2019 - PRESENT

Past Championship Holders: N/A


This past week Johnson has his eyes on the Universal Championship title and On Last night at the Takeover of Monday Night Wrestling and He doubt it that he has never beat his opponent such as Adam Anderson but he has once defeated Will Dawson but that was in a non title match. Now he has a chance to be a best fighting champions, Johnson are surprised and happy that he did not beat the United States Champions Will Dawson in Fatal 4 Ways match but now at least now he has his own dream title, "I'm sure that everyone has the ability to be a champions" - He said

Congrats Riley Johnson ( New Universal Champions) 

What will the Former Universal Champion Adam Anderson and face to face with the new Universal Champions Riley Johnson has to say tomorrow night!


Contents

All kids know about cheating. You might know someone who has cheated, you might know about someone who has cheated or you might think about cheating or cheat sometimes yourself. So what does it mean?

What is cheating at school?

  • Someone copying from others work.
  • Someone pretending that it is their own work.
  • Marking answers correct when they are wrong.
  • Changing scores.
  • Not owning up to something. 
    cheating

Why cheat?

This is what some children thought about why people cheated.

  • cheatingSo that you don't look 'dumb'.
  • To get a higher grade.
  • So that you don't get into trouble.
  • To get out of trouble.
  • To cover up that you have not done your homework.

I guess that what these people were saying was that kids sometimes cheat because they haven't done their work and they don't want to get into trouble. Sometimes they cheat because they don't feel good about themselves and what they can do. Sometimes it is because they want to keep up with their friends.

Most common forms of cheating

 1    Plagiarism (say play-jer-ism)

This is when someone copies someone else's work and pretends it is their own. This doesn't just mean copying from a friend but it can be copying straight from a book or from the internet.

Sometimes it is hard to understand information you have found to help you with a project.

What could you do?

  • Read through and ask for help if you don't understand it.
  • Try to write as much as possible in your own words. In other words ‘tell the story’ as you understand it.
  • If some of it is just too hard for you then put quote marks round it and write at the end where you got that quote from.
  • If you don't understand how to do something ask your teacher or mum and dad, then try for yourself.
  • Ask for help, ask for extra time to make sure that you understand what to do, then give it a go all by yourself.

booksCopying a friend's work is never a good idea because you won't know what it is about and you won't remember it either. Even if no one finds out that you've been cheating you will know. You'll feel bad about it and you won't know what to do next time you have to do that kind of work.

Some advice from Jacob, 
"The only way to learn things is to try for yourself."

 2    Changing marks or marking answers right when they are wrong.

This is never a good idea because:

  • the teacher will probably find out when your work is checked.
  • the teacher may not find out right away and will not realise that you need extra help.
  • other kids soon know if someone is cheating.
  • you'll have problems later when you don't know the work.


cheating3    Copying other's work.


Working together with someone is a great idea. You can share the work, solve problems together and keep each other on task.

If one person does all the work and the other one copies, that is not sharing the work but copying. Both have really been involved in cheating, both feel uncomfortable and may not want to work together in future.

What do I do if I have been cheating?

Nobody feels good about cheating and most of us only do it because we are really worried about failing or getting into big trouble. 

  • The problem is that cheating can become a habit (something that you do so many times that it is hard to stop). If you have been cheating or want to cheat it could be that you will have to face a scary situation to get the cheating to stop or make it better, a sort of new start.

When kids ‘own up’ or tell the truth about things they have done, most grown ups are pleased that they have been brave even if they don't like what the kid has done.

Whatever you have to do to stop cheating may be scary, but once you have done it things will start to get better. Unless you go through the hard times you will never know how good it is to win or do well all by yourself.

If you cheat sometimes because you feel bad about what you can do, tell someone how you feel. Tell your mum or dad or teacher that you are worried that you can't keep up with the work.

Dr Kim Says

Dr KimThere's an old saying "Cheats never prosper". It's sometimes hard to believe this because we all know people who have done well by cheating. But have they really? Others have no respect for cheats and there always comes a time when they are found out.

And, how can cheats have respect for themselves when they know that they have had an unfair advantage - and they know that sooner or later they will fail because they have not done the hard work, practice and sacrifice that is needed for success.

 

Cheating

Cheating is really bad
It usually makes people mad.
Like when copying a sum
So you don't look dumb.
Or when the ball hits the ground
And you still scream and shout and jump around.
Or when you're going to get caught
And you make excuses of every sort.
So what am I saying? It's real bad
To cheat, and it sure gets people mad!

By Craig

cheating


Anxiety is a normal part of life and can affect anyone, including children. But as parents and carers, it’s sometimes hard to know the difference between normal worries and something more serious.

Anxiety during childhood

Anxiety is a normal part of childhood. In most cases, anxiety in children is short-lived and goes away after a while. Some examples of normal worries might be:

  • being shy or being worrying about being laughed at
  • being upset before and/or after being left at childcare or school
  • worrying about schoolwork, sport or their health

But many children experience anxiety more intensely and more often than other children, stopping them from getting the most out of life.

Signs of anxiety in children

If a child is often anxious, they might:

  • try to avoid the situation or issue they’re worried about
  • get headaches and stomach aches often, especially when away from home
  • have trouble sleeping or have vivid nightmares
  • worry often
  • need a lot of reassurance
  • want things to be perfect and get upset if they’re not

Supporting children with anxiety

You can support your child by:

  • acknowledging your child’s fears – don’t dismiss or ignore them
  • gently encouraging your child to do things they’re anxious about
  • waiting until your child actually gets anxious before you step in to help
  • praising your child for doing something they’re anxious about
  • avoiding labelling your child as ‘shy’ or ‘anxious’

Treating anxiety in children

Kids’ mental health is important. If you’re concerned, see your doctor, a psychologist or a mental health service. Some children have an anxiety disorder, such as:

Children who have severe anxiety can benefit from psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or, in rare cases, medication.

You can also get professional support from:

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