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TERM 2 WEEK 8 JUNE 20TH, 2018 OUR LADY OF GRACE NEWSLETTER PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE How time flies! Just two weeks before the end of the semester! Congratulations to those students who made their First Holy Communion last weekend. It is such a special and memorable event in a child's faith life - and life in general. Again, thank you to the Year Four teachers, Miss Ottolini and Mrs McCormack who prepared the children so well. Tomorrow our Year Six students participate in the annual Winter Sports Carnival against other Catholic schools in A Division. Many thanks to Mr Brown for coordinating our involvement. Reports will be sent home tomorrow afternoon, in sealed envelopes. year Six students who go home directly from the sports grounds will receive their reports on Friday. Parent-Teacher report interviews will be conducted after school next week. Interview booking forms will be posted outside each classroom today. Ecclesiastes 3 “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” And so it is that I will complete my tenure at Our Lady of Grace School on 31 December, 2018, thus allowing a new principal to be appointed as at 1 January, 2019. The position of Principal of OLG will be advertised by the CEO, at the end of this term. Tournament of Minds Some thirty-five students from Years Five and Six have been involved in the TOM training squad for much of this term. It was difficult and painstaking selecting the squad members and equally difficult deciding who to include in the final four, seven-member teams. As has been explained before, TOM requires each team member to possess a range of attributes and each team requires students who can fill particular roles. While learning ability is certainly part of the skill set sought, a mix of 'thinkers', 'carers', 'leaders' and 'doers' is crucial. As are the personal qualities of resilience, persistence, the ability to handle considerable mental pressure, to show initiative in a team setting, to maintain sustained focus, creativity, divergent thinking (under pressure) and more. You may see why it takes almost two terms to assess, trial and observe and finally decide which children will best come together to form a team. My sincere thanks to Miss Mulcahy who manages this process, with lots of meddling from me. A final consideration is that once the team members have been named, which is part of the team registration process, no changes can be made. So availability for training sessions, team work sessions and competition days is a fundamental expectation. To have made it thus far through the selection process is a significant achievement and I congratulate all members of the squad for the many talents and gifts they have displayed over the past many weeks. All members of the TOM Training Squad will receive letters this week informing them of the outcome of all these deliberations. Student Wellbeing Throughout the Western World research is showing an increase in the number of children suffering anxiety, stress and other mental health issues. What is more, these are occurring at increasingly younger ages. At OLG we have long been active in preparing our students for what life holds: • Our Religious Education program emphasises each child's value as a unique individual made in God's likeness. • The Five Keys to Success - Persistence, Confidence, Organisation, Social Skills and Resilience - are habits of mind that are reinforced every day in every classroom. • 'Friendly Schools’ is an anti-bullying program that is taught right through the school. • Sr Joseph, our qualified School Counsellor, is always available to work with children. • Our Protective Behaviours program includes much more than the traditional "Stranger Danger -type” messages and prepares children for all sorts of social interactions. • LAP (Learning Assistance Program) provides selected children with a trained mentor. • Rainbows is basically, absolutely confidential, group therapy for children suffering grief or loss. • Tuning into Kids has skilled out staff in responding to children in heightened emotional states. • Our teachers have been employed, partly because they actually care about and like children. It seems terribly basic but is crucial. Having a child relatively happy and equipped to handle the ups and downs of life is absolutely the result of the efforts of that child's family and, to a lesser extent, school. Parents are the child's first and most influential educators. A stressed parent will sometimes result in a child who is stressed simply because the child has picked up on that parental anxiety. As a school, OLG is determined to do what it can to help our students learn to cope and prosper, regardless. To add to the array of programs and services the school offers, an additional element is being proposed - that of overnight 'events' in which children are removed from their parents and learn that they can not only survive but have an enjoyable time away from home. The two costly 'events' have been communicated to the parents concerned in 2019, this week. They are: • A five day, Year Six trip to Canberra. • A three day, Year Five 'camp/retreat' in Bullsbrook. Both the above impose a considerable cost burden on families. There is also the need to book accommodation and the like a very long way in advance. Very low/nil-cost, shorter, overnight stays for Years Three and Four, are being considered as well. Term Dates Term Two ends Friday 29th June Term Three begins for students Tuesday 17th July Term Three ends for students Friday 21 September Term Four begins for students Monday 8 October Term Four ends for students Tuesday 11 December Pupil free days Monday 16 July Friday 9 November 'Seeking Excellence', was the inspiring, 60-minute presentation given to our Year 5 and 6 students by Michael Griffin, an experienced international speaker. At the end of the session, Michael made the following comment: “I appreciate you having me present to your students. Not all, but most of my work is with senior secondary and staff groups, so I found today to be an absolute joy. Your students were responsive and enthusiastic with the content and message, which I hope (and feel slightly confident) was clear. Staff were also supportive and gracious.”
HELPING YOUR CHILD STICK AT IT Does your child sign up for activities - sports, dance, clubs, music lessons - and then quit when it gets too hard or they say they are sick of it? Because parents know how they had to persevere in life, they are naturally worried their child may become a quitter. Don’t think of your child’s character as fixed. Most of our worries about our children are about the future. We see the 9-year-old who quits as the aimless 20-year-old. But who they are now is not who they will always be. Explain the difference between “I don’t want to” and “I don’t feel like it”. Distinguishing long-term desires from immediate feelings will help children understand the difference between an immediate task and ultimate goal. This is a lesson that doesn’t register right away, but it’s worth planting the seed and emphasising over time. Let them know you see the areas in which they do work hard or show motivation. Say “I know you’re someone who can stick with things when they’re important to you”. Get to the root of their concern. Why don’t they want to go? Perhaps they feel they aren’t as good as the others. What might make that better? Extra practice with your help? Help them see we often have to be not so good at things for a while as part of the process of getting good at something. Children should have control over their own lives but that doesn’t mean they can back out of a commitment, or waste the money parents have paid for lessons or gear. If they are adamant, then expect them to write a letter to the coach or organiser explaining why they are quitting. This makes them take ownership of their decision. They cannot ask parents to phone and get them off the hook. Keep exploring. It may take a while to find what really motivates and enthuses them. There’s no rush! We can’t make them develop grit. We can expose them to things they may like, support them in sticking with things as they get harder and express confidence that they can handle the stress or the boredom. The world is so complex that we have no idea where the things that will turn our kids on come from. If we encourage children to keep seeking what they love, and to work hard at it when they find it, that will help them grow into confident and self-directed young adults. Acknowledgment: William Stixrud is the co-author, with Ned Johnson, of “The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control over their Lives WHY LEARN MATHS?We live in a world where mathematics is increasingly used to describe societal problems and formulate proposed solutions. Without mathematics literacy, and a strong mathematics identity and sense of agency, members of our society will increasingly find it difficult to comprehend and critique, let alone challenge, many of the decisions and actions of those in power in political, social, scientific, and economic institutions. Why do we teach maths? How teachers answer that question strongly influences how they teach the subject and who they believe should learn mathematics. British professor Paul Ernest proposed three major rationales: • Necessary maths. That is, functional, practical, work-related numeracy knowledge and skills for employment and survival in the economy. Also in this category is advanced specialist knowledge for those who take maths to a higher level. • Maths for personal and social relevance. This includes the development of confidence and persistence, social empowerment, and posing and solving maths problems. • Maths appreciation as an element of culture. Understanding the elegance of mathematics and its role in history, culture, and society. A vision statement: “We envision a world where everyone is enthused about mathematics, sees the value and beauty of mathematics, and is empowered by the opportunities mathematics affords.” What does empowerment look like? Equipping students for active participation in democratic society, including analysis and critical thinking so they can assess claims made by those in power as truthful and helpful – or false and misleading. If we teach mathematics so that students are empowered by it, preparation for further education and careers will largely take care of itself. We should never forget, or fail to appreciate, that teachers of mathematics are engaged in something much more important than the daily tasks of instruction, curriculum, and assessment. Teachers are engaged in empowering their students so that they can improve not only their own lives, but can also better understand and critique the world around them. God bless Chris Kenworthy Principal Please contact Peta Taylor on 0419 260832 if you can help out with volunteering. To access our online order system please visit www.ouronlinecanteen.com.au. Instructions for signing up are on the website or you can contact the Support line on 1300 116 637 for assistance. IMPORTANT NOTICE - Please read There are an increasing number of online orders that are not being captured due to parents not confirming their orders. Once you have placed an order please check your confirmation email or your "active orders" section to ensure your order has been placed, as we are getting numerous children at canteen quite upset that they haven't received their lunches. Canteen News ** New Muffins ** Banana/Choc Chip $2.00 Mixed Berry $2.00 Available Monday, Wednesday and Friday recess ** Soup on Mondays ** - from 14th May for Year 5 & 6 $4.00 cup $4.50 with a roll Subway Meal Deal - Friday 29th June Order forms have been sent home today. All orders need to be in by Thursday 21st June. This week's assembly is presented by students in 1B. Parents of 1B children are invited to the staff room after assembly for a cuppa with Mrs Stephanie Schenk. Congratulations to the students who received Merit Awards at last week's assembly. Library Roster Library Volunteers required for Term 3. Please contact Trish if you can help out. Thank you. Cake Stall The Year 3 classes will be holding a cake stall in the multi purpose area on Friday 22nd June. Please come along and help support their fundraiser. A reminder to the parents who will be baking for the cake stall that OLG has a Nut Free policy. Uniform Shop The Uniform Shop is open Tuesday from 2.15pm - 3.00pm and Friday from 8.15am - 9.00am. Rain Jackets are now available at $38 each. Size 6-12 are available. Piano Students Perform in the Community Next Tuesday morning, the 26th of June, our senior piano students will be performing for the day visitors at Mary Chester House in Shenton Park. Mary Chester house is therapeutic environment that seeks to maximise wellbeing for people in our community with dementia. Our piano students will bring the joy of music and friendship others in our community. Junior piano students will perform for their parents/family after school in the music room. Parents, please note the following information from Mr Hicks. -The ‘excursion concert’ in the morning is ONLY for year 5’s and 6’s, leaving school at 9am and arriving back at 11:30am, we are meeting in the music room when the bell goes. Students need to wear full winter uniform (ties and jumpers), if they have sport later in the day they can get changed on arrival back at school. -At the after school concert, junior students (yrs 2-4) will be playing 2 pieces each, senior students (yr 5-6) will be playing 1 piece each. This is so that parents can watch the senior students as the parents will not be on the excursion. We are meeting in the MUSIC ROOM (not the MPA as previously discussed – because of the karate group) straight after school and starting promptly on 3pm. We are hoping to be finished by around 4:10pm (though it may go over) after which we’ll have afternoon tea in the staffroom. Parents of piano students, please feel free to contact Mr Hicks with any more questions you may have. Choir News There will be NO Junior Choir practice next week,Tuesday, the 26th of June. Some of our Junior Choir members will be performing in their Junior Piano Recital in the music room on this day. The Senior Choir will be singing at Mass next Wednesday morning.
Help needed Knitters to help out with knitting club next week. Monday to Thursday at lunchtime in the library so we can finish off our Angelico Art entry by the end of term. Thank you. Trish Sherlock
A request for RSVP’s has been sent out on Flexibuzz for our special P & F ‘wine & cheese’ night next Wednesday night, so please ensure you let us know if you’ll be coming along so we can cater for everyone. This special meeting has been created for all of the parents and friends of OLG and it would be wonderful if everyone could make a special effort to attend. There will be presentations from the P & F Committee and our School Board, and an open Q & A. If you have any specific topics you would like us to address, or if you have any specific questions you would like answered please email these through to us in advance - exec@olgpf.com This is a great opportunity to meet your School Board members in person, and hear directly from the P & F and School Board on major things that are happening within the school. We will also want to inform members of how and where we plan to invest all P&F monies raised in making OLG an even better school for our kids. Come and enjoy a relaxing wine & cheese on the night. We look forward to seeing more new faces so bring a friend along who hasn’t been before! This special meeting will be held in the OLG Parish Hall. Tony Papotto SACRAMENTAL PROGRAMME THANKSGIVING MASS FOR CONFIRMATION AND EUCHARIST - 24TH JUNE @ 5.30 PM Everyone is invited to the Sunday evening mass as a way of giving thanks to God for the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist that have been celebrated over the past month. A sausage sizzle will be held following the mass. If you haven't let Clare Broad know that you will be attending please advise her by Wednesday please for catering purposes. FIRST RECONCILIATION preparation will begin next term for the Reconciliation class. Events coming up in Term 3: FAITH FORMATION - 21ST AUGUST ENQUIRY WEEKEND - 1ST/2ND SEPTEMBER ENROLMENT - 8TH/9TH SEPTEMBER PARENT/CHILD WORKSHOP - 13TH SEPTEMBER COMMITMENT WEEKEND - 15TH/16TH SEPTEMBER RETREAT - 13TH OCTOBER CELEBRATION OF FIRST RECONCILIATION - 17TH OCTOBER THANKSGIVING - 21ST OCTOBER
WEEKEND MASS TIMES DAILY MASS TIMES Mercedes College is proud to present its 2018 Production of The Addams Family. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family – a man her parents have never met. Find out what happens when the family hosts a dinner for Wednesday’s ‘normal’ boyfriend and his parents. Featuring a cast of over 70, this musical comedy is proudly presented by the students of Mercedes College. Coming to the Regal Theatre in Subiaco for 4 performances only, from Friday 27July. Tickets are available at http://www.ticketek.com.au Newman College has an upcoming event which we would like to extend an invitation to our community. Colin Pettit, WA Commissioner for Children and Young People, will present the key findings from his recent education consultation with 1,800 WA school students on their school and learning. This consultation explored the factors that influence a student’s level of engagement in school, and the findings provide valuable insight into what students themselves say is needed to improve education outcomes. Please refer to the flyer below for more information. St Matthew’s School, Narrogin cordially invite Past and Present Students, Families and Staff together with the entire community to celebrate 100 Years of Catholic Education in Narrogin to be held on November 2nd, 3rd & 4th 2018 Official welcome, school tours & fete to be held on Saturday 3rd November 2018 RSVP for Saturday and pre-purchase Centenary souvenirs (engraved bricks need to be ordered prior to 31st July 2018) http://www.trybooking.com/358498 Email admin@matthews.wa.edu.au Phone (08) 9853 9500 Join our Facebook page: “St Matthew’s School – Celebrating 100 Years!” WAAPA Winter School 2018 WAAPA at ECU is offering an exciting performing arts program for children and young people these July school holidays. For the first time, we are including courses for students from Years 1 to 12. The Winter School includes classes in drama, acting, screen acting, dance, musical theatre and RAP. For information about the many courses on offer please visit Winter School or contact Gabrielle Metcalf at g.metcalf@ecu.edu.au or 9370 6775. We acknowledge the original custodians of this land, the Nyungar people, and show our respect for their ancestors and traditions. Our Lady of Grace School |