From the Principal

Cynthia explains the church's calendar of events over the year, called 'Seasons' and thanks everyone for their generosity for the Vinnies Christmas Hamper Appeal .....

Many thanks for your support throughout the year with prompt payments for school fees and other items.  Outstanding payments can be made by BPAY or Direct Bank Deposit throughout the holiday period.

For family reasons, I unexpectedly have had to travel to England before the end of term so will respond to emails and queries when I return to work on 14^th January 2019.  I wish you a happy and peaceful Christmas and look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

Janet Price, Business Manager

Farewell Antonella .....

Alison Hull reviews the 'Instrumental Recitals' over the past two weeks and outlines our Instrumental Program which has vacancies for flute, trumpet and trombone......

As per our  School Handbook, 'Dogs and Puppies are not allowed in the middle & bottom yards or school buildings.  this is to assist students with allergies or who have a fear of dogs'.

Please be mindful and leave your "furbaby" at home or safely restrained and looked after outside the school yard.

Results of the Netball games for the weekends 125th & 26th November and 1st & 2nd December 2018.

We warmly invite all families to the Mass of Thanksgiving which will take place on Wednesday 12th December 2018 at 6.30pm in the Church.  The Mass is an opportunity to give thanks for the year that was as well as farewelling our Year 7 studnets as they transition from primary school to secondary school.  Students are to meet with their teacher at 6.15pm outside the Church.  All students are to wear their formal summer uniform.  At the conclusion of Mass, parents collect their children from outside the church.

Fri 7 Dec                     Year 7 Graduation Dinner 6.30pm

Mon 10/Tue 11 Dec    9am Advent Liturgy

Wed 12 Dec                Mass of Thanksgiving 6.30pm

                                    Year 7 last day

Thu 13 Dec                 Whole School Transition,

                                   Term Four Ends (R – 6)

The P & F Report on a busy year ..............

We have been interviewing for Reception 2020 this year – please submit your enfolment forms as soon as possible if you have a child eligible to begin Reception in 2020.

We all know the three Rs of school, but what about the four Rs of the holidays? Follow these steps to help your child get ready for the new school year…

Recharge

The great thing about the summer holidays is how long they are! Try to give your child (and yourself) plenty of downtime so that you are all relaxed and refreshed by the time school starts again. If you can, keep the final days of the holidays fairly quiet, rather than tiring everyone out with last-minute activities.

Reflect

The New Year’s tradition of reflecting on the past and making resolutions for the future is not just for adults. It’s a great way to help your child learn from their experiences of the last school year and set themselves up for the next. There’s no need to hold a formal ‘review’, just find some time to talk with your child about:

• things they did and didn’t like about school last year
• things they feel they did and didn’t do well
• things they’d like to do and achieve this year.

Then talk about what your child can do to achieve their goals, and how you can help them. If they had some challenges last year, talk about what happened and why, and work out what your child (and you) can do this year so they have a better time. When your child has strategies for handling problems of the past, backed up by your support, they are much more likely to start the new school year with a positive mindset.

Reset

The new school year gives every child a fresh start – different classmates, probably a different teacher, perhaps even a different school. At school your child will also have more independence, responsibilities and opportunities, so it’s a good time to think about giving them more at home too. Here are some areas to consider:

• personal responsibility – making their own lunches, unpacking their school bag
• family contribution – setting the table, putting away washing
• routines – bedtimes
• privileges – screen time, TV programs.

Restart

A gradual transition from ‘holiday mode’ to ‘school mode’ makes the first day back much easier, so start getting back into the school routine a few days before the term starts. Involve your child in getting all their school things ready, and check how they are feeling about going back to school.

Then make sure they get a good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast, give them a big hug, and send them off to class knowing that you’ve given them a great start to the school year!