I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes.” Matthew 25:35-36
Dear Families and Friends
I have been reminded of the above verse from Matthew many times over the past few weeks - in the work being done by students as well as staff. Last Thursday and Friday the staff spent two days at Mirrilingki Spirituality Centre in Warmun being led by Sr Alma Cabassi and our CEWA Religious Education consultant Jo Harris. Opportunities were provided for self reflection, and the importance of acknowledging everyone's story and how this contributes toward the work we do was discussed. Time was spent looking at our current vision statement and how it might be changed to better reflect the direction of our school community. We will complete the revised vision statement early next term. Parents and friends will be invited to have input on the statement during the early weeks of Term 4. If our vision becomes an automatic part of the language used by students, staff, parents and friends, it will have a positive impact on everything we do, both inside and outside of the school.
Thoughts and Prayers
Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were affected by the recent bushfires in Kununurra.
Farewell
It is with sadness that we farewell Miss Kate Guest at the end of this week. Kate has made a significant contribution to our school over the past three years as a kind, caring and dedicated teacher. We wish her all the best with her plans to travel overseas.
We also thank Miss Emma-Lee Foy for the great work she has done in the Year 5/6 classroom in the absence of Miss Susan Swan. We wish her well for her future studies.
Mini Vinnies
The Mini Vinnies were presented with their badges during Monday's assembly. This week these students will assist in collecting funds raised through our free dress day this Friday as well assisting in tidying the Holy Space at Mirima prior to a Baptism on Saturday.
A big thank you to those families who have donated food and to Rob Blitz who has sourced boxes for the food so that it can be distributed to those in need. We look forward to building upon the strong foundations that have been laid this term over the remainder of the year.
This Thursday
We look forward to welcoming our 'Constable Care' visitors who will perform separate shows for younger and older students.
This Friday
In addition to being our final day of Term 3, this Friday will be a casual dress day. We ask that children bring a gold coin to go towards the wonderful work being done by the St Vincent de Paul Society.
Mystery Road
On Monday, Memphis and Dwayne spent the day with the crew from Mystery Road, filming for the upcoming series. The boys relished the opportunity to work with a number of well known actors such as Aaron Pederson.
P & F Meeting
Our next P & F meeting will take place on Tuesday 10th October - the first Tuesday of Term 4. This gathering will take place at The Grande at 5:15pm.
Next Term
A reminder that there will be no school closure day on the first day back of next term. All staff and students return to school on Monday 9th October.
Thank you for your continued support over the course of this term. For those who are able to take a break, we wish you a safe and happy holiday.
Have a great week.
Tim Hogan, Principal
Curriculum News
The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) is the governing body for teachers in Australia. They provide standards that teachers can reflect upon and measure. Their website contains many resources to ensure that what teachers are doing is up to date with current trends and research in education and ultimately the best they can offer your children.
Included in this information are things that teachers can do to prepare themselves mentally for the challenges they face each day. One of the suggested activities is practicing mindfulness. Under the guidance of Sr Alma on our recent staff retreat, we studied mindfulness. Already some of our teachers use mindfulness activities in their classes. Personally, I have found it very useful in all aspects of my life; from taking time out to prepare myself for a meeting or including it as a tool in my teaching to improve student engagement, to switching off from what’s happening at work at the end of a busy day.
Why are our kids so stressed out that they need to be practicing mindfulness? The reality of the situation is that children today are being raised in a world where information is being thrust upon them from every angle. For a young mind in today’s world it can be easy to become overstimulated, overloaded and burnt out. Part of our job as educators is to give students the skills they need to succeed in life. If we can teach students to develop strategies to cope with the fast pace of life, then they will hopefully be better equipped to learn, thrive in stressful situations and tackle an adult world which will undoubtedly look very different to the world in which we are currently living.
As parents and teachers we can help our children develop the tools they need in order to find balance in their lives, to be happy, healthy and successful. I will leave you with one final quote from Maggie Dent (Child Psychologist):
“Quiet moments of reflection, pondering and stillness have great power in childhood.”
Mrs Emily Thomas
ATAs
During the last week of school our Aboriginal Teacher Assistants took part in a one day workshop with Jacqui Williams to create E-books in Aboriginal English. The ATAs selected a range of indigenous students to share and record their stories on iPads. They then transcribed and generated the oral stories into E-Books using the app Book Creator. These stories will be a helpful resource for code switching to implement in our ‘Making the Jump’ lessons.
Dates
Term 3: 18th July - 22nd September
Thursday September 14th and Friday September 15th: Staff retreat (school closure days)
Friday 22nd September: Final day of Term 3
First day of Term 4: Monday 9th October
Assemblies, Friday 1:20pm
22nd September: Kindy
School Fees
Many of our families have either paid all their fees or are well on their way to having them paid in full by the end of Term 3.
School fees make an important contribution to providing your child with the best possible education.
Families who have a Health Care Card are asked to present it at the office for the appropriate discount on their tuition fees. If you are experiencing financial hardship, and are not eligible for the card, please make a time to see the Principal to discuss your individual circumstances.
We accept payment using the Cashless Debit Card.
ALL FEES MUST BE PAID IN FULL BY
22 SEPTEMBER UNLESS A PAYMENT PLAN HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE PRINCIPAL
Three Top Ideas To Achieve Variety
Hassle-Free Healthy Lunch Box Tips with Belinda Smith.
This week I thought we’d take a break from the simple messages about the colour and type of lunch box foods and look at one of the most common questions I get asked by parents - “what else can I pack beside sandwiches?” Here are my three top ideas for achieving variety in your lunch boxes.
1. Rotate Sandwiches
Choose one day a week, and make it a non sandwich day. Instead of a sandwich, you could pop in some Sushi, a pasta or rice salad, home made sausage rolls, mini quiches, mini pies, savoury muffins etc.
2. Turn Dinner Into Lunch
If your child loves a dinner, turn it into lunch. The easiest way is simply put leftovers into a thermos. Or use the leftovers to create another lunch option. For a great recipe for turning leftover roast dinner into hash browns, go to http://rootcau.se/8.
3. Cook Once, Use 3 Ways
My golden rule is cook once, but have three ways you can use it as a lunch. For instance, when I make spaghetti bolognaise for dinner, leftovers can become spaghetti bolognaise in a thermos, meat pies, or bolognaise muffins.
Ideas
• Save yourself time and buy Sushi the day before.
• Visit http://rootcau.se/9 for ideas on cooking once, using three ways.
• Remember to pack ice bricks to keep lunch options fresh and cold.
These Hassle Free Healthy Lunch Box Tips are brought to you by Bel Smith, Health & Wellness Coach.
Credits:
Created with images by pruzi - "sand reprint feet" • RaeAllen - "GOPR2182_school" • jarmoluk - "apple education school" • FreePhotosART - "carousel childhood school" • jarmoluk - "money card business" • Army Medicine - "Food" • Usodesita - "Sandwich" • Sole Treadmill - "dinner" • PublicDomainPictures - "beef cheese cuisine"