Year 6 Media Ministry

Good afternoon parents/guardians and welcome to this week’s newsletter. This was an exciting week. We are all looking forward to a relaxing weekend and next week. I am sure we are all busting for the holidays but make sure you still try your hardest at school!

On Wednesday this week, the Year 4 class hosted a Mass about the people that are currently stuck in quarantine and can’t exit the house and socialise with friends and family. The Mass was also about spreading kindness to everyone even if you don’t get anything in return. Thanks to the choir and the teachers for making the Mass come to life, and a very big thanks to all of the Year 4 students that read during Mass. Good job!

 At the moment, St Michael’s is also collecting donations for the Vinnies Christmas Appeal. Each different class gets a box to fill with food that lasts (for example, long life milk) then we will donate all of these things to families that have nothing on Christmas. We are donating to these people so that they can have a joyful and merry Christmas. Make sure next time that you go shopping, you take the time to buy something special for the Vinnie’s Appeal and bring it to school to make a difference to someone’s Christmas.

Being safe online matters. It’s always good to make sure you take extra precautions so you can have a secure, safe and fun time online. Cyberbullying is never good to be around, so make sure that you always try to avoid cyberbullying and make sure to help others if you see that they are having trouble online. It is important to know how to overcome the fear of cyberbullying so it doesn’t affect your life, and social media becomes a place where you can interact and converse with your friends and family with no cyberbullying is involved. Remember if you see someone that needs help online, or you are being cyberbullied, you need to tell someone you trust.

Year 1s- don’t forget to bring in some wrapping paper and cardboard boxes to your classrooms and put them under the Christmas tree in the corner of the classroom, thank you!

For the past four weeks, the Year Six class have been given a big, fun, creative assignment where we had to research about energy efficiency and sustainability. We then had to build a creative energy efficient house out of materials such as cardboard, clay, wood, old plastic and fake grass. We all had a wonderful time researching for our houses, creating them and then writing a reflection. We had a blast learning all of the new ways to help the environment and live healthier.

We want to give a big shout out to Ms Venosi and the environment ministry for looking after our veggie garden, and for Mr Powles for organising the raised garden beds the veggies are in. The veggie garden has progressed a lot and will soon be able to be harvested.

Overall, this week has been quite a busy week for all classes. Although, the term is nearly over and soon you will be at home with nothing to do but relax.

 

From the Media Ministry

Library News

With the term slipping away, please note the last borrowing day for 2020 for classes PP – Year 6 is TUESDAY 24th November.

We hope this date allows plenty of time particularly for Year 6 Students who are leaving St Michael’s for all outstanding books to be returned.

We really appreciate your help to ensure all outstanding library are books returned before the end of the school year.

Many thanks

St Michael’s Library Volunteers

 

Scholastic Book Club Notice

Hi Families,

Our final book club issue for the year is now out.  This is the bumper Christmas issue packed full of great Christmas ideas. 

We will need orders in by Monday 23 November so we can get them to you before the end of term. 

Orders can be placed online as usual on The Loop (see back of the catalogue for instructions)and books will be delivered to school and sent home with children unless marked as a git order.

Gift orders

 If you would like them to be a surprise, please select “Gift Order” when putting in your orders and we can arrange to get these to you separately.  It would help if you could also send me a quick note or text with your contact number if you are choosing gift orders.    

If you have any questions please contact Lorraine on 0408931282. 

Thanks

Lorraine and Bec

Bookclub coordinators

 

P & F News

Dear Members,

As per Section 17.1 of CSPWA Constitution a Constitution may be amended or altered by Special Resolution at a General Meeting;

and

17.2 Notice of any proposed amendment or alteration will be given in writing to the Council by a member thereof or by a financial affiliated member at least 3 months prior to the meeting;

The Council of Catholic School Parents WA seeks to make some amendments to their current constitution. It is hoped that these amendments will enable the organisation to progress some agreed projects and procedures to ensure the organisation remains contextual and reflects current times.

Part of this process requires consultation with affiliated members. The timeframe for affiliated members to provide feedback is currently three months and to that end, you are receiving this notice in order that we can move ahead with the updated constitution at the beginning of the 2021 school year.  The documentation on changes to the current constitution can be found here: https://csp.wa.edu.au/new-page-57?rq=governance

The closing date for feedback is 28 January 2021.

If you require further information or would like to discuss this matter, please do not hesitate to contact our office at admin@csp.wa.edu.au or siobhan@csp.wa.edu.au

Regards,
 Siobhan Allen
 Executive Director

 

Term 4 Calendar

Download the latest Term Calendar

 

School Social Worker News

Make Caring Common       

I suspect most parents rank a sense of caring for others as a high priority. Few parents want to raise a mean-spirited, self-centred child with little empathy or care for the welfare of others. But looking out for others doesn’t come easily to all children, particularly when families are small and child-centric.  Here are some pointers from Michael Grose:

Put caring into words Families have their own proprietary language. That is, they develop meaningful words and phrases that reflect their values and activities. In my family, the term ‘non-negotiable’ has specific meaning, referencing a ritual such as mealtime that everyone is expected to attend. Its ‘non-negotiable’ nature reinforces our core value of family connectedness. Similarly, regular use of caring language such as encouragement, words of kindness and phrases of appreciation can become an integral part of your family’s vernacular.

Making kindness normal Kindness is caring in action. It’s impossible to be kind to another person and be selfish at the same time. A smile, a small gift, an offer of assistance are simple acts of kindness that display caring and connection to others. You can promote kindness in your child through encouragement, modelling and recognition.

Practise concern for others Three-year-old Grace fell heavily from a table, giving herself a shock. Five-year-old Ruby immediately reached for her sister, hugging her until she calmed down. Ruby’s immediate concern was for her sister’s wellbeing, which was acknowledged by her grateful parents.

Help at home, without being paid Children in families that place a high value on caring for others generally perform household chores without the lure of money. They do so because they’ve been taught that helping is a caring activity. “We help each other because we care for each other” is the unspoken code here. Kids who care for others think “what’s in it for we” rather than “what’s in it for me”. The latter is a self-centred approach to life.

Caring is a higher-level quality that needs nurturing!