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Dear St Joseph’s Families and Friends,
With the school `successfully returned to face-to-face teaching and for parents and caregivers I am sure you are pleased to have your children back at school with their teachers. No doubt, the learning@home phase of schooling we have just gone through has presented challenges for you.
However, I encourage all parents and caregivers to remember the significant role they continue to have in the daily learning of their children. Parents and caregivers play an essential role as the first educators of children and it is important to have ongoing family-led learning in every home.
Ideally, family-led learning is focused on high aspirations for children, shared reading, a positive environment for homework, parent-child conversation, a cognitively stimulating home environment and support for social and emotional wellbeing.
Research and good practice points are some specific things parents and caregivers can focus on to support and facilitate their child’s overall learning. The ideas below are a starting point:
- Build supportive relationships with children and work hard to maintain these when circumstances are difficult.
- Communicate the value of education and the importance of schooling.
- Encourage educational aspirations and career goals; make plans with children for their future.
- Regularly ask children what they are learning and doing at school and praise real effort and achievements.
- Take an interest in homework, provide help where needed and offer encouragement and support for children to solve problems for themselves.
- Have high expectations for children’s academic success and their behaviour.
- Encourage physical activity and set reasonable boundaries for television, electronic games and online socialising.
- Engage children in meaningful conversations about everyday life and topical issues and encourage critical thinking and the development of ideas.
- Have positive interactions with teachers; share knowledge, ideas and concerns.
As classroom routines have been re-established and learning has returned to normal, we have been revisiting the concept of growth mindset. With a growth mindset - as opposed to a fixed mindset - we are more likely to take risks with our learning, recognise that we can learn more complex concepts, extend ourselves beyond what we are comfortable with and also react in a resilient way when we make mistakes. For some learners, this is easier said than done whilst for others it comes more naturally. One of our responsibilities as adults within the child's world is to provide them with strategies for dealing with situations - not remove those obstacles for them or solve the problems ourselves. Learning is not easy - and if it is easy, it's probably that you are not learning! You may have heard your child talking about the Learning Pit. These are just some of the strategies we use in the classroom to encourage the children to look for alternative ways to solve problems.
On Wednesday we celebrated School Officers' Day with a special morning tea for the school officers who offer so much support to the teachers and the students. We are extremely lucky to have such capable and generous people around us and we appreciate very much the contribution they make to our school.
As we move towards Stage 3 of the COVID plan the government has been advising us of upcoming suggestions in relation to sporting activities and numbers for general gatherings. We are very hopeful that in Term 3 we will be able to start easing back with more school events but we cannot make any definitive decisions until Stage 3 begins. So please watch this space! At St Joseph’s we will continue to encourage social distancing and implement the appropriate hygiene practices to keep everyone safe. Your assistance in keeping your child/ren home with any sickness is much appreciated.
Currently, teachers are working hard to make learning judgements as they prepare Report Cards ready to go home at the end of week 1 Term 3.
As always, I encourage you to contact your child's teachers if you have any queries or concerns about their learning or wellbeing.
God Bless
The Blessing
During this time of uncertainty and physical isolation, over 300 local churches united together in Australia to sing a blessing over our nation. This beautiful song is a blessing for us all.
Refugee Week 2020 -Will be celebrated Sunday 14 June to Saturday 20 June 2020. This is a unique opportunity to make time to learn about the experiences of people from refugee backgrounds and to celebrate the valuable contributions made by refugees to the world. It is a reminder that we are all responsible for creating a welcoming country.
The theme of Refugee Week 2020 is celebrating the year of welcome. A more welcoming country starts with us. Australian Catholics has this article which is well worth a read.
https://smpswarwick.schoolzineplus.com/_file/media/1601/insights_conquering_kids_techno_tantrums.pdf
I would like to ask you all to see a ray of hope as well in the eyes and hearts of refugees and of those who have been forcibly displaced. A hope that is expressed in expectations for the future, in the desire for friendship, in the wish to participate in the host society also through learning the language, access to employment and the education of children. I admire the courage of those who hope to be able gradually to resume a normal life, waiting for joy and love to return to brighten their existence. We can all and must nourish this hope! Pope Francis
This Week Let us include in our prayers…..
- Those who suffer from systemic racism. For those in Australia, the Americas, Europe and all countries where people are judged on the colour of their skin. We stand peacefully and in solidarity with those who have lost loved ones and pray for healing for those who continue to suffer as a result of prejudice and racism.
- Leaders in our community and our world; during this turbulent time, may they listen deeply to those who are hurting and respond in love.
- The gift of reconciliation. We pray for the courage to be able to speak our truths with caring and open hearts. Help us celebrate the gifts that each bring to our community and encourage us to look out and up with hope and confidence.
- We pray for refugees all over the world who find themselves displaced from their home due to disaster, war or persecution. May they find the strength, courage and safety in a new home.
World Refugee Day
This is an important day that we as Catholic's acknowledge and pray for those people who have been forced to flee their home for their own safety due to war, unrest, disaster or famine. We pray for these people that they may find peace and comfort in a new land to call home.
Many may not be aware but there are numerous references to refugees in the Bible. The New Testament begins with Matthew’s story of Joseph being told by the angel to take his young family and escape to Egypt. So Joseph did, he packed up his young wife Mary, and newborn son, Jesus because the jealous King Herod wanted to kill the infant. Jesus himself lived as a refugee because his own land was not safe.
Year 6 Students being the hands of Jesus
Our Year 6 students in their Religious Education lessons have been learning about the Spiritual and Corporal works of Mercy, such examples are the Corporal Works of Mercy, to feed the hungry and to shelter the homeless. There are numerous ways we as Catholics can carry out these works, but one in particular is a call to action. The students are learning about the power of a letter, through organisations such as St Vincent De Paul, who work tirelessly to care for people in need. This is one way that we can still be the hands of Jesus in our everyday lives.
Curriculum News
Semester One Student Academic Reports
Parents will be able to access their child’s students academic report via the parent portal in Week 1 of Term 3.
May St Joseph smile on you,
Meg Newell
