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Dear Parents & Friends
To continue following on from our Resilience Project Presentation I thought I would take this opportunity to reflect on one aspect of mindfulness Hugh spoke about, and that is the importance of Gratitude in our lives.
Gratitude is when we feel thankful, or grateful about something.
An excellent way of developing gratitude is to purposely remember things during the day that we have been grateful for. Nothing is too small for us to be grateful for. It may be as simple as remembering a friend saying a nice word, the smell of some perfume or soap or even a fun game your child played. We can be grateful for anything.
An activity you may like to include as part of your child’s daily routine is ‘Bedtime Gratitude’.
Before bedtime children think of three things from that day they are grateful for. They can record these in a special diary, talk to you about them or just remember them in their head. When they have completed this they smile to themselves and prepare themselves for sleep.
REMEMBER: Nothing is too small to be grateful about.
I would like to conclude by sharing my personal gratitude list for this term with you:
- The support that Father Joel and the Parish supply to the school
- For the work that the teachers do in preparing, teaching and assessing the lessons for the students.
- To all the students for the welcoming way that greet everyone who comes into the school.
- To Administration staff of the school, without them, the school would surely grind to halt.
- For the contributions that parents make to the school, many of these are unseen but not appreciated.
Reminder of Protocols
If you come into the school, for anything more than just quick pick up of your children, could you please ensure that you call at the office and sign in to the visitors book and again sign out when you leave. This is a safety requirement. In the event that we have to evacuate the buildings, we need know who is on the premises.
Parent Teacher Interviews
Thanks to the parents and teachers for the time you spent on the interviews this week. If you weren’t able to make the interview or you need some extra time please contact the class teacher to make a suitable time.
Online Video Games
Parents I need to raise with a concern with an online video game called “Fortnite”. I understand that this is a very popular game at the moment, the content is very graphic and a number of experts are raising concerns over children playing this game. My understanding is that the game has the potential to become highly addictive.
You may care to check out this report online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErX53mnZ0ds
READ MORE
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It was wonderful to celebrate the Parish Mass with many of our families last Saturday. A big thank you to all the children who offered to do readings, assist with the singing and enjoyed participating in the Mass with their families.
Tomorrow the whole school will offer thanks to God for the wonderful learning experiences and fun times we have had during Term 2. Everyone is welcome to join us for this Eucharistic celebration. It is now being held in Mercy Hall instead of the church.
Sisters of Mercy Sesquicentenary Celebrations
 The Sisters of Mercy first arrived in Albury on 22nd July, 1868. The 150 years of their service in our community will be celebrated on the weekend of 21st/22nd July. Staff members will be conducting tours of our school on Saturday for the Sisters of Mercy and past students. The 10.00am Mass at St Patrick’s Church on Sunday is dedicated to these celebrations. A celebratory Lunch will follow at the Commercial Club.
We plan to have special celebrations in our school community in Term 3 as the Sisters first commenced educating the children of Albury on this very site. More information to come early next term.
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Thank you to everyone who supported our TACO LUNCH DAYS and to the generous parent helpers.
Due to PSSA sport each Friday we have 2 packing times & 2 serving times. I really need some extra helpers each Friday....
12noon - 1pm or 12.30 to 1.30pm. for packing and serving. PLEASE!
Tuckshop Roster 2018 Tuckshop Price List Reusable Lunch Bag Order
Reminder:
We have received an order of reusable lunch order bags and they are still only $8 each. Use order above or you can purchase from the tuckshop or school office.
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Targeting Maths News
It is hard to believe we are halfway through the year already. When I realised this I also realised we are halfway through the Targeting Maths journey as well and began to reflect on what our school has achieved.
It wasn’t until I did this that I realised how much our school has been able to accomplish in this short time.
We are, and will continue to, work towards
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Making Maths visible to the children by including learning intentions and success criteria in all our maths lessons
* Including Feedback into our daily maths lessons
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Developing a deep understanding of the NSW maths syllabus and apply this to our teaching and learning activities
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Assessing every child from K - 6 using the MAI assessment
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Analysing this data to recognise the strengths and weaknesses of our school
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Using this data to guide our teaching to ensure we are catering for the needs of all our students
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Using number talks consistently to develop number sense
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Increasing our repertoire of high quality mathematical tasks which encourage flexibility, mathematical dialogue and a deeper understanding of the maths content
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Expecting children to be able to explain, reason, justify and prove all mathematical working.
This list is definitely not complete. All this, and more, has been achievable because of the dedication and commitment our hard working staff have to improving learning outcomes for all the students in our St Patrick’s community. It has also been made possible because of the continued support we receive from our parents and we would like to thank you for this.
Below is our Holiday Maths Challenge. The purpose of this challenge is to encourage children to look around their environment and recognise the maths that surrounds them.
If children would like to photograph or draw the Maths they find they can email these to me at: allibonl@ww.catholic.edu.au
I hope all the children have a very well earned break and I am looking forward to working with them again next term.
Stay warm,
Lea Allibon ~ Targeting Maths Teacher
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* Congratulations to Halle Hicks who was a member of the MacKillop Girls Hockey team competing at
the NSW PSSA Carnival in Moorebank. They finished 3rd in their pool and 5th place overall. Well
done Halle!
* Congratulations to Hugo Morison & Tom McMillan. They were members of the Diocesan Rugby Union
team competing at the MacKillop trials in Forbes last week. Well done boys!
* Our Girls Paul Kelly Cup team won the Grand Final of the Regional Competition in Wagga last week
and will now play in Sydney in August. Well done girls and also coach Mr Perczyk.
* Notes regarding Diocesan Athletics will be going home this week.
At the Deanery Carnival Joseph Hill and Ashleigh Carty achieved Senior Age Champions & Aiden Hill
Junior Runner-up Age Champion. Well done Joseph, Ashleigh & Aiden. Super Effort!
We wish all the children competing at the Diocesan Carnival next term the best of luck!
   
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Reminders:
* End of Term Mass Thursday 5th July 9.30am Mercy Hall
* Superhero Day to raise funds for St. Joseph's in Uganda.
Thursday 5th July. Gold coin donation for children to wear their superhero gear for the day.
* Kinder Parent Social Evening tomorrow (Thursday 5th July)
upstairs at Bended Elbow.
* Children return to school for Term 3 Monday 23rd July.
* Year 1 Parent Social Evening at La Maison Cafe.
Friday 27th July.
* Pupil Free Day Friday 10th August. Staff Professional
Development Day.
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Mindfulness Apps for Primary Students
Breathe, Think, Do:
Sesame Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame is intended for parents and caregivers to use with their young children (ages 2-5) to help teach skills such as problem-solving, self-control, planning, and task persistence What it Costs: Free (iOS and Android)
Calm:
Calm is the perfect meditation app for beginners, but also includes hundreds of programs for intermediate and advanced users. Guided meditation sessions are available in lengths of 3, 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25 minutes so you can choose the perfect length to fit with your schedule.
What it Costs: Free (iOS and Android)
Dreamy Kid:
The Dreamy Kid meditation app offers meditation, guided visualization and affirmations curated just for children & teens. It uses proven techniques that teach your kids methods to guide them towards a happier life through mindfulness. What it Costs: Free (iOS)
Headspace: Guided Meditation and Mindfulness
Meditation made simple. Guided meditations suitable for all levels from Headspace. Meditation can help improve your focus, exercise mindful awareness, relieve anxiety and reduce stress.
What it Costs: Free (iOS and Android)
Breathing Bubbles:
Breathing Bubbles is an app that helps kids practice releasing worries and focusing on good feelings by allowing kids to select the emotion they are feeling and how strongly they are feeling it. Kids can choose to handle their emotion by releasing a worry or receiving a joy as Manny the Manatee walks them through deep breathing and visualization. What it Costs: Free (iOS)
Super Stretch Yoga
Super Stretch is an educational yoga tool to use and teach the fun of physical activity and breathing to children. They will use the skills of self-awareness, self-esteem and self-regulation that they learn from this app as a foundation for the rest of their lives. What it Costs: Free (iOS)
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National Aborigine and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week
NAIDOC Week is held in Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Under the theme - Because of Her, We Can! - NAIDOC Week 2018 will be held nationally from Sunday 8 July and continue through to Sunday 15 July.
As pillars of our society, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have played – and continue to play - active and significant roles at the community, local, state and national levels.
As leaders, trailblazers, politicians, activists and social change advocates, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women fought and continue to fight, for justice, equal rights, our rights to country, for law and justice, access to education, employment and to maintain and celebrate our culture, language, music and art.
They continue to influence as doctors, lawyers, teachers, electricians, chefs, nurses, architects, rangers, emergency and defence personnel, writers, volunteers, chief executive officers, actors, singer songwriters, journalists, entrepreneurs, media personalities, board members, accountants, academics, sporting icons and Olympians, the list goes on.
They are our mothers, our elders, our grandmothers, our aunties, our sisters and our daughters.
Sadly, Indigenous women’s role in our cultural, social and political survival has often been invisible, unsung or diminished.
For at least 65,000 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have carried our dreaming stories, songlines, languages and knowledge that have kept our culture strong and enriched us as the oldest continuing culture on the planet.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women were there at first contact.
They were there at the Torres Strait Pearlers strike in 1936, the Day of Mourning in 1938, the 1939 Cummeragunja Walk-Off, at the 1946 Pilbara pastoral workers' strike, the 1965 Freedom Rides, the Wave Hill walk off in 1966, on the front line of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in 1972 and at the drafting of the Uluru Statement.
They have marched, protested and spoken at demonstrations and national gatherings for the proper recognition of our rights and calling for national reform and justice.
Our women were heavily involved in the campaign for the 1967 Referendum and also put up their hands to represent their people at the establishment of national advocacy and representative bodies from the National Aboriginal Congress (NAC) to ATSIC to Land Councils and onto the National Congress for Australia’s First Peoples.
They often did so while caring for our families, maintaining our homes and breaking down cultural and institutionalised barriers and gender stereotypes.
Our women did so because they demanded a better life, greater opportunities and - in many cases equal rights - for our children, our families and our people.
They were pioneering women like Barangaroo, Truganini, Gladys Elphick, Fannie Cochrane-Smith, Evelyn Scott, Pearl Gibbs, Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Celuia Mapo Salee, Thancoupie, Justine Saunders, Gladys Nicholls, Flo Kennedy, Essie Coffey, Isabel Coe, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Eleanor Harding, Mum Shirl, Ellie Gaffney and Gladys Tybingoompa.
Today, they are trailblazers like Joyce Clague, Yalmay Yunupingu, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Nova Peris, Carol Martin, Elizabeth Morgan, Barbara Shaw, Rose Richards, Vonda Malone, Margaret Valadian, Lowitja O’Donoghue, June Oscar, Pat O’Shane, Pat Anderson Jill Milroy, Banduk Marika, Linda Burney and Rosalie Kunoth-Monks – to name but a few.
Their achievements, their voice, their unwavering passion give us strength and have empowered past generations and paved the way for generations to come.
Because of her, we can!
THE RECONCILIATION PRAYER
God of all creation, as we journey together
in this Great Southern Land,
we pray for healing forgiveness and unity,
creating a path of good will,
with justice and compassion
Jesus through the power of your love,
You have given us the courage,
wisdom and strength
to share our gifts and talents in humility.
In peace and understanding
we reconcile with each other.
Creator Spirit,
we come together in prayer and thanksgiving
for the many blessings we have received.
Allow your Spirit to wash over us
and give us strength,
to walk together, as one.
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The $2.50 per student cost for this is covered by the Student Activity Levy.
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