Newsletter 5

Dear Parents and Carers

As Term 1 concludes it is fitting to thank the many of you who have made Whitford Catholic Primary School a very special place for our students this term.  Thank you to our parish for their support, to parents and carers who demonstrate a strong partnership with our school, to the extended community of which we are a part of, to staff whose commitment to our students is evident daily and to our students for the way they support each other to learn and to develop friendships.  It has been a great term of learning and growth!

In Week 7, I had the pleasure of spending three days with the Year Sixes at Ern Halliday Campsite.  The behaviour demonstrated by the students was excellent and it was great to see their collaboration and leadership skills develop as camp progressed.  Camp helps to build and nurture responsibility, self-confidence, relationships, care for each other, collaboration, maturity, resilience, and trust. At camp, you see many students overcome personal challenges in an environment where every single student is supportive and genuinely interested in all achieving success. The students were a credit to themselves, their families and their school.  Camp would not be possible without the amazing and generous contributions of the adults who attended.  Thank you to Mrs Richards, Mrs McGinley, Mrs Staley, Mr Croxford, Mrs Hunt, Mrs Hurd, Mr Carter, Mr Hunt, Mr Debono and Ms Markwell.

Congratulations to the Interschool Swimming Team for their conduct, teamwork and performance at the carnival last Friday.  On arriving at the pool, it is clear to see where our students, staff and families are located in the stands. Students are seated in an orderly manner, developing their friendships, cheering for their team and listening to each other and their teachers. Staff are calm, demonstrate care for our students and have them safe and prepared for their races.  Parents and grandparents are sitting collectively with the sole purpose of cheering on their children and creating an atmosphere where the students can thrive.  The students did exceptionally well that day, winning the carnival and doing so humbly.  Well done to Mrs Richard for coordinating the team and our participation in the event and to all involved for your assistance on the day, with before school swimming training and for your support of the students.

Well done to our Whitty Dads capably led by Shane Ukich and Colin Gormley on their recent very successful Whitty Dads Camp.  From all accounts this was an excellent opportunity for dads and their kids to strengthen their relationship and also to build bonds between families in our school.  What a fun way to build community!! Congratulations to all involved.

Holidays are a fantastic time to unwind, spend some quality family time together and take a break from the routines of life.  It is also a great time to re-establish some good habits such as reading together as a family. Students who attend school every day throughout the term will attend school for just under 15% of the year.  Assuming they are sleeping for approximately 50% of the year, that leaves 35% of the time for weekends, holidays and before and after school activities.  What we do within that 35% of time is important. Reading books aloud to children stimulates their imagination and expands their understanding of the world. It helps them develop language and listening skills and helps them to further understand written word across a variety of learning areas.

Holidays are also a time where students may drift towards relying on technology for their recreation.  Please ensure that this time is limited and that if you do allow your child to use technology to message, play games or browse on the internet, that they are monitored.  It is best practice for children to use technology in family areas and not by themselves where they can’t interact or be supervised.  Please have a discussion with your child about how they are using technology, what apps and games they are on and whether these are in line with your family’s values and expectations.  If your child is in any message groups or chats it is crucial that you check these regularly and ensure they know who they are talking to and who is in the group.  It is also important to ensure that you monitor their activity so that there is no inappropriate content or behaviour.  Please reinforce with your child, that if they come across anything that makes them feel uncomfortable, that they bring this to your attention.

Term 1 concludes tomorrow. Parent Teacher Interviews will occur on Monday 20th April and students will commence Term 2 on Tuesday 21st April.  Students will be required to wear winter uniform.  Wearing the uniform correctly assists students to develop a sense of pride in themselves, their families and their school.

Over the holidays we will celebrate Easter.  Easter marks the resurrection of Jesus on the third day after his crucifixion and marks the triumph of good over evil, sin and death. Easter is the most important holiday on the Christian calendar. The Easter story leading up to Easter can be found in the Gospel of Mark at the following link.  Please take the time to share this with your child.

Thank you to our P&F Executive for hosting the P&F Pizza Party this afternoon – I’m sure this will be a great opportunity for our community to come together before the break.

Wishing you a happy, Easter and safe, enjoyable holiday with family and friends.

Best wishes and God bless