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Message - Deputy Principal: Inclusive Education
Dear Parents,
Last Friday our staff were engaged in a professional learning day focusing on our Whole School Approach to Positive Behaviour Support. We worked with Mary Ellen Davis, a clinical psychologist who lead us in dialogue involving behaviour as communication, consequences of our behaviour and the environment we create here at St Thomas the Apostle for all in our community.
When we talk about behaviour as communication we know all we do is behave. We are driven in our behaviour by our five basic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom and fun. When engaging with our students, we observe all behaviour including verbal and non-verbal to ascertain the greatest need for our students at that point in time. It is our job to then work with them on meeting their need through a positive approach.
Our school wide expectations of Safety, Respect and Learning guide us in the preferred behaviour we strive for here at school. When these behaviours are actioned, the natural consequence is a safe, friendly and engaging environment. When the behaviours are challenged and don’t reflect our expectations, other consequences are actioned to support a change in behaviour.
At St. Thomas’ we are currently designing a consequence framework that will be embedded into our culture so all feel safe, respected and engaged in their learning. Staff spent time on Friday developing the framework and our students will have a voice in this space in the coming week. When we have completed the framework, we will share it with our school community.
You may have noticed our bright yellow vests out and about in the mornings before school worn by our students. Their role is to support our younger students in making their way onto the school grounds and to their classrooms. It is such a vibrant and positive sense of self seen in these ‘student leaders’ who range from Foundation through to Year 6 as they walk alongside their peers demonstrating safety and respect for one another. It emphasises too, our pillar of service: doing something for someone else.
Ask your child if they have had the opportunity of being a student leader in the morning.
Ask them how they felt in doing this act of service for someone else.
Wishing everyone a great week.
Kindest regards,
Jen Gulavin (Deputy Principal: Inclusive Education)
What Can We Do to Help Ukraine?
When we watch the news and receive updates on the atrocities in Ukraine right now, we can often feel frustrated that we can’t do anything for them. We watch in horror, the devastation for so many families and innocent people. We live so far away and so often feel powerless in these situations.
Rabbi Yaakov Dov Bleich, the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, has called for Christians to pray alongside Jews. Praying is not a passive action. Praying is a very uniting act. Rabbi Bleich has even suggested a Psalm to recite in this act of solidarity. For a link to Psalm 31 click here.
Psalms are an interesting section of the Old Testament. You can hear the anguish of the authors who have been in situations of war, of displacement and situations of injustice. Humans have the same feelings and responses to desperate times, whether it is today or 3000 years ago. This is why it is such a good choice of prayer right now. I encourage you to look at Psalm 31 to see what the authors were saying back then. It was written somewhere between the 9th and 5th century BCE.
Pope Francis’ comments on prayer are also worth noting, as he can remind us of just how powerful prayer is. Pope Francis says: “It is prayer that transforms this day into grace, or better, that transforms us: it quells anger, sustains love, multiplies joy, instils the strength to forgive”. How could we not want to start each day with all this grace in our hearts? Even the problems we face do not seem to be as large when we pray. They do not take away our joy, because we are strengthened by prayer. If we can get in the habit of starting each day with prayer, Pope Francis promises we will be “more courageous, freer and even happier”.
As well as prayer, a reminder that Caritas Australia has a strong partnership with Caritas Ukraine and is doing work in the area right now. Go to https://www.caritas.org.au/donate/emergency-appeals/ukraine/ if you would like to know of a good provider of emergency support.
Sacramental Dates 2022
Confirmation
Date |
Event |
Time |
10 May |
Information Night 1 |
7pm |
14/15 May |
Enrolment Masses |
|
17 May |
Information Night 2 |
7pm |
12/21 May |
Enrolment Masses |
|
7 June |
Parent/Child Workshop 1 |
7pm |
9 June |
Parent/Child Workshop 2 |
7pm |
16 August |
Retreat Day |
|
10 & 17 August 13 August (catechism group) |
Reconciliation |
|
20 August |
Confirmation Masses |
11am 2pm |
First Holy Communion
Date |
Event |
|
19 July |
Information Night 1 |
|
23/24 July |
Enrolment Masses |
|
26 July |
Information Night 2 |
|
30/31 July |
Enrolment Masses |
|
9 August |
Parent/Child Workshop 1 |
|
10 August |
Parent/Child Workshop 2 |
|
7 September 3 September (catechism group) |
Reconciliation |
|
10 & 11 September |
First Holy Communion Masses |
6pm 9am 10:45am |
17 & 18 September |
First Holy Communion Masses |
6pm 9am 10:45am |
Raising Kids in a Digital World 2022
Date: Thursday 5 May
Time: 7.30pm (90min)
Here is the link to register for the webinar:
Once you register (with an email address and name), you will be emailed a link to the webinar. You’ll also receive a reminder email on the morning of the webinar as well as 15min before start time. The following day, you will receive a link to access the replay. Therefore, we recommend even if you are unable to attend the live webinar, you register to ensure you can access the replay.
Sibling Erolments 2023
Dear Families,
Applications for 2023 sibling enrolments are to be completed and returned to the office no later than March 18th. If you have not received an application for enrolment please contact the school office on 59989293 or via email enrolment@cranbourneeast.catholic.edu.au
Supporting Fine Motor Development
Have you ever watched your child struggle to twist the top of a bottle or tire easily when writing a list or birthday card?
This might mean they need a little work on their fine motor control. Put more simply, it's time to strenghthen those growing bones in the hands and their wrists!
There are so many fun ways to support this developmental area. Check out the photo ideas below. Many also develop other key areas at the same time.
Anything that strengthens their fingers, in turn improves pencil control and builds stamina to write and draw for longer in more formal tasks.
Whilst more traditionally suited to our younger learners all children can benefit and also love sensory and fun activities!