The Mother’s Day Morning Tea was enjoyed by so many on Tuesday morning last week.
The months of planning and preparation by Catherine Baldock and Crystal St Jack, the MDMT Committee, and the Pre Primary parents ensured the event was a great success. A heartfelt thank you to all involved. Thank you also to all of our amazing sponsors. Please click here for the full list. It was also wonderful to celebrate the Eucharist with so many women who have influenced our lives in positive ways and we hope that all mothers had a joyful Mother’s Day surrounded by those they love.
At the beginning of the year Mr Cronin talked about the Code of Conduct for parents and I am sure that you have been following these key points when on the school grounds and when communicating with others at St Mary’s. I would like to draw your attention to Conduct Statements 2 and 3 “You act in accordance with the values of the Gospel” and “You respect the dignity, culture, values and beliefs of each student in your child’s school, and the student’s family, as well as staff.”
St Mary’s vision of being a welcoming Catholic faith community depends on building relationships of trust and respect. It is up to all of us to make sure that we continually earn that trust. In saying that, I ask that our communications and other interactions with all members of the school community and visitors should model Christ’s inclusivity and love for all.
Thank you to all the parents who have been using the bus stop entrance walkway as opposed to the chapel entrance, thereby ensuring a much safer environment for our school community. We keep the students, parents and Mrs Webb in our prayers as they continue to learn about the Sacrament of Eucharist. The enrolment Mass for these students is at St Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday 19 May at 10am. Something to remember about Eucharist is that it is a celebration between people who have something in common – being baptised in Christ. The Mass draws people together as one to worship God through, with and in the person of Jesus.
Years 3 and 5 students have been completing NAPLAN tests this week and have shown their resilience and patience in the face of some technical difficulties as experienced Australia wide. Please click here to access the media release issued by Catholic Education WA.
Father Gerald visited Year 2 today and talked to them about the Eucharist and the gifts needed for different types of work. He explained how a person becomes a priest, the training involved and the special gifts needed to serve others in this special way. He then linked this to Jesus’ gifts of being a healer, storyteller, carpenter and carer. The Year 2’s had lots of questions for him.
In closing, I would like to thank the Staff of St Mary’s who are a team of exceptional educators, the School Board, Parents and Friends and students who made this opportunity a rewarding and enjoyable experience.
God’s blessings
Helen Brown
Short Term Principal
P & F News
Kate Wright has, unfortunately, had to step down from her role as P & F President. The role has been filled by Gemma Millar with Zoe Marwick taking over the role of Vice President.
Quality Time as Family
As educators, we acknowledge and empathise with the busy lives of young families and the sometimes lack of quality time children enjoy each day with parents or primary caregivers and the resultant levels of anxiety that children then bring into schools. Research shows that children need at least 10 minutes of quality conversation with a parent each day. Michael Carr Gregg also writes about this same topic and states that “Children need quality time and the undivided attention of a significant adult each day.” This might be a worthwhile conversation topic for parents and a challenge to set this time daily – when you are not driving, cooking, shopping, cleaning, washing? Or perhaps have your child complete some chores/household tasks with you while you chat about a whole range of topics. Enjoy making quality memories together.