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I would like to begin by thanking all those parents who took the time and effort to attend our Parent Information Evening last week. It is always wonderful to see so many parents committed to supporting the learning of their children.

Many years ago, while teaching in Kalgoorlie I sat next to a parent on the train as we headed on a school camp with students. I was surprised when the parent asked me what I did for a living, not realising I was a teacher at the school. I was even more surprised when he asked me what class I taught – his daughter was in fact one of my students! This was in November, almost at the end of the school year. I have thought about this moment many times over the years and often wondered how we can engage parents more in the educative process. Even when my own daughter started Kindergarten just a couple of years ago, I really didn’t know how to be involved in her education – and this was coming from someone who spends all their time around schools!

I would encourage all parents who want to be more involved in their child’s learning to speak with their teachers. They can outline some simple, but effective ways you can bond with your child over their learning. Another option for parents to find ways to engage in their child’s learning is through The Learning Potential app. It provides parents with practical tips and information to help you support your child’s learning from the early years right through to the end of high school. It contains hundreds of articles on all aspects of a child’s learning and development, such as play, reading, starting school, working with teachers, talking about school, homework, reports, holidays, career education, resilience, wellbeing, technology and much more. You can download it from both the Apple Store or Google Play.

Newman Parents – A Night with Dr Justin Coulson

The College is welcoming back Dr Justin Coulson one of Australia’s most respected and popular Positive Psychology & relationships speaker, facilitator, author, and researcher (particularly in family life). The topic he will be presenting is:

Inside the Mind; Raising an emotionally intelligent Child
In this session, Dr Coulson will share his expertise and equip parents to become more emotionally intelligent when it comes to their child.

Sometimes we just don’t relate to our children. It’s like they came from another parent. Did we really conceive, birth, and raise this child? It can be so hard to understand our children.

Inside the mind – Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child is a presentation for parents to get to the heart of parenting. Or, more specifically, it’s to help parents get to their children’s hearts.

How do we really understand our child? What is really happening inside their mind?

This powerful presentation will change the way you communicate with your child.

See a short intro video by Dr Coulson with more information about the session The presentation will be followed by a Question and Answer session.

When: Wednesday 18 March, 7.00pm – 8.30pm
Where: ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï Auditorium, 216 Empire Avenue Churchlands
RSVP: jo.dunn@newman.wa.edu.au

This FREE session is for parents only. We hope that parents will use the information they learn to better educate themselves.

Primary Welcome Picnic

A big thank you must go to the parents and families who attended the Primary Welcome Picnic last Friday evening. Many parents commented that it was a wonderful occasion, and it was terrific to see so many new families being made to feel welcome. I would especially like to thank the Primary Social Committee for coordinating the event. Many of these parents give up hours of their time to provide not just for their own children, but for all children in our community. They truly are making a wonderful difference to the lives of our students and families.

Carpark Etiquette

I was most distressed to receive a call this week detailing a narrow miss in the carpark. Can I remind all parents, grandparents, and guardians to employ safe practices in the carpark. It is up to all of us as a community to take responsibility for doing the right thing. Students are reminded to only cross at the designated areas and to always be vigilant of traffic. We know the carpark is very busy, especially straight after the bell. I hope that all parents can practice patience and understanding when arriving to pick up or drop off their child and we can continue to keep our students safe.

Swimming Carnival

Today’s Swimming Carnival was a wonderful event, with many students taking part whole-heartedly. There were some excellent individual displays of talent on show, and perhaps even more importantly, some great examples of sportsmanship too with many students congratulating each other on their success. Congratulations to Delany for winning the Spirit Award and Marcellin for winning the carnival. The full results of the carnival and more photos from the day will be shared in the next edition of the newsletter.

Assemblies

Yesterday some information went home about our first Assembly for the year. This year, assemblies will be held in the Br Theophane Hall on the Lavalla Campus (opposite the new Adventure Playground).

We are trialing a NEW format on how we present our awards during assemblies to ensure we make use of time effectively and engage students in their learning. The awards presented will now centre around our Vision for Learning, Shine through Discovery and it’s four pedagogical (learning) pillars. The teachers will be aligning their awards around the pillars of either create, challenge, collaborate or celebrate. Award recipient names will be announced without an individual description. There will be a different learning pillar as the focus for each assembly. The administration staff will continue to notify all parents if their child is an award recipient that week. We look forward to celebrating our first Assembly Friday next week!

Parent Representatives

It is with much gratitude that we acknowledge our Parent Representatives for 2020. The Parent Representatives are a fine example of what it means to be a servant leader, taking on a role that is not just for the benefit of their children, but for every child here at the Lavalla Campus. If you are able to offer any assistance to this wonderful group of people, please contact Kerry Martin kerry.martin@newman.wa.edu.au who will be able to get you in contact with the relevant Parent Representative. I am sure they will appreciate it.

• Year 3 Blue: Penny Offenburg, Christie Blizzard
• Year 3 Green: Sarina Menzies
• Year 3 Red: Michelle Patterson
• Year 4 Blue: Amali Godakanda
• Year 4 Green: Brooke Stutley, Lisa Ringrose
• Year 4 Red: Joanne Tarbotton
• Year 5 Blue: Angela Smith
• Year 5 Green: Emma Pearmain-Baker
• Year 5 Red: Michelle Afflick
• Year 6 Blue: Denise Boreham
• Year 6 Green: Francesca Worley
• Year 6 Red: Linda Hadfield

Homework and Homework Club

With the school term now fully into swing, all students should be in a regular routine of completing homework. Each year level will have its own expectations around homework. If you have any queries around this, I would encourage you to speak with your child’s teacher.

A reminder that Homework Club runs on Mondays, 3.30pm – 4.30pm in the Library. This is a great opportunity for those students who want to make a start on their homework for the week and access additional support from teachers.

Cybersafety

One of the topics discussed at last week’s Parent Information Evening was the appropriate use of ICT within the school. The National Online Safety Training and Resources website has some great information for parents regarding safety online. to access this information.

Parents will need to create an account to access some of the materials, but these are great at giving a snapshot of the potential risks attached to some common social media sites such as YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat.

Marist Retreat

Earlier this week, I spent three days in Mittagong at the Marist Hermitage Retreat, working to understand the mission and values of Marcellin Champagnat. One of the things we reflected on was ‘God moments’; the moments in life where we discover the unexpected beauty of God’s presence in the story of ordinary things and in everyday routines. Something that has really stood out for me in the first few weeks of school is the way other students greet each other as they come to school. There are many times I have seen students running down the grass to classmates they spot stepping out of the car, or coming around the corner. Can you imagine a more beautiful way to start your day? I hope these little moments of joy are something we continue to see throughout the year. Keep an eye out for your own God moments over the coming fortnight – I would love to share some in the newsletter!