Newsletter 29 - September 10th 2021
Prayer of the Week:
God of the neighbour,
God of the stranger,
how many times have we left the house
and passed the homes of those
we barely know?
Yet you have known them.
And you know the people across the globe,
The stranger is our neighbour
in this little world we’ve made.
May we no longer estrange our neighbour
in the world we build together.
Amen.
Principal's Report:
There is an old saying that states that a week is a long time in politics (or football). It seems that in the current times we live in a day is a long time!
On Tuesday, I was all but resigned to the fact that the current lockdown would continue and students would not return to school this term. It was quite a shock on Wednesday when the Premier announced that most of regional Victoria would come out of lockdown on Thursday evening. I was even more shocked that students in Foundation to Grade 2 as well as Year 12 students would return to school on Friday.
I suppose one thing we should all have learned over the past 18 months or so is that things can quickly change. Over the past 24 hours, I have been quickly putting in place plans for Friday and next week. The support I have received from staff and the school community has been wonderful.
So on Friday our Foundation, Grade 1 and 2 students will return to onsite learning. The focus from our junior teaching team will be for the students to reestablish connections with teachers and peers; reintroduce school routines and expectations; revise learning that took place during remote learning.
Remote learning will continue for all other year levels. Onsite supervision at school remains available for vulnerable children and children of essential workers in all year levels. If you require onsite supervision for your children please contact the school.
With Faith in our Future
Chris McAloon
Living in Faith:
This week is National Child Protection Week. It is an opportunity for all Australians to reflect upon child protection. What has gone before us in this diocese, relating to child protection, is devastating. There have been serious failures over the past decades. Words such as mishandling and catastrophic have been used to describe this story.
During National Child Protection Week we acknowledge the past with broken hearts and continue to reach out to survivors in solidarity and compassion. We also recommit ourselves to always working for the protection of all children.
At the culmination of this week, The Catholic Church in Australia marks Safeguarding Sunday on Sunday 12 September. Safeguarding Sunday seeks to acknowledge the immense damage caused by the sexual abuse of children and adults at risk, including by priests, religious and lay people within Catholic contexts. The Church in Australia, makes a commitment to practices and protocols that create and maintain safe environments for all people. It invites people to pray for those harmed by abuse directly and indirectly.
Let us pray
Gracious God, you love and care for all of your children, especially the smallest and most vulnerable.
We entrust to you the lives of children and adults at risk who have been sexually abused, and whose trust and innocence have been destroyed.
Help us to hear their cries of pain and to take responsibility for those whose lives have been broken.
Help us to recognise the hurt felt by those wounded by abuse, and the failure to be heard. We pray that with the help of your grace communities and families will find understanding and support, so that now and in the future their wounds may be healed and they may find lasting peace.
Let your grace and love fall gently now upon our children and adults at risk, giving them the inner strength, peace and resilience to seek out assistance when required.
We ask this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever.
Amen
Welcome back to the CSPV Parent Connection News Term 3.
In this issue, you will find relevant information for parents and schools with articles, videos and links to resources. Please subscribe here. CSPV look forward to staying in touch and in sharing information about parent leadership and parent engagement for parents of children in Catholic schools in Victoria.
Visit the link below to view your newsletter:
https://vcspb.schoolzineplus.
Teaching and Learning:
Onsite learning and creativity has this week seen some shadow action tracing and decorating and some excellent big bubbles as you can see by these fabulous pictures.
Family Disco:
We hope you enjoyed the Footsteps family disco. Here’s a photo of Mr McAloon and his children cutting up the dance floor.
Grandparents:
The importance of grandparents in our children’s lives is well researched. Grandparents can be
invaluable in supporting parents and helping raise our children.
For families separated through this pandemic here are a few ways you can interact with
Grandparents.
1. Complete a crossword puzzle.
Download a printable crossword puzzle and share it with Nan and Pa in advance.
2. Hone those reading skills.
Children can read to grandparents or grandparents can share a story with children over the phone or via a video call.
3. Do some show and tell.
Have your child pick out something special, a piece of artwork or current favorite toy
and share it with the grandparents. Grandparents can show something they love.
4. Play I-Spy.
Set your Zoom camera up in front of a busy background and ask Grandma and
Grandpa to do the same, then take turns playing I-Spy and providing clues and
guessing objects in the background.
5. Embark on a scavenger hunt.
Help your children come up with a list of everyday household items and let them
shout out those items to their grandparents. Set a timer and let grandparents try to
beat the clock by finding each one and bringing it back to the screen to share via the
camera. Turn the tables, and let Grandma and Grandpa shout out a list of items for
the children to collect.
6. Conduct an interview.
Let children interview nan/pa and ask questions about their grandparents past.
Where did they grow up? What were their favourite activities when they were your
child's age? How did they meet? Who were their friends? What did they do after school?
“There are some things we really need to take care of: the children, and
grandparents. Children, whether they are younger or older, they are the strength that
moves us forward. We place our hope in them. Grandparents are the living memory
of the family. Grandparents are the ones passing on their faith to us.” Pope Francis
St Pat's in on Instagram
Exciting news:
We are now on Instagram please follow on: stpatstawell
Instagram is a visual digital platform where we will be sharing images and videos of St Patrick’s.
This digital platform is another way for our community to engage with what is happening at St Patrick’s.
Wellbeing:
Welcome back to another week of wellbeing,
This week we are focusing on R U OK day. It is so important each and every day to make sure that we stay connected with our loved ones. Especially throughout uncertain times like now. I am going to share with you some information/videos provided to us by the resilience project. There is a great video link of two friends talking about depression and the impact it takes on people.
This week there is information for both the parents/carers and the students.
Parents & Carers Checking in
We all know how important it is to stay connected with your kids, especially when they are going through a really tough time. Sometimes having that conversation and providing them the support they need can be tricky to navigate.
Check out the video below, for an open and honest conversation between KISS FM Radio Host’s Will & Woody. It has some really helpful tips on supporting people going through a difficult period or struggling with a mental illness.
Looking for further ways to support your family's wellbeing?
We have updated our Parenting Section on TPR@HOME. Filled with resources, expert knowledge and stories, we've loaded this section with ideas for parents and carers to support their own wellbeing, plus a range of tips to help them embed positive mental health habits with the rest of the family.
Students Activity - Providing Help & Seeking Help
We all have tough days. Life is full of ups and downs and sometimes it can feel like a struggle. Whether it’s stubbing your toe when you get out of bed or just one of those days where we feel tired, grumpy and a little bit stressed. We all have these sort of days and this is absolutely ok.
For students, learning how to support their peers and talk about how they feel is an important life lesson, so where better to start than in the classroom? Practicing empathy is a great way to start when reaching out to a friend or family member. Here are some questions to help you get started:
● What is your friend or family member going through at the moment?
● Can you put yourself in their shoes and try to understand their point of view or how they may be feeling?
An easy activity that can be adapted to suit primary and secondary schools students around help seeking is:
● Talk to your class about barriers to help seeking and the importance of empathy
● Brainstorm avenues for help seeking, including home school and external supports
● Research one external area of support as a class
● As a class, brainstorm ways to ask for help or to ask a friend if they are ok?
In line with “R U OK? Day” on Thursday 9th September, the below resources will help students check in and start a conversation with their friends and family.
TRP@HOME | Practicing Empathy - CLICK HERE!
Thank you,
Lillie Comitti - Wellbeing Officer.
Upcoming Events
September 10th - F - 2 return to onsite learning
September 17th - End of term - 2.15 pm finish!
October 4th - Start Term 4 - WATER WEEK POSTERS DUE
November 12th - School photos
Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land on which our school stands.
We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
We thank them for sharing their cultures, spiritualities and ways of
living with the land in this place we all now call home.