2024 Term 4 Week 2

Dear Parents,

The last two weeks have been pretty full on.  I know I tend to say that a bit in my section of the Newsletter, but this week has been probably the hardest in a while.  I do place a bit of pressure on myself during these times as I am naturally an anxious sort of person, in the hope I deal with all my interactions with you as parents and carers or staff and students always keeping your dignity at the centre of our conversations.

The hard experiences over the past week have made me refocus on what I value in education.  The word education itself is so broad.  I mean, it’s not just the academic side that we as educators and parents are concerned about.  Don’t get me wrong, it is so important but to me just as important is the spiritual, physical and emotional connections.  There is no greater reward for me as Principal than seeing moments of absolute joy.  In the last few days these moments of joy have included a visit from so many students showing me their writing, to sitting on a parent teacher interview witnessing the parent and teacher working together for the benefit of the child.  Life is all about relationships and sharing these moments is what it is all about.

Me finding the time to refocus on what I value in education has come at a time as we start to plan for 2025.  We are looking at the funding we receive, our 2025 budget, and what is happening in the teaching and learning space through our school data.  As we move into making these decisions about our future plans at MG regarding our school improvement, the children are at the centre.  As well as this, the final stages of working out our staffing for 2025 is taking place.  During all of these decisions, we ask God to give us the wisdom to guide us as we strive for an education that develops the whole child.

As we strive to make MG a school that brings Christ alive, we must all remember that we play an important part in our community and what we stand for.  Life is a journey and we must all keep working on ourselves to ensure we are the best we can be.  Much like showing compassion to others in our interactions and conversations, even the difficult ones.  When we show compassion to one another good things happen which simply makes life better.  I always keep in mind the impact we have on each other.  This week I had a parent make me some biscuits which had a huge impact on me as a person, as a human.  This is the good stuff.  I have appreciated this gesture so much, but more importantly, the conversation.  This is the impact stuff.

I have challenged myself to always think about the impact I have on others through my interactions and how I can make the world a better place.  I challenge you also to keep this in mind over the coming weeks.  As we continue to move through the term, be gentle on yourself and others.

Differences @ MG That Make Us All Unique

Last week I had the pleasure of discussing with some of our classes the concept of us all being different and unique.

We are all different and that’s what makes our school so special. Some differences are easy to see in our height, hair style, gender and so on. Other differences can’t be seen, like our favourite foods, or something we may be scared of.

The way we see the world is also different, for instance, what do you see in this drawing? Most people see a duck but some of you might have seen a rabbit. Whichever you saw is correct. This is just a trick going to show you that all brains work differently.

The brain is your body’s computer and it works differently for all of us, and controls how you learn, that’s why we are all good at different things. Sometimes the brain is connected in such a way it affects senses and how we perceive and read situations and interact. This is known as neurodiversity.

Many people in our world are neurodiverse, so it’s likely you already know someone who is and for this reason it is useful to know a little bit about neurodiversity. The special wiring inside a neurodiverse brain can sometimes make the person good at tasks which we may find difficult such as mathematics, drawing or music. It can also do the opposite and activities we find too easy are incredibly difficult to them, such as making friends or dealing with a sudden change.

The senses are constantly sending information to your brain about your surroundings and other people. However, when a person’s brain and its senses don’t communicate well, the brain can become overwhelmed and confused affecting how they see the world.

With the students we discussed how walking down the street is pretty easy for most of us as we can see and hear things clearly.  Sometimes, a neurodiverse student may experience that same thing very differently.  With the students we tried squinting our eyes so that the world around us became blurred.  Colours remained but objects became darker and more like shapes.  It also blocked out our side vision. This created a sense of being unsure and scared.  This is how a neurodiverse brain may work at times.

In many cases a neurodiverse person cannot say out loud how they feel. So even though there’s chaos going on in their head, they seem okay on the outside and are unable to ask for help.  Or they may look really anxious and scream out loud.  They are just trying to make sense of what is going on for them.

We all develop behaviours to help us feel calm in uncomfortable situations. For me, feeling nervous means I bite my nails or bottom lip.  Equally, neurodiverse people develop behaviours that help them cope with these intense moments. These actions may seem different to us but they’re just their way to feel calm. When they happen, it means they’re having a hard time and the kind thing to do is not to give them an even harder time by getting cross or ignoring them or teasing them.

Our staff are here to always do our best for ALL students so when any of them are feeling nervous or unsure, we need to teach them to seek the assistance of an adult who may be able to help them.

Neurodiverse people need friends who are willing to take the time because they have a unique view of the world. And with a little support from their friends, they might just be able to share that view with us.

As a Catholic community, we promote inclusivity and acceptance for all at MG.  We are driven by our enrolment procedures and the Disability Discrimination Act to create an environment for all our students that helps them reach their potential. Working with parents and caregivers is so important for this. Should you want to discuss this further, please reach out.

Pupil Free Day

Monday, 4 November is our next scheduled Pupil Free Day.

Matthew Gibney Catholic Primary School Annual Community Meeting

Please join the MG Community on Wednesday, 20 November at 7.00pm for the P&F and School Advisory Council ACM.  Staffing for 2025 will be announced at the ACM as well as our plans for our beautiful school.

Catholic School Advisory Council and P&F

As we approach the end of the year, I want to express nothing but gratitude to our current committee members, some of who will be leaving us as their children transition to high school. Their dedication and contributions have been invaluable to what we have here at MG.

With this, we are seeking new members to join our Catholic School Advisory Council and P&F for 2025. These committees play a crucial role in representing the parent voice within our school community.

In the coming weeks, I will be sending home information to every family detailing the responsibilities and commitments involved with each committee. I encourage you to review this information and consider joining one of these essential teams in 2025.

Your involvement can make a significant difference in our school community. Thank you for your consideration and continued support.

Child Safe Framework

This week’s focus is Risk Management; Proactively identifying and limiting potential risks.

What does this look like here at MG?

• Our school assesses their physical and online environments to identify and mitigate risks.
• Our school continues to develop and use effective risk management processes around WHS, medical management, excursions/incursions, use of ICT, and our drills for lockdown and evacuation.

Enjoy the week ahead.  I wish you nothing but goodness.

Clint

Our MGCPS Focus: Friendship is… Community

Healthy friendships are the building blocks of healthy communities! At URSTRONG, we look at social-emotional wellbeing through the lens of friendship. Close relationships are what keep people happy throughout their lives, and these relationships with family, friends, and community help with our mental and physical wellbeing.

Think about the quote: “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito”. This invites a powerful conversation with children on the important role they play in their community. No matter what their age, they can make a difference.

Think about:

• What words come to mind when you think of the word: COMMUNITY?
• “What feelings come to mind when you think of the word, COMMUNITY?
• Can you think of someone in your neighbourhood who is an important part of your community?
• YOU are an important part of our community! Everyone brings different strengths, ideas, and perspectives. You are all so important and we are stronger together! Can you think of one quality, attribute, or strength of someone at home and at school that contributes to our community? For example, “Michael makes our community stronger by being a great leader!”

Canteen News

Please note that the canteen will be closed on Friday 25th October for Matthew Gibney Day so please do not place any lunch or recess orders for that date. Thank you.

Help Request for Matthew Gibney Day

One of our lovely parents, Michelle Steward, organises the wonderful morning tea for Matthew Gibney Day / Grandparents’ Day next Friday 25th October.

Michelle would love some help to prepare and cook the morning tea, help the Year 6’s with serving morning tea and then the clean up afterwards. Volunteers are required from 8am – 1pm but you do not have to stay for the whole time, just any time you can spare.

If Michelle could get 6 people on Friday morning from 8am, it would make the sandwich making and sausage roll cooking much easier. Please let either Michelle or Julie in the office know if you are available to help. Any help would very much be appreciated. Thank you.

Kindy have been learning the different ways we can represent numbers and what numbers come before and after a number. They have all been working so hard. Well done Kindy!

Purchase a membership of the Entertainment Book this month and get a FREE UPGRADE AND $20 WISH CARD!

Simply click HERE to Buy Now or scan the QR code below.

Our MJR focus for this week is the value of Giving.  The Gospel story this fortnight, was the Feeding of the 5000.  In this Gospel, we hear how Jesus responded to the needs of the people, both physically and spiritually.  Jesus gave the people what they needed.

This Gospel stories can speak to us on many levels.  Firstly, God wants us to know that he will provide even when it may not seem possible to us, and that he may also want to involve us (our time, our abilities, and so on) in the process of his provision. Are we aware, in this moment, of how much gratitude we owe God for his blessings in our lives?

Secondly, the young boy who gives Jesus his lunch, was able to meet the needs of so many.  What do we have, that God could use to provide for others.

As we approach Christmas, and we begin our St Vincent De Paul Christmas Appeal, please think of others, and give a little, so that many may have a joyous Christmas.

Enrol now at La Salle College

La Salle College is now taking enrolments for current Year 4 students starting Year 7 in 2027.

At La Salle College we offer a wide range of learning programs and academic pathways, as well as opportunities in a multitude of areas such as skill-based and work-based learning, music, arts, sport and extracurricular activities and clubs.

Our wonderful facilities and generous outdoor spaces, which includes Science Labs, Aquatic Centre with a 10-lane swimming pool, Performing Arts Centre with orchestra pit, Chapel, Trade and Skills Centre and a double court Sports Centre, provide an innovative and modern learning environment
that inspires our students to be the best they can be.

Every student is given the opportunity to succeed. We believe that education extends beyond the classroom, and we encourage our students to live out their faith and values in the service of others, whilst making a positive impact on the world in which they live. Through our teaching and learning, we aim to transform tomorrow’s hearts, minds and lives in all that we do.

If you would like to know more about our enrolments process or learning opportunities at La Salle
College please visit our website www.lasalle.wa.edu.au/enrolment or contact our College Enrolments team:
• Email 8770svc_enrol@cewa.edu.au
• Phone 9449 0601

With limited places available for Year 7 2027, we encourage you to make an enquiry today