RELIGIOUS DIMENSION: LEADERSHIP NEWS

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1 Thursday 15th June 2017/ Issue 10 St Brigid s Catholic School acknowledges the Kaurna people as the traditional custodians of the land upon which our school is situated. LEADERSHIP NEWS Paul Bennett Principal Gennaro Mannella Acting Principal Angela De Nadai Acting Deputy Principal Andrea White APRIM We welcome back Paul Bennett next week after returning from study leave. We look forward to him sharing his insights with us as we move forward with our master plan and ELC development. On behalf of the school community we wish to thank Angela De Nadai for her thoughtful and significant contribution to the life of our school as Acting Deputy Principal in Paul's absence. We wish her well as she returns to her own school community knowing that she will take a little bit of the St. Brigid's love and care in her experience with us. RELIGIOUS DIMENSION: June 18, 2017 The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Cycle A: John 6:51-58 Jesus says, I am the living bread. This Sunday we celebrate a second solemnity during this period of Ordinary Time in the liturgical calendar. This day is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. It was once called Corpus Christi, which is Latin for Body of Christ. In the revised Lectionary the name for this day is expanded to reflect more completely our Eucharistic theology. Sunday's Gospel is taken from the Gospel according to John. The reading is part of a discourse between Jesus and a crowd of Jews. The discourse comes shortly after the miracle of Jesus multiplication of the loaves and fishes. In John s Gospel, miracles such as this are identified as signs through which people come to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. These signs are followed by dialogue, or discourse that interprets and explains the miracle. In John s Gospel, Jesus multiplication of the loaves is said to have occurred near Passover, thus linking it to the Exodus story and God s saving action toward the Israelites. Having seen Jesus multiply the loaves and fishes, the crowd pursues him, perhaps seeking more food but also looking for another sign. Jesus tells the crowd that he is the bread of life. He explains that just as God gave the Israelites manna to sustain them in the desert, so now God has sent new manna that will give eternal life. It is in this context that Jesus repeats those words in today s Gospel and tells them again that he is the living bread that came down from heaven. Jesus words are not well understood by the crowd; they argue that Jesus is not from heaven but born of Mary and Joseph. The crowd also has trouble understanding how Jesus could give them his flesh to eat. Jesus tells them that when they eat his flesh and drink his blood, they will remain forever connected to him. These are difficult words, but they are important because they seek to show us our intimate connection with Jesus. This is the mystery that is at the heart of our Eucharistic theology. In the elements of bread and wine, Jesus Body and Blood are truly present. When we share in the Body and Blood of Christ, Jesus himself comes to dwell within us. This communion with the Lord makes us one body, brings us eternal life, and sends us forth to be Christ s Body in the world. (adapted from Sunday Connection, Loyola Press). CARITAS CUP: Congratulations to the Brigid House Team who raised the most money and was presented the Caritas Cup at our last assembly. SACRAMENTAL CANDIDATES: The Sacramental Candidates are well on their way preparing to receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist in August. Banners are made, Saints are chosen now to learn more about the Eucharist.

2 LEARNING DIMENSION Soft Skills: In spite of what the title may suggest, less important qualities or skills, this is the term referring to a group of skills that are vital for learning, living and working in the 21 st century. On top of the functional academic skills of literacy and numeracy and the ability to acquire a range of knowledge, Soft Skills are those skills that help us navigate the day to day mire of communication and getting along with one another. They allow us to adapt to new situations, connect with people we don't know and undertake new experiences and develop new skills in the work place. Each discipline or endeavour has its own set of unique skills, but soft skills allow us to articulate and bring those skills to life. These include; collaboration, teamwork, problem solving, creativity, critical thinking, citizenship, character, communication, emotional intelligence and ethical considerations. These are the skills that will not only help our children get the jobs of the future, but help create healthier and happier communities. ADMINISTRATIVE DIMENSION Reports: Your child's teachers have been busy writing reports that reflect the learning which has taken place over the last semester. If you have been in communication about their learning then there should be no surprises about the level at which your child is at. We reiterate that your child's learning is a partnership between home and school and always encourage you to seek clarification about how your child is progressing. Reports will be distributed in Week 10 of this term. Cyber Bullying: As a Leadership team, we are increasingly receiving requests from parents to deal with issues that have arisen through social media involving their children outside of school. Often it is on weekends where children may have more alone time or when they are at gatherings with friends, that children are more vulnerable. The details usually involve explicit language, threatening remarks or reference to exclusion from the social group to which they belong. As a school, we have no control over how our students conduct themselves in the digital world outside of school hours we can only provide the appropriate information and modelling of accepted social media or digital etiquette. By law, children under the age of 13 are not allowed to use a large number of known social media sites or Apps. However, if you choose to allow your child to do so, then we ask that you speak with your child about their conduct when communicating in the digital world. The implications as we know can be quite serious. To support and further educate our children in Years 4 7 in this area, we will be inviting speakers in this field from SAPOL to speak with students. Your permission will be required but we encourage you to support this endeavor. RAN Training: Further to the information provided in the last newsletter, please find the link for the online training below: It is a requirement that all volunteers undertake the reporting abuse and neglect (RAN) training alongside their police clearance documentation. This can be done online or by attending one of the scheduled RAN training sessions at the school. Information about face to face sessions will be advertised separately. COMMUNITY DIMENSION Pastoral Care: Our pastoral care team has provided information about the Storm Birds Program attached to this newsletter. This is a program that supports students who have experienced natural disaster trauma. Parent Teams: The 5c Challenge Fundraiser is coming to a close. Please support this fun way of getting rid of those annoying coins in the bottom of purses and pocket money raised will go towards our Playground Shade project. Entertainment Books: Orders can be taken through the office or online. This is a great fundraiser for the school as well as a great way to save across a range of dining, shopping and accommodation. Community Dollars: Gawler Drake Foodland tags are available at the Office. If you shop at Foodland please take one of these tags. Two cents in every dollar will go towards purchase credits for the school. Children and Anxiety (Mrs Angela De Nadai) I was at a conference where Angela Davis, clinical psychologist, spoke to the audience about anxiety in children. This was very informative session learning about the role of the Amygdala in the brain and how it contributes to anxiety, the warning signs and implications for behaviour and learning. I also took note of some strategies regarding the management of anxiety. This may be of some help also for parents. Some ways which may help to manage anxiety in children are: Look for the early warning signs Slow breathing, drink water Short breaks Distract from immediate issue then refocus Assist your child to put things in perspective Ask your child - What am I worried about, What is the evidence, What is my calm thought. On a final note I would like to express my gratitude to the staff and community who have supported me in the role of Acting Deputy while Mr Bennett has been on leave. Thank you to Mr Mannella and staff for warmly accepting me as part of the team, I have enjoyed the opportunity to learn and grow in this role. Getting to know and journeying with the students who strive every day to be their best has been a highlight of my time at St Brigid s. It has been a privilege to work with the staff and serve the community and I wish you every blessing for the remainder of the year. Mrs Angela De Nadai Mark Your Calendar - Important Dates WEEK 8 Mon 19 th June 7.00pm School Board Meeting Tues 20 th June 11.40am - Class 3/4 Liturgy Frid 23 rd June Yr 6 History Excursion Yr 7 Soccer Carnival WEEK 9 Tues 27 th June 11.40am - Reception B Liturgy Wed 28 th June pm - Mark Le Messurier Workshop

3 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

4 SPORT NEWS/OPPORTUNITIES

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7 I enjoyed tye dying which was really fun with Mrs Kennedy. I like making wooden cars because it was fun to paint them.

8 I enjoyed working with all different ages of people. I liked doing candles because we got to make our own and I liked doing Mandala Stones because the patterns were cool. I enjoyed doing Geocaching I liked using the cool app. I like doing Spy Kids and it was fun looking for the What a great celebration of learning and being your best at St. Brigid s. A big thank you to all the staff, parent volunteers and children who helped make Grow Your Mind Day 2017 such a success.

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12 Expression of Interest Booking form Mark Le Messurier PARENT EDUCATION SEMINARS NAME: Phone Number: TOPIC: Setting up for SUCCESS series The SECRET of Behavioural Change in Kids Wednesday 28th June, from 7pm to 8.30pm. St Brigid's Catholic School, EVANSTON No. of people attending: TOPIC: Setting up for SUCCESS series Practical ideas to build healthy, resilient young people Wednesday 9 th August, from 7pm to 8.30pm. St Brigid's Catholic School, EVANSTON No. of people attending: