Assistant Principal's Message
Dear Parents, Carers and the St Joseph’s Community,
Social and Emotional Learning
This fortnight my focus in the classrooms is on self-regulation. Self-regulation is a key life skill and essential to navigating the stressors in life. Mastering self-regulation empowers us to respond to and not react to other people, stress and life’s bigger challenges. Providing children with self-regulatory processes empowers them to become more self-aware, emotionally literate and able to build a toolbox of strategies, including the ability to ask for help. There are 5 steps in the self-regulation process:
- Identify the emotion, feeling and body state that we don’t like
- Choose how you would like to feel
- Identify what you need to feel better
- Initiate action
- Evaluate if this worked
Kids Committee
Today I met with our new Kids Committee for 2020. Our representatives for this semester are Claire A, Madeline O, Jack, Gianluca P, Mary C, Maddison D, Scarlett P, Lily P, Reese M, Adam S, Josh O, Amy D, Chloe C and Tom O. The group came up with a set of expectations for playing safely and fairly in our amazing brand-new sandpits.
Coronavirus
In contrast to SARS and Swine, where most people were quite unwell if infected, the impact of Coronavirus on children and healthy adults can be quite mild yet highly infectious. Upon directive given by Catholic Education on advice from the Health Department, all parents are strongly encouraged to keep children who are unwell at home, until coughs, sneezes and any fevers subside. To assist with maintaining St Joseph’s as a safe environment to come to school and to work, appropriate safe hygiene practices will be encouraged and demonstrated. Proper handwashing along with covering coughs and sneezes are key to limiting the spread of infection and bacteria. These techniques are being modelled explicitly to students and displayed around the school. You can remain informed via updates issued by the Australian Government Department of Health - COVID-19 Updates.
Supporting Our Friends
As a way to help in some small way, we have reached out to our friends at St Joseph’s in Bombala, to offer assistance to support the students as they return to some normality after a very difficult summer. As you can see in the pictures, it has been a very confronting experience for them in Bombala. On 24 March, all the students of St Joseph’s Bombala are heading to Jindabyne Sport and Rec for a ‘Day Out’, just to give them an opportunity to have some fun. We would like to assist with the costs for this day, by having our own ‘Day In’ here at St Joseph’s on Friday 27 March. More information will be sent out soon, but it will be a uniform-free day and we will do some different fun activities in the middle session. We will also ask for donations that will go directly to St Joseph’s Bombala, to support their community.
Shave for a Cure
Josie S and Tom F from Year 5 have been busy raising money to donate to the Leukemia Foundation. To date, they have collectively raised just over $1000. On Friday, they will have their heads shaved at school as part of the World’s Greatest Shave. Students are invited to watch the shave at Second Break and bring in a gold coin to buy an icy pole. All proceeds will go straight towards Tom and Josie’s campaign to make a stand against blood cancer. Don’t ‘shave’ your money for later, get on board and help support these inspiring students!
Readers from the P&F
Thank you to the P&F and all those in our community who helped with the Enlighten Cake Stall earlier in the month by cooking cakes, donating lollies or helping on the night. It raised almost $600, which has already gone directly to assist with the purchase of new decodable readers for Foundation and Year 1. Thank you everyone!
After School Hours Care (OSHC) Survey
We are currently in the process of following guidelines from Catholic Education to procure/renew our agreement with an external After School Hours Care provider. Cameron and I, along with Pip, Nichole and Kieran from the School Board have formed an OSHC Review committee and are working to get this process underway. As part of the tender process, we would like to know what you believe are the important elements required in a successful and engaging After School Hours Care program. By taking 5 minutes to complete the below survey, you can ensure that your ideas become part of the tender process.
I hope you have an enjoyable end to the week.
Yours in Christ,
Amy Doszpot
Assistant Principal
