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Dear Friends,
Welcome to Week 5! We began this week with a beautiful Prayer Celebration recognising the life and service of Mary MacKillop. It was also wonderful to share Mass together last Friday with St Peter and Paul for our Parish Feast Day. A special thak you to Emily Capper and Fr John for all their organisation and care. Kinder and Year 5 /6 gathered together on Tuesday for a class Mass at the Parish, and it was a proud moment when some of the parishioners commented to our staff at how reverent our students were during this. Fr John also made mention of our students in the Parish Bulletin as follows:
"Earlier today I gathered with our two parish school communities for two Masses at St Peter & Paul, Garran (firstly with the infants and later the primary students). The prayerfulness of the students was a credit to them and a reflection of the commitment of their teachers and the beliefs and values of their homes. Children 'get it'. They can teach us a lot. "
LATEST CORRESPONDENCE FROM CATHOLIC EDUCATION OFFICE
Given the challenges currently faced in Greater Sydney and some regional areas of NSW, I
write to update you on the measures in place to manage the impacts of the pandemic across
our schools. Please be assured that the health and safety of students, families and staff is our
top priority.
Catholic Education's protocols and management within schools are based on NSW/ACT Health
advice and learnings over the past 18 months. Our schools continue to comply with the
requirements of Government and Health Authorities and these requirements are outlined on the
Catholic Education website.
I am confident we are well prepared in the event of heightened restrictions or a mandated
lockdown. These measures include processes to follow if a student, or staff member, tests
positive to the virus where any impacted school may close for a short period, while NSW/ACT
Health investigate the matter and the school is cleaned appropriately. Students and staff
identified as close contacts of a case will need to self-quarantine at home for 14 days. Any
decision to close a school will be based on NSW/ACT Health advice.
Catholic Education has been working with all our Principals to ensure each school's plan for
remote learning is ready to action should the need arise.
Parents and carers of children with an existing medical treatment plan may wish to review their
plan with their child's GP and notify the school if there is a change to the plan.
Where can I go for more information?
The community is urged to keep up-to-date through:
• Catholic Education website - updated daily as relevant to our System schools.
• NSW Health
• ACT Health
• The National Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
The current situation can have a negative impact on our mental health and wellbeing. If you are
looking for further information and support about mental wellbeing in the context of COVID-19 for
your family, you may wish to explore the following dedicated resources:
- Beyond Blue - Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service
- Headspace in Schools information for young people
- Information for young people
- Information for family and friends
- How to Cope with Stress related to COVID-19 (Information for young people)
- Responding to Family Conflict
- Balancing Online Schooling and Working from home
Further to these supports, Catholic Education provides a student counselling service to our
schools. You can explore whether school counselling might be of benefit for your child by first
speaking with your child's teacher, school Principal or relevant pastoral staff member.
It is our hope that our students, staff and our school communities remain safe as we continue to
navigate these challenging times. We are mindful there is still potential for considerable
disruption to school life due to the pandemic, and Catholic Education will continue to prioritise
the safety of our school communities. Should the need arise, teaching and learning will
continue for all students following the success of remote learning implemented last year. We
will continue to work with Principals and school leadership teams to communicate with you as
developments occur.
Yours sincerely
Ross Fox
Please also note, if ACT were to go into lock down, Catholic Schools in the ACT will be granted two pupil free days to prepare and enable families opportunity to adjust. With these two days, we will be offering care for essential and emergency workers' children at both our ELC and Kidsbiz.
We wish Isabelle M every success tonight at the semi final of Rostrum. We also look forward to celebrating tomorrow morning our Term 3, Week 5 awards winners .
Philippa
Philippa Brearley
Email: philippa.brearley@cg.catholic.edu.au
Father’s Day stall
The Holy Trinity Fathers’ Day stall will be held this year on Friday 3rd September. For those not familiar with the concept, we host a mini-stall and present a selection of gifts for the students to ‘buy’ – each student can choose something special to take home for their dad as a surprise.
In previous years, we asked each family to donate a gift but to make things easier for everyone, this year the P&F will procure all the gifts for the stall. We ask you to contribute $5 per child via Qkr! which goes towards the cost of the gifts and a donation to the L'Archce Foundation. Every year the Father’s Day stall donates all profits to this terrific local charity, who provide people with intellectual disabilities the support they need to lead fulfilling and empowered lives.
We understand some families in our community might be experiencing financial hardship and we want to assure those families that all children will be invited to participate in the Father’s Day stall irrespective of payment. No child will be excluded.
If you are in a position to donate a ‘gift’ for a less fortunate family in our community, we would be thrilled - it’s as easy as making an additional contribution via Qkr!. The Father's Day Stall is under the 'Holy Trinity P&F' tab in Qkr!.
Also, we require a number of Mother helpers to assist with the stall between 8.30am-11.30am on Friday 3rd September. If you can volunteer, please call or text
Kim Beaumont on 0409 746 939.
Obstacool Update
Unfortunately, due to COVID19 restrictions in NSW, we will need to postpone Obstacool which had been scheduled to occur in Week 9. The new date for Obastacool is 5th November (Week 5, Term 4) and we look forward to having a fabulous fun-filled day with the kids!
Jenny Van de Meeberg
P and F President
Jenny Van de Meeberg
Email: htpspfpresident@gmail.com
The language of respectful relationships
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
This reply to playground name-calling has been taught to children by generations of parents. While the sentiments are true, it demonstrates how destructive language can be when it’s used to hurt or humiliate.
Name-calling dehumanises the child or young person on the receiving end, making it easier for a perpetrator to bully, put down or abuse. The language of bullying and sexual abuse is deliberately vague and generalised making it easier to hurl insults about gender or ethnicity. It’s much harder to insult someone when real names are used as it becomes personal.
Bullying uses language that dehumanises. Respectful relationships has its own language, and it’s through this language that respect is shown, and personal safety and integrity are assured.
Parents can help children and young people to develop the language of respectful relationships in the following ways:
Use first or preferred names
The sound of a person’s name respectfully spoken is music to the listener’s ears. Teach kids to refer to other people by their first or preferred name. If a relative prefers to be called aunt or uncle rather than by their first name, then out of respect, encourage children and young people to adjust their language accordingly, even though you may not subscribe to such formalities. Politeness is respect in action.
Differentiate between behaviour and the person
It’s incorrect to define a child’s character through their poor behaviour. A child who tells lies is frequently called a liar, someone who steals is often labelled a thief, or someone who inadvertently shares secrets is deemed untrustworthy. In sporting parlance, focusing on the behaviour rather than on the person teaches kids about to play the ball, not the person. It may sound like splitting hairs but the focus on character traits rather than on a person’s behaviour is hurtful, often degrading, and leads to resentment rather than change.
Call out disrespectful behaviour
The standard of behaviour you ignore is the standard of behaviour you accept. Disrespectful behaviour needs to be called out by adults so kids learn that bullying, racism and other forms of disrespectful language are not acceptable. When discussing the behaviour and character of friends, fictional characters in books and personalities on film differentiate between the behaviour and the person, calling out the use of negative labels when you hear them. It’s easy to ignore disrespectful language when you hear it, but this one area where a consistent approach by adults is critical.
Frame behaviour as a choice
Framing behaviour as a choice is an essential respectful relationships strategy that needs to be reinforced for children and young people. “That’s a smart/good/helpful choice!” is the type of response kids should repeatedly hear, reinforcing that their behaviour is a result of choice rather than driven by others, circumstances, or emotion. Personal choice negates the idea that somehow other people or circumstances determine behaviour, or become convenient scapegoats for all types of abuse and disrespectful behaviour . “She/he made me do it” just doesn’t wash in a civilised society.
Develop a wide vocabulary
Build a wide vocabulary of terms essential to respectful relationships. Terms such as safety, choice, respect, acceptance, tolerance, love, likeable and host of others should be familiar to kids as well as phrases that emphasise fair and respectful treatment of others in all types of environments.
In closing
Respect is shown not only through the treatment of others but through the language kids use every day. By focusing on the language of respect you are laying the basis for kids to enjoy respectful relationships both now and in the future.
(Source: Parentingideas.com.au)
Upcoming Webinar For Parents
We're excited to offer a webinar presented by Dr Kristy Goodwin about developing healthy digital habits. We have benefited from working with Kristy before and can recommend her as a highly engaging and knowledgeable communicator in this field. This webinar is offered free of charge to our parent community. If you are interested, please register via the instructions on the flyer below.
Heidi White
Email: Heidi.white@cg.catholic.edu.au
The Overdrive eBook company has developed a child-friendly eBook reading APP named SORA. SORA has over 30 000 age-appropriate books and 3000 plus age-appropriate audio books available to download and read.
SORA is designed for children and has easy-to-use vertical screen options, attractive on-screen promotions, easily accessible statistics on reading completed, and rewards for reading.
SORA has been operational and widely used at Holy Trinity since 2019. SORA is easy for you and your children to access and is set up in age group stages - your children can only borrow books that are within certain age groups. SORA is a resource that is funded by Catholic Education.
You can login to Sora with your child’s normal CENet login – used at school to login to our CE network.
For those that don't have a CENet login (particularly the lower grades), class teachers will get these out to you in the next week. So please be patient.
Below is an easy 'How to Guide' to download SORA – (perfect for those with limited IT skills).
Book Week Celebrations @ HT:
Last Friday the Holy Trinity Book Club members invited Kinder and Year 1 children to the library at lunch time to do some group reading and complete a few Book Week activities. We had about 20 guests come along, and all had a great time. Below are a few photos from the session. We will be having a session each Friday during Book Week celebrations – an announcement comes over the PA with the Friday morning announcements.
Happy Days,
Kate Mertz
Email: kate.mertz@cg.catholic.edu.au
Sports News
Good Luck to all the students who will be representing Holy Trinity at the South West track and field carnival next Wednesday.
Camille Gerbich
Email: Camille.gerbich@cg.catholic.edu.au
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Students celebrating their birthdays this week: Week 5: Owen W, Georgia E, Izabel L, Ema L, Hollie D, Romeo B, Christian N, Seren G, Sierra J, Olivia M |
It’s been so long, we’re glad to be back!
School vacuuming is here again. After a COVID pause last year and a spluttering start this year, the vacuum roster kicks off next Wednesday.
Thank you for all those who volunteered. We have six teams rostered on a Wednesday fortnightly basis for the rest of the school year. Your team leader will be in touch when it’s close to your turn.
This is a valuable, long-running service to the school community. And a simple way for parents to make a contribution, demanding only a couple of nights each year.
The first team is as follows:
Stephen Carberry 0418 777 203
Tim Graham
Paul Cains
Elisa Thompson
Elizabeth Spence
Thanks,
Paul Osborne (Vacuum Coordinator and Year 5 Dad)
Paul Osborne - Holy Trinity P and F
Phone: 0407519473
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