Dear Friends,

Australian Primary Principals Day:

As some of you might have been aware, Friday 2 August was Australian Primary Principals’ Day. According to the Australian Primary Principals Association website, this day “is an opportunity for school communities to recognise the work done by Principals and Deputies.” The website further notes that “[o]ur school leaders shoulder so much responsibility for the development of Australia’s children that we really should give them a round of applause from time so here’s an opportunity.” At our School Board meeting last week, the Board took the opportunity of the Australian Primary Principals’ Day to recognize Philippa Brearley’s outstanding leadership, commitment and care, and gave her a round of applause on behalf of our School community. We are truly blessed to have Philippa as our Principal and we thank her for all she does for our children and our School community.

School Board Positions in 2020:

At the recent School Board meeting we also identified that there will likely be a small number of positions becoming available on the School Board in 2020. As such, we would like to invite any parent interested in being on the School Board to complete a nomination form, a copy of which can be found here. This nomination form also includes an explanation of the role of the School Board; so please take a moment to have a read about this role if you are interested. I am also very happy to speak to anyone who might be interested in submitting a nomination. If you would like to contact me, please feel free to email me at sbpearsall@gmail.com and we can make a time to speak.

If you would like to submit a nomination, please complete the requisite form and return it to Philippa (via the front office, or by email) by 30 August 2019.

Wishing you all the very best.

Scott

Dear Parents/carers,

Thank you so much again to all those who come into our school and volunteer their time.  I thought it may be timely to remind volunteers about requirements to hold a current WWVP (Working With Vulnerable People) card when in the school with students present. 

As you would all know, a requirement of volunteering at the school is that any volunteers must hold a current Working With Vulnerable People (WWVP) card, the details of which must be provided to the school (front office) to be held on file.  A recent audit of the current records held by the school show a large number of volunteers have either not provided the WWVP details to us, have expired cards, or no card at all.  Parents who do not hold a current WWVP card are unable to volunteer in the school. Fines of up to $7000 may be granted to those without a WWVP card if we were audited. i.e. we were visited and a spot check done as all volunteers must have the WWVP card on them. 

 Can I ask that all volunteers check that they:

1. have a current WWVP card;
2. have provided the front office with a copy (we require a copy of both the front and the back of the card);
3. ensure you have this card on you when you are at the school.

For volunteers there is no cost for applying for a card or for renewing an expired card.

If you do not hold a WWVP card, you can apply for one online using the below link.

https://form.act.gov.au/smartforms/servlet/SmartForm.html?formCode=1318

If your card has expired, you can renew it online via the below link:

https://rego.act.gov.au/regosoawicket/public/renewal/WwvpOnlineRenewalPage?0

Thank you so much for your help with this and thank you again for all you do to help us here at school, it is very much appreciated.

Philippa

The Assumption Of The Blessed Virgin Mary 

Today we gathered as Parish for The Assumption of The Blessed Virgin Mary. The assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven has long been held as an important Catholic belief. The belief was not defined as dogma, however, until 1950 by Pope Pius XII. The dogma teaches that Mary, who was without sin, was taken, body and soul, into the glory of heaven. Today’s Gospel highlights Mary's faith. Mary's faith enabled her to recognise the work of God in her people's history and in her own life. Her openness to God allowed God to work through her so that salvation might come to all. Mary is a model and symbol of the Church. May we be like Mary, open and cooperative in God's plan.

Global School Partners

On Friday we welcomed Simon from Global School Partners to share the journey Holy Trinity has been on in supporting Evaland Hekima. This year we were lucky enough to present Simon a cheque for $3000! This money not only will provide the boarding students with new metal bedframes, it also shows our commitment to GSP, particularly to Evaland Hekima.

Transfiguration Youth Ministry

Please see the flyer below for the dates for TYG. We would love to see you there!

Important Dates

• Saturday 24^th August – Confirmation Presentation Mass: Supper provided by 3/4 families

• Monday 26^th August –Prayer Celebration KG

• Friday 30^th August – Father’s Day Prayer Celebration ELC

South Weston Cross Athletics

The South Weston Athletics Carnival is next week and will take place on Wednesday,  21 August. Families have been informed by email if their child has qualified. Permission forms are due by Friday, 16 August. On the day all the students will need to arrive 30 minutes prior to their event and check in at the Holy Trinity School Flag. Once their event/s are complete they can return to school.

We are still in need of extra helpers for the day. We are seeking volunteers to assist at the South Weston District Athletics Carnival on Wednesday 21^st August 2019.

It is a fantastic way to contribute to an important local sporting event and will no doubt help make the day successful for our young athletes.

We are looking for people who may be interested in supporting events (with clearly set guidelines to help familiarise yourself with rules) such as Shot Put, Long Jump, Discus or perhaps assisting in timekeeping roles, marshalling or even ribbon sorting. If you have any other skills that you feel might be useful, We’d love to hear from you.

Catholic Schools Netball Carnival

Rosary is delighted to host the 2019 Catholic Primary Schools Netball Carnival.

Venue: Tuggeranong Netball Association Courts, Were Street Calwell ACT 2905

Date:    Saturday, 19 October 2019

Registration Fees

A fee of $35 per competitor is required to enter the carnival. The registration fee includes a food voucher (a sandwich, a fruit drink, a piece of fruit and a bag of chips) per competitor. If your child has any dietary requirements, please ensure you let the school know on the registration form for catering purposes. Competitors will also receive information to assist them and their team in participating on the day.

In the event that the safety of participants is perceived as being placed at an unacceptable risk or the grounds are closed due to wet weather, the event will be cancelled. If this occurs, it is not practical to reschedule or refund team registration fees.

Whilst there will be plenty of netball, there will also be other activities on the day to keep the young at heart entertained. For your convenience, there will also be food stalls selling a range of sweet and savoury items so remember to bring some cash along on the day.

There will be several water refill stations around the grounds on the day, though we recommend each child brings along a drink bottle and plenty of water.  It is also advisable to bring a hat and sunscreen as it could be a warm spring day.

Rosary Primary School community is looking forward to hosting this exciting event for the primary schools of the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn. We hope to see many of our school communities at this fun-filled day.

Registrations close on Monday, 26 August 2019.

Click here to complete a Registration form. 

Obstacool Update

To date we have 42 forms returned with a sponsorship total of $2,488.

Week 1 winners of the raffle prizes were:

ELC – George H, Isla H, Jacob H.

Kinder Red – Phoebe C, Jasmine D, Juliette F.

1 Green – Juliana G, Emily M, Charlotte S, Justine T.

2 Green – Heidi C.

3/ 4 Green – Elizabeth F.

3/ 4 Red – Alexander C, Owen F, Alexander N.

5/6 Red – Eleanor C, Madeleine H.

5/6 White – Georgia N.

Remember to return your pledge booklet to earn a raffle ticket for a prize.

Protecting your child’s online privacy

by Colin Anson

From sharing pictures of a child’s first day at school to key moments at high school, many adults don’t consider the potential risks or breach of future privacy for kids. In fact, it is now become a ritual to announce the full name and date of birth of a child online within hours of them being born. This is just the beginning of a child’s digital footprint.

Although children are now ‘born digital’, exposure in the online world can present just as many risks as the physical world can pose. Images and identifying details can be used for numerous activities that put your child at risk, from stalking, to cyberbullying, identity theft, and even digital kidnapping.

The Australian eSafety Commission warns that half of all images on paedophile image-sharing sites originate from social media sites and blogs. Parents are responsible for protecting kids until they are old enough to make their own decisions about their online presence.

So, what can parents do?

Start by ‘thinking privacy’ before posting images of children online. You’ll be protecting their digital footprint and setting them up for a healthy relationship with the digital world.

Seek consent

Always ask others before sharing images of their children, even your family. Speak up about how you feel about images of your child being shared. When your child is old enough, ask them for consent, empowering them to understand they have a right to their privacy online. As they become teenagers, hopefully they will have more respect for what they post online and have confidence to speak to others about their consent guidelines.

Understand the settings

Check the settings of your social media channels to ensure your posts are not public. Speak to your friends and family about this and don’t be afraid to ask for help to get it right. If your child has social media channels of their own, go through the settings with them to minimise the risk of unwanted shares.

Think about the detail

Avoid including children’s identifiable details such as school badges, logos, uniforms, name tags or identifiable locations such as your home area or school. Alternatively, blur these details prior to posting.

Be selective

Create a simple checklist to help make decisions regarding posting online easy. What do you deem appropriate? Are you happy to share images of your children in swimwear? Do you want to avoid full-frontal face shots?

If your child is old enough, explain why you are selecting certain pictures and not sharing others. If you have a teenager who is sharing their own images, talk to them about what is appropriate and potential repercussions of not setting boundaries.

Remove metadata

Metadata on digital images records the time, date and GPS coordinates of where the photo was taken and can be accessed through shared images, and your sharing service may record your IP address. You can wipe this information with appropriate software or share screenshots of your photos to avoid metadata sharing. Screenshot sharing creates a lower resolution photo, so it’s less likely to be tampered with by a third party.

Think ‘privacy first’ to reduce many of the risks involved with image sharing. Have conversations with your children to instil this mentality; help them build empathy; and identify the steps for minimising risk whilst helping them build a healthy relationship with technology so they can become responsible digital citizens.

(Source: Parentingideas.com.au)

"I feel relaxed when I'm reading in my bedroom and listening to music while I'm doing my homework." Alessandra PS 3/4G

"I usually like reading in the sun with the sun on your back. I also like going to ballet and then going home afterwards to read a book in bed where it's nice and warm." Freya H 3/4G   

"I like relaxing by going to the beach and lying on the sand, listening to the waves." Owen A 3/4G

Throughout the year, students from Holy Trinity have been visiting residents of the local care facility, Fred Ward Gardens. During these visits, the students meet the residents, converse with them and enjoy some shared singing. The purpose of the visit is not to ‘perform’ but instead reach out to the residents through song with the intention of encouraging the residents to sing with them.

By singing together, our young people are able to connect with the residents through shared music making. Outreach singing visits are an authentic and powerful means of students taking action and making change in their community.

This term each of the Holy Trinity Kindergarten classes will be visiting the care facility supported by their year six buddy class. At the conclusion of the term every class in Holy Trinity Primary School will have been to visit the residents of Fred Ward Gardens.

In addition to our singing visits, this term a number of students from years two to five will be going to Fred Ward Gardens to read with residents in weeks four, six and eight. During each session students will read to the residents, discuss the text and explore ideas and concepts from the stories.

These weekly singing and reading visits provide opportunities for Holy Trinity students to develop important connections with a care facility in our local community and make a positive impact on the lives of the residents.

TERM 3, WEEK 5 - WED 21 AUG

Team Leader: Lana Eldridge, Dean Prail, Jason Woods, David/Athena Cains, Paul Cains, Dan Mossop