The HOPE we have in Jesus Christ

Brings LOVE into our heart

And when we know the JOY of Jesus

His PEACE He will impart

Dear Friends, 

The last few Mondays we have been gathering together as a community in the hall to share in Advent Prayer celebrations.  These have been such reverent and prayerful occasions together-  a wonderful way to reflect on the coming of Jesus and the significance of Christmas time. 

Last Saturday night, our school choir and many of our families attend the annual "Carols on the Block".  A huge thank you to Campbell Sloane and Tiffany Fletcher  who organised the choir and assisted with the BBQ.  A wonderful event for our school and for the community in Curtin. 

Next Thursday afternoon I will be emailing each family with their child/ren's class list for 2020.  As you can all well appreciate, the task of formulating class lists is enormous and much time over the past four weeks has been given to this. Every care has been taken to ensure that your child is placed in the best situation to enhance their learning and social development. Perhaps your child may not get into the class they want or be with the friends they want to be with.  I do not know how many times a child or parent has been apprehensive about a teacher, or class placement, only to find that they have had a great year.  Life is full of challenges and a big part of this is learning to deal with a range of people, whether it be children or adults.  It is about building resilience that can be used in later life. How your child responds to the news of their class teacher for 2020 will largely depend on your own response. If your child sees you being positive and encouraging, they may also then be confident and optimistic about 2020. 

Children will be notified of their teacher for 2020 next Tuesday afternoon at our "Meet the Teacher afternoon" (sometimes referred to as 'One Up" afternoon).  New students from Year 1-6 will also visit from 2-3pm for this session. Staff placements for 2020 are as follows: 

Principal: Philippa Brearley

Assistant Principal, PYP Coordinator: Katie Smith 

REC: Emily Capper

PYP Coordinator: Brendon Pye

ELC Director: Cushla Sheehan

Office Managers: Beulah Jud-Brettingham, Penny Ford, Catherine Cusack

Office Manager ELC: Liz Bulley

Library: Kate Mertz (Tuesday - Friday) Simon Bugden (Monday)

Italian: Antonija Rover  (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) 

Music: Tiffany Fletcher (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,) 

ICT Coordinator: Beck Casey 

Classroom Support Teachers: Jane Foley, Brendon Pye

Classroom Support Assistants: Jennifer Ulmer, Penny Ford, Catherine Cusack

ELC Ground Parrots: Justine Angus, Lucy Washington

ELC Black Cockatoos: Jarrah Chapman, Rachel Lipscombe

ELC Rock Wallabies: Mary-Anne Winchester, Antonia Matthew

ELC ASC Coordinator: Sarah James

KR: Trina Twyford 

KG: Caitlin Meany 

KW: Michael Feerick

1R: Alexandra Mathewson

1G: Tracey Hanlon / Rose Lee (Friday)

1W: Heidi White

2R:  Meg Millband

2G: Angela Small, Katie Smith (Friday)

3/4 R: Melissa Leach

3/4 G: Catherine Joy

3/4 B: Lisa Binutti-Wilson, Brendon Pye (Friday)

3/4 W: Campbell Sloane

5/6 R: Mel Punyer

5/6 B: Emily Capper, Simon Bugden (Tuesday, Wednesday)

5/6 G: Rebecca Casey, Kate Lategui (Wednesday)

5/6 W: Camille Gerbich

Much excitement has been shared amongst the school this week practising our Nativity Play to be presented on Friday- 12pm Matinee and 5:30pm night session.  After the 5:30pm concert, we will be sharing together a BBQ dinner, kindly organised by the P and F.  We  look forward to sharing this special night with you all.

Today each family will be receiving their  2019 Year Book-  a wonderful culmination and celebration of all the learning and events that have happened throughout the year.  A HUGE thank you yet again, to Maria Gagetti and Katie Smith, who spent much time collating this and publishing the book. 

With every best wish for a holy and peace-filled week ahead with your beautiful families,

Philippa

Upcoming Dates

Week 9

• Friday 13th Dec - 12pm: Nativity Play
• Friday 13th Dec - 5:30pm: Nativity Play followed by Community BBQ

Week 10

• Monday 16th Dec - 9:15am: Year 1 Advent Prayer Celebration - Peace
• Wednesday 18th Dec - 12pm: Graduation and End of Year Mass
• Thursday 19th Dec - All Day: Cotter Picnic Day - Last Day of School for 2019

Managing screentime during the holidays

An excerpt from https://www.familyzone.com/au/families/blog/5-tips-to-manage-screentime

Family Zone's resident blogger and mum of two, Jess, shares her tips on managing screentime these school holidays.

1. Set routines and boundaries

‘If you already have routines and boundaries during the school term, keep these going during the school holidays. By keeping to the same routine, kids won’t fall into bad habits when they have more time to use their devices,’ Jess explains.

2. Take them out of the house

‘Time permitting, arrange some family fun days outside the home. Take them somewhere new or even somewhere they usually love going. By distracting them and placing them in a new environment, they won’t even think about wanting to use their devices.’

3. Provide some activities that don’t involve screens

‘Painting, drawing, reading, board games, building a fort, baking a cake... the list goes on. What did your kids enjoy doing before they ever got an iPad or smartphone? Tap into what they enjoy doing outside of YouTube, gaming or social media to keep them entertained.’

4. Moderate device use

‘Like everything in life, moderation is key. We try and make sure our family routine consists of a range of healthy and sensory activities, encouraging lots of physical, creative and sensory play,’ says Jess.

5. Appropriate apps

‘Help your child make good app choices. There are so many fun educational apps, that your child won’t even know they’re learning. In addition, they develop important skills like hand-eye coordination, early literacy, building relationships and more.  The internet is a wonderful resource for them when used safely and I encourage parents to "co-play" or get involved with their child’s use of technology as much as possible. This will keep them connected as a family but also allow you to ensure their app choices are safe and healthy.'

By Jessica Hill, Family Zone

Regards,

Rebecca Casey

rebecca.casey@cg.catholic.edu.au