Dear families,

We finally find ourselves at the end of a difficult term. I hope the next fortnight re-energises you all, especially with the introduction of new freedoms from today. The sunshine will certainly help lift our moods, I’m sure.

Our teachers have worked incredibly hard to provide personalised care for every student and I know from speaking to many of you, that anyone who has approached their child’s teacher for more or different programming has received this.  I thank our teachers and support staff who have gone above and beyond for our students.
I also thank the staff who have attended onsite over this remote learning period, our own frontline workers, who too have gone beyond what was required to help the children of essential workers as well as the most vulnerable in our community.

Finally, I extend my thanks to you, who I know have done your best in the most trying of circumstances. I only have one child and I know how trying this has been at times, as an educator, but mostly as a parent. Relationships have frayed at times, especially with no breathing space between family members stuck at home. Motivation and engagement has peaked and hit rock bottom; sometimes multiple times on the same day.
Thank you for all you do for your children and for helping support our school program during this time. You are not alone. Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out.  There is always something we can do to alleviate some of your concerns.

Over the last few weeks, teachers have dabbled in a few new things online in an effort to try and re-inject some energy as we progressed closer to the end of term. I’d be interested to hear from you regarding what you think your child has enjoyed or what has worked well or not so well for your child and for your family. I reiterate that there will never be an overall program that suits every child and family, which is why we offer individualised support where necessary. Please feel free to jot down some thoughts and send them through to me at sriccardi@smaltona.catholic.edu.au 

NAPLAN reports have been mailed out to families in Year 3 and 5 today. If you have any questions about your child’s report, please initially direct them to your child’s teacher as they will be best placed to discuss your child’s progress. 

In this week’s Community News, Fr Michael has written a letter to the community, requesting feedback around proposals for the future of the Parish and its surrounding land. I encourage you to take the time to read this letter and send your feedback to Fr Michael. Details on how to do this are included in the letter.

Finally, I ask that you keep the Rose family in your prayers. Thomas’ grandfather (1/2G), George’s father, passed away on Tuesday. We pray the Lord keeps him in his loving embrace. May he rest in peace.

On a final note, we have a little surprise coming out in the 2nd week of the holidays. We have missed you all so much, we wanted to create a little message for you. Look out for a special Seesaw post coming out on Monday 27 September.

Have a wonderful break and continue to stay safe,

Sonia

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As parents, we often put our needs at the bottom of a never-ending to-do list. But burnout creeps up when we stop checking in with ourselves. We say, “I’m fine!” until suddenly we’re not. In this article, Six Ways to Deal with Parental Burnout, a year and a half into the pandemic, exhausted parents need healing. Kendra Wilde, a mother of three, explains how parents can move beyond burnout.

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October is Mental Health Awareness month and the Werribee Hospital Foundation are encouraging the community to get moving and look after their mental health by participating in 5KOKchallenge. Click for information on how to register!

This novel appeal is simple and fun, and everyone can participate. It’s as easy as 1,2,3!

1. Register your details at www.whf.org.au or https://bit.ly/3sLMd3f and get ready to move for 5k’s for 5 days in the month of October.  Run, walk, ride, roll, swim or something else. It can be a casual stroll or try to beat your personal best.
2. Once registered, share your personalised online page with family and friends & help them support positive metal health initiatives in our community.
3. Start your tracker and get moving!  Take a photo at the end share your achievement. Be proud and upload a photo of your tracker and/or yourself with a big smile using #whf5kok

Kick back and be proud of yourself for keeping active and knowing that you've helped support something great.

100% of donations are attributed to supporting our community’s mental health services.

 

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This weeks Community News has our Annual Report, a letter from Father Michael, as well as our Church Bulletin, a joint message from The Holy See, news from our local secondary school; Emmanuel College, and Cricket Club registration information!

Letter from Father Michael 

Annual Report

Church Bulletin

Emmanuel College News

The Holy See Joint Message

Now We're Talking - On site tutoring available 

Social Skills Group Program

Altona Jnr. Cricket Club Registration info

Seabrook Cricket Club Registration info

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Self-care isn't selfish, it's essential. No-one's perfect. But so often we compare our insides to other people's outsides. This month we're encouraging everyone to be kinder to themselves (as well as others), especially when things go wrong.
Self-care increases our resilience and helps us get more out of life. It also helps us accept others as they are too. 

Take a look at the Action for Happiness: Self-care September calendar for some great ideas about how you can show yourself a little extra care.

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Looking for fun and engaging activities you can do at home? Here’s a list of ideas from around the world to keep kids of all ages – and adults – entertained and engaged.

  They are grouped loosely into age-appropriate content, however, you’ll find some will suit varying ages, so be sure to check them all out.

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My name is Alessandra Sottile and I teach Physical Education (PE) at St Marys. I have recently also started to teach in 1/2N. I am so thankful for the warm welcome I have had at St Marys! 

 

I graduated from RMIT in 2019, after studying Health and Physical Education. In my first teaching round at uni, I grew a strong love for teaching primary PE and soon discovered that I wanted to teach in a primary setting. 

I enjoy travelling and going camping and in my spare time I enjoy going for bike rides and creating clay ceramics (pottery). 

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