Dear Parents,

Our new garden spaces are well and truly open and a real hit with the children. Although the students are able to play and use the spaces, we still need to plant some small shrubs, paint the yarning circle and story poles and add a few extras before they will be completely finished. We are very pleased with the way they have enhanced our outside spaces. Funds for this venture were by way of a wellbeing grant that was allocated in 2018 as well a generous donation from the P&F Association. This is such a wonderful addition to our school and its surrounds.

Open Classrooms were held on Tuesday across the school and it was wonderful to see so many parents wandering around the school looking at the great work that is happening. The students are rightly proud of their achievements and this is an excellent way to showcase them.

Congratulations to Joey in Year 6 on being chosen to represent our school at the Rostrum quarter finals next Tuesday. Joey was chosen from a number of students in Years 5 and 6 in a school final held last week. He will speak on the topic ‘Pets as Therapy’. Good luck, Joey! Congratulations also to Lucy in Year 6 who was runner-up. St Bede’s is hosting the quarter final this year. At this event, Lucy will be chairperson and Sophie is timekeeper. This is a marvellous opportunity for our school and our students to collaborate with an outside agency who adjudicates this public speaking event.

Reports are coming home with your child/children next Friday, 28 June. The teachers have worked hard to ensure they have carried out thorough assessment for this reporting. Their comments truly reflect how well they know each and every child they teach. The reports are addressed to parents and therefore should not be opened by the children. I have also included a covering letter from me describing how and what we assess this semester.

As mentioned in my last message, during the winter months, the Library will open at lunchtime on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays so that the children have somewhere to go out of the cold. Activities such as board games, story time on the Think Screen, educational computer games and colouring are just some of the activities that will be offered during this time.

Our SPICE playgroup continues to be huge success and is a popular place on Friday mornings. In the last few weeks the area in the multi-purpose room has been full of mums, dads and bubs having a great time experimenting with a variety of activities, all of which the kids are thoroughly enjoying. A huge thank you to Jenny St George who not only organises Friday mornings but who puts extra work into the activities to make them special.

The sushi treat day last Friday was a huge success. For this reason and because we have quite a bit of food left over from hosting the regional Cross Country event, we are having a ‘Toastie Day’ next Friday, 28 June. Details on what is available will be up on ‘Flexischools’ by the beginning of next week.

We have been having a few issues with recess and lunch food recently. We have noticed that some students are bringing inappropriate food to school and some are also throwing it in rubbish bins because they don’t like what was packed. We are reinforcing at school that if children don’t like what is in their lunchbox, they need to take it home and have a conversation with parents around their needs. A balanced lunchbox is wonderful fuel to enhance learning during the day. This should include fresh fruit and a drink bottle that can be refilled during the day.

Have a lovely weekend

Regards

Julie Douglas