Project Compassion

As we wrap up a very busy term of learning and events, the Social Justice committee would like to thank everyone for their generosity for the ‘Project Compassion Giving Tree’. Coming into the final week of term, we invite you to come and see the wonderful growth of the tree sporting purple paper cranes for each family who have donated and encourage anyone still wishing to donate to do so before the term concludes.

The Social Justice Committee have also scheduled a special ‘Purple Pancake Relay Day’ next Thursday, 11 April. This will provide students an exciting and enriching opportunity to experience, not only the joy of sharing and giving, but insight into the daily journeys young people face to get basic necessities such as water for their families.

We would like to warmly invite all parents, grandparents and carers to our special Stations of the Cross Focus Assembly on the last day of term, Friday, 12 April at 12:00pm in the school hall. This is a time where we can prayerfully reflect on the sacrifice Jesus made for us and the joy of the resurrection.

We encourage all families to participate in the day by bringing either a towel and/or tea towel and headband to wear to help transform our sacred space.

Ben Macintyre

Acting Religious Education Coordinator

Chrism Mass, 7.30pm, 15 April

Second Rite of Reconciliation (Confessions), 7.30pm, 16 April

Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7.30pm, 18 April

Good Friday, The Lord’s Passion, 3pm, 19 April

Easter Vigil, 7.30pm, 20 April

Easter Sunday Masses, 8am, 11am and 5.30pm, 21 April

St Peter Chanel’s Church, Yarralumla

Good Friday, Stations of the Cross, 10am, 19 April

Easter Sunday Mass, 9.30am, 21 April

South Weston 12 & Under Regional Swimming Carnival

Fourteen St Bede’s students are representing the school at the South Weston 12 and Under regional swimming carnival today at the AIS pool. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to represent at the next level of competition. We wish them well competing in this event.

Athletics

Next Wednesday is our annual Athletics Carnival to be held at Woden Athletics Track.  All students from Kinder to Year 6 participate in this wonderful event. The children will travel to and from by bus departing school at 9.30 and returning at 2pm. Please ensure that permission notes are returned by tomorrow. Those who have volunteered to assist on the day will be time keepers and will be briefed at the track before the events begin. All parents and family members are most welcome to come and watch. See you there!

Capital Football ALDI MiniRoos Holiday Clinics

Qualified coaches will guide players through fun and football relevant activities and games which are stimulating and challenging for all involved. 

Ages: 4 – 11 year olds            

Dates: 15 -17 April     

Times: 9am – 12pm

Venue: Southwell Park, Lyneham                              

Cost: $150.

For further information and to register please visit https://capitalfootball.com.au/gamedevelopment/holiday-clinics/

Have a lovely weekend   

Julie Douglas

Sports Co-ordinator

julie.douglas@cg.catholic.edu.au

The newsletter, the Principal’s message and Friday’s family memo, together with the alert app, SZapp, are all important forms of communication between the school and families. School news, details of events and significant information are all included in these publications.

As notified over the last few weeks, the newsletter and Principal’s message have changed to a different format and are now broadcast via the website. Consequently, we now ask that you subscribe to the newsletter via the website and input your email address please as the old newsletter subscription list is now obsolete.  Thank you to everyone who has already subscribed.

https://sbpsredhill.schoolzineplus.com/subscribe

The alert app SZapp has now replaced Skoolbag. SZapp allows the school to push instant messages and reminders to families.  Instructions to load the alert app may be found at https://www.stbedes.act.edu.au/szapp

Please ensure your settings are set to receiving school community messages as well as those that are class specific.

An on-line calendar listing most school activities and special events is available on the school website. However, as with the nature of a school, event dates are subject to change so please check the online calendar regularly.

IMPORTANT: Would you please note, we will be changing our calendar in line with the new website / newsletter format.  This means the calendar will be unavailable for a few days, starting tomorrow, while the new one is established. It was decided the end of term was the best time to make this change to keep disruption to a minimum.

Term 2 is time to change from summer to winter uniform.    With the changeable autumn weather, children may wear either summer OR winter uniform during the first two weeks of Term 2 but not a mix of the two.  From Week 3 winter uniform must be worn.

Uniform orders can be placed any time online via Flexischools which allows electronic payments including credit card and PayPal.  Orders placed on Flexischools by 5.00pm Thursday will be delivered to your eldest child’s classroom on the following Friday.

Alternatively, you can purchase (cash or cheque only) uniform items directly from the Boutique on Friday mornings between 8.40 and 9.40am.  

Uniform descriptions and current prices are available on Flexischools. 

Volunteers Welcome

The St Bede’s Boutique is a service provided by the P&F and run by parents on a voluntary basis and also assists school fundraising efforts.  We are always looking for parents to help out so please drop by on Friday morning if you would like chat about how you may help. 

Friendly Reminder

We only accept payment by cash or cheque on Friday mornings at the Boutique.  If you wish to pay by credit card, please place an order via Flexischools.

Regards,

Kirrily and Kathrin

Whole school event – P&F Easter Egg Hunt on this Sunday, 7 April from 10am - 11:30am at Old Parliament House Gardens on the Senate side. If you’re facing the entrance of Old Parliament House, find us in the gardens that are on the right hand side of OPH – just past the tennis courts. All welcome! Please remind children to bring their own basket.

REMINDER - If you have a last minute donation for the P&F Easter raffle, would you please drop into the front foyer by tomorrow at the latest to enable the prizes to be wrapped ready for the draw next Tuesday.

Sold raffle tickets are also due in tomorrow please.

Contact from parents to children / children to parents during the school day is strictly through the front office please. School emails should not be used for relaying personal communication and messages.  This also applies to contact via mobile phones (including ‘Apple’ watches) which should be turned off during the school day.

While at school students must use the school network. It has come to our attention that children are receiving trivial messages during the school day as well as having access to emails via parent and family email addresses, sometimes even work related addresses. Consequently, would you please ensure these are turned off on iPads: ALL messaging services including Facetime and other social media, turn off mobile data (wasted access) and Bluetooth (to save battery).

You might also like to look at the following websites for information regarding apps, etc 

https://www.esafety.gov.au/  and 

https://www.thinkuknow.org.au

Just a reminder that, while we love our four-legged family members, dogs are not able to come to school. The Territory and Municipal Services website states that dogs are not to be taken into the grounds of a childcare centre, preschool, primary or high school during school hours or any after school sports training events.  In public places, a dog must not be taken within 10 metres of a designated play space (if children are playing on it).  For further information please visit Recreation with my Dog - Transport Canberra and City Services

Some helpful documents from Year Three's Boot Camp were forwarded via SZapp yesterday.  Please contact Linda if you would also like them emailed.

As children are returning to school in the cooler months, some may now experience niggling asthma symptoms.  Would you please ensure that we are aware if your child suffers from asthma, however mild, and this also includes exercise induced asthma.  Every student with significant asthma should have an Asthma Management and Emergency Treatment Plan in place at school. 

Reliever medication may be kept in student’s bags/classroom/lunch box.

 Have you volunteered for the

 P&F Fundraising BBQ?

 Saturday, 4 May 8.30am – 5.00pm

The P&F is conducting a fundraising BBQ at Bunnings, Fyshwick this Saturday, 4 May. 

Please note we will not be participating in the Woolworths Earn and Learn program this year due to the other fundraising activities being undertaken at St Bede's.

Busyness seems to have become a way of life for modern families. It’s unlikely you’ll ever hear a parent talk of having plenty of free time on their hands. Unfortunately, that’s a statement unlikely to be heard from a lot of modern-day kids either.

The afternoons on family calendars are increasingly filling up with organised after-school activities and, in families with multiple children, the logistics of keeping up with all this can be complicated. The strain of ferrying children back and forth, often in different directions, saps families of energy, resources and time.

We have great intentions

Recent research from the United Kingdom found that the desire for children to succeed is a strong driver for many parents, sometimes causing them to load their children up with extra-curricular activities. While the intentions are good, the method of keeping kids busy is probably questionable.

Other reasons for encouraging extra-curricular activities include: giving kids the best start in life, making friends, keeping fit and healthy, developing interests and preventing boredom. Anecdotal evidence suggests the findings are similar in Australia.

The cost of busyness

We live at a time where rates of mental illness, particularly anxiety, are climbing. One in seven Australian children have a diagnosed mental illness. That’s three in an average classroom. Many more go undiagnosed.

Rushing to activities, late nights and stressed parents aren’t the conditions for family members to enjoy flourishing mental health. Too many organised activities detract from time to hang out with friends, to comfortably complete homework tasks, to spend time with family, to get bored and, importantly, to simply play.

Free play is serious business

Author and research professor of psychology, Dr Peter Gray, attributes the rise in anxiety, depression, suicide and narcissism among children to the decline of play. Unstructured play is vital for the healthy development of children and teenagers. Through play kids learn to interact with others, develop physical skills necessary for school success and gain confidence they need to interact with peers.

How much is too much?

Some children can cope with busy schedules, while others flounder. As a rule of thumb, if your child or young person is struggling in any of these three areas: i) mental health, ii) schoolwork and studies, iii) their participation in family life then it may be time to reduce their extra-curricular load.

Choosing the activities to omit from a schedule can be tricky, as your child or young person may have a different motivation for each. In short, each activity can be ‘the one they love.’ Here’s a good question to ask your child or young person that can make decision-making easier:

‘If all of your after-school activities were cancelled, which one(s) would you plead with me to re-enrol you in?’

Their answers will reveal a great deal about their commitment to each activity. Ideally, kids should be choosing extra-curricular activities that nourish them rather than cause anxiety and stress. Aim for two activity-free nights each week so that your child or young person can meet their study and family commitments.

The same principle for balance holds true for weekends. Make sure your kids enjoy some time free from structured activity, so they can refresh and recharge, ready for the week of school that lays ahead.