Principal’s Report – Issue 3

Dear Parents

It was only the other day a parent mentioned to me how impressed they had been with their child in the way they had settled into school this year. As we enter our third week of the term, the freshness and excitement of ‘day one’ has begun to wear off and students are becoming familiar with the school routines – including waking up early! For parents, the daily routine of getting your children out of bed, dressed, fed and ready for school, lunches organised, homework checked and notes read, makes for a very hectic schedule.

Preparation, punctuality and organisation are behaviours that all students should practise. As parents, we need to teach these skills to our children as they enable them to begin the day without anxiety. Students need assistance with this formation and this is where parents can be of tremendous influence. Simply having your child at school on time and ready for the day ensures they have the best chance of succeeding with their learning tasks for that day.

Children have a responsibility in this regard as well. As teachers are required to be well prepared for their lessons each day, so too, are the children. At Infant Jesus School we are trying to teach the children independence. This means, that as parents, we need to step back occasionally and let our children ‘stand on their own two feet’. Children will be as capable as we let them! If we are always running to their aid, so to speak, they will never learn tobe responsible.

Of course, we need to be mindful of their age as the responsibility and independence levels vary. However, children enjoy the challenge and meeting the expectations set by mum and dad as well as their class teacher. By implementing some of these practices from early on, it will go a long way to ensure that our children are given every possible opportunity to achieve as well as enjoy their ‘day at school.

Back to School Picnic

What a fantastic night was had by all at the annual Back to School Picnic last Friday evening. It was wonderful to see so many parents and families joining us for this celebration. It was great to see families catching up with one another and the children really enjoying the opportunity to enjoy themselves. Many Thanks to Marisa Gulluni (P&F President) and her team for organising this wonderful night.

Lent

Yesterday, we celebrated Ash Wednesday, which in the Catholic Church marks the beginning of the season of Lent. It is a season ofreconciliation, reflection and prayer, which prepares us for Easter Sunday. This period we call LENT means ‘spring’, and we celebrate it in memory of the forty days Jesus spent alone praying in the desert. Lent is a time for strengthening our faith, a time to reflect on who we are and where we are going. It is a time for quietness and prayer, a time of penance and meditation, a time to become aware of our strengths and weaknesses.

The season of Lent is one of those times when the Church gives us the opportunity to address the important elements of our life in a practical way. For example, there would be little point “giving up” sugar in our coffee if we continue to speak unkindly about people. Nor is there much value in giving up lollies and sweets if we are going to be real ‘grumps’ to the rest of our family.

Lent provides many opportunities for people to choose to do renewing activities, such as visiting someone who is lonely, giving up something on television, remembering to say our prayers daily and/or as a family, attending Mass as a family regularly or perhaps even making the Stations of the Cross throughout the period of Lent. We need to remember that if we are choosing to do some- thing this Lent it needs to lead us to a positive change, which in turn has a positive effect on the people who are daily in our lives.

Lenten Thought

Remember the concept of not only giving up during Lent, but taking up. What can we take up that will improve our lives and the lives of others this Lent?

P&F Meeting

Next Tuesday evening, the Infant Jesus School P&F Association will hold their first meeting for the year. These meetings provided a wonderful opportunity for parents to be informed (further) about what is happening in the school and also assist the P&F Executive in their endeavours this year. The Infant Jesus School P&F has always been a strength of the school, with outstanding commitment to the goals and aspirations of the school. They work effectively and collaboratively with the School Board to achieve these objectives each year.

In today’s schooling there is an acknowledged relationship between the child, the school and home life. Where a harmonious relationship/partnership exists many benefits for a child’s development can occur. With this in mind, we have set up a Class Representative Network.

The idea of a ‘Class Parent Representative’ is to strengthen ties between home life and school. At Infant Jesus School we hope this will provide the best possible opportunities for our children and that it will strengthen our home – school relationship.

The main role of the Class Parent Representative is to:

Welcome new families to the school, introduce them to existing parents and to ensure they feel included in school life. Often it takes time for new families to feel this inclusion as too often they feel isolated when joining a school community.
Organise small, social, year level get-togethers with the other year representative (e.g. coffee mornings/evenings, dinners etc.).
Attend P&F Meetings (where possible) to stay informed and share relevant information within your year level.

Through the Class Parent Representative we hope the BENEFITS will be:

To provide a point of contact for new families in the school.
To allow parents to mix socially so that new and established families develop positive relationships with each other.

At this point in time we are looking for Class Parent Representatives for the following Year levels:

Year 1 (both classes)
Year 3W
Year 4 (both classes)
Year 5 (both classes)

If you are able to assist by being a Class Parent Representative, please contact your child’s class teacher, or myself directly.

2019 Kindergarten Enrolments

Interviews for Kindergarten 2019 will commence atthe beginning of Term 2. Appointments will be arranged for families to attend an interview with either Ms Moffat (Assistant Principal), Mr Colangelo (Assistant Principal) or myself. Infant Jesus School will continue to operate two concurrent Kindergarten groups next year with the days of attendance being Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Enrolments are now being taken for siblings and new students wishing to commence Kindergarten at Infant Jesus School in 2019. Families with children eligible for Kindergarten in 2019 are required to fill out a Kindergarten Enrolment Application Form. Forms can be obtained from the office.

Allergies and Anaphylaxis

As there are children enrolled at Infant Jesus who have allergies to a variety of substances, we ask that children do not share food at school. We appreciate your support in avoiding sending any foods that contain NUTS. A few children may experience very serious and even life threatening symptoms if exposed to these foods.

Student Medication

If your child requires medication to be taken during school hours, it is important that you complete an ‘Infant Jesus Student Medication Request/Record’ form which is available from the front office and on the school website.

Medication is to be delivered to the School Office by the parent/guardian in its original pharmacy labelled container. Please be aware that parents are responsible for delivering prescribed medications to the school and collecting it at the end of the day.
The label on the original medication or a special letter outlining medication from the doctor must clearly state:

(i) the name of the child

ii) the dosage and times required.

Please ask your pharmacist for this information when the medication is issued.
All medications are stored either in the school office/medical room or in a locked cabinet in the classroom, except where either refrigeration is required (e.g. antibiotics) orin the case of self-administered asthma reliever medication.
Asthma medication (reliever puffers only) may be held by a child for self-administration, only when parents/guardians have notified the school and given permission via the Student Medication Request/Record form. Preventer medications will be held in the Medical Room.
It is the parent’s responsibility to collect any ‘out of date’ medication for safe disposal. It is also a parent’s responsibility to collect any unused medication at the completion of treatment.
Student Medication Request/Record forms for children receiving medications on a regular basis are to be reviewed each term, with a new permission form completed at the start of each year.
Parents/guardians must notify the School Office and complete a new Student Medication Request/Record form if there are any changes to details such as dosage or type of medication.

Student Medication Request .pdf

Medical Action Plan.pdf

Parking and Drive Through

Parking, especially at the beginning of the year, is very much at a premium. Please be patient with the parking situation. It will ease as the term progresses and more parents use the drive through to pick up and drop off children. We also ask parents to be considerate of others to ensure that traffic flows smoothly. We need to be courteous of our neighbours and follow the Standing , No Standing street signs at all times to avoid being issued with fines.

Drive Through

This is for parents who wish to drop off or pick up their child/ren without parking. Students will be supervised by a staff member to ensure they are collected safely by the child’s parent, or someone who has parental permission, at the end of the school day.

Prayer

Renew yourself in CHRIST

Receive the cross on your forehead.

Learn to know Christ and follow him.

Receive the sign of the cross on your ears,

that you may hear the voice of the Lord.

Receive the sign of the cross on your eyes

that you may see the glory of God.

Receive the sign of the cross on your lips,

that you may respond to the Word of God.

Receive the sign of the crossover your heart,

that Christ may dwell there by faith.