Principal’s Report – Issue 11

Dear Parents

Welcome back to the start of another very busy, but hopefully rewarding term. I hope everyone had the opportunity over the break to spend some time with the family, relaxing and enjoying the time together. As you can see with the Term Planner life at Infant Jesus School is very busy. I encourage all parents to make note of the important activities that will take place throughout Term 2.

As we commence a new school term we renew friendships with others we may not have seen over the holidays. This little prayer below reminds us all of what we should be striving to achieve in our relationships with others:

“Everyone will know you are my friends if you love one another.”

Let us show our love by making peace and trying to make things better.

Let us show our love by caring about the happiness of others and by thanking them for their goodness to us.

Let us love one another as we share our friendships, laughter, learning and meals in celebrating together.

Help us, Lord, to love one another as Jesus has loved us.

Amen.

Our Catholic School – Together in Faith

Every school has its School motto which attempts to summarise the particular emphasis the school tries to bring to all its activities. If one had had to choose a single motto that would be appropriate to all Catholic Schools, “Together in Faith” might be difficult to improve upon. Schools with such a motto would be faith communities, which strive to reflect God through the values modelled in the life of Christ.

So, how Catholic is our school? Well externally we call ourselves Catholic, teachers teach a Religious Education programme, teachers prepare class and whole school masses, teachers assist parents with the preparation of students for the reception of the Sacraments of Penance, Eucharist and Confirmation, prayers are said at assemblies and in class. Additionally, we have policies which state the vision of the Catholic School and finally we have rules and procedures which encourage children to respect themselves, other students, teachers, visitors and school property. So, externally we seem to be going along fairly well.

But how are we going internally? When children come to school they work hard at a variety of learning activities and tasks. If their bodies were not sufficiently nourished from their home, then, they would not fully receive the benefits that flow from these activities and tasks.

So, how so how are our Catholic homes attending to the spiritual nourishment of our students. Does God get a mention at our place; Is our family life nurtured by the Eucharist; are our children “Churched” and informed of the history and tradition that has been part of our culture whatever its origin. We have been entrusted with a Catholic heritage to look after and pass on to our children. Do we simply take from the Catholic of our school or do we bring to our school the personal ingredients that make it “Catholic”?

This quote from ‘The Catholic School’ can have equal application for our homes.

“Furthermore, we must strive to lead each student (child) to develop a personal vision of how he or she can reflect God, the God in whose likeness and image they have been created; in as much is they are able to do this, they become what God wishes them to be. Our School (home) is committed to the development of the whole person modelled on the person of Christ, for He is the one who ennobles people and gives meaning to human life and in whom all human values find their fulfilment and unity.”

In a world of instability and uncertainty one thing is for sure: the survival and success of school as a Catholic school depends on ALL who are part of that school community.

“May the strength of God pilot us,

May the wisdom of God instruct us,

May the hand of God protect us,

May the way of God direct us,

As we work together to make our school truly Catholic.

Amen

This term is a very important and significant one for our students in Year 6. These children will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. Our preparation for receiving this Sacrament has now begun in earnest. In essence, though, it is simply a continuation of the promises that parents made for their children at the time of their Baptism. Confirmation completes the cycle of the three initiation Sacraments – Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation. We ask that as a school community we keep these children and their families in our prayers. Next Monday night, parents will gather for a Parent Information evening in the Parish Hall commencing at 7.00pm.

Educationally, our students in Years 3 and 5 will be participating in the National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy for the first time. These tests will be conducted in Week 3 and for the first time these tests will be completed online. All students in Year 1–6 will receive an End of Semester report in July. Parents have had the opportunity to meet with their child’s class teacher to discuss their progress at the end of last term. There are some classes who will be finishing these interviews in the first few weeks of this term.

This term promises to be full of activity and students are encouraged to continue to strive to do their best in all subject areas, and enjoy their friendships, learning experiences and school life. We wish everyone the best for the term.

Our Vision

At Infant Jesus,

our Vision is to

develop the whole

child to seek the truth through the

teachings of Christ in

Faith, Hope and Love.

ANZAC Day

As a school community we came together on Monday to commemorate ANZAC Day and to pray for those who have given their lives in wars to protect our country and also for those who are still serving around the world. This was a very solemn occasion and the students were most respectful throughout the service. Many thanks to our Year 6 students for leading this ceremony.

Praying the Rosary – Month of May

The month of May has traditionally been a time when we pray to Mary. The Rosary is often prayed during this time. The Rosary tells of some of the very important events in Mary’s life. Mary’s life begins joyfully, then experiences sorrow and is finally glorious.

Joyful Mysteries
At the joyful time in her life an angel, Gabriel, announces to Mary that she is to be the mother of Jesus. Mary then shares this news with her cousin Elizabeth. Jesus is born and then, as a baby, He is presented in the temple. Later, as a twelve-year-old, Jesus shares a special message with the teachers at the temple.

Sorrowful Mysteries
During the sorrowful part of her life, Mary watched as Jesus prayed in the garden before the soldiers came to take Him away. She was there when He was crowned with thorns and led off to die. She saw Jesus die on the cross.

Glorious Mysteries
The last part of Mary’s life can be seen as a glorious time. To begin, Jesus rose from the dead and went to heaven. Jesus then came back to see and talk with His friends. Finally, Mary goes to heaven to become the mother for all of Jesus’ friends. She is then crowned Queen of heaven and earth.

Mysteries of Light (Luminous Mysteries)
In October 2002, Pope John Paul II added the Mysteries of Light to the Holy Rosary, calling us to pray the rosary daily; for our families – and for world peace. This Mystery reflects on some of the important moments in Christ’s life

Mother’s Day

On May, we will be taking time, as a school, to celebrate some very special women in our lives, our mothers. A whole school Mass will be celebrated on Thursday 10 May in the Parish Church commencing at 9:00am, followed by a morning tea, for mums in the School Hall. For catering purposes please use the following link https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Iy-FxTM2KU-zhlHaU-NeI2_eQieF-KhGs26VsZBufqFURUs0VEdHMzVRSlNQRFZTOVdZSDlQNUIwQy4u

Infant Jesus Family

Congratulations

We congratulate Nicholas Rozario (6W) who has been selected to play in a U12’s Football World Cup in Italy. Teams from 65 other countries will be part of the World Cup in Turin, Italy. This tournament is played a week before the actual Soccer world cup in Russia. This is a fantastic opportunity for Nicholas and I know he is very excited and very much looking forward to playing in this tournament. Well Done!

It’s A Boy

Our congratulations to Rocco Capolingua and his wife Elena the arrival of a little son Leo, a little brother for big sister for Aria. Blessing on you all as a family at this joyous time.

Condolences

Our condolences and prayers go to Chloe Andre (4W) and her family on the sad loss of their Poppy. May he rest in the peace of Christ forever.

Interschool Swimming

We wish all the students who will be representing the school in the Interschool Swimming Championships next Thursday at Challenge Stadium. Miss Witkowski has coordinated with each of the students the events they will be competing in. If there are any concerns or questions regarding the carnival, please contact Miss Witkowski directly. Best Wishes to all the students competing.

Parent Information Session – Occupational Therapy

On Wednesday 23 May we will be hosting a Parent Information Night on the topic of Occupational Therapy, with a particular focus on areas of development in the early years. Occupational Therapists from Therapy Focus will be presenting a Parent Information Session highlighting and providing more information about:

Milestones and norms for young children.
Foundation skills to develop and support fine motor skills such as writing.
Strategies to develop fine and gross motor skills.

Therapy Focus provide services that are delivered by allied health professionals, including Speech pathologists, Physiotherapists and Occupational therapists. As an organisation they aim to give children the best possible start in life and provide parents and/or carers with the correct information and resources to support their child.

Therapy focus offer a wide range of services one of which is Early Intervention where information is shared to help with all areas of child development in the early years.

All parents are very welcome to attend on Wednesday 23 May at 6.30pm in the Hall. Please use the link below to register your attendance.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Iy-FxTM2KU-zhlHaU-NeI2_eQieF-KhGs26VsZBufqFUNDVORUM2SkpUTVFVNk5ZN01UTTU1TE1NVS4u

Prayer for the Week

The following prayer also helps us to remember that the large and small things in everyday life remind us of – the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Jesus said:

“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

Jesus – You are the Way.

You are the bridge between earth and heaven,

between the smallness of self and the greatness of God.

You are the path we can follow and never lose

because it lies in our hearts.

You are the Truth.

You have planted your truth within us,

the same truth for all people.

You are the life, and there is no life without you,

for you are the substance and breath of all things.

Your life grows within us and around us.

You are the Way, the Truth and the Life,

gift us with the vision to always see you in all things.

Amen.

2019 Kindergarten Enrolments

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. Interviews for Kindergarten 2019 will commence at the beginning of Term 2.

Colour Run

Many Thanks to our P&F who organised a fun and coloured-filled afternoon on the last day of Term One withg the inaugural Infant Jesus School Colour Run. Whilst this was a fund-raising initiative by our P&F it was wonderful to see the fun and enjoyment all students and parents were having participating in this event. Many thanks to all the parents involved with this activity. It was a great day. Well done to Marisa and her TEAM!