ST KEVIN'S SCHOOL RULES Be Safe Be Responsible Be Respectful
Principal's Message
Dear Parents & Friends,
As each week of the school term seems to rapidly disappear I am reminded how important it is to value each day and spend time in the present. We may too often focus on what is coming, what is next and not truly appreciate what we have right now. Mindfulness is something we as teachers are using more often in our classrooms to help our children to be more fully present in the moment. The idea being that it can help them to focus their energy and enable them to concentrate and participate better in class. I have included some useful information about mindfulness in the Student Wellbeing section below.
Family Faith Night
Thankyou to all those parents and children who were able to attend our Family Faith Night on Tuesday. Thanks also to Ms Hunter who organised the evening and our guest speaker. Evenings like this, whilst often challenging to coordinate between other family commitments do give us the opportunity to stop for a while and spend time talking to our children and thinking about our own faith.
Start Smart
This week, St. Kevin's children were lucky enough to be part of the 'Start Smart Primary Program'. This Program teaches money skills in a way that students can understand and enjoy. Students were taken on an adventure in new money management skills.
The P/1/ 2 students, guided by Captain Cash learnt about money as a concept, what it’s worth, how to keep it safe and how to ‘speed to your needs and wait for your wants’.
The Grade 3-6 students were given a practical framework for realistic, financial goal setting, by encouraging them to ‘See It, Earn It, Save It’. They worked in small groups to then market and develop ideas for their own 'Mini Business'. This was to encourage the concept of earning money, saving and then buying what you want in the future. Thankyou to Ms Hesse who organized this visit from the Commonwealth Bank who ran the Start Smart program for all our children.
Kind Regards
Nigel Rodrigues
Principal
Student Wellbeing
What is mindfulness?
'Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.
While mindfulness is something we all naturally possess, it’s more readily available to us when we practise on a daily basis.
Whenever you bring awareness to what you’re directly experiencing via your senses, or to your state of mind via your thoughts and emotions, you’re being mindful. And there’s growing research showing that when you train your brain to be mindful, you’re actually remodeling the physical structure of your brain.'
Electronics Group
Mrs Gonzales and a team of keen students have been tinkering away at lunchtimes and experimenting with electronics. It is wonderful for our children to have this opportunity and to develop skills which allow them to create in different ways. It is amazing what can be done given the time, expertise and resources.
Lunch Orders
Available Tuesdays and Thursdays each week. Please label paper bag with child’s name and class, include money and these will be collected from the office.
Library News
Dear Parents,
Our current Premier Mr. Daniel Andrews and past premiers proudly support this important literacy initiative and declare the fifteen years of this Challenge open. We encourage students and their siblings to listen to, read to or read to self as a way of meeting the challenge. We are hoping that all the students will have their username and password by the holidays. We encourage all parents to borrow from the library also and help your children, especially over the Premiers' Reading Challenge. Parents can borrow up to eight books per week and the students can also borrow eight books too. Please come and see me to enroll in the library borrowing system. Also, please could I have the consent form back before next Wednesday 20th March?
Thank you.
Julie Gonzales
Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge
The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is now open and St Kevin’s Ormond is excited to be participating. The Challenge is open to all Victorian children from birth to Year 10 in recognition of the importance of reading for literacy development. It is not a competition; but a personal challenge for children to read a set number of books by 6 September 2019. Children from Prep to Year 2 are encouraged to read or ‘experience’ 30 books with their parents and teachers. Children from Year 3 to Year 10 are challenged to read 15 books. All children who meet the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Victorian Premier and former Premiers. To read the Premier’s letter to parents, view the booklists and for more information about the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge, visit: www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Dear Parent/Guardian,
I am delighted to announce the opening of the 2019 Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge. As you know, reading gives children the fundamental skills they need for life. Even more, it helps to awaken their imagination and connect our kids with the world around them. This year, the Challenge boasts more than 9,000 titles catering for all ages and interests, with everyone who completes the Challenge receiving a Certificate of Achievement. For children not yet at school, the Challenge invites parents and carers to experience 40 books with their child. For students from Prep to Year 2, the Challenge is to read or experience 30 books and for students in Years 3 to 10, the Challenge is to read 15 books. If you would like to find more information about the Challenge, head to the official website: education.vic.gov.au/prc.
I also encourage you to visit the Challenge Facebook page www.facebook.com.au/VicPRC where you can share stories, stay informed, and recommend books. I wish you all the best in your reading journey.
Yours sincerely
The Hon Daniel Andrews MP
Premier of Victoria
Escher Art Excursion
Today, the whole school visited the National Gallery of Victoria to visit the Escher exhibition. We traveled into town by train and walked across to the gallery. We wandered through the gallery looking at all the different exhibitions which we all thoroughly enjoyed. We then ate lunch in the gardens.
We all agreed that it was great excursion and a fun day. We would like to thank Mrs. McInerny and all the teachers and parents who accompanied us.
Open Days
Wednesday 27th March. Advertisements have been placed in the Caulfield and Moorabbin Leader. If you know families with children in local kinders please encourage them to attend our open days or to contact us for an individual tour.
Ph: 95781182 E: principal@skormond.catholic.edu.au