As we step into a new academic year 

Restore our spirit

Renew our passion for sharing your wisdom

And nurture our compassion for those you put in our care

Transform us as we seek to transform 

Guide us as we seek to guide

Open our minds and hearts 

As we seek to open minds and hearts of our colleagues, 

students and adults in our community

Help us to listen more intentionally

To others, the world and your word

We ask this through Jesus our redeemer - 

Amen

FEBRUARY

• Friday 10th - STM Volunteers Meeting in the Hall @9.00am

• Tuesday 14th - Commissioning Mass - All families welcome to attend

• Tuesday 21st - Prep Parent Information night

• Wednesday 22nd - Ash Wednesday Mass

• Friday 24th - Curriculum Day / Student free day

MARCH

• Thursday 02nd - School Photos Day - order forms will be sent out shortly

• Wednesday 8th - STM Dad's Dinner  - see info below

• Monday 13th - Public Holiday - Labour Day

• Tuesday 14th - Open Day

• Tuesday 21st - Open Day

APRIL

• Sunday 02nd - Daylight Saving Time ends

• Wednesday 5th - Inform and Empower Parent information session @7.00pm - see info below under Wellbeing

• Thursday 06th - Last day Term 1 

• Friday 07th - Good Friday

• Sunday 09th - Easter Sunday

• Monday 24th - 1st day back Term 2

• Tuesday 25th - Anzac Day - Public Holiday

SCHOOL PHOTO DAY IS COMING

SCHOOLPIX will be here on Thursday 02nd March 2023

PHOTO DAY TIPS:

Dress 

Clean and tidy as per school uniform guidelines.

Full Summer Uniform to be worn. (Maroon Jumpers are not required to be worn).

If your child has sport on this day, they may bring their runners to change into after their photos are taken.

Hair                              

Neat and swept off face

Online Orders

To pre-order online, take your personal Order and ID Numbers found on your order form and go to www.schoolpix.com.au. 

Forms are not required to be returned to school.

Sibling Orders

For a special photo of your children together order online. Only siblings that place an order will be photographed.

If you have any questions call SchoolPix on 1300 766 055 or email help@schoolpixx.com.au

Dear Parents and Carers,

DIGITAL AND WELLBEING PROGRAM :

In 2023 students in Years 5 and 6 will be participating in the Inform and Empower digital safety & wellbeing program. This means that your child/children will be tuning in to live streamed incursions (with their teacher and myself) every term that focus on healthy and safe digital habits. The incursion is all written and delivered by the eSafety Commissioner as a Trusted eSafety Provider. The purpose of these sessions is to help children better navigate the online world and become more aware, clever, brave and kind. The focus will be based on navigating unwanted contact, cyberbullying, help seeking strategies, unsafe content, balancing screen time and sharing personal information.

PARENTS: 

On Wednesday 5th April at 7pm at St Thomas More Primary School ALL parents are strongly encouraged to attend the Inform and Empower Parent information session. Being online allows us to learn and socialise, but it opens us up to many risks. This can include: physical (grooming) or emotional and social (cyberbullying). It is vital for parents to be aware of these risks and support children in how to be safe online. 

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me- mhoran@stmhadfield.catholic.edu.au

Thanking you,

Melanie Horan

Student Wellbeing Leader

APPRECIATION – A PARENTING SKILL FOR THE AGES

Do you have a child who craves attention? Does their attention-seeking at times deflate and overwhelm you?  If so, you are not alone. Attention-seeking is perhaps the most common misbehaviour in families.

“Look at me, Mum” and its many variations become like a nervous tic driving parents to distraction.  It’s good to give kids your undivided attention but there are limits to how much attention you can give. Unfortunately, attention-seeking becomes a pattern of behaviour that’s hard to break.

My first parenting mentor Prof. Maurice Balson, author of Becoming Better Parents, believed that children who constantly seek attention are generally discouraged. “I am not good enough” is their belief.

The antidote to discouragement, according to Balson, was to increase the amount of encouragement that a child or young person received. Encouragement, literally meaning ‘to give heart or courage’ focuses on the processes of improvement, effort, enjoyment and contribution.

The latter, contribution, is the most potent of these processes. Kids will usually belong to their families in two ways. They are either contributing members, or are known for their poor behaviour. For kids known for poor behaviour, their usual way of operating shows a mindset of “If I’m not appreciated, at least they’ll know I’m around”.

Attention or appreciation? There’s no contest. Appreciation is the genuine deal when it comes to helping kids feel good about themselves.

Why appreciation works

Appreciation is highly motivating. Even adolescents will generally respond to a parent’s appreciative comments, although their faces won’t always not show it.

Appreciation has an old-brain connection. The job of our old brain or survival brain, is to keep us safe. Our safety can only be guaranteed if we are a part of a group, so parent appreciation helps kids feel secure, preventing them from resorting to negative attention-seeking behaviour to feel part of the group.

Appreciation is approval on steroids

Approval says I like what you do. Appreciation means much more. It shows how behaviour impacts on another person on an emotional level, which has a stronger impact.

Showing appreciation is a wonderful way to shape a child’s behaviour in positive ways. “Thanks so much for cleaning your toys away without asking. It makes my life so much easier.” This type of comment will usually generate a dopamine (feel-good chemical) response from a child, which means they are likely to repeat the behaviour to replicate the feeling.

How appreciation works

There are four rules to be mindful of, when you show appreciation:

It must have meaning

Appreciation must be real and related to a specific behaviour for it to be effective.

It should let child know the emotional impact of their behaviour

Either with words (“It makes me feel happy”) or through non-verbals (a smile, a hug or high-five) your child should see that their behaviour has had a positive impact on you.

It should be genuine

You can’t fake sincerity with a child or young person as they are generally adept mood detectives.

It’s best if it has small differences

Showing appreciation is not a one-size fits all behaviour. Appreciation should be shown a way that matches the situation and suits your child. Consider writing a note to show appreciation for something special. Boys often prefer private encouragement rather than public acknowledgement so consider when and where you shower them with encouragement.

Positive side effects

There are plenty of positive side effects to showing appreciation for a behaviour. An appreciative parent comment helps create a healthy, happy family atmosphere. Appreciation can change the mood of the giver and receiver and it’s a behaviour that if adopted by children can be experienced by the next generation. That makes parent appreciation a behaviour for the ages.