“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.

The second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments”

(Mt 22:34-40)

Children learn about love from real, concrete examples witnessed in family life.

We can help children to love God and love their neighbours by showing everyday acts of love, generosity, and kindness—our own expressions of our love for God.

These acts, small and large, are the expression of what Jesus identified as the two greatest commandments: love God and love neighbour.

 

Dear Parents, Friends, Students and Staff

We have had a busy start to the term and our students have been working hard to prepare for the many events that are planned in the upcoming weeks.

This week we continue to focus on the MJR value of encouragement.  Students have been learning about ways to encourage each other and make this part of their everyday behaviour.

 

Carpark Safety – Crosswalks and Footpaths

Parents, we once again ask you to be mindful and follow safety procedures when dropping off and picking up students from the school.  Please use the footpaths in the carpark and use the crosswalk at all times.  It is not safe to walk through the carpark as drivers may not see you.  It is crucial that all children are supervised by their parents as they walk to and from the carpark, as we do not want any student or parent to be injured.   Your cooperation in this matter is appreciated.

 

Matthew Gibney Day 2020

Friday, 30th October is MATTHEW GIBNEY DAY.  All students brought home an invitation to families this week so we hope that you will join us as we celebrate our Patron, Matthew Gibney, and give thanks for our school and community. 

For catering purposes, we would appreciate a message to your oldest child’s classroom teacher, via SeeSaw, to indicate how many family members will be attending on the day.

The children have been working hard to prepare a morning of entertainment and are looking forward to sharing their talents with you. We have organised a coffee van to be available from 8.30am – 10.00am on the morning, for parents who would like to purchase a coffee. Morning tea will be provided for the adults during the break between items.  Our Kindy students have a sensational exhibition of their art, and we would highly recommend that you visit the library to see their creativity.

We look forward to sharing this day with you. 

 

P & F Crown Towers Voucher Raffle

Our P & F have organised a raffle to win a Crown Towers voucher.  Raffle tickets will be available on Matthew Gibney Day.  They will cost $2 per ticket, or $5 for three tickets.  Tickets will also be sold near the front office a couple of times a week (days to be confirmed) and will also be sent home as usual.  The winner will be drawn and announced at our End of Year Concert on Friday 4th December.

 

Think U Know Cybersafety Incursion

A cybersafety incursion has been organised for all students from Years 1 to 6 on Monday 26th October.  ThinkUKnow is a national program that gives teachers and students information on how to stay safe online. It has been developed in partnership between the Australian Federal Police, Commonwealth Bank, Datacom and Microsoft, and delivered in partnership with all State and Territory police and Neighbourhood Watch Australasia.

The topics that will be addressed are age-appropriate.  Please take the time to discuss what your child learnt in their session and reinforce this very important safety message at home.  Further information is available for parents on the website: https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/

 

Christmas Hamper Collection

This week, information was sent home to all families via SeeSaw regarding this very important initiative.  A representative from St Vincent de Paul will be visiting at our Monday Morning Assembly on 26th October to speak to the children about this appeal.  They are always very grateful for the generosity shown by our community which enables them to support families in our region during the festive season.

 

LifeLink Book Swap Meet

On Tuesday, the Year 5 Mini Vinnies coordinated our first Book Swap for LifeLink.  This was a great initiative to promote a love of reading and to do our bit for the environment through upcycling.  We were overwhelmed by the support of the school community, who donated so many books.   It was fantastic to see the excitement of the students, as they chose “new” books to read.  We raised $305 for the Archbishop’s LifeLink appeal which is a great effort by all.

 

Book Character Parade

The Matthew Gibney Annual Book Character parade was held on Thursday morning, and once again, it was the most wonderful celebration of books.  Every year, we are amazed by the creativity and effort.  Thank you to the P & F, who provided Scholastic book vouchers as prizes, for two students in each class.  Winners will be informed of the process to redeem their vouchers. 

Congratulations to: 

• Kindy       Yohan and Kenzo
• PP           Jackson and Johanna
• Year 1      Hayden and David
• Year 2      Andrew and Ella
• Year 3      Jesirah and Clarice
• Year 4      Sophia and Ruby
• Year 5      Jayden and Amy
• Year 6      Declan and Ethan

 

 

Year 5 Cathedral Visit

The Year 5 class visited St Mary’s Cathedral on Monday, as part of their Leadership preparation for 2021.  The day was spent reflecting on leadership and developing a Student Code of Conduct.  The Year 5 students also learned about the life and leadership of Matthew Gibney, who is interred at the Cathedral. They were also very fortunate to meet Emeritus Archbishop Hickey, who stopped to chat to them during the lunch break.  The students were a credit to the school on their visit and visibly demonstrated their leadership throughout the day.

 

Children’s Week

Children’s Week is a National Event just for KIDS. Children’s Week is an opportunity for the community to engage in a variety of activities that facilitate, support and encourage children and their families to play, learn and grow together. It is a week dedicated to celebrating children, promoting the Rights of the Child as proclaimed by the United Nations in 1954 and to remind us of our responsibility to advocate for children as citizens and their right to a positive childhood.

The theme for this year is ‘Create, Play and Connect’. Children have the right to choose their own friends and safely connect with others.  

Click on this link: https://www.childrensweekwa.org.au/  for further information on events and activities happening around Perth throughout the week. 

 

Positive Partnerships – Free 1 Day Autism Workshops

In the Community News section of this newsletter there is information about two free one day Autism workshops for parents and carers.  Please register online as per the flyer instructions if you are interested in attending.

 

Enrolments

Parents are reminded that the school must be notified in writing as soon as possible if students are not returning in 2021. We have waitlists for some classes and would like to confirm places for families as early as possible.

We are still accepting enrolments for Pre-Kindy in 2021.  Please let friends and families know that they should contact our front office if they are interested in finding out about the excellent Pre-Kindy programme that our school has to offer.

Have a great week!

Diane Scriven & Karen Keddie

Assistant Principals