St Jerome's Newsletter
Week 8 - Term 2 (Thursday 10 June 2021)
Optimism opens a door in difficult or hopeless situations. No matter what the crisis, an optimist maintains the outlook that it is a sign, time for a different way of thinking, or of doing things. (thoughtfortoday.org.uk)
Dear Parents
Wet weather and a three-day week, you have to like that. Tomorrow at 9.00am Mass, we celebrate St Emily de Vialar, the founder of the Congregation of St Joseph of the Apparition. The Apparition Sisters, as they were fondly called, established our school in 1935. Sr Dorothea Smith, the first Principal of our school was here from 1935 to 1940, that’s 86 years ago. Six Sisters followed her, and in 1975 Mr Eric Chidlow was the first Catholic Education of WA appointed Principal. Five CEWA Principals have followed him, with Mrs O’Toole being the fourth, and myself being the fifth CEWA Principal.
In 1832, St Emily de Vialar’s grandfather left her an inheritance, with which she bought a house for herself and her companions. This house was a welcome place for many poor and destitute people. At Christmas that same year, St Emily de Vialar and three other women established the congregation of St Joseph of the Apparition. Our Mass tomorrow is to join with Jesus in thanksgiving to God for calling the Apparition Sisters to St Jerome’s. We still live in the blessings these women brought to our community.
Last Friday was a blast, and thank you for celebrating LifeLink with us. I wore a white shirt, probably not a wise choice, and I remained colour free, whereas many of your children did not. It was a lot of fun, and thank you once again for your support with the fundraising, which was the real purpose for the event. I was floored when I asked Mrs Hoare at this week’s gathering to hear that St Jerome’s raised $3500 dollars in 2020 for LifeLink. That’s one impressive total, and I’m looking forward to hearing how generous we have been in 2021.
Our teachers presently are very busy writing reports and finishing off the semester assessments. On your behalf I thank them for their dedication and commitment which they make every day to provide a happy educative learning environment. I must commit to print my appreciation too for the generosity of service which I see every day, and that’s from our education assistants, teachers and specialists, our learning diversity team, our maintenance and grounds team, our technical and administrative staff, and our two outstanding Assistant Principal’s. For my first 17 weeks at St Jerome’s, I find myself surrounded by so much goodness. Parents, you don’t need me to tell you this, St Jerome’s is an amazing school.
With all the events which St Jerome’s is involved with, we are always keen to hear your opinion on areas for our consideration or improvement. Every Newsletter has the event feedback form available, and I would encourage you to let us know how we are going.
Don’t forget our Town Hall next Wednesday 16 June at 9.00am, you are all very welcome. Presented by our psychologist Leanne Caruso -'How do you help a child navigate a path through anxiety?' I look forward to seeing you there. All the details for your RSVP are in this newsletter.
The Lord be with you.
Chris.
We should pray
God, our Father, we ask that we and our children be gifted with a positive inner attitude of mind and heart – true happiness. Amen.
Town Hall
Our next Town Hall, 'How do you help a child navigate a path through anxiety?' will be one not to miss. It’s on Wednesday 16 June 2021 at 9.00am. A Town Hall is a 10 minute presentation and then a 10 minute Q&A session. This one is presented by our school psychologist Leanne Caruso. The link to RSVP your attendance follows.
Gospel Mark 4:26-34
The kingdom of God is a mustard seed growing into the biggest shrub of all
Jesus said to the crowds: ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man throws seed on the land. Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the crop is ready, he loses no time: he starts to reap because the harvest has come.’
He also said, ‘What can we say the kingdom of God is like? What parable can we find for it? It is like a mustard seed which at the time of its sowing in the soil is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.’
Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable of understanding it. He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were alone.
We would love to hear from you.
We do appreciate hearing from you after every planned event at St Jerome's School. We are keen to know what was successful, and any suggestions you may have for us to consider. This Google form will remain available to gather your opinion. Did you attend any of the following?
- Wednesday 2 June -Night of the Notables (6 Red & 6 Green)
- Friday 4 June -LifeLink Lapathon
- Wednesday 9 June -First Eucharist Workshop
- Friday 11 June - De Vialar Mass
Vanessa, Carol and Chris
Cluedunnit Competition - Top 10!
Congratulations to Zavier, Oliver, Isabella, Addison, Monica, Tayla and Nadia from Year 6 who entered the “Cluedunnit” competition, which is run by the Law Society at the University of Western Australia. This is the first time St Jerome’s has entered the competition, and this team has made the Top 10 entries! The winner will be announced in the next few weeks.
The students received a brief where they needed to review the evidence provided. They were required to apply legal principles and suggest the appropriate sentencing, whilst pinpointing the prime suspect. The students then submitted a game show called “The Crime Scene” as their entry. Mrs Paatsch is very proud of them all!
A message from the School Nurse
Colds
Upper respiratory tract infections or colds are everywhere, especially in winter, so it is almost impossible to stop children from catching them. Here are some points which may help:
- Teach your child to cover his/her nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, and to wash hands straight afterwards.
- Hands should be washed after blowing noses and before eating.
- Use tissues once and then throw them in the bin. (Avoid using handkerchiefs)
- Keep your child home from school if he/she has a cold/cough/fever/pain.
- Make sure that your children eat a balanced diet of plenty of healthy foods.
- Keep children away from smoke – it irritates their eyes and nasal passages, making it more likely that they will catch a cold.
What to do if your child gets a cold
No treatment will cure a cold or make it go away more quickly, but you can help your child feel more comfortable:
- Rest: This need not be in bed.
- Provide extra drinks: If your child doesn’t want to drink much, try giving lots of small sips of water, milk or juice, or iceblocks to suck for older children.
I have provided the following links from reliable websites for further information:-
When to keep kids home from school - Children's Health
Between colds, coughs and stomach bugs, kids get sick frequently. So when symptoms like a runny nose or stomach pain hit, it may be difficult to decide when you should keep your child home from daycare or school.
Colds in kids & teens: how to treat them | Raising Children Network
Children and colds. The average preschool child has at least six colds a year. Sometimes, especially in winter, it might seem that your child is sick for weeks at a time, barely getting over one cold before getting another one.
Jordyn O’Dea
Community Health /Child and Adolescent Health Service
Registered Nurse | Cockburn Region
90 Cordelia Avenue, Coolbellup WA 6163 |
t (08) 0437 209 460 | w cahs.health.wa.gov.au
It's part of life ...
There is no way that parents can make children happy all the time. Children need to learn how to deal with some distress and to figure out how to cope with it. Learning how to deal with life’s frustrations and setbacks is essential for future happiness. A parent’s role in these situations is to help children find solutions, not provide them. What’s more, children need to know that it’s all right to be unhappy sometimes; it’s part of life.
Some quick bits …
No paragraphs, no homilies, just the facts, here goes ….
- The School Office is unattended after 3.30pm. OSHClub can care for any child after this time for late pick ups.
- Children should not be arriving on school grounds earlier than 8.15am unless involved in a supervised school activity.
- De Vialar Mass -Fri 11 June @ 9.00am
- P&F Meeting -Tues 15 June @ 7.00pm
- Town Hall - Coping with Anxiety - Wed 16 June @ 9.00am
- Night of the Notables (6 Blue) - Wed 16 June @ 7.00pm
- Advisory Council Meeting -Tues 22 June @ 7.00pm
- Fathering Project Movie Night - Friday 25 June @ 5.30pm
- Reports to Parents -Thursday 1 July
- Last Day of T2 - Friday 2 July
Contact Details
Email: admin@stjeromes.wa.edu.au
Website: www.stjeromes.wa.edu.au
Location: 38 Troode Street, Lake Coogee, WA, Australia
Phone: 08 9499 9500
Parish of St Jerome's Contact Details
Parish Priest: Fr Vijay D’Souza CRS
E: johnson.dsouza@perthcatholic.org.au
Phone: 9418 1229
Secretary : secretary@stjeromesparish.org Website: www.stjeromesparish.org