St Jerome's Newsletter
Week 5 - Term 4 (Thursday 14 November 2019)
Dear Parents and members of our school community
I love how the queen of commonsense Maggie Dent, captures the joy of being a grandparent in her article which I have reproduced here.
As a grandmother of two precious girls, I agree with her 100%. There is nothing as wonderful as being a Nanna.
The things you don’t realise about being a Grandparent by Maggie Dent
Recently one of my best and longest-serving girlfriends became a grandmother.
I am beyond thrilled for her as your first grandchild can have a massive impact on you as a new grandparent. Not only was a new baby born, a new parent is born and a new grandparent was born also.
For years many who had become grandparents before me told me of the joy, sheer delight and eager anticipation being a grandparent can bring. They were wrong in many ways, for me it was even better than they said.
Staring into the face of this new baby changed me deeply. It opened up pathways of memories from when I had given birth that I thought had closed forever. The exquisite miniature of that little one, tiny nose, little fingers and toe nails and yet the agelessness they bring with the newness.
The presence of the unfolding of ancestry and family history as the next generation begins. It is a profound moment in time on so many levels, so deeply moving and surprising in its intensity.
The tears of joy that flowed for those first days took me a while to comprehend. They were happy tears mixed with a profound sense of gratitude that this little one had arrived safely. I felt even sadder then for those whose anticipated grandchildren had been born sleeping. It was as if, through embracing how enormous this event was for me, I could sense how huge the hurt of that loss must be.
Then there was the unbelievable power of hope and optimism for the life that lies ahead currently hidden. Who will they become? What will be their most treasured moments? This then brings a strange sense of fear and dread. Heck, I hope I stay alive long enough to see them become adults!
Then come the moments when you recognise that funny chin, the cute dimple or the cute ears that remind you of someone in the family either side of the family. Genetics is truly amazing!
Then in time as you come to connect more and more with this child and thankfully subsequent precious grandchildren there comes a moment that the love you feel for this child actually makes your heart expand. It has to grow bigger to hold the depth and the width of how much you love them.
I am a better woman now that I am a grandparent. I have a greater enthusiasm for life because I want to be a really good grandparent, not average. I want to be a quirky, unpredictable, sometimes embarrassing grandparent so that they come and visit with a sense of anticipation.
I will allow them to linger in those puddles, the mud or looking for tiny creatures at the water's edge because I will have more time to be. I will allow them to eat the biscuit mixture or cake mixture when we bake together. I will allow them to splash water everywhere when they have a bath and to only get out when they are absolutely done.
AGM
The teaching staff list will be announced at this event.
The School Board and P&F all present annual reports and financial summaries.
You are very welcome and we provide a lovely supper.
Places still available. Enrol now!
Principal
Grandparents Day - Friday 15 November
St Jerome’s is holding a Grandparent’s morning, tomorrow from 9:00am -11:15am. Grandparents are welcome to visit classrooms from 9:00 – 10:30am and join in the activities organized there. A morning tea will be provided by the school from 10:30-11:15am in the grounds or the Undercover Area by the canteen. Tea and coffee stations will be set up in the Undercover Area, the Circus Tent and on the oval side of the library. The school bell will signal the end of the morning session when the children will say their goodbyes to their grandparents and return to their classes.
Grandparents wishing to take their PrePrimary or Kindy grandchildren into these areas for morning tea will need to sign them out with their class teacher and then return them to their teacher, ensuring they sign them back into their class at the end of recess.
Children are asked to bring along their own recess food and join their grandparents for a picnic on the oval, Undercover Area or the Circus Tent. There will be a few picnic tables and chairs on the oval area but we do advise grandparents to bring along a picnic rug if they intend to picnic on the grass. There will also be tables and chairs set up in the Undercover Area.
Purple Day Wednesday 20th November
November 17th is World Prematurity Day that is recognised all over the world.
Every year thousands of families are affected by the birth of a premature baby or babies including families in our school.
Each year we recognise all babies born too early, the babies born sick, the babies who were with us for a short time and gained their angel wings and also the babies who were born too early to survive.
Life's Little Treasures Foundation is a non for profit foundation and relies solely on the donations and fundraising to provide families that have been affected extra support through a trailing journey in their lives.
You can read the story of one of our families below by clicking on the link below.
https://lifeslittletreasures.org.au/indiana-and-jacksons-story/
With your help of a gold coin donation per family and wearing purple on Wednesday 20th November, you will be helping to provide support for other families.
Carol Hoare
Assistant Principal APRE
Plastic Bread Tags Collection
Wheelchairs for South Africa - Collection of Plastic Bread Tags
We are also excited to announce that we can collect and help recycle plastic bread tags now too. There is a separate collection box in the front office. These tags will be used to provide wheelchairs for people in need in South Africa. The tags are given to the charity Bread Tags for Wheelchairs and then sold to people set up to recycle them and the funds are used to purchase wheelchairs. The recyclers are turning the tags into seedling trays, door knobs and looking into making floor tiles and coasters. That's more plastic not going into rubbish dumps!
Thank you!
“WRITE A BOOK IN A DAY” AWARDS!
On Wednesday the 13 November I took a group of Year 5 and 6 children to Kingsway Christian College in Darch to attend the WABIAD awards ceremony.
The Year 6 team (many of these children had great success last year) consisted of Kate, Ava, Aleisha, Taylor, Lachlan, Marco, Kristijan, Bodhi, Harrison and Tekilah received the award of “Highly Commended”, which was the 2nd highest book in the state.
The Year 5 team, called “Kung Fu Typing” wrote a book titled “Multi and the Titan”. Jenna, Layla, Madison, Sophie, Rhyda, Oscar, Alex, Leo and Hezekiah were awarded “Best Illustrated Book in Western Australia”.
I am extremely proud of ALL of the children who have participated in WABIAD this year, and it certainly highlights our wonderfully talented and hard working students we have at St Jeromes!
Natalie Paatsch
Extension Teacher
Congratulations Lauren
Two weeks ago Lauren B (6G) was interviewed by Community News about her success in the Angelico and the Performing Arts Festival. Attached is the article.
The awards couldn’t have gone to a more humble student!
CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT 2019
Everyone is welcome to join us celebrate Christmas this year at our Carols by Candlelight Concert on the school oval on Friday 6th December. Every child from Pre Primary to Year 6 will be performing this year.
Please come to watch your child perform with their class and enjoy the Nativity play performance from the comfort of your own picnic rug. BYO Picnic or purchase a Sausage Sizzle from 5pm. The concert will begin at 6pm sharp.
Everyone is encouraged to come dressed in their favourite Christmas attire.
Come and Try Kayaking for 8 years and over - Presented by Champion Lakes Boating Club
Venue: Champion Lakes Regatta Centre
Henley Drive, Champion Lakes
Dates: Saturday 16 November 2019
Time: 4:00-5:00pm
Cost: $10
Pre requisite: Must have basic swimming skills (Stage 5 or equivalent)
All gear provided (boat, paddle pfd)
Bookings on EVENTBRITE
(https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/come-and-try-kayaking-8-years-tickets-78922331819 )
Enquiries: kayaking@clbc.org.au
Contact Details
Email: admin@stjeromes.wa.edu.au
Website: www.stjeromes.wa.edu.au
Location: 38 Troode Street, Munster WA, Australia
Phone: 08 9499 9500