Newsletter
St Brigid's Primary School
PRAYER
Loving God help us to teach our children that you love us totally and unconditionally. Help us to encourage our children to grow in love and to learn how to say sorry, knowing that you always forgive. Give us the courage to pray with our children and to share our faith with them as we journey together.
Term Two Week Two - May 4th
Principal - Paula MacKenzie
Dear Parents and Caregivers, this week we saw our students make their Sacrament of Reconciliation in our school community. It was a very special occasion and a blessing for our students and their families. In Baptism, we begin to live as followers of Jesus, we live as his disciples. As Jesus’ disciples, we want to make good choices. The Holy Spirit guides us in making good choices. He is our special helper. Special thanks to Father Benny and Father Rodrigo for celebrating the Sacrament with our families. Thank you also to the teachers and Catechists for their sharing of knowledge on this spiritual journey. Thank you also to Mr Tony Corbett for ensuring that the Sacrament was a memorable moment in our family’s lives. These Sacraments are he foundation of who we are, and it is a blessing to be able to participate along side our families.
P & F Meeting
We were blessed to have our first P & F meeting this year and we saw many new faces join our committee. Everyone is always welcome, and our next meeting will be held on the Friday 13th May at 9.00am. We will be looking at what events the P & F would like to host for the remainder of the year. Please come and join us.
Our Co Presidents are Lynne Reynolds and Chantel Hawkins our new Secretary is Rebecca Andrews, and our Treasurer is Jenny Separovich. We are so proud to have so many wonderful parents join us and become active part of our community.
This year we would like to reintroduce P & F class reps, we are looking for one wonderful parent from each class to have their photo and phone number outside their child’s class to help pass on information and welcome new families and present families into our school. attached to the newsletter is some information about the role of the class P & F Rep. If you are interested, please send your photo and phone number to the office so that we can contact you and discuss the role.
Last year our P & F funded the new netball fencing and the resurfacing of the netball courts this was a massive undertaking and now we have our wonderful courts looking fantastic. They were completed on Tuesday afternoon in time for netball training. The courts are now blue and beautiful and ready for use. Our amazing P & F team from 2021, Karryn Purchase, Jenny Separovich, Fiona Doherty and Heidi Nagel were the driving force to see this work completed on the courts, well done ladies.
Upgrade of toilets and Kitchen
During the April holidays Peter Constable and Tim Hewson were busy upgrading and remodelling the kindergarten kitchen and toilet areas. Our bathroom went from old and drab to new and beautiful. The kitchen was spruced up and now is white and immaculate. The School Advisory Council is constantly looking for ways to improve our facilities and it was decided that the kindergarten was in need of an update. Thanks to our wonderful team of Peter and Tim things went smoothly and everything was ready for the start of term.
Mother’s Day morning tea
Thank you to all our mothers and grandmothers and carers that were able to make it to our morning tea this week. It was wonderful to see so many mothers join us for the morning tea provided by our generous staff. It was awesome morning and the power point created by Mr Morrison really topped off the day. The power point will be on our website for parents to view.
Due to COVID restrictions we have seen so many changes occur. At the end of the holidays, we were not going to hold a Mother’s Day morning tea due to parents not being permitted on school grounds. After the holidays parents were once again invited into school for drop off and pick up only. By last weekend most restrictions had been lifted. Therefore, we decided to hold a morning tea for our mums. We invited our 361 mums to the event realising that there was not a lot of time. At this point we did say that the children were not attending until we could see the response of mums.
On the day we made the decision to invite the children to celebrate the day with their mums. I appreciate that some parents may have been disappointed by the lack of notice, but we really wanted to thank our mums and needed to check numbers on the day.
ANZAC Liturgy
Last Tuesday, our sensational Year Six student leaders shone as they led out ANZAC Liturgy via power point and through teams so that al our children could remember our Anzacs and soldiers who have fought to keep us free. We were not sure that it was going to be possible to hold our service as a school therefore it was decided to create a power point and have our Year Six leaders record their parts on the power point. It is important to remember those who fought throughout history to maintain freedom for all.
NAPLAN
From 10 May, as part of the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), national tests will be held in Literacy and Numeracy for all students in Australia at Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.
The national tests assess student achievement in Literacy and Numeracy. Students will be familiar with the test formats and the type of questions they are required to answer. This year the children will compete the tests online it is important for all children to be at school in year 3 & 5 so that they may participate.
Peer Pressure
Having a group of friends is one of the most important aspects of being a child and a teenager. A ‘Peer Group’ is a group of friends about the same age. ‘Peer Pressure’ refers to the effect that this group of friends can exert on an individual. Peer groups can be a very positive influence on a young person’s life, but they can also cause them great stress, including their parents! Peer groups help a young person to have a sense of belonging and a sense of being valued. It provides them with a sense of security and of being understood by others who are going through the same experiences. The peer group can provide a safe environment for young people to test values and ideas, develop friendship skills and provide positive reinforcement and encouragement for the young person to develop their personality and identity.
Peer pressure often creates extra stress for young people as they want to ‘keep in’ with friends and do things that help them belong to the group. There is nothing worse for most young people than to be shown up or embarrassed in front of their peer group. Not all young people respond in the same way to peer pressure. Some are simply more independent than others and can withstand or resist the pressure better. Research indicates that young people who do not receive support at home are more likely to be influenced by their peer group. The two best supports for young people who feel they are under pressure from their peer group are family and friends.
Our Mothers
Mothers are a special gift from God to our families. I pray that this Sunday will be a time of rejoicing and happiness as we stop to thank our mothers for all they have given to make are lives enriched. Our Mass on Sunday will be a time that we can pray for our mothers and remember how wonderful these special women truly are. I look forward to hearing from our students, all the wonderful ways they celebrated Mother’s Day with their Mums. Have a sensational day Mums and enjoy every moment with your families.
Assistant Principal - Alan Morrison
NAPLAN 2022
Students in Year 3 and Year 5 will be sitting their NAPLAN tests on Tuesday 10 May. The commencing days for the tests schedule is as follows:
· Writing - Tuesday 10 May
· Reading - Wednesday 11 May
· Conventions of Language - Thursday 12 May
· Numeracy - Friday 13 May
· Catch up days – Monday 16 to Friday 20 May
NAPLAN is a nationwide measure through which parents, teachers, schools, education authorities, governments and the broader community can determine how well young Australians are developing the literacy and numeracy skills that provide the critical foundation for other learning and for their productive and rewarding participation in the community.
NAPLAN results can assist teachers by providing additional information to support their professional judgement about students’ levels of literacy and to monitor their students' progress over time against the national measure.
- NAPLAN tests are one aspect of each school’s assessment and reporting process. NAPLAN does not replace the extensive, ongoing assessments made by teachers about each student’s performance. A child’s teacher will have the best insight into the child’s educational progress. NAPLAN results do not measure overall school quality.
- NAPLAN questions are directly linked to the Australian Curriculum: English and Mathematics. As such, the best preparation students can do for NAPLAN is to learn what they do in the classroom every day. On its own, NAPLAN is not a test that can be studied for, and students are not expected to do so.
- The assessments allow parents to see how their child is progressing against national standards in literacy and numeracy and over time. Along with other school assessment reports, NAPLAN supports parents in discussing with teachers their child’s strengths and areas for improvement.
- NAPLAN results can assist teachers by providing additional information to support their professional judgement about students’ levels of literacy and numeracy attainment and progress.
- NAPLAN can support school improvement by enabling teachers to monitor their students’ progress over time against the national measure, to identify strengths and areas to improve in teaching programs, and to set goals in literacy and numeracy.
- Students and parents wishing to familiarise themselves with NAPLAN online can visit the public demonstration site on the NAP website.
One of the main benefits of NAPLAN online is that it uses tailored (or adaptive) testing. This means that students receive questions better suited to their abilities, so they can show what they know and can do. Online testing also allows us to provide a wide range of accessibility options to support students with disability to access NAPLAN. For more information about the move to online, visit the ‘NAPLAN online’ page of the NAP website. This year, between 10 and 20 May, our school will be doing NAPLAN online.
NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are already learning at school. On its own, NAPLAN is not a test that can be studied for and students are not expected to do so. NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process – it does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance; however, students and parents may use individual results to discuss progress with teachers.
ICT skills – part of the school curriculum
Students do not need to be computer experts to take the NAPLAN test online. Making sure students have computer skills is part of the school curriculum, and teachers will ensure students are familiar with the online test format and the device they will use.
The writing test is not about handwriting skills and NAPLAN online is not about keyboarding skills. Year 3 students will continue to complete the writing assessment on paper. To see the types of questions and interactive features of NAPLAN online, try the NAPLAN online public demonstration site, available on the NAP website.
Key features of a tailored test
Your child will be doing NAPLAN online this year. One of the main features of NAPLAN online is that it is a tailored (or adaptive) test. This means that students receive questions better suited to their abilities, so they can demonstrate what they know and can do.
Tailored tests provide more precise results and trials of the tailored test design show students are more engaged with tests that adapt to their test performance.
Students should not be concerned if they think that the questions are more difficult than expected or they have previously experienced – this may simply mean that they are taking a more challenging but more appropriate pathway. Harder questions receive a greater weighting so there is no disadvantage in scoring.
This ‘tailored testing’ approach means that a wider range of student abilities can be tested (compared with the paper approach, where all students answer exactly the same questions).
NSI Partnerships St Brigid’s School Survey
Using Parents' and Caregivers' voices to INFORM and FOCUS our IMPROVEMENT Plans
Effective parent and caregiver involvement can play a critical role in students’ academic success, supporting learning and leading to improved achievement across all areas. Parents and caregivers are also important stakeholders whose views and experiences of the school should inform schools’ self-review and ongoing improvement efforts.
Our Parent and Caregiver Survey (PaCS) has seven scales that provide feedback to principals and school leadership teams about a wide range of dimensions important to parents and how school communities can foster greater involvement of parents, as key stakeholders, into the life of the school.
You are invited to participate in a survey about your school's climate. Similar surveys will be administered to staff and students to enable us to capture a community snapshot. All responses are confidential and will be used for school improvement purposes. Completion of the survey is voluntary.
Please take the time to complete this important survey (survey link emailed to all families 2 May 2022). All responses are anonymous.
Surveys close Friday 13 May 2022.
School Uniforms:
All children in Pre-Primary to Six are required to wear the school uniform as specified below. A note of explanation is required if the correct uniform is not being worn. All items of clothing are to be clearly marked with the student’s full name. Full sports uniform is to be worn on class physical education and sport days only. At the beginning of the school term students will be advised by their classroom teacher two specified days when year groups have Physical Education and Sports classes. On PE day students are to wear their faction polo and on Sports day students are to wear the blue and white polo. When cold, students may elect to wear the school track suit.
I have noticed a few students not wearing the correct school uniform or not wearing ‘all’ pieces of the uniform correctly. Some issues:
- Incorrect hair cuts
- Incorrect school shoes
- Shoes not polished
- Incorrect school socks
- No tie
- Not wearing tie correctly
- Shirts not tucked in
- Wearing wrong uniform School/Sports on wrong days
Hair, Grooming and Jewellery:
Hair must be clean, neat and tidy. Students must have their hair styled or restrained so that it does not fall onto the face. Make-up or nail polish is not acceptable at school. These will be removed if worn to school.
Hair for girls should be:
- Clean, neat and tidy.
- Coloured or dyed hair is not permitted.
- Extreme hairstyles are not permitted.
- Girls’ long hair (collar length and longer) should be tied back firmly away from the face.
- Fringe must be short and well above the brows or long enough to be tied back.
- Hair accessories must be plain, non-decorative and only in the following colours – royal blue, white, yellow or black.
- On faction carnival days students may wear ribbons that match the colour of their faction.
Hair for boys should be:
- Clean, neat and tidy
- Boys’ hair is to be short back & sides; hair must be well above the collar, not over the ears and the fringe must be short and well above the eye brows.
- Long sweeping fringes
- Mohawks
- Spiky hair to extreme
- Razor cuts or Rats Tails
- Coloured or dyed hair
- Number one haircuts (Number two and above)
We would appreciate your help with ensuring that your child/ren always wear the correct school uniform.
Assistant Principal - Tony Corbett
Friday 13th May: Our Lady of Fatima.
Who is Our Lady of Fatima?
Our Lady of Fatima is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in connection with her apparitions to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. Our Lady of Fatima told the shepherd children to pray the rosary daily for the end of the war (World War I). Mary continued to appear once a month for 6 months to the three children, Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco.
A call to prayer
Our Lady of Fatima urgently desired for all of faithful to pray daily for the salvation of poor sinners, and for the whole world. That message from Our Mother Mary is a challenge – no matter where you are in your own personal prayer life – to go deeper, to pray often, and with greater intention.
Some of us may not pray all that often except when in great need. Now, on this 100th anniversary of the first appearance of Our Lady of the Rosary, perhaps it is time to dust off that rosary that has been sitting on the shelf since it was received at Confirmation.
Others of us may have a deep devotion to the rosary already, in which case the message of Fatima calls us to approach our prayer life with a new ardor. This new ardor would look differently for each individual, but may include things like adopting new devotional practices, recommitting ourselves to attentiveness during times of prayer, or perhaps even increasing the frequency of times dedicated to the Lord and Our Lady in prayer.
Save the date: Tuesday 10th May. Year 1 Liturgy in the St Brigid’s sacred space. Commencing at 9:00am. All parents are invited to attend.
Mental health and wellness tips for dads
Men’s mental health has been a big focus in Australia in recent years and there have been many improvements in services and much bigger utilisation of these supports by men in general.
However, mental health issues are still having an impact on men’s physical health overall. The majority of the burden of disease linked to mental health disorders experienced by men is 52.3%, and that’s too high on my watch.
The good news is that in recent Australian studies, men have reported using numerous strategies to positively maintain their mental health and wellbeing.
The top 10 strategies they reported using from top to bottom are:
- Eating healthily (54% do this regularly)
- Keep myself busy (50%)
- Exercise (45%)
- Use humour to reframe my thoughts/feelings (41%)
- Do something to help another person (36%)
- Spend time with a pet (35%)
- Accept my sad feelings ‘this will pass too’ (33%)
- Achieve something (big or small) (31%)
- Hang out with people who are positive (31 %)
- Distract myself from negative thoughts/feelings (30%)
If you are struggling, call Lifeline on 131 114, or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636. If children are struggling, they can call Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800 or Youth Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
TERM DATES FOR 2022
TERM ONE
Monday 31 January – Friday 8 April
Pupil Free Days - 8th March & 8th April
TERM TWO
Tuesday 26 April – Friday 1 July
Pupil Free Days – 5th & 6th May
TERM THREE
Tuesday 19 July – Friday 23 September
Pupil Free Days - 18th July & 12th August
TERM FOUR
Monday 10 October – Friday 9th December
SCHOOL CANTEEN
QUICKCLIQ ORDERS
Log into your QuickCliq account -> click Active/Cancel order -> Scroll to the right -> click Cancel against the order.
MUSIC NEWS
Entries are now open for the Performing Arts Festival for Catholic Schools and Colleges.
If you are interested in entering your child in the Music Festival, please send an email to the Performing Arts Coordinator nicole.boddy@cewa.edu.au as entries are now all submitted online.
Please note the closing date for entries for both live and electronic performances will be Sunday 8th May.
Kind Regards,
Nicole Boddy
UNIFORM SHOP
Uniform Shop Opening Hours
Monday 8.00am till 10.00am
Wednesday 1.30pm till 3.30pm
Uniform Order Forms can be emailed to uniform@stbrigidsms.wa.edu.au
or contact Mrs Jo-Anne Vellis during open hours only on
6216 3865.
Winter Uniforms Term 2 and Term 3
WINTER UNIFORM
If you need to place an order please click the below link, complete the form and either sent it to uniform@stbrigidsms.wa.edu.au or alternatively you can send the form in with your student to be handed into the office.
https://stbrigidsms.wa.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Uniform-Order-form-2022.pdf
Children in years 3 to six should be wearing their school ties as this is part of our winter uniform. As part of this uniform all students should wear clean and polished black leather lace-up shoes. For more information, please see our Uniform Guidelines at https://stbrigidsms.wa.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Uniform-Guideline-Booklet-2022.pdf
St Brigid’s Running Club 2022
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Due to the interest shown in previous years, we will once again be offering the St Brigid’s Running Club Program’ again in 2022. The program will begin on Tuesday of Week 4 (17th May), and will not only prepare students for the Inter House Cross Country Carnival, but also promote an active lifestyle and encourage participation.
The essential details are listed below;
When: Every Tuesday 3:15pm – 3:45pm
Where: St Brigid’s Primary School, Middle Swan (Meet in the undercover area at the main school oval)
Cost: Free
Year Groups: Pre Primary – Year 6
Equipment:
Students will need to bring running attire and running shoes/joggers, and get changed into their attire at the conclusion of the school day, before ‘Running Club’ commences. Students who wear sports uniform on a Tuesday, may participate in their sports uniform.
Parental Support:
This initiative is one which will be a success if we have the full support of the parents who have their children involved. It is expected that each student’s behaviour is of the highest standard and students must maintain this standard of behaviour throughout the program or they will not be able to continue participating in the program.
This will include ensuring that students are to be picked up no later than 3:50pm at the conclusion of ‘Running Club’ and that participating students stay off the play equipment/stay out of the sand pit areas.
I thank you very much in advance for your support, and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact myself via email, samuelharris1@cewa.edu.au or in person at school.
I hope that we can continue this enjoyable and productive program for the students of our school.
Kind regards
Mr Samuel Harris
Physical Education Teacher
ST BRIGID’S PARENTS & FRIENDS ASSOCIATION
P & F Representative
About the P&F
The St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School Parents & Friends Association is affiliated with the Parents & Friends Federation of Western Australia.
Membership to the St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School’s P & F Association is open to:
- Parents/Guardians/Carers of children attending St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School
- Or any person who supports the objectives of the St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School’s P & F Association.
- The Parish Priest
- The St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School’s Principal and all the members of the teaching staff of St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School (as ex-officio members).
The P & F is not just a fund-raising body. The P & F:
- Works closely with the Principal to achieve common goals.
- Provides healthy forums for discussion in regard to P & F matters.
- Organises social events to build a school community that reflects Christian values.
- Organises fundraising events to attract additional financial resources to the school.
P&F Newsletters
A regular update is generally included in the weekly School Newsletter to keep everyone
informed about the activities of the P & F. We keep you up to date about social events, meetings, guest speakers at meetings, fundraising events, and P&F funds spent on school resources, current issues etc.
P&F Meetings
Generally, P&F meetings are held once per month on Friday morning at 9am in the Board Room in the front office. Dates are listed in the school calendar and are also advertised through the school newsletter.
At the monthly meetings we:
- Receive a report from the St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School Principal, who provides information on what is happening in the school.
- Receive a report from the P & F School Advisory Council Representative, who provides information on many School Advisory Council decisions and how they affect the school.
- Give parents an opportunity to raise items for discussion in matters pertaining to the P & F.
- Decide on the type, number and timing of fundraising and social events to be held.
- Agree on how to allocate P & F funds.
- Have guest speakers appearing from time to time.
EVERYONE is welcome to come along to the P & F meetings to help make decisions and contribute any ideas they have. You don’t have to be a committee member or a Class Representative; and you don’t have to come to EVERY meeting. We would really appreciate your input and your presence.
2022 P&F Events & Services
If you have any ideas for events for this year, either fundraising or social, please let your Class Representative or a member of the P & F Committee know or bring your ideas to a P & F meeting.
Events organised by the P & F include:
- Easter Raffle
- Student Disco’s
- Mother’s Day Stall
- Father’s Day Stall
- Dancing on the Green
- Christmas Stall
- Sausage sizzles
- Bunnings sausage sizzle
What is a Class Representative and what do they do?
Class Representatives have a key role in the operations of the P&F. We aim to have one parent become the Class Representative for each class from Kindergarten to Year 6. They help to make communication between the P & F and parents easier. They:
- Liaise with other parents to convey P & F information as required.
- Help parents to become familiar with each other.
- Organise a welcome event for any newcomers to the school, e.g. coffee/drinks at the local café or at school.
- Encourage as many people as possible to take part in events.
- Help to distribute and collect material for social/fundraising events i.e. flyers, tickets.
How many P&F Meetings do Class Representatives have to attend?
The representative from each class should attend each P & F meeting. If the representative is unable to attend information can be passed on to the P & F executive.
We look forward to working with you in 2022 to provide additional resources for our children and to further develop the school community.
Before & After School Care
Parents, we are here to support you and your children in before and after school hours! We offer a secure, safe and exciting environment for your children to thrive and be a part of a socialized group.
Please note an enrolment form and 1 days' notice is to be given to make your casual bookings for your children.
We are here to help! Enrolment forms are now online https://www.helpinghandsnetwork.com.au/register/#.
Vacancies Available Now!
COMMUNITY NEWS
Primary School Newsletter Ad Enrolments 2022
Interviews for enrolments for Year 7 2025 students are being conducted this Semester for sisters of current and past Mercedes students. If you have not enrolled your daughter, please contact our Enrolments Officer, Nicole Kirk, on 9323 1340 or enroll online via the College website at www.mercedes.wa.edu.au as soon as possible.
St Brigid's Primary School
Service, Courage, Peace, Acceptance
Email: admin@stbrigidsms.wa.edu.au
Website: www.stbrigidsms.wa.edu.au/
Location: 20 Toodyay Road, Middle Swan WA, Australia
Phone: 92501592
Facebook: facebook.com/stbrigidsms
Twitter: @stbrigidsms