Dear parents and caregivers,

As Catholics, the month of May is known as Mary’s month. It’s the month that we honour the Blessed Mary as the Mother of Jesus and our Heavenly Mother. There are a number of rituals that we do throughout May to show love for Mary. One of these rituals is praying the Rosary, a combination of prayers, during which we can reflect on the important events in the life of Jesus and mary. Throughout the month of May, I encourage you to take some time to pray the Rosary with your children and reflect on how fortunate we are to be part of such a fantastic community.

May is also the month that we celebrate Mother’s Day and this week we did this in style. Our wonderful Kindergarten class spent Wednesday morning spoiling their mums and grandmothers with pamper activities. The laughter and joy experienced by our students and their families was heart-warming! Thursday started with a lovely P&F Mother’s Day Coffee, Cinnayum Scrolls and some wonderful raffles which were all kindly donated by Kirrily Macri at Harcourts Alliance Joondalup. Following the morning tea, our fabulous Year Two class presented a very entertaining Assembly which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone! Thank you to all our dedicated staff for providing some memorable experiences for our mothers and grandmothers!

At the beginning of the week, I was informed that we had been successful with our submission for the Schools Upgrade Grant grant from the Australian Government Department of Education. The Schools Upgrade Fund provides funding to improve and upgrade school facilities. The project that we proposed was to install an insulated roof cover between the classroom blocks to enable us to use the beautiful, decked areas for outdoor learning and conversations spaces to build relationships. This could also then be a meeting place for open days/nights and special occasions protecting us from the elements. Ms Tracey Roberts MP, Member for Pearce, will be visiting our school next week to formally congratulate us on our submission.

Finally, I wish all our mums, grandmothers and those that take on the motherly role in our lives a wonderful Mother’s Day on Sunday. I do hope you get thoroughly spoilt by your families!

Have a lovely weekend!

God bless

Rebecca Clarke

Principal

Thank you to our CEWA Well-being Consultant, Ben Saulsman who presented an informative workshop on the topic of resilience and well-being in children! Research has shown that resilience is a key factor in promoting positive outcomes in children, including their overall well-being and mental health.

Resilience can be defined as the ability to adapt and bounce back from adversity or stressful situations. There are a number of factors that contribute to resilience, including supportive relationships, positive self-esteem, problem-solving skills, and a sense of purpose. In terms of promoting well-being in children, there are a number of strategies that parents, caregivers, and educators can use. These include:

1. Building positive relationships with children and fostering a sense of connection and belonging.

2. Encouraging healthy habits, such as getting enough sleep, eating well, and engaging in physical activity.

3. Teaching children coping skills, such as mindfulness and relaxation techniques.

4. Promoting a growth mindset and emphasising the importance of effort and perseverance.

5. Creating a safe and nurturing environment that encourages exploration, creativity, and learning.

It's important to remember that every child is different and may require different strategies to promote resilience and well-being. However, by focusing on building positive relationships, promoting healthy habits, and teaching coping skills, parents and caregivers can help children develop the resilience they need to thrive.

Thank you to the staff and parents from St Elizabeth’s, St Anthony’s and St Luke’s that attended the workshop, it was lovely to host you at our school.

Please click the link below for resources and information that were shared at the workshop.

We Like to Move it, Move it!

St Elizabeth’s Catholic Primary School is very excited to be joining the Your Move Program!

Our motivation was sparked by the upcoming Walk to School Day event which we are participating in along with a yummy breakfast for students with funding being provided by the City of Wanneroo.

We are in a fortunate situation where students live close to school, and we have great access to footpaths surrounding us, making walking and cycling a realistic option.

We have established a Your Move team with eager members from the P&F and staff and will offer our Year Five students an opportunity to share the leadership role and take turns helping promote various events and activities throughout the year.

By becoming involved in Your Move we hope to encourage students to become active in their travel to school, gain pedestrian and bike safety skills as well as reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions. We are already so passionate about other sustainability initiatives it only makes sense to encourage a healthy lifestyle whilst also looking after the planet.

On Friday 12th May we conducted our first Hands Up survey to find out how students travel to school. Fortunately, we were able to select a day that was mild with very little chance of rain, something that can prove to be challenging in Term Two.

Our results show that many of our students came in a car to school today with only two students riding to school and four students walking!

Our goal is to increase the number of students that walk or ride to school at least two times a week!

It will be interesting to see how our results may differ later in the year when the weather is warmer, and we have more promotion and awareness of this initiative.

WE’RE TAKING IT IN OUR STRIDE ON FRIDAY 19 MAY 2023

Well it’s that time of year again when our school seriously starts talking about walking! Walk Safely to School Day asks that we all consider our transport habits and try to incorporate more walking as part of a healthy, active way to get around. And although walking all the way to school isn’t realistic for many of us, it’s quite easy to figure out how you can build a walk into your family’s daily routine.

You can teach your child the healthy habit of walking more by:

• Walking with them the whole way to school
• If they get the bus or train, walk past your usual stop and get on at the next stop
• If you have to drive, park the car a few blocks away from the school and walk the rest of the way. An option would be to get a group together and meet at Bembridge Park (25 Bembridge Loop), park the car and walk to school. Alternatively, you could park in the Woolworths carpark and walk.

When you arrive to school after your morning walk, the P&F will be hosting a yummy, healthy breakfast for all students as part of our commitment to the 'Your Move' program. Thank you to Celeste Spencer for coordinating this event!

Regular exercise like walking with your child not only helps them (and you!) beat chronic problems like obesity, heart disease, behavioural and mental health issues and diabetes. It also gives you a great opportunity to teach your child safe ways to behave around roads and traffic.

Remember, Active Kids are Healthy Kids so get planning your own Walk Safely to School Day journey for Friday 19 MAY 2023!

For more information, visit www.walk.com.au

Please remember to clearly label all uniform items, particularly jumpers! These often are on and off throughout the day and can be challenging to locate rightful owners at times.

Uniform shop day is Thursday. Please use the online order form under the 'families' tab on our website, All orders placed will be processed and sent home on Thursday in your child's bag.

Thank you

Thank you to Kirrily Macri from Harcourts Alliance for the Mother's Day prizes, coffee and cinnayum buns. Congratulations to the following mums on winning a prize.

1. Francesca Witton

2. Jakki Van der Heyden

3. Ashlie shilton

4. Caroline Southern-Upton

5. Renae Silvasi

6. Brooke Davison

Door Prize Winners - prizes handmade and donated by Kelly Wilson

1. Natalie Jurcevic

2. Tara Colyer-Long

3. Claire Didlock

4. Crystal Staltari

5. Emma Nicoletti

Special thanks to Melissa Wilson for organising the sponsorship of prizes, Belinda Stewart for ordering the Cinnayum buns and securing a great deal, Dawie Van Der Walt for handing out the buns and Chris Wilson for picking up the buns early!!

And thank you to everyone who came and supported our school community and fundraising efforts - we raised $790 in the raffle which is an outstanding result!

Congratulations to the P&F for running the first online raffle which was an outstanding success.

Term 1 Start Date Wednesday 1 February

Term 1 End Date Thursday 6 April

Term 2 Start Date Wednesday 26 April
Term 2 End Date Friday 30 June

Term 3 Start Date Monday 17 July
Term 3 End Date Friday 22 September

Term 4 Start Date Tuesday 10 October

Term 4 End Date Friday 8 December

Friday 3 March

Monday 24 April
Friday 18 August
Monday 21 August

Monday, 9 October

Please note, these dates are subject to change. If these dates for Professional Learning do require amending, parents will be notified well in advance.

Confirmation

Candidate Commitment Mass

Saturday 25th March 6.00pm

Sunday 26th March 7.30am

Sunday 26th March 9.00am

Parent/Child Workshop

Tuesday 16th May 5.00pm

Candidate Retreat

Friday 19th May

Sacrament

Saturday 27th May 6.00pm

Sunday 28th May 11.00am

Saturday 10th June 6.00pm

Certificate Weekend

Sunday 11th June

First Holy Communion

Candidate Commitment Mass

Saturday 24th June 6.00pm

Sunday 25th June 7.30am

Sunday 25th June 9.00am

Sunday 25th June 6.00pm

Parent/Child Workshop

Tuesday 8th August 5.00pm

Candidate Retreat

Friday 11th August

Sacrament

Saturday 19th August 6.00pm

Sunday 20th August 9.00am

Sunday 20th August 6.00pm

Saturday 26th August 6.00pm

Sunday 27th August 9.00am

Sunday 27th August 6.00pm

Certificate Weekend

Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd September

Reconciliation

Commitment Mass

Saturday 16th September 6.00pm

Sunday 17th September 7.30am

Sunday 17th September 9.00am

Sunday 17th September 6.00pm

Parent Workshop

Wednesday 25th October 5.00pm

Candidate Retreat

Friday 3rd November

Sacrament

Tuesday 7th November 5.00pm

Wednesday 8th November 5.00pm

Thursday 9th November 5.00pm

Certificate Weekend

Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th November