An important take home message to all parents from the conference that Stuart and myself are attending.
How many good books are in your home? Do you encourage book borrowing from your local library?
Some good food for thought.
Dear Families,
A huge THANK YOU to those families that came along to support the 2018
PARISH FOOD FAIR
held in the school grounds on Sunday.
Whether you bought food, cooked food, served food, bought or sold raffle tickets, or simply turned up, bought a meal and and joined in the fun, your efforts were very much appreciated.
Days such as this really reinforce the power of
a COMMUNITY EFFORT!
The Parish community (of which we are all a part) really did a fantastic job harnessing everyone’s collective gifts and encouraging them to work hard as a team.
All money raised will help the parish realise their goal of building a new presbytery and office and this will include creating more parking bays , which the school will also benefit from.
Well done to the musicians and singers – your talents were well used and provided some great entertainment for all to enjoy!
RELATIONSHIPS
are forged and strengthened on days such as this and much fun is had along the way.
A huge congratulations to Derek Holmes and Darryl DeSouza on their fantastic coordination and planning of the event – a job very well done! They both multi-tasked on the day – Derek, behind an electric guitar and Darryl behind some giant pancakes!
Check out this movie clip where Darryl gets a surprise visit from Derek!! 🙂
It was very special to see Father Chien and his sister and Father Jean Noel and his father at the fair!
And a HUGE BRAVO to Father Giovanni on his superb PAELLA made in the most HUMUNGOUS paella pan and delicious SPAGHETTI, which all sold out very quickly! (He got up at 5am to get it all organised!)
A sense of ‘community’ comes from our individual and collective efforts and involvement. It is something built from a shared vision and generous hearts and hands. Here at St Emilie’s school and parish, we continue to applaud those who build community through –
Happy St Emilie’s Day everyone and may we all continue to aspire to be like St Emilie, whose deep faith was reflected in the way she helped others – especially those experiencing difficult times.
Dear Parents, Staff, Students and Friends,
Just a quick message to offer a sincere and heartfelt ‘thank you’ to you all for your very special support and kindness over these difficult few weeks. The sudden passing of my beautiful mother, has left our very close family completely heartbroken, however, your support, cards, thoughts and prayers have really helped to ease this very sad time in our lives.
Unfortunately, my return to school has been delayed due to illness. Mr Munro and the staff are, as always, working so hard to meet the many competing demands of school life and I am indebted to them all. I thank you for your support and care of our wonderful staff during my absence and I look forward to seeing you soon.
God be with the mother.
As she carried her child, may she carry her soul.
As her child was born, may she give birth and life and form to her own, higher truth.
As she nourished and protected her child,
may she nourish and protect her inner life and her independence.
For her soul shall be her most painful birth, her most difficult child,
and the dearest sister to her other children.
Amen
Dear St Emilie’s Mums,
Just a quick note to remind you just how special each one of you are and that our children (and our world) really needs wonderful mothers like you!
Thank you so much for the love, forgiveness, patience, time, effort, wisdom, care and nurture you give to your children each and every day. While it is often a tiring and thankless role, what can sustain us and propel our efforts, is knowing that we are deeply loved by a God who really understands our needs.
Our work as mothers has the potential to really pave the foundation of our children’s whole life and because of this it is both a privilege and a responsibility. Each day, whether watching Mums wrestle children out of the car, carry them on their hip, wave at drive-through, push them in a pram, stop to have a hug, or walk beside them to their classroom, I am very much aware that many aspects of your lives lie hidden from view, and that you will each be dealing with your own challenges, sorrows, joys and triumphs. Just know that your efforts are so appreciated and that we thank you for doing your very best to raise children who are being taught, among other things, the enduring value of kindness, forgiveness, respect, compassion and service. In the final analysis, it is the values that we teach and model for our children that will sustain them well into the years ahead…
May this Mother’s Day fill your heart with gratitude and may you be gently wrapped in God’s great love, all the days of your life.
We especially pray for those mothers in our community who are doing it tough – financially; emotionally; physically or spiritually. May we, as sisters on the journey, be slow to judge and quick to help, to empathise and to hold them in our prayers.
As Leunig so perceptively suggests, amidst the busyness of life, may we continue to nurture our own selves, for it is in our own souls that we find the strength to be our best and most authentic selves.
All the very best and looking forward to simply sharing a cuppa and a chat on Friday x
Dear Families,
Welcome back to Term Two! 🙂
We are all rearing to go and really looking forward to all that lies ahead! We hope that you are all safe and well and have enjoyed the opportunity to invest in your beautiful children, perhaps in a slightly different way over the school holiday break.
As you know, we have just had two Professional Learning days – essential days in terms of staff development.
On Monday we revisited all things Occupational Health and Safety, including our policies, plans and procedures. While this type of day is huge in terms of the denseness of the subject matter, it is of course very important that we continue to up-skill, mitigate risk and ensure that we are as prepared as possible in the case of an emergency. St Emilie’s has partnered with an external provider to assist us with ongoing compliance and internal audits.
On Tuesday we met with the wonderful Brendan Spillane, an acclaimed Australian educator, speaker and coach. As an accredited International Executive Coach he works with a range of senior leaders from business, education and elite sports. A former teacher and principal, Brendan has held senior roles at executive level on professional associations at both state and national level in Australia.
A highly engaging speaker and presenter, Brendan uses a powerful blend of story, metaphor and humour to create the conditions for a more authentic and insightful dialogue. His professional expertise includes cultural change, establishing feedback systems that work and supporting people to develop the skills to lead critical conversations effectively. He is passionate about capacity building in individuals and teams, developing leaders and identifying the key behaviours that underpin a high performance mindset. He is also a father and has many wonderful insights in this space!
We are currently in discussions with Brendan about offering a parent opportunity here at St Emilie’s. We will be aiming to find a date in Term 3 so please watch out for this wonderful opportunity.
The Educational Psychologist attached to our school sent us the following two Parent Pages giving you information regarding local workshops / information sessions for parents. We would urge you to take a look to see if any of these might be helpful to you.
Below is an adapted version of the YEAR OF YOUTH prayer that we used at the start of our PL day yesterday. Hopefully it may continue to inspire us all to embrace the joy, the curiosity, the innocence and the enthusiasm of the young into our own daily lives!
Have a great day everyone!
Dear Families,
Thank you all for a terrific term! 🙂
While we understand that many of you will be working over our school holiday break, we hope that you are all able to find some pockets of special time to really enjoy your precious children (amidst the inevitable squabbles, tantrums and sibling rivalry!)
As we have said many times before, it is of course really wonderful if you are lucky enough to go on a holiday, see a movie, visit a farm, head off on a bush walk, ride around the river, visit the art gallery and more! In the final analysis however, what children really need (and want) more than anything, is some of your time and attention.
So, whether working or not, please try hard to make these two weeks about strengthening relationship with your child/ren, by modelling patience, active listening, kindness, empathy, humour and all that brings a sense of calm, and feelings of wellbeing.
Our beloved Assistant Principal, Mr Stuart Munro (pictured above at a staff farewell afternoon) has been on Long Service Leave and will be sitting by a pool in an exotic location as this post is being written! He and his family are wished a well deserved, very relaxing and happy holiday break. Thank you for all you do in our school Stuart – we are all so very grateful.
As we all know Miss Melissa Gumbleton our much loved Year One Gold teacher is sadly leaving us! Year One parents very kindly presented her with some lovely gifts yesterday morning in the classroom and a few tears ere shed by us all! We wish her all the very best on her wedding day very soon, and hope that the years ahead are full of all that brings her and her fiancee much joy! Many thanks Melissa – you have been a wonderful example of what it means to be an exemplary educator and we will all miss you very much.
Miss Michelle Faria (pictured left) has now been appointed to take over where Melissa has left off! Congratulations to Michelle and we look forward to getting to know you and supporting you in helping our Year One students to really flourish into the year ahead!
Mrs Cassie Naden (pictured above with Sheila donating some files) is poised to head off on her final teaching practicum and will then take up a position at a close-by Secondary Catholic College. Cassie has been working part-time in our Front Office while she has been studying, and she has done a really superb job! We will certainly miss her very much and we sincerely thank her for the wonderful contribution she has made to St Emilie’s in so many different ways.
Miss Olivia Norris (pictured left) will continue on as one of our wonderful Office Administrators two days a week, and Mrs Rachael Visser (pictured right) has just joined us in Admin for three days a week. Rachel comes to us with a wealth of experience and we know that she will make a wonderful addition to our Front Office team. Please make Rachel feel very welcome next term and remember to be patient as she ‘learns the ropes’ of our busy office environment! 
Watching children grow and learn in so many different ways is what schools are all about.
We continue to celebrate the spiritual, emotional, social, academic and physical GROWTH of our children over time …
We celebrate collaborative TEAM WORK and positive PARENT PARTNERSHIPS …
And we celebrate the wonderful HOPE that our FAITH offers us all.
All the best everyone, take care and see you in two weeks!
Dear St Emilie’s Parents,
Below is a wonderful opportunity for you all to listen to two highly regarded Australian guest speakers – Maggie Dent and Dr Kaylene Henderson.
Maggie Dent is one of Australia’s favourite parenting authors and educators, with a particular interest in the early years, adolescence and resilience. Maggie is an advocate for the healthy, common-sense raising of children in order to strengthen families and communities. She is a passionate, positive voice for parents and children of all ages.
Dr Kaylene Henderson is a medically trained child health specialist and one of Australia’s leading parenting experts. She too is passionate about translating research-based information into practical tips for parents!
Please follow the link below to book a seat at her next presentation here in Perth on Saturday, July 21st!
Why not get a group of parents together? Share this post with your friends!
We would love to hear from you once you get back!
Have a good day everyone 🙂
SAVE THE DATE Children and Anxiety: What is it and what to do about it? (Perth WA)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13H5_D-Pp96mWyQs3YIpUdRuM5zcKWOSr/view?usp=sharing
Dear Families,
Wishing you all a very safe, peaceful and happy Easter everyone!
We reflect on Jesus’ washing the disciples feet…
How am I going getting down and washing the feet of those around me?
In what ways am I humbling myself to serve the other in a spirit of generous and unconditional love?
What might be getting in the way of loving with Christ-like love?
We reflect on Jesus sharing his last supper, where he invited the disciples to eat and drink of the bread of life!
Where does Jesus, the Bread of Life fit into my busy life?
Am I allowing Jesus to be my daily sustenance, or am I easily distracted by the ways of a world that places money, media, and things above living a reflective life?
Am I allowing God’s word to settle deep within my heart?
Am I arriving at the Eucharist with an open and trusting heart – ready to allow God’s love to flow into my life?
We reflect on Jesus’ suffering and on how betrayed he was by all those around him...
We all have crosses to bear …
How are we supporting and reaching out to others carrying a very heavy cross?
Are we sharing our difficult times with a God of great mercy and Love?
May Mary’s example inspire us to live our lives with courage and trust, amidst the joys and heartaches of life.
We reflect on Jesus’ Resurrection to New Life
the joy of the Resurrection is that we are a people of HOPE! Amidst the chocolate eggs and the hot cross buns, amidst the struggle and heartache of daily life, we find our God – steady, waiting, offering us love and peace …
May we all be PEACE-MAKERS this Easter
May we be LIGHT to all we meet
And may we be GRATEFUL for the little things
Let us pray. ..
It was not
to the rich and famous,
the powerful
intellectual
or influential
that you came to earth
and entrusted your Word,
but to fishermen,
outcasts and sinners,
ordinary people.
And to ordinary people
like us
you have revealed
the things of heaven
that we might become the
bearers of Good News!
So we praise you, Lord
for revelation
and the message
of Salvation.
May we consider the challenge of our calling; to be set aside for service,
to be the voice, hands and love of Christ in our school, neighbourhoods and workplaces.
Be encouraged by the words of the Psalmist:
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all.
(Psalm 34:17-19)
And ponder the words of an early Celtic Christian:
“If God could be found on this side of the sea we would indeed journey across. Since, however, God is near to all who call upon him, we are under no obligation to cross the sea. The kingdom of heaven can be reached from every land.”
Samhthann (?6c.) Celtic virgin
We want to serve you in this world, O Lord
may we be the ones through whom
many will be drawn to the light,
show your love where there
is a need for love to be shown,
be your touch where there
are broken lives to be made whole,
speak your word in faith
against those who deny your power,
and yet we confess
there are many times when we hesitate to speak your name,
are daily we are tempted
to listen to this world’s voice.
So we come again
to your feet, and in faith proclaim
‘Thanks be to God, who forgives us
through Jesus Christ our Lord!’
When the journey is hard –
when strength is failing,
and we stumble or fall,
you raise us up,
refresh,
encourage,
give hope.
You enable us to continue,
and walk with you
day by day.
Thank you, gracious Lord
for your presence
and your help
along the way.
This day is precious,
created as it is
for each one of us
to fulfil our purpose.
Life is precious,
may we continue to treat it and one another with Christ-like care and kindness.
Amen
The St Emilie’s Code of Conduct Document can be found in the Policies section of the website.
Below is a great blog from Maggie Dent and a great reminder to us all about the power of words and the potential for good!
Have a good day everyone and thank you for your ongoing support.
