Category: From the Principal

Happy Easter Everyone!

March 30, 2018
Tania Thuijs
· From the Principal · Kindy · Pre-Primary · Year 1 · Year 2 · Year 3 · Year 4 · Year 5 · Year 6

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

An Agreed Code of Conduct

March 26, 2018
Tania Thuijs
· From the Principal · Kindy · Pre-Primary · Year 1 · Year 2 · Year 3 · Year 4 · Year 5 · Year 6

Download (PDF, 248KB)

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.

The power of words to make a difference at home or school

Bullying – No Way!

March 17, 2018
Tania Thuijs
· From the Principal · Kindy · Pre-Primary · Year 1 · Year 2 · Year 3 · Year 4 · Year 5 · Year 6

Friday 16 March was a day when St Emilie’s and many other Australian schools stood united in marking the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence .

This is a positive day of reflection and action.

Throughout the course of their primary school years all children at St Emilie’s explore bullying through the use of a variety of lesson experiences, incursions, reading books, songs, poems, guest speakers, drama opportunities, games, online resources and more. In developmentally appropriate ways together we explore:

What bullying is
How to respond if you are bullied
Types of bullying: verbal, physical and social
Being a safe and supportive bystander
Being a safe and supportive upstander
Online bullying
Feelings and emotions
Social-emotional skills
Resilience
Empathy
Pro-social behaviour
Respectful relationships
How to be safe in person and online
Dealing with strong feelings
Conflict resolution
Violence, discrimination, harassment
Diversity and inclusion
Prejudice/bias based bullying related to appearance, socio economic status, ability/disability, gender, sexuality, race, culture, religion, etc.
Social status, power and inequityInformation for parents

The closer the home-school partnership, the greater the potential for maintaining a safe, respectful and bully-free environment for our children to grow and learn in.

As a staff we work hard to be positive role models and we make ourselves highly visible and accessible to children so they can talk things through and get the support they might need at any point in time.

We also support and promote the development of positive social skills , conflict resolution skills and finding the courage to report, seek help and stand up for others if and when bullying behaviour is seen or felt.

As parents, days like this are important because they are designed to make us all stop and think – what kind of role model am I presenting to my child?

How do I think, speak and act towards others in front of my children?
Do I display a short fuse on the road? In the school drive through?
Am I responsible user of social media? 
Am I leaving a positive digital footprint?
What kind of advice do I give my children in relation to how they 
treat others?
Do my children see a match between what I say and what I do?
Am I carefully monitoring my child's online presence?
Am I protecting my child from the dangers that come with poorly 
supervised online games and social sites?
Am I monitoring the TV programs my children are watching?

A clip from THE PROJECT:

http:/https://tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/the-project/extra/season-9/speak-even-if-your-voice-shakes

CLICK BELOW for some ideas on what parents can do if their child has seen bullying happening:

https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/RespondingToBullying/Parents/Pages/ChildSeenBullying.aspx

The daily conversations, promoting a spirit of genuine care and concern, authentic role modelling, supporting all children to own and learn from poor choices, and a focus on maintaining respectful relationships is very important in our school.

Children are growing up in a world where putdowns, gossip, and aggressive and rude behaviour is very sadly becoming more overt. This type of behaviour is extremely destructive to individual and societal wellbeing.

May we all continue to commit to empowering our children with a strong self-belief, good values, a kind heart, and the courage to seek help should they need it and to stand up for what is right!

A safe, respectful school culture requires us all to play our part.

International Womens Day

March 8, 2018
Tania Thuijs
· From the Principal

Download (PPTX, 6.55MB)

Dear Lord,

You walk beside us, each moment of each day.
You know us by name, you understand each joy, each struggle and each sorrow.

You created within us a gentle capacity to love and nurture and to be wise, courageous and strong amidst a troubled, fractured world.

You laid upon us the responsibility to carry and care for new life – to nourish, inspire and teach our children well.

You crafted in us minds that are able to solve challenging problems and see new possibilities.

You desire each of us to live life to the full, embracing your love for us and extending your grace to others.

You gave your life so that we could walk free to build your kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven.

We lay our lives before you and trust in your unfailing love.

Guide us,
Heal us,
Touch us,

And lead us,
To reflect more and more of your sustaining life within our own.

We ask this in your holy name

Amen.

A Lenten Prayer amidst our busy lives …

March 8, 2018
Tania Thuijs
· From the Principal · Kindy · Pre-Primary · Year 1 · Year 2 · Year 3 · Year 4 · Year 5 · Year 6

Working Closely with Your Child’s Teacher – Insight Article

March 7, 2018
Tania Thuijs
· Curriculum Links · From the Principal · Kindy · Pre-Primary · Year 1 · Year 2 · Year 3 · Year 4 · Year 5 · Year 6

Please take a couple of minutes to read this great article by Michael Grose.

With Two-Way Parent Teacher meetings going on over the next fortnight it is a good time to recommit to developing a quality relationship between home and school.

Every child is relying on this relationship being as fruitful as possible.

Download (PDF, 426KB)

Have a great week everyone!

Developing Empathy

February 26, 2018
Tania Thuijs
· From the Principal · Kindy · Pre-Primary · Year 1 · Year 2 · Year 3 · Year 4 · Year 5 · Year 6

This final week of our KINDNESS FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT focus, looks at EMPATHY.

9 Essential Habits of Empathetic Children

Habit 1: Emotional literacy. Teaching emotion literacy as the gateway to empathy so children can recognise and understand the feelings and needs of others in their body language, voice tone or facial expressions.

Habit 2: Moral Identity. Helping children develop ethical codes and caring mindsets so they are more likely to adopt caring values that guide their integrity and activate their empathy to feel with and help others.

Habit 3. Perspective taking. Stretching perspective so children can step into others’ shoes to understand another person’s feelings, thoughts, and viewpoints.

Habit 4. Moral Imagination. Using elevating, emotionally-charged images in literature, film, news and images as a source of inspiration to help children connect with empathy.

PRACTICING EMPATHY

Habit 5. Self-Regulation. Helping children learn ways to manage strong emotions and reduce personal distress to keep their empathy open, avoid the Empathy Gap and be more likely empathise and to help others.

Habit 6. Practicing Kindness.Developing and exercising kindness and pro-social behaviours to increase children’s concern about the welfare and feelings of others and enhance the likelihood that they will step in to help, support or comfort others.

Habit 7. Collaboration. Cultivating teamwork and collaborative abilities to help kids work with others to achieve shared goals for the benefit of all and develop a WE, not ME mindset.

LIVING EMPAYHY

Habit 8. Moral Courage. Promoting moral courage and teaching children ‘Upstander’ as opposed to ‘bystander’ skills and situational awareness to embolden them to speak out, step in, and help others.

Habit 9. Compassionate Leadership Abilities. Cultivating altruistic leadership abilities to motivate children to make a difference for others, no matter how small it may be and boost their chances of becoming Social Change-makers.

What Are You Doing to Cultivate the Nine Habits?

Which empathy habits are you helping your children acquire within your family?

Which empathy habits might you be overlooking?

A Lenten Calendar for Reflection

February 24, 2018
Tania Thuijs
· From the Principal · Kindy · Pre-Primary · Year 1 · Year 2 · Year 3 · Year 4 · Year 5 · Year 6

Download (PDF, 2.14MB)

A New Lenten Discipline …

February 20, 2018
Tania Thuijs
· From the Principal · Kindy · Pre-Primary · Year 1 · Year 2 · Year 3 · Year 4 · Year 5 · Year 6

Fast from any harsh judgment;
Feast on a spirit of kindness and generosity!

Fast from ignorance;
Feast on opening the mind to new ways of thinking.

Fast from walking in darkness;
Feast on Christ’s illuminating light!

Fast from thoughts of what divides us
Feast on the healing power of all that unites us!

Fast from words that pull people down;
Feast on words that build people up!

Fast from discontent;
Feast on gratitude!

Fast from anger;
Feast on patience!

Fast from pessimism;
Feast on optimism!

Fast from complaining;
Feast on finding a solution!

Fast from negative conversations, negative people and negative situations;
Feast on dwelling in a positive head space!

Fast from bitterness that erodes;
Feast on forgiveness that frees.

Fast from self-absorption;
Feast on compassion and empathy for others.

Fast from personal anxiety;
Feast on trusting in God’s great love.

Fast from discouragement;
Feast on hope!

Fast from thoughts that depress;
Feast on thoughts that uplift!

Fast from lethargy;
Feast on enthusiasm and passion!

Fast from words and actions that weaken;
Feast on words that strengthen and inspire!

Fast from rushing and racing;
Feast on a slower pace, calm and serenity!

Fast from idle gossip;
Feast on purposeful restraint!

Fast from problems that overwhelm;
Feast on daily reflection and prayer that uplifts and sustains!

Family Fun Night 2018 – thank you everyone!

February 18, 2018
Tania Thuijs
· From the Principal · Kindy · Pre-Primary · Year 1 · Year 2 · Year 3 · Year 4 · Year 5 · Year 6

Many thanks to all the fabulous families who came along to join in our Family Fun Night for 2018 – you were such a wonderful example to one another and to your children!

The goal of the night was simply to be together as a community, to give our kids a chance to gather in a relaxed social setting and for all of us to get to know and to welcome new families to St Emilie’s.

We are so grateful to every family that made the effort on a Friday night to come along – especially those who reached out in friendship to others. Your presence means a lot to us all and especially to your children.

Click HERE to see the cutest little St Emilie’s supporter! 🙂

Click HERE to listen to a snippet of our wonderful musicians – Jo and Mark.
Click here to see St Emilie’s families getting their boogie on!

Above: Mark Grima and his lovely wife Nicole. Thanks so much Mark for donating your time and talent so very generously! Nicole is also always helping out our school in so many very special ways.

I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to have a chat with Mum, Dads and children at events like these – thank you to all those who said gidday – it is really appreciated.

Have a great week everyone!

Page 3 of 23« 1 2 3 4 5 … 23 »

Upcoming Events

Find Us

View Larger Map