Term 3 Week 2

Weekly 5 with Leadership: Kylie Linforth Acting Principal

After seven weeks as Acting Principal, I am in awe of every school Principal, no matter the size of their school. I have enjoyed the majority of my acting role. Whether it was to be an listening ear to concerned parents, helping the P&F team with their priorities and the upcoming Night at the Gallery, welcoming many new families to our school community and sadly farewelling long term staff members, like Ms Michelle Croft. There is a myriad of other aspects of being a school principal. Not only are they teachers, but are required to be Human Resource managers, accountants and social workers. The highest priority though, for me as Acting Principal, was to ensure our teachers and staff are supported. If our educators feel supported, they are able to support their learners. As parents, providing positive feedback from parents is always welcome. When new students join our school, we reach out to their previous school to ensure the smoothest transition is possible on joining our school family. 

A smooth transition every day into the classroom, enables all  learners, whether they are the teacher or the student, to be ready to teach and ready to learn, respectively. Our consistent routines take away the cognitive load on our learners - they know where to be, what they need, and what is expected of them. Being on time to school each day, helps these routines flow. Having high attendance, also helps readiness to learn. 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Kassie Boyle, who has been Acting APC for the past seven weeks. Kassie’s attention to detail, organisation and eye for curriculum, has demonstrated her natural leadership. Kassie and Libby have been a great support in our leadership space.

Next week, thanks to the enormous planning by Mrs Libby Wilson, APRE, our Catholic Education Week activities roll out. Wednesday is the highlight with our whole school liturgy here in the hall, followed by lunch on the lawn for families. The school will then walk to Canoe Point at 11:30 for some sand castles in the sun.  These details will follow later in the newsletter.

I would like to praise our P&F team who have been planning THE BIGGEST night of the year - A Night at the Gallery. On Thursday night from 6-8 pm, families are invited (tickets sales via Parent Orbit - Events and Payments tab) to come and admire the art showcase. A free drink on arrival and some light nibbles are on offer. Our private piano tutor, Ms Li Ping and a few of her students will be playing for us. We thank Father Andrew Chase, Ms Nanette Hanna and Ms Diana Davey who are judging the submissions. Winners will be announced at the end of Wednesday’s liturgy - places will be on show on Thursday night.

Have a wonderful weekend with your families. Stay safe and please reach out if you have any questions.

Pax et bonum

Kylie

From Kassie's desk - APC

Last week, my newsletter piece introduced the term ‘executive functioning.’  This week, I’ll share with you some practical strategies for how you can foster and develop your child’s executive functioning within the home.  

As parents (yes, me too!), we often closely orchestrate nearly every aspect of our child's life, stepping in to prevent any form of failure or discomfort. This might include:

• Bringing in forgotten home readers, library books or Show and Tell
• Packing and organising our child’s school bag 
• Packing the swimming/soccer bag ready for afternoon sports the following day
• Scheduling for the child, from homework to social engagements.

If anything doesn't go as planned, often as parents, we tend to blame ourselves, believing we haven't done enough.  While these actions stem from a place of love and a desire to support our child, they can inadvertently impede our children’s ability to develop self-reliance, critical thinking, and the capacity to handle adversity, also known as executive function skills.

The following are some practical strategies to support your child’s executive function at home:  

• Establishing a daily routine.  Create a visual timetable for the morning tasks (e.g., getting dressed, eating breakfast, walking out the door).  This helps children understand what needs to be done, in what order, and by when. It's not enough to know it in your head -- you have to externalise it!
• Break instructions into small steps and guide them without doing it for them.  For example, packing their school bag.  Break this task into steps and guide them without doing it for them.  
• Prep the night before.  Encourage your child to prepare their school bag and uniform the night before.  They can also be responsible for packing their extra-curricular activities the night before, e.g. their swimming bag or soccer uniform.  This teaches planning and decision-making skills on a small scale.
• Clearly state expectations and maintain boundaries even if they resist. Praise their efforts to reinforce positive behaviour.  You may even like to establish a reward system within the home.  
  
• Reflect on the Day - Spend a few minutes discussing what went well and what could be improved.  This fosters self-awareness and problem-solving abilities.  You might like to go around the dinner table and share a ‘grow’ and ‘glow’ from the day.  

After reading these practical strategies regarding executive functioning, I invite you to consider the following question:  What is one thing you could try from this list to start making the shift so that you are instilling independence and confidence in your child?

Catholic Education Week 21-27 July

Library News - Book Fair

P & F News

Welcome to Term 3, week 2. 

Tickets Tickets Tickets!  

Don’t forget to purchase your 'Night at the Gallery' tickets for next Thursday evening (25/07) through the Parent Orbit app.  Come along and celebrate the students artwork in line with Catholic Education Week.  This night entails live entertainment, raffles, money boards, wine and cheese, all whilst perusing the sensational student  displays!  

This week St Francis welcomes its two new uniform co-ordinators Sarah Beresford and Andrea Morgan. Sarah and Andrea will be advertising when and where second hand uniforms are available in the coming weeks. If you require something in the meantime, please see the office or email  sfts_pandfsecretary@rok.catholic.edu.au. 

Movie Night is gaining momentum.  Save the date: Friday 6th September and list your name on Sign Up Genius to help out.  

There are still many opportunities available to put your hand up and contribute towards this years up and coming events.  

Please use the Sign Up Genius link to get your name down.  

We look forward to seeing you all at next Thursday’s 'Night at the Gallery'.  

Parents and Friends Group

Award Affirmations

Tuckshop News - Day Change Week 3

In and around our Community