Jesus, you spent forty days in the hot,

dusty desert to get ready to do your Father’s work.

Help us to get ready for Easter during the forty days of Lent.

Help us to forgive others, to say ‘sorry’

and to make peace with everybody.

Help us to say ‘yes’ to others so that we can follow you more closely.

In this time of Lent give us generous hearts to become better people,

More helpful people,

More loving people.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Thursday 23 Feb - P & F Meeting (3:30pm)

Friday 24 Feb - Assembly (2:15pm)

School Council Badges & Merit Certificates

Monday 6 Mar - Labour Day Public Holiday

Tuesday 7 Mar - Pupil Free Day

Thursday 6 Apr - Last day of Term 1

Please note:

Dates are subject to change, please also refer to the Term Planner on our Website.

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Yesterday we celebrated Ash Wednesday, and we recognised it is the first day of Lent. Our students and staff have been writing their Lenten Promises and discussing what they wish to give up or take up for Lent. God is constantly offering us his blessing and his love. Lent is a time when we can stop and reflect on our lives; spend time as a family to make a commitment to reconnect with God.

Yesterday our students in Years 1-6 attended Mass with Father Benny. It was a memorable liturgy and helped us to focus on Lent and our promises. Father Benny really helped us to understand the meaning of Lent and how we can choose to enter this special time in our Church.

I thought I would give a short explanation about this special season in our Church Calendar, I pray that you find it helpful and insightful.

What is Lent All About?

Easter is when we celebrate the rising of Jesus after his death on the cross. It is a great day: because of Easter, we don't have to be afraid, and we never have to be apart from God. But at one time, we were apart from God. We can learn about that time and about why Jesus died on the cross during a season called Lent. Lent is the forty-day period leading up to Easter.

Why did Jesus have to die?

God cares that we show love for him and for all his children. When we do things that are hurtful to others or that hurt our relationship with God, we become separated from God. And when we can't be near God, our hearts are not at peace. Our hearts are not at rest. The Bible says, 'Everyone has done wrong and is far away from God' (Rom 3.23). As if that weren't bad enough, without God's help, there is no way to get back to him. Without God's help, we are lost.

But on the first Easter Sunday, God said, "Even though people have done wrong and are far from me, Jesus has let himself be punished for the wrongs of the people. Jesus took the world's trouble on himself: he died and was separated from me. My own child felt my anger instead of you. But now I am not angry anymore, and everything is forgiven. And though Jesus was dead, I have made him alive again, and we'll be together forever."

"Now," God says, "when you do something wrong and you feel like you are far from me, run to Jesus (this kind of running is not with your feet, but with your imagination). Jesus is the way back to me! Jesus has made my anger go away for ever. Run to Jesus and when you are near Him, you will be near to me also. I do love him, and I love you so very much. In fact, I love you so much that Jesus is my gift to you forever, so that whenever you are near Jesus, I will remember what he did to make my anger go away, and I will forgive you. This is how we can be close forever."

What is Lent good for? ...

God has given us a great and comforting gift. ... But it's easy to forget what God has done for us. We forget that it was because of our wrong that Jesus was punished. We can add to our wrongs when we try to make ourselves happy by eating lots of candy or junk food, by buying lots of toys or watching too much TV. We fill up with all sorts of things, always hoping that they will make us happy. We may be happy in the moment, but that kind of happiness doesn't last very long. We just end up wanting more. We are never satisfied by these things.

During Lent, many Christians try to stop filling up with all these other things. Instead, we try to make room for God again. When we do this, we feel nearer to God.

Some ways to remember what God did

Decide with your family what you can do to make room for God. Giving up some of our comforts also helps us understand how much Jesus gave up for us. Try to give up something each week. You could have a dessert-free day, or a dessert-free week! How about going TV-free? If you give up desert, or video games, or anything that costs money, think about taking the money your family saves, and using it to help someone who has less than you, perhaps you could place that money in Project Compassion boxes. Can you think of other things you can give up? Can you think of ways to help those who are often hungry, or who are less comfortable?

Now, fill up with something good. Spend some time learning about the days before Jesus died: read the stories about Jesus' last week in your Bible. Imagine what it would have been like to be with him at that time. Do the people who were with Jesus help him? Do they understand what is happening? Right before Jesus was arrested, he was very sad and needed to pray, but the friends he brought with him fell asleep. Would you have been able to stay awake?

"The sorrow in my heart is so great that it almost crushes me. Stay here and keep watch with me." (Matthew 26.38)

Hope

But as you remember the reasons Jesus died don't forget the most important thing ... Easter! Remember that Jesus was not beaten by death. Jesus has won a great victory! He is the only one that could. He is the only one strong enough to overpower death. That's why God chose him to save us.

Remember, because of what Jesus did, we don't have to be afraid, and we never have to be apart from God. Because of Easter, we have hope, and our hearts can be at rest in the presence of God!

Some Places to Read

You may want to read in your favourite Bible about the days leading up to Easter. Look up these passages:

• Matthew26
• John18
• John 19. 1-30

I hope this explanation is of some help and I have tried to keep it child friendly, but you may like to chat with your child and help them find a clearer picture about this season. It is by talking together that we discover our understanding. This is a wonderful time to sit as a family and reconnect with God.

COMMITMENT MASS

It was wonderful to see so many families attend the commitment Mass this weekend. We were delighted with the number of families that came to Mass and agreed to be part of the Sacraments for 2023.

SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING

Our first School advisory council meeting will be Wednesday 1st March at 6.00pm in the Board room near the front office.

EASTER EGG DONATIONS

Our wonderful P & F are seeking donations of Easter Eggs and Easter themed gifts to help create some wonderful prizes for our upcoming Easter Egg Raffle. Please deliver your donation to the box in the front office by Friday 31st March.

PARENT EVENING

Thank you to our parents that attended our parent information meetings last week. We hold these meeting each year so that as a parent you can meet the staff as well as to understand what is happening in the classroom and the special events that will take place in your child’s room. You learn about homework and how you can work with your child to help them on their learning journey. Thank you to our dedicated teachers and staff who ran the meeting so that as a parent you are part of the learning journey. It was disappointing to see such low numbers attend but we appreciate it is a busy time of the year for everyone.

KINDERGARTEN SPEECH SCREENING

As a school we have undertaken speech screening of all kindergarten children at no cost to the parents. This screening is so important as it identifies children who require further in-depth speech pathology assessment. It enables early intervention to help children achieve positive long-term outcomes for social, emotional ad academic success. Speech, language and communication skills are crucial to a young child’s overall development. Being able to speak clearly and process speech sounds, to understand others, to express ideas and interact with others are fundamental building blocks for a child's development. When the children have been assessed a report will be sent home to parents for you to decide if it is appropriate to take this further.

MORNING CARPARK ROUTINE

A number of parents have spoken about the kiss and drop carpark in the morning. I would like to bring this to your attention. In the morning parents are asked to use the kiss and drop area to drop their children at school. We are seeing some parents parking which in turns hold up other parents dropping off their children. Or parents who decide to overtake and pull in ahead of other parents who have been waiting in turn. Remember it is important to follow the rules and abide by the rules of the kiss and drop. Some parents are still dropping off chi8ldren from 7.25am this is not a safe practice please be aware the gates do not open until 8.30am. Helping Hands runs a safe alternative for parents.

KINDERGARTEN OUTDOOR AREA.

You will have noticed a few new items that have come to our kindergarten area. We were able to purchase a cubby for a kindy along with two boats and a car. The children are delighted also with the giant lego block and some new climbing equipment. As we begin to transform this area keep your eyes peeled.

TALKING TO YOUR CHILD ABOUT SCHOOL

“What happened at school?” “Nothing!” Does this sound familiar?

You know that your child has had a full and engaging day at school; involved in many activities, experiences and social interactions. Often children feel that their school experiences are not important or interesting. Parents, on the other hand, do genuinely want to know how their school day was. This can result in a sort of cat-and-mouse game; the parent probes, the child evades, the parent asks again, the child evades again, and so on. Usually, it is the parent who gives up first.

Most children can be exhausted after a long day at school and discussing their day is the last thing on their mind. When they get home, they generally need a healthy snack and some ‘tune out’ time before they are ready to share some of their day with you. Listed below are some of the strategies that families use when asking the “What happened at school?” question.

Create a family ritual in which everyone shares something about their day at dinner. Start by talking about your day. Make sure that everyone has a chance to talk, but also has the option of ‘passing’ if they don't feel like contributing.

Rather than posing a general question, ask about a specific event or class. For example, ‘How was the big assembly?’ or ‘What did your class do in sports today?’ Try to phrase your questions to invite answers that are longer than ‘yes’, ’no’ or ’OK’. Questions that begin with ‘What did you do in ...?’ are often better for this purpose than ones that start ’How was ...?’ or ’Did you ...?’

When your child does respond, give them your full attention. Let them know that you're listening by asking clarifying questions, such as ‘Do you mean that….?’ or ‘Let me make sure I understand…’

Keep open channels of communication with your child's teacher. Teachers who know that you are interested and friendly are usually glad to keep you abreast of what's going on. You can also grease the wheels of communication by offering to help out in the classroom or on excursions from time to time.

Respect your child's privacy but let them know that you are open whenever they feel like sharing their thoughts. When children don’t feel they are being continually ‘forced’ to talk about their whole day, they will often willingly recall special parts of their day.

God Bless you

Paula MacKenzie

Principal

BUILDING RESILIENCE

Resilience is defined as the ability to bounce back from adversity. It is a necessary skill for coping with the ups and downs of life and one of the key ingredients of success. A number of things impact on a person’s resilience, including their previous experiences, their sense of self, the coping strategies they have developed over time and their mindset.

Children experience a tremendous amount of physical and mental growth on a daily basis. Between school, co-curricular activities, work and their social life, teens face lots of new experiences and challenges. Being resilient gives them the ability to tackle these head-on, bounce back from any setbacks and have the best chance at succeeding. It allows them to learn and grow in all situations – two skills that are crucial to wellbeing and development. Resilience will also help them to approach new situations, people or experiences with confidence and a positive mindset, which will make them more likely to succeed.

Children need to be taught that failure can be a precursor to success and is a necessary component of learning. The only way to succeed with tasks, assignments and exams, in physical activities such as sport, and in life in general is through perseverance and persistence, and by embracing and learning from failure. This is a growth mindset and a key aspect of developing resilience.

Resilience is directly related to wellbeing; it is about having the ability to cope with and adapt to new situations. Being resilient and positive, with a sense of wellbeing, enables a person to approach other people and situations with confidence and optimism. This mindset is especially important for children given the enormous changes and challenges they face throughout adolescence.

By helping children to develop the skills to build resilience and a growth mindset, we can minimise the effects of negative, stressful situations. These skills allow children to face challenges, learn from them, and develop ways to live a happy and healthy life.

Here are some ways you can build your child’s resilience:

• Support your child but do not solve every minor problem or disappointment. For example, if your child doesn’t get invited to a birthday party or didn’t get what they want for their birthday, you could talk about how they feel instead of trying to fix the problem.
• Avoid predicting and preventing problems for your child. This might mean letting your child hand in homework that’s wrong or not replacing a broken toy. Overcoming small challenges builds your child’s resilience for bigger setbacks.
• Help your child to identify and manage strong emotions. For example, your child might be worried about a family member who’s sick. You could say, ‘I can see you’re really worried about Grandpa. It’s OK to be worried. But remember we’re doing everything we can to help him get better’.
• Encourage your child to have another go when things don’t work out the first time they try something. Praise your child for trying, no matter the result. You could say ‘I’m proud of you for finishing the race’ or ‘Well done for giving it another go’.
• Build your child’s self-compassion. Self-compassion helps your child deal with disappointment, failures or mistakes by being kind to themselves. In turn, this helps them to move on from difficult experiences.
• Make it a habit to recognise and acknowledge when things are going well. For example, during family meals you could each share one positive thing from your day.
• Help your child to develop problem-solving skills in an age-appropriate way. For example, if a child at school says or does something unkind to your child, brainstorm how your child might respond next time.
• Find a positive role model who has experienced similar challenges to your child. For example, your child might find support in an older friend whose parents have separated or who has lost a family member.

Children develop resilience over time, so try to be patient and supportive while your child works out how to respond to challenges. You might want to make everything all right for your child, but sometimes your child has to go through uncomfortable feelings so they can work things out for themselves.

SAINT JOHN OF GOD FEAST DAY MARCH 8.

Saint John of God is a Catholic saint who is known for his compassion and dedication to helping those in need. He was born in Portugal in 1495 and grew up in a family of shepherds. When he was young, he worked as a farmer and a soldier.

One day, Saint John of God heard a sermon by a priest named John of Avila, which inspired him to give up his old life and dedicate himself to serving others. He began by caring for the sick and the poor, and soon founded a hospital in Granada, Spain, where he took care of people who were suffering from all kinds of illnesses.

Saint John of God was known for his kindness and compassion. He would often go out into the streets to find people who were in need of help, and would bring them back to the hospital to receive care. He also invited other people to help him in his work, and many volunteers joined him in his mission to serve the sick and the poor.

Saint John of God's dedication to helping others earned him many admirers, but also caused him to face some challenges. He was sometimes criticized by people who did not understand his mission, and he also faced opposition from those who were jealous of his success.

Despite these challenges, Saint John of God remained committed to his mission until the end of his life. He died in 1550, but his legacy of service and compassion lives on. Today, he is remembered as a model of selflessness and kindness, and his example continues to inspire people all over the world.

THE FATHERING PROJECT: WHAT DO GIRLS NEED MOST FROM THEIR DADS?

Seven things girls need most from their dads.

From the moment your daughter is born, you will play a key role in her development. In fact, when fathers are present in their daughters’ lives, girls grow up with a much healthier sense of who they are.

Research has shown, that when fathers provide praise, support, and unconditional love, their daughters develop a strong sense of identity and positive self-esteem. They also are more confident and self-assured and have a clearer understanding of what they want in life.

• Show affection. Be open with her. Let her know you care and she is loved no matter what.
• When you get it wrong, say so. A genuine ‘sorry’ can bring you closer and gain more respect – it also teaches humility and honesty
• Provide positive support and acceptance as she’s experiencing changes, and carefully remind her that you understand – you experienced changes of your own.
• Build on her self-esteem and confidence. A girl’s self-esteem is built on healthy, supportive relationships, especially with their dad, so be considerate of this.
• Be a good role model for men. Girls form strong messages about future relationships from the way their fathers treat their mothers/partners so be aware of this. She is watching.
• Breakdown the gender stereotypes. Let your daughter know that you believe in her – whatever she wants to do. Encourage her to be comfortable with who she is. Introduce her to your own interests and as wide a range of activities as you can – including sports, building, fixing and problem solving.

If you have placed an online order through QuickCliq and your child is unwell or the canteen is closed, you MUST cancel your order before the cut off time of 9.00am by going online and following these instructions:

Log into your QuickCliq account -> click Active/Cancel order -> Scroll to the right -> click Cancel against the order.

Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays are the busiest days for the canteen. If you can't help for the entire day, that's not a problem, we would be grateful if you could help between the hours of 11.15am to 12.30pm. As a "thank you" for your help, the canteen will provide you with lunch, a cold drink and bottomless cups of tea/coffee. Please call into the canteen and have a chat with Kylie (our canteen manager) to let her know when you are available.

Uniform Shop Opening Hours

Monday 8.00am till 10.00am

Wednesday 1.30pm till 3.30pm

ONLINE UNIFORM ORDER FORM

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

Reminder: School Uniforms 2023

It is compulsory for all students at St Brigid’s Primary School to wear the correct uniform at all times according to our uniform code. All students in Pre-Primary to Year 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 to ensure all property is returned to them if misplaced. We expect the support of parents/carers in ensuring that this uniform code is adhered to at all times and any queries or concerns are addressed promptly.

To avoid the end of school year rush we suggest you take this opportunity to visit the Uniform Shop during opening hours Monday 8:00am – 10:00am or Wednesday 1:30pm – 3:30pm. Alternatively you can submit a Uniform Order Form via the link Uniform Order Form and email it to uniform@stbrigidsms.wa.edu.au or alternatively can be handed in at the office.

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!

P: 0484302073

E: stbrigidsmiddleswan@helpinghandsnetwork.com.au

MIDVALE HUB PARENTING SERVICE

The Midvale Hub Parenting Service offers a range of parenting programs to assist you to grow happy healthy children. Individual assistance with parenting is available for any parenting concerns you may have, just talk to one of our Parenting Educators and they will be more than happy to listen and provide practical support and skill building.

Our Parent Information and Support is offered through:

• Parenting programs for groups and individuals

• Individual and group support sessions

• Community events

Please click on the below link to view the workshops and programs that are being offered this school term for 2023.

https://www.midvalehub.org.au/copy-of-midvale-hub-parenting-servi

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