For all Catholics around the world, May is the month of Mary. Catholics look to Mary to learn how to have faith in God and follow God in their daily lives. People learn from Mary’s example how to live as Christians and follow God. Mary is a model of faith. Mary always cooperated and trusted in God. She is an example of living and responding to God with faithfulness and love. Mary always said ‘yes’ to God. She responded with great hope and love to all God asked of her, even in times when she did not fully understand what God was asking of her.
Mary’s example of discipleship helps Catholics be people of faith, hope and love. The Rosary is one-way Catholics can pray with Mary to become people of faith, hope and love. The Rosary is a special prayer which helps people think about and meditate on the life of Jesus. By praying and meditating on the rosary with Mary, people remember the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. They remember and meditate on important events in the lives of Jesus and his mother. Catholics use rosary beads to help them pray and meditate. The beads of a rosary are used to count the prayers as they are prayed out loud or in silence.
The rosary is divided into five groups of ten beads called decades. As people pray the rosary they meditate on the events in the life of Jesus and his mother Mary. These are called mysteries. There are four sets of ‘Mysteries of the Rosary’, called Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious. These four “Mysteries of the Rosary” contain, a total of twenty mysteries. The repetition of the prayers when praying the rosary helps people in this prayerful meditation. When people pray the rosary their thoughts focus on a different mystery for each decade. These mysteries represent the significant events in the life of Jesus.
In May of 2002 Pope John Paul II said, "Today we begin the month dedicated to Our Lady a favourite of popular devotion. In accord with a long-standing tradition of devotion, parishes and families continue to make the month of May a 'Marian' month, celebrating it with many devout liturgical, catechetical and pastoral initiatives!"
Heavenly Father, hold my mother close to your Heart
As we hold her close to mine.
Let her know today and every day How much we love her.
Lord, comfort her mind and reassure her
that her motherly care was everything we needed and wanted
And that we love her dearly.
Lord, comfort her body as she ages and grant her health and
Vitality as she goes through her days here on earth. Bring all
Good things to my precious mother, dear God, and bless her
Every day, in every way,
AMEN
During students' visit to the Library this week, they were given information about the 2024 Premier's Reading Challenge. Students are encouraged to read at least 12 books over four months which can include comics, short stories, novels, magazines, lyrics, etc. Not only will those who complete the challenge receive a certificate from the Premier, but they are also eligible to win over 110 assorted prizes. Register via the website: https://www.premiersreadingchallenge.wa.edu.au/
A reminder to all parents that if you have not yet signed up to, or activated your SEQTA Engage account, you will not be able to access your child's mid year report (email was sent two weeks ago to new families and non-activated families). Should you be experiencing difficulty, our network and IT Manager, Steve Duncan, is available to assist on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.
Term 2 Wellbeing Focus - Sleep & Relaxation
In keeping with our Sleep and Relaxation focus for this term, students have been learning and practising a range of relaxation techniques in class.
Many studies find that “not enough sleep or disruptions to sleep can have a major impact on daytime functioning including poor concentration… and altered mood. In children, sleep deprivation can affect behaviour and school performance.” (Better Health Channel, 2024)
Read through the Sleep Tips from the Sleep Health Foundation for some ideas to help your child get a better sleep. Often small and simple changes can have a huge positive impact on the amount and quality of sleep that your child is getting. You might even like to ask your child about some of the relaxation techniques that they have been using in class, such as breathing techniques, to help them clear their mind before bed.
Parents, please take note of upcoming P&F events and reminders for the remainder of this term:
- Grill'd Burgers Community Fundraising. Emmaus will have a jar at Grill'd Midland from 1st April. Buy a burger and pop your token in the Emmaus jar.
- Pyjama Day - Wednesday 12th June for 4K to Year 6 and Thursday 13th June for 3K (please note change of date to previously advertised)
- School Disco - Thursday 27th June
