Newsletter Term 1, Week 4 2024
Monday 4 March- Preps first full week of school
Monday 11 March- Labour Day public holiday
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to our second newsletter for 2024.
Our recent "meet and greets" provided valuable opportunities for families and teachers to connect, sharing insights into the start of the year and deepen our understanding of each child. Together, when families, teachers, and students collaborate, we build a rich environment for social, emotional, and academic growth, both in school and at home.
Thank you to all who participated in the parish mass at Sacred Heart last Sunday. It was a special occasion, and a chance for our staff to join our colleagues from Sacred Heart Primary to renew our commitment to being educators of our young through faith, hope and love. I wish to commend our dedicated staff, their commitment goes above and beyond, we are fortunate to have such a dynamic team.
Last Tuesday, our community celebrated Shrove Tuesday with a yummy pancake feast, whilst deepening our understanding of this tradition and its links to our faith. To begin the season of Lent our school attended Ash Wednesday mass, receiving ashes as a symbol of our shared journey towards Easter. Lent serves as a reminder of Jesus' sacrifice and offers us an opportunity for reflection, prayer, and service to others. I invite you to explore our Lenten office display, a great way to engage your children in meaningful conversations about Lent. As we embrace the spirit of Lent, I encourage families to contribute to Caritas Australia's "Project Compassion" through donation boxes in classrooms and homes.
Our Fundraising and Social Group (FSG) kicked off the year with a successful meeting at Spotswood Hotel last Tuesday, welcoming both familiar faces and new members. We have exciting events lined up, including the annual chocolate Easter egg raffle. Please also look out for the sponsorship launch for our main fundraiser for 2024 - the Colour Run. More details to follow but the Colour Run is scheduled for the first week of Term 2 Friday April 19th. Please mark this in your family diaries.
All families are invited to be involved in FSG activities as this shapes the connectedness of our school community, so do reach out through office@smmspotswood.catholic.edu.au or your class-level Facebook group to join in the fun!
Take care,
Colleen McCambridge
Principal
Follow our socials for the latest learning posts from the classroom
St Margaret Mary’s students are independent life-long learners inspired by Gospel values and empowered with a sense of purpose and responsibility. They confidently engage with others and are equipped with skills to adapt to an ever changing world.
Each week, students who embody our values, apply the school mindsets to learning, work hard to improve or persevere to deliver on learning objectives are awarded a class award. The students who earned an award in the past weeks are:
Week 3
Week 4
Shrove Tuesday
Last week we celebrated Shrove Tuesday with some yummy pancakes. Shrove Tuesday is the last day before Lent and is traditionally a time to use up rich foods. Judging by the happy faces I think it was a success!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to our two expert sailors Ross and Freddie. It sounds like you had an amazing experience!
Cybersafety Sessions
This term and throughout the year St Margaret Mary’s has partnered with the Inform and Empower Cybersafety group. Students log on with their classroom teachers and interact with a live streamed incursion centering around staying safe online. Inform and Empower also offer an online parent session for our school on Thursday March the 21st. We would love to see all parents attending this important presentation. Use this link to register: bit.ly/21march2024
AUSLAN
Auslan (Australian Sign Language) lessons have now started and the students have been very enthusiastic to learn all about the new LOTE. Students have been introduced to what Auslan is and have started learning everyday signs such as 'hello' and 'how are you?'. Students have also enjoyed playing games designed to teach students the Auslan alphabet and practising their 'finger spelling'. The students have been encouraged to teach family members at home their new learning and start communicating with their friends and teachers around the school.
Mr Tasca
Student wellbeing is concerned with promoting preventative & protective well-being factors for children that encompass a wide range of strategies, practices & support systems aimed at promoting their physical, emotional, social & cognitive development while lessening potential risks.
Positive self talk is a strategy that can contribute to positive mental health & student wellbeing.
What is self-talk?
Self-talk refers to the internal dialogue we have with ourselves (our inner voice). While it may occur without conscious awareness, it merges conscious thoughts with our beliefs & biases, forming an ongoing inner narrative throughout our day.
The Importance of Self-Talk:
Self-talk significantly influences our emotions & behaviors. It can either be supportive & empowering, motivating us, or detrimental, undermining our confidence & well-being.
Understanding Negative Self-Talk:
Negative self-talk manifests as an excessively critical inner voice, dwelling on pessimism & shortcomings. It diminishes confidence & obstructs personal growth, often instilling a sense of impending failure. Examples of negative self-talk include phrases like "I'll never succeed," "I'm not good enough," or "Nothing ever works for me."
The Impact of Self-Talk on Mental Health:
Self-talk significantly influences mental health & interpersonal relationships. Persistent negative self-talk can worsen feelings of depression or anxiety, overwhelming individuals with constant pessimism. It contributes to stress & perfectionistic tendencies, causing further distress.
Benefits of Learning Positive Self-Talk:
Current research supports the benefits of positive self-talk for children. Positive self-talk can lead to improved mental health outcomes by reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression & stress. Research has shown that children who engage in positive self-talk are better equipped to manage challenging situations & cope with stressors effectively.
Positive self-talk can boost academic performance by fostering resilience in students. When students believe in their abilities and maintain a positive attitude toward learning, they are more likely to persevere through academic challenges and achieve success.
Positive self-talk helps students develop a strong sense of self-confidence. When students believe in themselves and their abilities, they are more likely to take on new challenges, participate actively in classroom activities, and engage in learning opportunities.
Positive self-talk can also contribute to the development of better social skills. When students have a positive inner dialogue, they are more likely to approach social interactions with confidence, empathy and assertiveness, leading to stronger peer relationships and improved communication skills.
Teaching students positive self-talk techniques equips them with valuable resilience & coping skills that they can utilize throughout their lives. By learning to reframe negative thoughts & focus on the positive aspects of a situation, students can bounce back more easily from setbacks & challenges.
What parents can do to help
Here are some ways to free children from negative thinking & steer them away from negative self-talk:
Listen and validate. Listen carefully to the negative feelings, offer a safe place for your child to come with any concerns and try to find out what is going on.
Offer a more realistic approach. Avoid overly optimistic “positive thinking,” and provide a more realistic appraisal of your child’s experience, e.g. “The first few times might be a bit hard, but as you practice you will get better at it.”
Model & demonstrate realistic positive self-talk. Catching yourself in the midst of making a negative statement can create a valuable teachable moment for your child. I’m a pretty good at… most of the time, I just messed it up this time and next time I’ll….”
Touch base with us at school & check in with teachers about what you’re hearing. Getting a teacher’s perspective can help develop a more complete picture of what is occurring & whether it is occurring in all contexts such as home and school.
Seek professional help.
If the behavior is persistent and negatively impacting your child’s life, or if it’s linked to other troubling shifts in mood and behavior it might be time to visit the GP to discuss your concerns & determine the next steps.
Kath (Student Wellbeing Leader)
Staff and Family Mass
Thank you to all our families for attending mass on Sunday to support our teachers in their commitment ceremony. It was wonderful to see all our teachers and families coming together in partnership. Stay tuned for more family masses throughout the year.
Easter Raffle and Donations
The FSG is Kicking off the first term with our first fun fundraiser of the year and we need your help.
We are asking our SMM families for donations including Easter Eggs, Easter items (such as books, craft activity etc.) and any bags or baskets you may have to be used in our Easter Raffle.
It will be really appreciated if items are dropped into the office by Monday 18th March.
Raffle books and info will be sent out with children in the coming weeks.
Prizes are drawn after the AMAZING Easter Bonnet Parade on
Monday 25th March
If you have any questions or have time to help, please reach out to me Claire 0424389167
Thanks in advance for your support – SMM FSG
Footy Tipping is Back!
And starting on the 7th of March!
Join the SMM Footy Tipping competition for 2024. $25 entry fee with prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.
Click the link below:
https://www.footytips.com.au/comps/2024_SMM_Footy_Tipping?p=stmm3015
Hockey Tryouts
Who: 5-12 year olds NEW to the game of hockey
Where: Footscray Hockey Club, Fogarty Ave Yarraville (Down by the Westgate Freeway)
Time: U6 & U8: 5.15 – 6.00pm, U10 & U12 and above: 6.00 – 6.45pm
Dates: Wed 21, 28 Feb, 6 Mar
Cost: FREE ! Welcome to just turn up!
Equipment: Hockey sticks and shin guards are available to borrow by new players. Please arrive 10-15 minutes early to have a hockey stick fitted.
Enquiries: Contact Come and Try Coordinator Nicole Virtuoso 0424 132 715 come-and-try@footscrayhockey.com.au www.footscrayhockey.com.au Facebook: @footscrayhockey
2025 Prep Enrollment
We have started our open mornings and look forward to hosting our 2025 Prep Information session on March the 18th at 7pm. If you know any families seeking to enroll in our vibrant community please let them know.
Emmanuel College News
Our Year 7 St Paul’s Campus students enjoyed time at Portsea camp last week,
participating in outdoor activities together, making new friends and enjoying time at the
beach. Attending camp early in the year is a great way for students to get to know each
other and form new friendships.
We have two terrific programs if your child is interested in cricket or soccer, please see
details below:
Cricket Star Academy
Liverpool International Academy Australia:
The Liverpool IAA program for 2024 is up and running - a unique worldwide program that
offers the same methodology and philosophy as they do in England, which is training and
coaching ‘The Liverpool Way’. Registration is essential – to secure your spot please follow
this link:
https://lfcacademy.com.au/vic/emmanuel-college
Is your child in Grade 5?
Applications for Year 7, 2026 are now open and will close on Friday 16 August 2024.
If you have a child in Grade 5 and you would like to submit an application, please ensure that you apply before 16 August. A prospectus can be obtained:
- Via the College website under the Enrolment Information tab or by following this link:
- By registering and joining us at a College event (see details below)
- Or by coming in to see our friendly staff at reception of either campus
Our first College experiences for the year are coming up, commencing with the Meet the
Principal event and tour - details for each campus are below:
St Paul’s Campus · Meet the Principal - Thursday 29 February at 9:15am
Notre Dame Campus · Meet the Principal - Thursday 7 March at 9:15am
Registration is essential – please follow this link: College Tour and Event registration
We look forward to seeing you at a College event soon.
