Issue 17 - 9 November 2021

Newsletter Articles

VISION STATEMENT

PRINCIPAL’S PEN

Dear Families,

As I write this it had dawned upon me that we are now inside the last 20 days of the 2021 school year. Where has the time gone? While we are conscious of finishing off the year strongly, we have also started to cast an eye on the future, particularly the 2022 school year.

Staffing

Due to Mrs Maureen Gaul resigning from her position at St Rita’s, we have been tasked to find suitable replacements for the many roles she has overseen at St Rita’s over the past 5 years.

Our recruitment campaign to find a new Assistant Principal (Religious Education) proved unsuccessful so we have needed to be a little creative in how we will structure things next year. From next year, St Rita’s will no longer have an APRE but instead have an Assistant Principal- Leader of Learning & Teaching. Ms Samantha Benvenuti was successful in attaining this role and has shown great competence and enthusiasm in the areas of pedagogy and curriculum. Sam has a terrific rapport with our students and staff. I have no doubt she will flourish in this role as a lead learner at St Rita’s.

Considering this arrangement, I will lead the Religious Education aspect of our school. As a Catholic school, it is important, we continue to promote and live out the Good News of the Gospels and to make Religious Education a relevant and meaningful part of our curriculum. I look forward to taking on this role and building on the strong foundations that have already been set.

In the coming days, we will be interviewing for a teacher to join Mrs Masina and Miss Wilson as our full-time classroom teachers. This will allow us greater flexibility in how we choose to use the expertise of Mrs Jago and Ms Benvenuti to support these teachers, as well as their leadership roles.

Classroom Structure

We are currently reviewing our existing classroom structures. As you know, we currently run Prep/Year 1, Year 2/3/4 and Year 5/6 classes, which have been in place for a number of years. I feel that now is a good time to review this and question if this best suits the needs of our children at St Rita’s. We will continue to explore this and inform families once a decision has been made. I welcome any parental feedback regarding this, please email principal.babinda@cns.catholic.edu.au.

Possible options include leaving the structure as it is, or having a Prep/Years 1 & 2, Year 3/4 and Year 5/6 classes or having Prep/Year 1, Year 2/3 and Year 4/5/6 classes.

End of Year

Please note there has been a slight change of arrangements for our end-of-year events for 2021. On Thursday the 25th of November we will be celebrating our graduation Mass at 6 pm at St Rita’s Church. This will be followed by a light supper. This is a great opportunity to farewell our graduating students Eva, Jack, and Elijah as they begin their secondary schooling in 2022 and I would encourage all of our school families to attend and show their support.

On Wednesday the 1st of December we will hold our End of Year Mass, also at St Rita’s Church. Again, our school families are all invited and encouraged to attend as we celebrate a terrific year of learning, faith, and friendships. Following Mass there will be a shared morning tea and a Christmas presentation, with each class performing some Christmas Carols. Due to the busyness of this time of the year and the preparation involved, we have decided not to have a Christmas play this year. This is something we may look at doing again in the future.

Friday the 3rd of December will be the last day of term. Please remember that it is a midday dismissal for all students.

Michael Rowe
Principal

APRE THOUGHTS

REMEMBRANCE DAY LITURGY

Say a prayer of peace today-
O Lord, my God,
grant us your peace;
Give us that peace of being at rest,
that sabbath peace,
the peace which knows no end.
St Augustine

Remembrance Day is celebrated in Australia each year on the 11th November. All Australians are urged to observe one minute of silence at 11:00am to remember those who have died or suffered for Australia’s cause in all wars and conflicts. While we honour and pray for those who have fought to protect this land and bring peace, we also focus on the place of peace in our own hearts, families and communities. Jesus is our model for true peace and shows us how to be makers of peace. Please feel welcome to join us for our Remembrance Day Liturgy, which is to be held on Wednesday 10th November, commencing at 1:40pm.

ST VINCENT DE PAUL’S CHRISTMAS HAMPER APPEAL

Within the Catholic Church, the celebration of Christmas is a much anticipated and joyous event celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. As we begin to contemplate what Christmas will be like this year, many families are already struggling. Since the pandemic began, many have lost work, and some are struggling to keep from being homeless. With a growing number of families turning to Vinnies this Christmas, in critical need of assistance, support is needed. St Rita’s Primary School is out to make a difference and is proud to support the work of our local St Vincent de Paul Society through the 2021 Christmas Hamper Appeal. Later this term, families will be invited to donate goods, such as non-perishable food items and Christmas fare, and spread the Christmas cheer to members of our local community who may be experiencing difficulties. A flyer containing more information about suitable items to donate will be sent out when our appeal begins.

GRADUATION

As we approach the end of the 2021 school year, it is timely to reflect upon the numerous experiences that have presented thus far within our school community and celebrate the successes and achievements of our students. We acknowledge with sincere thanks the support provided by parents and carers, as we journey together to encourage and enhance the personal growth of the children within our care.

Our attentions are turning to preparations for the end-of-year formalities concerning Graduation, and in an effort to assist families with planning for this occasion, we wish to share preliminary details available. The Graduation Mass will be celebrated at St Rita’s Parish Church on Thursday 25th November at 6:00pm. Following this, the Graduation Evening will be held on the school basketball courts. For this occasion, students will wear their formal school uniform.

The evening will feature our prayer celebration, shared supper, student speeches, awarding of Graduation Certificates and a special slide presentation of the students’ journey through St Rita’s Primary School. This is a wonderful opportunity for the whole school community to celebrate this important milestone in the students’ learning journey and to give thanks for the year that has been. All families of St Rita’s students are warmly invited to attend.

Blessings,
Maureen Gaul

COUNSELLOR CORNER

Talking with your child about having a growth mindset:

So, what is a fixed mindset?

• “I didn’t make the basketball team last year, so I guess I’m not good enough to make it this year, either”
• “I never get good grades on my Maths tests, so there’s no point in studying”
• “What’s the point of going to Art class? I’ll never be good at drawing”

• These children have a fixed mindset. They believe that all their skills and abilities are ‘fixed’, meaning they can’t change. They don’t believe that hard work and practice can change how good or bad they are at something. Once a person with a fixed mindset decides they aren’t good at something, they just quit trying. Having a fixed mindset will hold you back from trying new things or becoming the best you can be at something.

What is a growth mindset?

• “I didn’t make the basketball team last year, but I have been practicing every day to try again”
• I have been struggling in Maths, but I know if I keep studying and work with my teacher, I can improve my grades”
• “I’m not the best artist in the class, but I’m getting better with practice”
• These children all have a growth mindset. They believe that their skills and abilities can change or grow with practice. They don’t give up when they are facing a challenge. When someone has a growth mindset, they are more open to trying new things because they aren’t afraid of failing. Having this mindset gives people more opportunities in life. A growth mindset doesn’t make it easier to learn new things or improve your skills. You still have to work hard, but when someone has a growth mindset, they know that putting in the extra effort will be worth it.

Try some of these tips for having a growth mindset:

• When something is challenging, try a new strategy
• Think of challenges as new changes for you to learn and grow
• Instead of using the word “failing”, try using the word “learning”
• Focus on the progress you are making instead of how much further you have to go
• Reward yourself for hard work
• Ask for help when you need it
• When you make a mistake, take time to think about how it can help you in the future

Another helpful tip for developing your growth mindset is to give yourself a little encouragement. The way we speak to ourselves affects the way we feel, act, and think. When you are feeling frustrated or challenged, avoid saying things like, “I can’t do it!” or “I give up!” Instead, try saying something from this list:

• I haven’t met my goal yet, but I am working hard
• I can do hard things with hard work
• I learn from my mistakes
• I get better every time I practice
• I am on the right track
• I help my brain grow by learning hard things
• I don’t give up
• I can try another way
• I am proud of myself for trying
• Reference : Growth Mindset by Peyton Curley

Wendy Smith
School Counsellor

DATE CLAIMERS

BIRTHDAY CONGRATULATIONS

St Rita’s wished Flynn Lansdown, Elijah Geary, Samuel Shaw, Evie Rowe and James Crawford all the very best for their recently celebrated birthdays.

We hope you all had wonderful birthday celebrations Flynn, Elijah, Samuel, Evie and James!

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

MUNRO THEATRE