Principal's Report
Re-Imagine Learning
Dear Parents,
Last year I shared information about the exciting LEADing Lights initiative being developed by Catholic Education Western Australia. LEADing Lights is the creation of a single digital ecosystem for all CEWA schools and early years centres, as well as central and regional offices. This landmark digital transformation initiative is designed to help every student achieve their full potential, every teacher deliver inspiring learning and every school become a flourishing happy school where students love to learn.
Every student will be equipped with the same powerful tools to push boundaries, explore, create and collaborate across distance and device. Teachers will be able to educate in more flexible and contemporary ways, while taking advantage of exciting pathways for tailored personal learning and professional development. School leaders will have the real-time information they need to accelerate continuous improvement in student and teacher performance, graduation rates, health, wellbeing and achievement – across a class, a school or the entire system.
Parents will be brought closer to their child’s school journey through real-time information on how they are tracking and how to support their learning with direct access to information, people and services.
Across our schools, offices and early years centres, LEADing Lights also connects every CEWA staff member to the tools they need to work more effectively and empowers them with real-time information that is relevant to their role, so they can make the right decisions to better serve today’s students, schools and communities.
LEADing Lights will remove many of the complexities associated with the current disconnected school communication and technology platforms and will allow for increased and improved collaboration within and beyond the classroom for all participants in the school community. It will expand the ability to collect, analyse and leverage data at a student, classroom, year group, school, geography or macro level. It will transform the in and out of classroom experience for all.
With LEADing Lights, students are more connected to learning than ever before because their portfolio of schoolwork travels with them. If they move schools, it’s easy to pick up where they left off. And for the first time, they can track their learning to understand their progress and benchmark it against CEWA averages if they wish, putting them in charge. Artificial intelligence within the software solutions makes recommendations and predictions on student progress with incentives and awards to support their personal goals.
LEADing Lights will foster a powerful social learning community and equip students with the 21st century technologies and deep learning skills they need to reach their full potential. It connects our education community to the latest communication, collaboration and productivity tools, learning resources, management systems, analytics and personal learning and development.
It will give students powerful tools to explore, create and collaborate across distance and device. It will give teachers contemporary intelligent tools, tailored personal learning and professional development. It will give school leaders real-time data to drive continuous improvement in every school community. It will give parents real-time data on their child’s progress and how to support their learning. It will give CEWA enhanced student and financial reporting capability.
LEADing Lights will deliver tangible, financial benefits, with its commitment to cost neutrality and subsequent savings, while delivering improved services, flexibility, security of data and more.
#ExpectGreatThings
Drones At IJ's
One of the most exciting developments in photography in the last year or two is the drone – high flying cameras that enable you to capture unique viewpoints of common subjects. Last weekend we were fortunate to work with Alister and Alan Jupp (parents and grandparents of the school) to get some great aerial images of our school via Drone technology.
Our aim with this project is to showcase the fantastic facilities our students and community enjoy at Infant Jesus through these images. In time, we will develop a 'virtual tour' of the school, which will be placed on the school website for prospective (and current) parents to view.
It was really great working with these gentlemen and the quality of their work was wonderful.
Prayer
Renew yourself in CHRIST
Receive the cross
on your forehead.
Learn to know Christ and follow him.
Receive the sign of the cross
on your ears,
that you may hear the voice of the Lord.
Receive the sign of the cross
on your eyes
that you may see the glory of God.
Receive the sign of the cross
on your lips,
that you may respond to the Word of God.
Receive the sign of the cross
over your heart,
that Christ may dwell there by faith.
Receive the sign of the cross
on your shoulders,
that you may bear the gentle yoke of
Christ.
Receive the sign of cross on your
hands,
that Christ may be known in the work
which you do.
Receive the sign of cross on your
feet,
that you may
walk the way of CHRIST.
Amen.
LENT
On Wednesday, 1 March, the Church Calendar will change to the season of Lent. The first day to signify this change begins with Ash Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday is a day of special fasting for those of us who are able to do without meat or special foods as a way of prayer and renewal in Christ. In classes, children will be discussing how they can become better people during Lent by trying to do things well or even giving up doing things that are poor choices. We hope that you can support your child in this decision and even join them in their quest to be people of peace, hope and love.
As a community, we will be marking the occasion of Ash Wednesday by attending Mass which will commence at 9.00am at the Infant Jesus Church. All parents are most welcome to attend. During this Mass, ashes will be placed on our foreheads made with the sign of the cross as a symbol of our Christianity. Ashes are referred to often as a gesture of penance and mourning. These ashes come from the palms used during last year’s Palm Sunday celebrations.
Ash Wednesday is unique in that it is the one time when we as Christians have a visible mark of identity placed on our skin which we wear during the day. There is a similarity between Baptism and Ash Wednesday in that the ashes are placed on our foreheads in the sign of a cross during Ash Wednesday while in Baptism oil was placed on our foreheads with the sign of the cross.
Ash Wednesday is a time for us to stop and repent. The words used as the ashes are placed on the forehead “Repent and believe in the Gospel” encourage us to reflect upon our sinfulness and call for us to turn back to God during the season of Lent.
As Christians, we are challenged to take stock of our lives and to reflect. It is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving in preparation for meeting Christ in the Easter celebrations. As we journey through Lent let us keep Christ at the heart of all our words and actions. Let us focus our lives more clearly on walking in the way of Christ and living the Christian life.
Up from the Waters - Reflecting Sharing and Living the Gospel
With LENT not too far away, I would like to conduct a LENTEN program titled “Up From the Waters”. This is a six-week LENTEN program reflecting, sharing and living the Gospel and is also being run in the Infant Jesus parish. The program focuses on the significance of the waters of Baptism in each one of us.
Parents are invited to register their interest in this program that will be conducted at the school each Wednesday evening at 7pm, commencing, Wednesday, 1 March. Currently we have 4 parents enrolled in the program.
These Lenten reflections will take place at the school in a very non-threatening and prayerful environment. Interested parents are asked to register for this program by filling out the attached survey link. I believe that this is a wonderful way for parents of the school to come together, giving witness and sharing their faith and preparing themselves for Easter.
Dates for this LENTEN program are as follows:
- Wednesday 1 March
- Wednesday 8th March
- Wednesday 15th March
- Wednesday 22nd March
- Wednesday 29th March
- Wednesday 5th April
Please register your interest via the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7BLVBKC
“When Jesus had been baptised, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (John 3:16)
School Board News
On behalf of the School Board we would like to extend our gratitude to the 2016 P&F Executive and members for the donation of $25,000 to be utilised towards funding our new Innovation & Technologies Centre.
We appreciate all your efforts and your focus on assisting the enhancement of our children's education
Mr Ric Olivieri
Chairman
Infant Jesus School Board
Kindergarten Enrolments 2018
We are currently accepting Kindergarten enrolment applications for the 2018 school year. Interviews will take place in Term 2. If you have a child ready to start Kindergarten in 2018 and wish to enrol him/her at Infant Jesus School, please make sure you complete an application form.
It is important to note prospective enrolments that have a brother or a sister already enrolled at Infant Jesus School still need to complete an application form and attend an interview.
@InfantJesus54
Family Picnic
We remind all families about the ‘Back To School Picnic’ tomorrow evening (Friday 24 February). This picnic will commence at 5.30pm and conclude at 8.00pm. It would be fantastic to see many families in attendance for this annual community event.
Did You Know
- The flamingo can only eat when its head is upside down.
- If you put a can of Diet Coke in water, it floats. Regular Coca-Cola sinks.
- Cows have the ability to walk upstairs but not down again.
- Did you know Perth is Australia's windiest city
Pupil Free Day
Don't forget
- Friday 3 March is a Pupil Free Day for students
- Monday 6 March is a Public Holiday (Labour Day)
Thought for the Week
"We need to lower the tone a bit, speak less and listen more," he said, adding that "dialogue which brings hearts closer together" is "a medicine against violence".
Pope Francis
May the week ahead be filled with many blessings
Paul Hille
Principal