Principal's Report 

Dear Families,

There has been a surge in viral and respiratory illness at the school. We currently have a significant number of students who are battling flu-like symptoms. Symptoms include fever, chills, muscle aches, cough, congestion, runny nose, headaches,  fatigue and gastro like symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea. While we are no longer mandated to report it, there have been multiple cases of Covid in the school community. MACS guidelines, in line with the Victorian Government and Department of Health can be found in this website: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/

I would highly recommend that everyone consider the wellbeing of the 300+ students and staff of the school by not sending your sick child to school.  If your child returns a positive Rapid Antigen Test (RAT), then they are advised to stay at home for at least 5 days and until they no longer have symptoms. Should they have COVID-19 symptoms but return a negative RAT they should stay home until their symptoms go away. Students suffering or recovering from illness need plenty of rest and TLC, which can only be received at home. Keeping your sick child at home will help keep you, your family and community well.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation.

School gates are officially opened and supervised from 8:30am and students can make their way to the classroom when the first bell is rung at 8:37am. A Parent/Guardian is required to remain and supervise their child until the gates are officially opened by a staff member. You cannot assume that other parents waiting with their child(ren) will automatically assume responsibility for your child. Your child's safety is paramount so please be mindful and keep a close eye on them especially during busy drop off/pick up times. For those senior students who ride bikes, walk, or catch public transport to school, we request that they arrive after 8:30am as much as possible.

School Review dates

On Monday we welcome Paul Ledwidge, our external school reviewer, to St Leonard's. Paul is employed by MACS to engage with us on our path to continuous improvement.

The dates of our school review are:

19th August - preliminary visit to check policies and child safety standards to ensure we comply with VRQA requirements.

9th September - Day 1 at the school with meetings of key stakeholders, students, staff &   parents.

13th September - Day 2 at the school with meetings of key stakeholders, students, staff &  parents.

22nd October - Dialogue and engagement day.

Please read the Library page of this newsletter for more information from Kaye Gregory about Book Day, Tuesday 20th August. On this day children can come to school dressed up as a book character from one of their favourite books or come as something related to the theme ‘Reading is Magic.’ The 9am Book Parade and rotating activities, as well as the live performance of "Maybe a Miracle," promise to be a real celebration of the value of books and reading. Parents and siblings are welcome to come dressed for the parade.

Are You Solving Your Child's Problems? From Big Life Journal Australia

Parents can be difficult at times. The following ideas are from Big Life Journal.

The other day, my son was working on a tricky puzzle.

He was getting frustrated, and my instinct was to step in and help. But instead, I took a step back.

"You can figure this out," I said, offering a hint instead of a solution.

He struggled for a bit but eventually figured it out!

This situation taught him that he could solve problems on his own, and it made him feel capable.

As parents, we often rush to solve our children’s problems, wanting to prevent the meltdown or make it easier for them. 

But here’s the issue with that:

By doing this, we don’t give our children a chance to persevere or even fail and learn from their mistakes.

Imagine your child coming to you with a tough homework question. 

Instead of giving the answer, you can say: 

“Let’s think about this together. What do you know so far?"

This way, you’re guiding them to find the solution themselves, which is far more empowering.

Check out this week's parenting guide to learn more about how to raise mentally strong kids.  https://biglifejournal.com.au/

Prayer 

This week’s prayer focus for Week 5 is "Mass Connects Us " Today the15th of August we celebrate the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the earth, when both her soul and her body were taken into the presence of God. We invite all families to our whole school mass at 9:15am. All welcome.

Gospel Reading - John 6:41-51 

The people started grumbling about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” So they said, “This man is Jesus son of Joseph, isn't he? We know his father and mother. How, then, does he now say he came down from heaven?”

Jesus answered, “Stop grumbling among yourselves. People cannot come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me; and I will raise them to life on the last day. The prophets wrote, ‘Everyone will be taught by God.’ Anyone who hears the Father and learns from him comes to me. This does not mean that anyone has seen the Father; he who is from God is the only one who has seen the Father. I am telling you the truth: he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died. But the bread that comes down from heaven is of such a kind that whoever eats it will not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If you eat this bread, you will live forever. The bread that I will give you is my flesh, which I give so that the world may live.”

Here are some potential reflection questions from Anthony Adaman to consider:

• How is going to Mass like gathering with family and friends for a special occasion?
• What makes you feel connected to other people?
   
• How does sharing food make you feel part of a community?  What food do we share at Mass?
• Can you think of a time when you went to Mass for a special celebration? Did it make it more special?
• How can Mass help us believe in Jesus?
• How can we share what we learn at Mass with our friends and family?

This week, the following important messages came from the eSafety Commissioner.

Explore eSafety Sport

Gold online safety advice

During the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, we bear witness to the global profile and reach of sport. We're treated to performances of skill and excellence, along with displays of friendship and respect.

Sporting events place athletes, coaches, officials and administrators in the international spotlight – which can also increase the risk of online abuse.

And online abuse is not limited to those competing for gold. Respect needs to be the number one rule at all levels of sport. Just as we don’t tolerate abuse in the stadium, in the change rooms or from the sidelines, we don't accept it online.

eSafety has online safety advice and resources to help everyone in sport - sport parents, athletes and competitors, administrators, coaches and officials - have more positive experiences online.

Briefly

• I thank Father John, students, families and staff who attended the Confirmation Commitment Mass last Sunday. I thank Anthony Adaman, Kaye Gregory and Cathy Ellis for their valuable contributions. We appreciate members of the junior choir being in attendance too.

• A big congratulations to Devlin and Amaya on receiving their Super Speak Achievement Award. This award is presented to students who have completed 2.5 years of Public Speaking & Communication Skills training at Super Speak (equivalent to 100 hours) and presented 15 formal solo speeches.

• The Australian Girls Choir will be offering an assessment workshop on Tuesday 3rd September for girls in any year level who might be interested in joining the choir. We have a number of our girls who have joined the choir after being involved in these sessions. If you would like your child to participate please complete the registration form that has been sent home or register online at https://ausgirlschoir.com.au/schoolworkshop/
• I thank Yoshita and the Book Nook Committee for taking books outside at lunchtime.

• Our 3 / 4 's had an a wonderful excursion to the NGV. more information in coming newsletters. I am delighted to support that the students displayed excellent behaviour, curiosity and excitement. A huge thank you to our parent helpers.

Wishing every family a very happy week ahead. 

Rob Horwood

Principal