Deputy Principal's Report

Hello!

We’re almost three weeks into Term 3, and already we’ve shared in some fantastic events as a school community —with plenty more still to come. Please ensure you have added the schools google calendar to ensure you can be prepared throughout such a busy term. 

Excellence – The St Finbar’s Way

Celebrating Students Who Strive to Be Their Best

Excitement is building as our school community gets ready to journey to Neverland in next week’s production of Peter Pan! Our talented students have been working incredibly hard—rehearsing lines, learning choreography, and bringing this magical story to life. 

We’re thrilled to feature a special interview with our lead—Lachie in Year 6, who stars as Peter Pan—and our Performing Arts Teacher, Nonie Kay, who has brought the production to life behind the scenes.

Q: How did you feel when you found out you were going to play Peter Pan?

A: I felt happy and relieved that I got the role. I was a little bit nervous because of all the work I had to put in but I knew if I put in all the work, I’d get a good result. 

Q: What have you done to prepare for the role?

A: I have put in a lot of practice learning my lines. I’ve been doing singing lessons for all of Term 2 to practice and putting in a lot of practice at home and at school with my acting. I’ve also been working hard to continue being confident on stage. 

Q: What’s been your favourite part of rehearsals so far? 

A: My favourite part so far has been acting with my friends. It’s been a lot of fun and I got to know a lot more people that I may not have known this well if it wasn’t for Peter Pan. It’s been really fun to act as Peter Pan. 

Q: What do you love most about playing Peter Pan? 

A: I like that he’s agile, nimble and short as that’s how I’d describe myself. He is full of attitude and a fun character to play. 

Q: What would you say to someone who’s nervous about being in a school performance? A: Everyone has their own thing to get rid of being nervous. Just find that strategy. I just picture my little sister in the front row of the audience and think about how much she’ll enjoy the play. If you’re nervous and put in enough effort, then you’ll definitely succeed on the day.

Q: What are you most excited about for opening night?

A: I’m excited to sing my songs all mic'd up and doing the final bows because it’s like all my hard work has paid off. I can’t wait for my family to see my performance!

We would also like to acknowledge the incredible dedication and creativity of Ms Nonie Kay and her amazing team of prop, makeup, and costume extraordinaires, whose behind-the-scenes work has brought Peter Pan to life in the most magical way.

Q: Why did you choose Peter Pan as this year’s school production?A: Mrs Susan Williams and I spent a weekend together at school last year where we went through all the different musicals for primary schools. Throughout this process, Peter Pan stood out to us as it was fun, had great music and lots of lead roles for our Year 5 and 6 students. 

Q: When did this process begin?

A: This whole process began in Term 4 last year where we ran auditions, worked through scripts and got prepared for 2025 to ensure it began smoothly for all. 

Q: What has been the most rewarding part of directing this production?

A: I taught the 5 and 6 students when they were in Prep so it’s been really nice to work so closely with them again. 

Q: What can the audience look forward to on performance night?

A: All the Peter Pan magic! The audience can expect a night full of colour, energy and enthusiasm. Our students have all worked so hard to bring this story to life and we can’t wait to share it with you.

Q: What’s one thing you’d like the students to take away from this experience?

A: I really want them to enjoy themselves on stage as they’ve worked so hard. I hope they take away the understanding that stepping out of your comfort zone might be difficult, but it’s ultimately a rewarding experience that helps you grow.

Q: Any final thoughts as opening night approaches?A: I’m so proud of all the students for getting up there, having fun, and giving it their all. It’s going to be an amazing show!

Helping Your Child Through the Jitters

As the school production approaches, this is a very exciting time for many of our students, while for others it may bring about feelings of nervousness or anxiety. 

These feelings can show up in different ways, including:

• Difficulty sleeping
• Irritability or mood changes
• Complaints of headaches or tummy aches
• Avoidance of rehearsals or school
• Changes in appetite or energy

If your child is showing any of these signs, there are simple and effective ways you can support them at home:

• Reassure them that feeling nervous is normal and that they are not alone
• Help them prepare by practising their part in a calm, low-pressure environment
• Stick to a consistent routine to provide stability
• Encourage breaks, relaxation, and downtime
• Praise their efforts, not just the outcome
• Stay positive and calm yourself—children often take emotional cues from adults

David Berlinski from Toolbox Psychology has shared 4 practical tools that psychologists use to help children manage stress. This has been copied from his current newsletter so enjoy his suggestions below. If you wish to subscribe to their newsletter, please do via their website here.

Anxiety Thrives on Uncertainty

When things feel overwhelming our children can easily fall into a sense of hopelessness and helplessness.Help build their resilience and agency by shifting their focus onto what is in their circle of control (Sleep, Effort, Asking for help etc...) and letting go of things that are not in their control (Exam dates, Other people etc...)

Procrastination is not being lazy

From the outside, procrastination can look like laziness. In fact, research tells us that procrastination is a form of avoiding uncomfortable emotions.

Let's help build our children's capacity to tolerate discomfort by

1) Identifying and labelling what emotion they are feeling and trying to avoid

2) Normalising and reframing their discomfort as something that might have short-term pain but long-term benefits

How we respond to emotions matters

If we view emotions as something that is a problem, is something to be ashamed of or something that needs to be hidden, we will end up dismissing, avoiding, rejecting or punishing our emotions and our children’s. Children might then learn to bottle up their emotions.

Instead, let’s view emotions as something that is helpful for decision-making, a form of communication and something that helps build closer relationships.

Not every thought is a fact

Two of the most common thinking traps children fall into are: Mind reading and Fortune Telling.

• Encourage children to reality test before jumping to conclusions and making assumptions.

Here are helpful ways to look for evidence and reality test.

• How do I know this thought is true / not true?
• Is there anything I’m ignoring in this situation?
• If my friend were going through this, what would I tell them?

Social Emotional Learning 

This term, our school-wide focus is on our school value of Safety. As part of our commitment to supporting the wellbeing of every student, each class is beginning their weekly Respectful Relationships social and emotional learning lessons with a 10–15 minute mini lesson explicitly focused on safety. These sessions begun by allowing the students to share what the word safety meant to them. They then explored different ways that we can all remain safe at school both inside and outside the classroom. This week we read a social story that explcitly begins to teach the concept of safety; what it means to feel safe, how to identify unsafe situations, and how to seek help from trusted adults. By building these foundations, we’re empowering our students with the knowledge and confidence to care for themselves and others in a safe and respectful environment.

Here is the social story that each class read and you may like to read with your child/ren. 

Have a great week - May God Bless

Laura and Callum 

Deputy Principals