Learning & Teaching

NUMERACY - Colleen Monaghan

As this will be my last newsletter item for the year, I want to wish you all a happy, safe and Merry Christmas. Thank you for making me feel so welcome this year in the St Fidelis School Community. I look forward to working closely with you all in 2021.

Holiday idea:  Budgeting with your kids.

While the holidays may be different from other years and you may not be heading away like usual, I thought it still might be worthwhile sharing this with you. When my kids were younger and we would head away for two weeks, I would hand out $20 to each of them. This money was for their nightly ice creams that we would walk and get after each dinner. Now I understand that wouldn’t go far these days, however, at the time it did allow them each to buy what they liked each night. Having their own money meant they had to budget. A great life skill. 

Now having four kids, I of course had some who opted for single serves and had their money stretch nicely over the fortnight, and of course, I had one who wanted the double with extras, and then running low by the end of week one and having to opt for McDonald's cones for the last week!

My suggestion here is to help your child learn the value of money. If they have to budget and use their money they should start to appreciate the need to cut back some times and splurge if there is enough left at the end of the fortnight. It could work for your holiday period, or perhaps if they have a day out. I know it’s in the curriculum for students to work with money, adding collections, giving change and also budgeting.

So give it a try and see if your children develop skills in keeping to a budget!

Good Luck.

Colleen Monaghan Numeracy Leader 

ITALIAN - Rosa Fokianos

Salve! During the last couple of weeks in Italiano, the Year 5/6‘s have been researching famous Italians, (Gli Italiani Famosi). Some of the chosen identities included Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, Leonardo da Vinci, Enzo Ferrari, Gianni Versace, and Sophia Loren, just to name a few. The children presented their research as a Google slides presentation, with some children even attempting to read their research in Italiano ... with great success. Bravissimi ragazzi! 

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone in the St Fidelis school community Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo! (Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year).

Saluti da

Signora Rosa :)