Principal's News
Dear Parents and Carers,
Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a meeting with the principals of our four local catholic schools and with Pasi Sahlberg. Pasi is one of the world’s most respected authorities on educational improvement. He was formerly the Director General at Finland’s Ministry of Education and a visiting professor at Harvard University. Pasi is working with the Ballarat Diocese to plan systemic improvement for our schools and, ultimately, of course for our students. He is also the author of a book I am currently reading, and am happy to recommend, “Let the Children Play”.
Parents might be surprised to know that in 2024 recess and lunch times at school are often the most challenging part of the day for some of our students.
It is less predictable. The grown up is not organising everything for them. I know it sounds like freedom, but it can be overwhelming sometimes.
In his book Pasi cites a professional association of 67,000 paediatricians that “the lifelong success of children is based on their ability to be creative and to apply the lessons learned from playing.”
Some years ago, archaeologists discovered 50,000 year old footprints somewhere in Arnham Land - apparently they are some of the oldest footprints found anywhere in the world. What caught my eye from the story was that these first Australians had been travelling in a family group - adults and children. It should not be surprising to any parent that while the adult tracks maintained a steady gait and purposeful direction, the youngsters of 50,000 years ago had been crisscrossing their elders tracks. Running, leaping, walking etc from one side of the track to another. Exploring their world, experimenting with their speed and agility, challenging one another and no doubt learning about themselves, others and the world.
Researchers across the western world are sounding alarm bells about the mental health of our kids and their resilience to deal with challenges.
Unregulated, adult free, unsupervised and unstructured play, I suspect is the missing ingredient.
For while our staff actively patrol and are on hand to help we DO NOT, CAN NOT, nor SHOULD NOT control every word, action or interaction that takes place in the schoolyard. This is where children are learning to negotiate, play fairly, organise, make decisions, disagree, cooperate, apologise and forgive one another AND be held accountable for how well they do all these things.
Like any new skill, time and practise lead to mastery.
Their rewards are the friends they make and the school they continue to create.
FOUNDATION ENROLMENTS FOR 2025 A reminder of the survey open on our PAM platform for parents who have someone they would like to enrol in our Foundation Class for 2025.
If you haven’t yet completed this survey please do so this week.
It is my intention to have our foundation enrolments for 2025 sorted by the end of this term.
SWIMMING PROGRAM This term children from Grades 1, 2 & 3 are attending swimming lessons according to the published timetable. If children forget to bring their bathers and towels on these days they will not be able to swim. We will not be ringing parents to bring these items up to school when they are left at home.
ANZAC DAY The school will be closed this Thursday April 25th for the public holiday.
Jack Lenaghan - Principal