Prayer

Two weeks ago I was blessed to have the opportunity to attend the Principal's Retreat held in Kincumber at the St Joseph's Spirituality and Education Centre. It was a wonderful chance to recharge my spiritual batteries and spend time in prayer and reflection. The setting is rich in nature's gifts and the content led the participants through a variety of experiences of prayer as well as educational sessions about prayer.

It was lovely to see so many of our students and former students at Family Mass on Sunday. Sunday Mass is a beautiful and central part of our prayer life. We look forward to seeing many families at Family Masses in Term 4.

I invite you to think about your prayer life over the holidays and spend some of your day reflecting on God's great love for us. I hope the images from my retreat assist in inspiring some peaceful contemplation.

Thank-you

Huge thanks to all the students for an amazing Term 3. It has gone so swiftly and the students have done an amazing job of rising to the challenges of the learning tasks they have been assigned. It has been a delight to have students visit the office with amazing examples of writing and the classrooms look fabulous with beautiful art works. See Mr Belcastro's message to see some of the amazing activities and learning opportunities we have enjoyed in Term 3. I remind you that our Facebook page is a great place to relive the joy and fun of learning at St Martha's in Term 3.

Coffee and catch up

Coffee and catch up with the parents yesterday was a lovely chance to talk about many aspects of school life and current issues. A small group of parents walked to Strathfield where we enjoyed a cuppa and chat at The Smelly Cheesecake Cafe. We adressed concerns about how students are coping with relationships and how school and home can work together to encourage that children have a sense of their own worth and strategies to employ when things are difficult. Open communication between school and home was discussed and all parents are encouraged to raise any matters of concern with the school, firstly with the class teacher. Any changes in children's attitude to school can give us clues to issues which are impacting them. Sharing your observations and relating student concerns helps to build a picture to allow us to address any problems. Some parents have expressed concerns following the recent sad loss of a student at a local high school. For advice on how to deal with children who are asking questions about suicide this link may be helpful.

I look forward to our next Coffee and Catch up in Term 4.

Zanna and the Missing Code

Zanna and the Missing Code was presented to our students today as an opportunity for them to reflect on the importance of cyber safety. Brainstorm productions was engaged to reward the children for encouraging parents to complete the TTFM survey this year, while educating them about the need to maintain their safety when in an online environment. This exciting theatre experience engaged students in conversations about values, respect and responsibility, and inspired them to build safer and more positive online experiences. This is an important message as we move into the school holiday period. Parents are reminded to be mindful and watchful when students are engaging in online activities. You might like to view the preview and description of the show and start a conversation with your child about what they learnt.

School fees

Thank you to all the families who have paid their fees. As we come towards the end of the term, this is a friendly reminder that all OVERDUE amounts must be paid in full as soon as possible.

Holiday Building and Maintenance

In the holidays we will commence replacement of the roof of the old church building. The work will take about 5 weeks and the Year 4 classes will be rehoused in the Hall (4G) and the Music Room (4B) for the beginning of Term 4. We will also have a complete upgrade and rebuild of the boys and girls toilets near the Kinder classrooms. We thank the facilities team at SCS for their support in keeping our facilities safe. I know you will encourage your children to take good care of our beautifully refurbished bathrooms.

Wishing you all a safe and restful holiday break.

Peace and best wishes,

Carolyn Parsell

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