Principal Reflections
From the Principals - Alison & Pete
Playing Fair on the Playground
One of the strengths of our identity here at St Edward's is our participation in extracurricular activities, particularly our involvement and emphasis on school sport. Our students represent our school in a wide variety of sports and we are so proud of all their achievements and efforts, win, lose or draw.
Competition is a natural part of human nature, and it can be an excellent motivator for personal growth. However, it's equally crucial to recognise that there are times when we should dial down the competitive spirit, especially on the school playground. It is here on our school playground that we want everyone to feel safe, valued, respected and cared for.
As we take a break over the Term 3 holidays, it would be great if parents could find time to discuss some of the reasons why this is so important:
Inclusivity Matters: Every child is unique and possesses different strengths and abilities. Emphasising competition above all else can make some children feel left out or discouraged. We want every child to feel valued and included, regardless of their athletic ability. Remember, ENCOURAGE, ENCOURAGE, ENCOURAGE!!
Social Skills and Empathy: The playground is an ideal place for children to develop social skills, empathy, and cooperation. When kids focus solely on winning, they may miss out on valuable opportunities to build strong friendships and learn from one another.
Remember, it's not about eliminating competition entirely, but finding the right balance. When we prioritise inclusivity, cooperation, and the overall enjoyment of play, we create a school environment that fosters growth, happiness, and well-rounded development.
Staff Professional Development
As you are all aware, tomorrow will be a pupil free day at school as our staff will be engaging in professional development around embedding First Nation Perspectives into our Religious Education Curriculum. We would like to thank Sal Clarke for all her work preparing this day.
End of Term 3
The end of Term 3 has arrived, which means a couple of things; the weather is warming up with Spring in full swing, walkers, runners and bike riders are doing their best to avoid magpies, sporting finals being fiercely competed and everyone is looking forward to a well earned break after what has been an enormous term. Some of our highlights have been:
Our whole school Athletics Carnival
Grandparents Day celebrations
100 Days of Kindergarten
Book Week Parade
Father's Day Breakfast
Year 4 Dubbo Excursion
Year 6 Sacrament of Confirmation
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire St Edward's School community for a wonderful term. We have thoroughly enjoyed our first term leading the school and realise we are truly blessed and privileged to lead such a committed and talented staff, wonderful and enthusiastic students and supportive families. We would like to wish everyone a safe and restful break, and we look forward to seeing everyone in Term 4.
Staff News - Wedding Bells
Today our Infants students and staff were excited to wish and farewell Miss Ham (and Josh) and Miss Simmons (and Scott) all the very best for their upcoming wedding in the school holidays.
We wish them both God’s every blessing and happiness as they commence married life together.
Until next term,
Keep smiling
Alison Hatton and Peter Flynn