Principal's News
Dear Parents & Carers,
I recently read an opinion piece/advice column by a Doctor of Pediatrics with 25 years experience dealing with the health and well being of children. I thought a few of them were worth sharing:
1. Growth and development are not a race.
These days we’re in such a rush to grow up. In our mechanized, post-industrialized world of speed and efficiency, we've forgotten that life is a process of ripening. To get good fruit, you need to nourish strong roots. Pay attention to the ground that supports your child’s life: Go for a walk with your child, eat with your child, play together, tell him a story about your experience as a child.
2. Creating family traditions encourages strong roots and a healthy life.
This takes time and practice. Personal traditions are sacred because they promote exchanges that strengthen bonds of love and intimacy and build the kind of confidence that will carry your child through this world.
3. We grow in cycles.
There is a rhythm and pulse to each child’s life – sometimes fast and intense, sometimes slow and quiet. Just as each spring brings a renewed sense of appreciation for life, each stage of a child’s life is a time of new discovery and wonder. After all, learning is not just a process of accruing information. It's the process of transforming our ideas, and sometimes this requires forgetting in order to see with fresh eyes. Some children will take a step backward before making a giant leap forward.
Growing in cycles means that we don’t get just one chance to learn something. The same lesson will offer itself up to us again and again as we pass through the seasons of our life. There is deep forgiveness in this way of understanding childhood, which I find takes the pressure off parents to “get it right” the first time.
PARENT/TEACHER MEETINGS Our Parent / Teacher meetings are being held again today. These meetings are an important opportunity to consolidate a positive and productive relationship with your child(ren)’s teacher(s), ask questions about class routines like homework etc and explain any concerns you may have.
MENTAL HEALTH FOR KIDS Last Thursday and Friday I was in Horsham at a meeting of all of the school principals of the Ballarat Diocese, both primary and secondary. These are an important opportunity to be involved in Diocesan policy development, listen to presentations about any new initiatives and programs being introduced and to discuss with colleagues issues of concern etc.
We were introduced to a new member of the Diocesan “Well Being Team” who spent time with the Primary school principals sharing what were the biggest issues for our students.
Our Well Being Leader, Julie Leonard will be sharing a new resource for our community “SchoolTV” which has a huge store of resources for parents in this area which I earnestly commend to you for consideration.
Keep an eye out for articles and links to video clips on our "Wellbeing page" to support you in this most important job - PARENTING
SENIOR ATHLETICS All parents are invited to come down to watch the Senior Athletic Sports this Friday, March 1st from 9:40pm at Central Reserve. The children from Grades 3 to 6 are encouraged to enter a number of track and field events that are run simultaneously. The Sports will conclude at approximately 1:20pm in order that the children be back at school for lunch. Students may still have a lunch order on this day.
FRIENDLY REMINDER Please do not park in Triggy's Corner Store's Customer carpark when attending events at Sacred Heart.
Jack Lenaghan - Principal