From the Principal's Desk
School Handbook
Annual Parent Survey
Please consider completing the St Joseph's annual parent survey. This is a wonderful opportunity to both affirm staff in their work and to also give insights into areas for improvement.
When completing the survey it is important to consider each area across the year and your general impression or experience.
The survey can be accessed via the link below until Thursday 5 December.
https://forms.gle/oa4KwpCBB9NHgFY76
Surf Lifesaving Nutri Grain Athletes Visit
Friday 29 November 2019
Surf Life Saving Australia will be holding both the 3rd round of the Nutri-Grain IronMan and IronWoman Series (Sunday afternoon) and the 1st round of the super Surf Teams League (Sunday morning) at Bulli Beach on Sunday 1 December 2019.
Surf Lifesaving Australia will be visiting St Joseph's on Friday 29 November. They will be bringing with them athletes such as Courtney Hancock and Sean Hendy. Students will have the chance to have signings with athletes, and ask the athletes questions. Surf Life Saving Australia will also be talking to students about Surf Safety and Nipper programs that are available.
IMPORTANT
Please note that local media will be in attendance. If you wish that your child NOT be photographed or featured on video please contact the school office via email.
Student Messaging
A gentle reminder that no student should be messaging their parents during the school day. If your child should send you a message please remind them and ensure they understand that they need to speak with their teacher.
At school, staff need to be the first port of call for students to ensure their needs are attended to and their safety. This is particularly true with regard to home arrangements.
Please contact the school office should you need to get a message to your child.
Thank you so much for your support for this request, it is very much appreciated and will encourage your child to do the right thing with technology and build independence.
Technology Holiday Guide for Parents
The article below is by Martine Oglethorpe from Parenting Ideas.
Martine Oglethorpe is an accredited speaker with the Office of the eSafety Commissioner. She is a speaker, counselor, and educator with a passion for building resilient kids in a digital world.
As the holidays approach, the role that screens and devices will play becomes an increasing concern for parents. Days, when kids are usually tied up with school and activities, make way for many an idle hour and, as such, parents fear those hours will be spent largely engaged with a screen or gaming console. While there is certainly no harm in some well-balanced screen time and developmentally appropriate online activities, we must remember that, as parents, we have an important role in helping our kids manage and balance that screen time. Here are a few things we can do:
Understand the battle
It is important parents know the beast they are dealing with. It is easy to shout from another room to get off a screen or whinge to our friends that ‘kids of today’ are all addicted to their phones, but we need to recognise the pull that many of these devices have. The social networks are designed to keep us liking, commenting and sharing. The games cajole us into having ‘just one more’ turn at being the last man standing. These technologies tempt us to reach just one more level, or to scroll for just a few minutes more. Our brains experience a dopamine release and a sense of insufficiency when we use a device. There is always something else to do or something else to scroll through, or one more YouTube video to watch. So our kids are up against it when trying to control their time on a device. We need to help them with that.
Get outside
We can complain that kids never go outside and play anymore, but sometimes we have to physically get out there with them or offer opportunities in which being outside and active play are appealing. We have to work a little harder at this today because we are competing with a device that answers many of our kids' perceived needs. We need them to know that their needs are greater and more varied than what their screens can offer.
Have some rules
Despite their apparent dislike of rules around technology, kids will (one day) appreciate having boundaries to help them manage their screen time. Rules can be established regarding time limits, devices in bedrooms, device-free meal times, etc. Whatever you decide is important, be sure that you have those discussions with your kids. And any discussion around rules or consequences should happen away from the screens so they are clear on the expectations. (Talking about their screen-time habits while they are just about to be the last man standing on Fortnite is probably not going to make for engaging conversation.
One console on one television...outside the bedroom
Having only one television that is connected to a gaming console or to Netflix is a good way of ensuring that the device gets shared and one child doesn’t monopolise the screen. And leave consoles out of bedrooms where the appeal of just one more quick game can very quickly rob them of important sleep time.
Role model
Make sure you are showing your kids how you want them to be. Have times when the devices are put away and you give full attention to the people around you. Don’t answer calls or emails at the dinner table. Don’t fall asleep with a device landing on your forehead. Take time to get outside and do things active and in nature. Don’t ever use a phone while driving. Use the Screen Time feature on iOS products to monitor just how you are using your technology and whether you could be making some changes. Kids learn more from what we do than what we say.
We know the technology isn’t going anywhere, and we know there are many wonderful benefits that screens provide. But ensure that holidays and downtime hours can be filled with many different experiences and in ways that leave your kids in control, even if you have to work a little harder to give them that.
Year 6 Farewell Mass and Supper
The Year 6 Farewell Mass and Supper will be held on Tuesday 17 December at 5:30pm. This very special celebration will begin with Mass followed by dinner in the school hall. Further information will be provided to Year 6 parents by the end of the week.
St Joseph's Christmas Carols
Thursday 12 December
The staff have begun planning for the St Joseph's Christmas Carols to be held on Thursday 12 December. The evening will begin at 5:00 pm with a BBQ hosted by the P&F and carols will begin at 6:00pm.
Keeping Children Focused In Term 4
As this term progresses the children will become excited about the approaching Advent and Christmas seasons. It is very important that the children remain focused and settled throughout Term 4. When the children begin to bring Christmas cards, candy canes and the like to school too early they tend to ‘tune out’.
It is for this reason, and the fact that waiting is a part of our Catholic tradition within the season of Advent, that the children may begin to bring Christmas cards, candy canes etc. for their classmates from the beginning of Week 10 – Monday 16 December.
Final School Assembly for the Year - Week 9
The final assembly for 2019 will be held on the Monday 9 December (Week 9). Principal's Awards will also be presented at this assembly along with the end of term awards. All parents are very welcome to attend.
Principal Awards - Term 4 Week 8 - Monday 2 December 2019
The following students will receive their Principal Awards at next Monday's afternoon assembly to be held on Monday 2 December @ 2pm in the hall.
Lucas B Yr4 - 3rd
Tara H Yr5 - 4th
Jacob K Yr1 - 1st
Riley H Yr4 - 4th
Elle A Kinder - 1st
Harper B Yr3 - 4th
Kiara M Yr5 - 4th
Sia R Yr3 - 4th
Finn D Yr5 - 5th
Daniel N Yr2 - 3rd
Alana QH Kinder - 1st
Layken L Kinder - 1st
The final assembly for 2019 will be held on the Monday 9 December (Week 9). Principal's Awards will also be presented at this assembly along with the end of term Awards. All parents are very welcome to attend.
Acknowledgment to Country
St Joseph's Bulli acknowledges and pays respect to the Dharawal people past and present, the traditional custodians of the land on which our school is built.
