Primary School News

From the Primary School

I hope you and your children had a break from routine and a restful holiday. We were blest with great weather so I hope the children followed the golden rules of holidays (say your prayers, eat your vegetables, be good to mum and dad and play outside as much as possible!) particularly the last one.

Trinity term requires the boys to wear their full winter uniform which includes wearing of the blazer to and from school and at assemblies and masses. Please encourage them to wear their uniform with pride and we will encourage them not to go out and play wearing their blazers.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the ELC excursion to Muratti’s Café. The children walked to and from there and were perfect in their behaviour, manners and resilience (a huge testament to their parents and teachers). We were taken on a tour of the Muratti Baking facility and saw how their delicious cakes and biscuits were made. Michael Parris (who has Cristina in our ELC) and James Parris (both old scholars) and their staff welcomed us gleefully. Their generosity in supplying all our children with a cake and a biscuit to take back and coffees for the staff was much appreciated and not expected. I think this will become an annual excursion!

On the way home we stopped in to Schinellas, who are also a generous Blackfriars family. A little surprise is in store for the ELC mums for their special day on Sunday.

Hugh Caton (Year 5/6 V) recently competed in the Australian Maths Trust Competition for Algorithmic Thinking. Our Mathematics Enrichment teacher, Mrs Valerie Frost, who has been a Mathematics Co-ordinator over many years reliably informs us that Hugh received a perfect score; something that she has not encountered before. So Hugh, that is an amazing achievement and worthy of our great praise for your efforts.

Sunday 13 May is Mothers’ Day, a very special time for very special people. I hope you are able to spoil your mothers and grandmothers on this day and always. An interesting fact about flowers and Mothers’ Day. Carnations quickly became the symbol of Mothers’ Day (supposedly representing the tears of Mary when Jesus was crucified) in 1914 and soon the floral industry promoted the idea of wearing a red carnation to honor a person's living mom or a white carnation to honor a mother who had passed.

Our Mothers' Day stall on Thursday was a huge success, and we thank the staff and parent helpers who gave their time so the boys could purchase gifts for their mums. Our Rec K and Rec/1S classes have also been drawing with Mrs Kenny and reflecting on what makes their mums special. See photos of both of these below).

To all our mothers and grandmothers a big thank you and have a lovely Mothers’ Day.

Mr Frank Ali

HEAD OF PRIMARY