Principal's Report
Infant Jesus Day
Dear Parents,
Today is a day that we come together to celebrate as a community as we honour our heritage and the traditions of our school. It is a special time to recognise our past and all the people who in different ways have contributed to the vibrant community that we have today.
We reflect on our identity and heritage and recognise our Dominican beginnings merging with the Carmelite Vision to create our community which is founded on Faith, Love, Hope and Truth. I have included some information for you below that you may wish to discuss with your children.
School History
Infant Jesus School was established in 1954 by the Dominican Sisters to support the Catholic families in the Parish and to provide a quality Catholic Education for the community. The first School was opened on a site in Walter Road and was called St Paul’s. The school opened with an enrolment of 22 children. The two teachers in charge of the school were Sr Joseph and Sr Dominic.
In 1956 the Carmelite Fathers took over the parish. By the end of 1960 the school in Walter Road had become too small and was unsuitable as children were now enrolled in the school from Year 1 to Year 7. Late in 1960 a four-acre block was purchased at the corner of Smith and Russell Streets and a new building was built at a cost of 14 500 pounds. The new school had four classrooms and was built in plain white bricks.
The Dominicans – Truth
Dominic Guzman founded the Dominican Order in Prouilhe and Toulouse in Southern France between 1206 and 1216. Now referred to as 'The Dominican Family', the order comprises Friars, Sisters, Nuns, Dominican Lay men and women, the Dominican Youth Movement, Dominican Volunteer Movement and countless other groups who lay claim to the charism of preaching the gospel. The Dominican Mission, which we proudly inherit, is to study, explore and discover better, ever more effective and newer ways to disseminate the Gospel message of Truth.
The logo of the school up until the late 80’s was that of the Dominican order because of their close involvement in the teaching staff of the school. Black reminds us that self-discipline and penance are a necessary part of Christian life. White is the symbol of innocence inspiring us not to sin. Veritas sums up the whole idea of the motto – Truth.
The Carmelites – Faith – Carmelite Gathering Place
The rule of life given to the Carmelites by St. Albert Avogadro between the years 1206 - 1214, was finally approved as the true and proper Rule of Carmel by Innocenzo in 1247 and later underwent mitigations which were not in the original text. The Carmelite Rule states that it is basic for a Carmelite to "live a life of allegiance to Jesus Christ. To live a life of allegiance to Jesus Christ, the Carmelites bind themselves especially to:
- develop the contemplative dimension of their life, in an open dialogue with God
- pray together or alone several times a day
- do manual work, as Paul the Apostle did
- live as brothers in poverty, placing in common what little they may have
- love the Church and all people – Celebrate the Eucharist every day
- conform their will to that of God, seeking the will of God in faith, in dialogue and through their actions.
The core value of love underpins all the Dominican and Carmelite values. At Infant Jesus we recognise the importance of Jesus’ greatest commandment to ‘love one another.’
We recognise the Carmelite and Dominican sisters and religious who established and developed our school. We also acknowledge the many staff members, children, families and friends who have contributed in so many ways. We pray that their time as part of our Infant Jesus family has helped them to grow into God centred and Jesus focused people who make a difference to our world. Above all this, we continue to put our faith and trust in Jesus as the cornerstone of the community we strive to build.
The logo has the theme of the cross as the centre of the universe. The cross is in a central position beneath the stars of the Southern Cross. The circles behind the cross represent the sun, the earth and the moon. The cross stands on a semi-circular mountain which is Mount Carmel.
In the Carmelite tradition, coming from the inspiration of St. John of the Cross, the goal of life is seen as the ascent of Mount Carmel which is the place of union with Christ in faith, in hope and in love.
Today we are very fortunate to have a school facilities that are quite remarkable. Our students and staff are very fortunate and blessed to be educated and work in a school like Infant Jesus. We give thanks on Infant Jesus Day to all those who have gone before us and contributed in some way to make Infant Jesus School what it is today.
Happy Infant Jesus Day!
Performing Arts Festival
Infant Jesus School Students continue to showcase their outstanding gifts and talents at the 2017 Catholic Performing Arts Festival with our students demonstrating excellence in both vocal and instrumental sections.
Congratulations to our Infant Jesus School Concert Band on an outstanding performance in the Concert Band section on Tuesday evening. The Band performed three pieces, ‘Fires of Mazama', ‘Poeme' and ‘Ghosts of the Lost Ship’.The level of musical expertise demonstrated by the band was excellent and their hard work certainly paid off. Many thanks to Mrs Natalie Le Goueff for her dedication and hard work with this group.
Congratulations is also in order for our School Choir and Year Four Choir who both performed on Tuesday at the Primary Choral performance. The School Choir sang ‘Shelter’ and ‘I am Australian’ and the Year Four Choir gave a wonderful performance of ‘Can You Keep a Secret?’ and ‘School Song’. Thank you to Mrs Nicole Boddy, Miss Stephanie Duffy and Miss Rebecca O’Connor for all their hard work and assistance in working with the choirs.
We also acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of the following students who received an ‘Excellence Award’ in the Instrumental Solo and Duet categories.
Annabelle Di Ciano - Instrumental Solo (Primary Woodwind)
Catie Hooper - Instrumental Solo (Primary Woodwind)
Elaria Pillera & Krystelle Marion - Instrumental Duet (Primary Woodwind)
Emma Pham - Instrumental Solo (Primary Brass)
Lilly Jackson & Grace Modica - Instrumental Duet(Primary Woodwind)
Annabelle Di Ciano & Victoria Mok - Instrumental Duet (Primary Woodwind)
Grace Modica - Instrumental Solo (Primary Woodwind)
The following students are also congratulated on receiving a ‘Merit Award’ in the Instrumental Solo and Duet categories.
Victoria Mok - Instrumental Solo (Primary Woodwind)
Lilly Jackson - Instrumental Solo (Primary Woodwind)
Jonas Sim & Alex Bao - Instrumental Duet (Primary Brass)
Justin Soh & Aurelia Leach - Instrumental Duet(Primary Woodwind)
Well done to all our talented musicians and singers!
Family Mass
Many thanks to all the families who made a special effort to support and celebrate with the community our second Family Mass for the year. We really appreciate the families who were able to assist in some way and the students from the School Choir who lead the singing on the evening.
Once again the staff of Infant Jesus were exemplary in their support for the school and parish. Their witness to their faith is a strength of our school and also to this community.
Thank to Mrs Maryanne Limerick who shared her 'faith journey' with the congregation on Saturday night.
Thank you also to Mrs Jenny Allpike and Mrs Nicola Tutt for reading at the Mass.
Silver Jubilee ~ Infant Jesus Church
This week is a special celebration for the the Infant Jesus Parish Community as we celebrate 25years since the establishment of the new Church. Just think how many Baptisms, First Holy Communions, Confirmations and Weddings have taken place in our church over the last 25 years. Perhaps some of our Mums and Dads were married in our church or received their Sacraments in the new church.
The Program for the Silver Jubilee of Infant Jesus Church continues this week. On Sunday morning, at the 9:30am mass, Archbishop Timothy Costello will be celebrating this liturgy. This Dedication Mass, followed at 10:45am, with a performance by the Infant Jesus School Band & Choir.
At the completion of this event, commencing at 11:30am, all children will receive a cupcake and will be able to participate in various fun and games in the Parish Centre. We hope to see many parents and children from Infant Jesus School in attendance at the Silver Jubilee Celebration on Sunday morning.
DEDICATION MASSES
6.30pm: Dedication Mass with Emeritus Archbishop Hickey. Followed by an International dinner—please bring a plate.
7.30am: Dedication Mass with the Carmelita Friars
Followed by breakfast in the atrium.
9.30am: Dedication Mass with Archbishop Timothy Costelloe. Followed by a performance by the Infant Jesus band and
the lunch in the parish centre.
6.00pm: Dedication Mass with Bishop Don Sproxton followed by soup and roast beef rolls around the campfire.
Prayer for the Week
Infant Jesus School Prayer
We are the family
of Infant Jesus School,
united together through the gifts
of Faith, Hope, Truth and Love.
We pray to Jesus,
to help us love one another
as we love Him.
We ask Him to support us
to create a loving, caring
and respectful bond
within our Infant Jesus Family.
Give us the strength and courage
to live a good life,
to appreciate each other
for who we are
and to treat each other
as special members of
God’s Family.
Amen
From my Readings
Secrets of Managing Boys’ Behaviour
Boys are behaviourally more challenging for parents than girls. Their physical nature, their boisterousness and their propensity to push boundaries can be challenging, particularly if parents are used to managing girls.
There are some basic rules to follow when managing boys. If you follow these then I believe you’ll successfully raise a boy who is eager to cooperate with you, will adapt to most of the social situations he encounters and, importantly, will treat others with dignity and respect. In a nutshell, a well-behaved boy!
1. Boys like rules, limits and expectations
Boys like to know who’s in charge and what the rules are. They also like to know that someone will enforce those rules. They are hierarchical by nature too, so don’t be too wishy-washy about who’s in charge. You don’t have to use the same authoritarian methods as your parents may have used, but don’t be afraid to take a firm lead with your sons.
2. Boys learn from consequences (natural and logical)
Boys are more likely to be heuristic learners than girls. That is, they are more likely to learn from experience. Parents then need to allow boys to experience the consequences of their poor choices so they learn not to behave in those ways.
Protecting boys from their poor choices doesn’t develop responsibility or independence. Telling them they need to improve their behaviour doesn’t work either. Let them experience the negative consequences of poor behaviour and they will be more likely to change their ways. It just takes a few negative experiences before they learn.
Boys will cop most of your discipline as long as it’s fair and reasonable. However, fairness is not only about being even-handed with your discipline. Particularly when implementing consequences, fairness is about being just, about not going too far with your consequences and about respecting their dignity: the three Rs of discipline:
Related: the consequence is related to what they have done. (Late home so don’t go out next time.)
Reasonable: you don’t go too far with a consequence. (“You’re grounded for a day” rather than “You’re grounded for a month.”)
Respectful: boys maintain their dignity throughout the discipline process. (Consequence given in a friendly, calm way.)
3. Boys love consistency
Boys love consistency in their parents – it makes them feel that they are in control. On the other hand, parents who exhibit extreme emotional highs and lows can make life difficult for boys as all the boys’ energy is consumed dealing with fear or the uncertainty of life. In a behavioural sense, boys also like to know that their parents mean what they say and say what they mean. Again, they like to be able to predict their parents’ reactions, which gives them a feeling of control. Follow through with consequences rather than just threaten or shout. They’ll respect you for it and know that you love them.
4. Manage visually
Use boys’ heightened visual awareness to advantage by using lists, checklists and rosters to do the managing. In particular, most boys and all kids on the autism spectrum like the constancy and consistency of visual messages and reminders that support and reinforce verbal communication.
5. Teach them how to cool off
Methods such as time out, cuddling and comforting are useful to help young children learn to cool down. As boys move into school age and beyond, help them understand the triggers that can lead to anger, then discuss various methods to help them regain some calm. Deep breathing, getting some exercise or thinking about something different are simple ways of relaxing. Work out some ways with your son that will help him stay cool and in control when he needs to.
6. Get them to reflect on what they’ve done
If a boy misbehaves, never ask him “Why?” He usually won’t be able to tell you. Instead, get him to revisit the moment of poor behaviour and try to get a window into his thinking or motivation at the time. “What were you thinking about when you did...?” “What was going on to make you want to do that?” “What will you do differently next time?” This type of question helps ensure that boys learn from their experiences so they behave differently the next time they are in a similar situation.
7. Encourage boys to repair and restore relationship breakdowns
Many boys naturally move on after conflict. This is often perceived as a strength or a positive compared to girls who can make conflict linger far longer than necessary. However, boys can often neglect repairing relationships as a result, which can lead them to be perceived as callous or uncaring. Following conflict with a sibling or a friend, encourage boys to make amends with the aggrieved person, either with an apology or an act of kindness.
Alternatively, consider sitting down with both ‘sides’ to discuss what happened, what they might do differently next time and, in some cases, so that your boy can listen to how the aggrieved person felt about what happened. Some boys need assistance to develop the empathy to see how their remarks or behaviour can adversely impact others.
Did You Know
- August has the highest percentage of births
- Unless food is mixed with saliva you can't taste it
- The average person falls asleep in 7 minutes
- Lemons contain more sugar than strawberries
Infant Jesus Family
Congratulations to the Di Tella Family on the safe arrival of a new baby boy, Hendrix. Little brother to Arielle in PPB.
Father's Day Breakfast
Sunday September 3, is Father’s Day – A very significant day as we all know!!!! To recognise the occasion, we would like to hold a ‘Sausage Sizzle Breakfast’ for all of our dads in the school. This will commence at 7.30am on Thursday 31 August.
Following the breakfast there will be a Father's Day Mass in the Infant Jesus Church commencing at 9.00am, that all fathers and grandfathers are welcome to attend.
We encourage all dads to join us on this morning for a bite to eat and a cuppa before heading to work.
Those wishing to attend are asked to fill out the Form in the link below: http://bit.ly/2uFf4Gy
Thought for the Week
We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.
Aristotle
God Bless,
Paul Hille
Principal
#ExpectGreatThings
