Principal's Report
Bravery
Dear Families,
Last night I was fortunate enough to witness performances from our students at the Soiree. Students performed with an array of instruments (including voice) from Years 1-6. Some were performing for the first time and displayed obvious signs of nervousness. Approximately 200 hundred people filled the hall so I can understand the apprehension prior to performing. The students and teachers had prepared thoroughly and the night was a resounding success but... it was the bravery of the students that particularly impressed me. Being nervous is okay as long as it doesn't stop you from completing the task. Each of the students felt a mixture of relief, satisfaction and affirmation. The rewards from doing a difficult task is often the most rewarding. The opposite of course is true; not doing something we find difficult causes anxiety, which can increase over time. Having the bravery to take risks is a skill that we should modelling and teaching to children. I was listening to a former AFL footballer, Glenn Archer, describe how he was physically sick before playing each game. Glenn played in two premierships for the Kangaroos and was voted 'Shinboner of the Century'. He showed bravery to overcome these nerves for 311 games.
At the park on the weekend there was a boy was frozen on a climbing frame. His father was encouraging him by saying “you can do it, you’re a brave boy.” The boy snapped back, “I’m not brave, I’m scared.”
It’s not surprising that kids conclude that bravery is the opposite of fear, but in actual fact, bravery is about feeling scared and doing it anyway. If children wait for a time when they don’t feel scared before they act brave, they will never act.
Life is full of these opportunities. It’s about helping our kids to be brave.
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famously said: “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.”
Fees Due
A reminder if you are paying your account in three instalments, the second payment was due today, June 13.
If you have not made a payment in 2019, your account is overdue. Being a Catholic school we do not get fully funded and rely upon the payment of fees for the running of student programs. We encourage all families to communicate early with the school if you are experiencing difficulty. Please note that late payments, without communication will incur a fee and refer to our policy on the website for more information.
Sustainability Market
A reminder that the Sustainability Market is on next Thursday 20th June from 3:25-4:30pm. This is a wonderful opportunity to engage in your child's learning and see what sustainable products you can buy. The whole school focus for Term Two has been on sustainability. Products are in their final stages of production and there is a great 'buzz' around the school about how we can become more sustainable. Money raised from the Market will contribute to the ever-growing gardens around Galilee. We hope to see many families there!
Music Soirees
On Wednesday night, instrumental music students showcased what they've been learning so far this year. All the students performed with great confidence and enthusiasm and they were a joy to watch. Thank you to Cailah (Voice), Leonard (Keyboard), Trent (Guitar), Katie (Violin) and Richard (Drums) for teaching and preparing the students throughout the year. A big thank you to Carmen for coordinating the event and organising Mammavan food truck. Katie (violin) will be leaving us at the end of this term as she has been offered an extra day at another school she teaches at. We thank Katie for her dedication to our students and wish her all the very best. We are currently interviewing teachers to choose a replacement for Katie.
Student Led conferences
On Monday 24 and Wednesday 26 June, Student Led Conferences will be held. Parent/s and student attend the conference on one afternoon. An email has been sent to one parent email address (use this email to log into the PTO site) with instructions on how to book your conference time and date. The conferences are for 15 minutes (5 minutes for Reports and 10 minutes for Student Led Conversations).
Students will finish school at 1.30pm on Monday 24th June.
Italian Camp - Expression of Interest
We are very excited to announce an opportunity to be part of the first Cultural and Language immersion camp to Italy in 2020 for Years 5 & 6.
This is an optional camp and to be fully funded by parents, separate from school fees. Other school camps will be conducted as scheduled.
We have engaged Viva Italian Tours, a highly reputable company, that is family owned, with qualified primary teaching experience.
The trip is for approximately 15 days and will take place on the last week of Term One and the first week of the holidays (end of March and the first week of April, 2020).
Some of the proposed places include: Rome, Florence, Pisa, Venice, San Marino and Pesaro and will include immersion in the Italian language at the International School and a local primary school, where we hope to establish a relationship.
The cost is approximately $6000 in total and includes fare, accommodation, breakfast and dinner (not spending money).
A Caremonkey note will be sent home this week to students in Years 4/5 (Years 5/6 in 2020) to gather expressions of interest to see if there are a sufficient number of students interested in attending.
Achievements And Stories Of The Students
Zoe M in Year 5 competed in Battistello Karate Tournament. What you had to do was a karate cutter and some karate kicks and punches. They were given scores on how well you kicked so if you had a really good score then you would move up to your next belt. When Zoe competed, she was a white belt but now she is a red belt. It was her first time being graded and she did really well however found it tricky. She scored around 85% out of 100 % so she did a great job and is very happy with her results.
Declan in Prep S has been trying to add new adjectives into his writing in Prep S’s writing lesson. Declan was trying to spell 'marvellous'. He was using this word to describe a lion’s mane. Declan was using adjectives to make his writing better and said that marvellous was one of the hardest words he has ever used. Miss Smith was very proud of Declan's effort. Emelio in Prep B has been learning about animals in STEM and likes talking about animals and facts about them. Just some of the facts he knows is that mammals have warm blood and reptiles have scales. His favourite animals are zebra because of their stripes and crocodiles because they eat everything. He has been writing facts about these groups that are definitely Year 1 work. Miss Bamford was very impressed.
By Ali & Alex (School Captains)
Teeth on Wheels
We are pleased to announce that Teeth on Wheels will be visiting our school on 5th and 13th August. Information will be sent home with your child this week and an educational presentation is scheduled during Assembly next week. Please read the information carefully as it outlines the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) if your child is eligible to receive it and Private Health Rebates if you have Private Health Insurance.
If you would like your child to be seen by one of the Teeth on Wheels dentists, complete the form that was sent home and return it to the Office by 26 June.
More information can be found at:
Website: www.teethonwheels.com.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeethOnWheelsAustralia
Jump Rope for Heart
Holly Burke - P-2 Sport Leader
In Term Three, Galilee students will be involved with Jump Rope for Heart. It was established by The Heart Foundation in 1983 and is a skipping and fundraising program run in schools throughout the year. It encourages kids to have a positive attitude towards exercise, healthy eating and heart health while raising vital funds to fight heart disease. The Heart Foundation works to prevent suffering, disability and death from heart disease – a disease affecting two out of three Australian families.
The programme will run in weeks 7, 8, 9 and 10 of Term Three, with a jump-off day being held on the last day of term.
Students will individually fundraise over the course of the programme through an individual portal set up on Everydayhero. This year we have set a school goal to raise $3300. That is a goal of approximately $10.00 per student. More information will be provided about this at the beginning of Term Three. You can create an account through the link listed below.
https://www.jumprope.org.au/parents
All fundraising helps the Heart Foundation fund world class research and support programs for people affected by heart disease. You can find out more about this here.
Once you have set up a fundraising page, you will be able to start logging your skips online. Again, more information about this will follow.
There will be lots of prizes available for students fundraising and skipping efforts. Happy skipping!
Simon Millar
(Principal of Galilee)