St Brigid's News & Events

Literacy News

Learning to read - What we need to know

Reading begins at a very early age when children start to take notice of the print that surrounds them and the talk that includes them. Children begin to engage with reading and writing experiences that attract their attention and interest before they go to school. Children notice street signs and most can recognise a large yellow ‘M’ sign from a kilometre up the road because it benefits them! They pay attention to books they like and often insist on many re-readings of their favourites. They learn quickly to find apps on mobile phones and electronic devices because it benefits them to do so.

Talk is a key to literacy learning. Children need opportunities to interact. Recent research indicates that children are becoming more adept at communicating in the language of commands and demands rather than being competent in extended conversations. I suspect electronic devices may be inhibiting the time parents spend talking with their children. Children need to be included in interactions with significant others and to ensure that happens, electronic devices need to be turned off. Parents need to talk with their children! It is in the context of engaged conversations that children expand their vocabularies, increase their understanding of the world, learn about themselves, and learn the nuances of the language and effective communication.

Keep introducing children to different kinds of books — humorous books, books with beautiful illustrations, rhyming books, pop-up books, electronic books, graphic novels, and factual texts. With your children, visit places such as the local library, markets and bookstores to find books that are interesting and fun to share. The number of books, the care of books, and the storage of books are all messages regarding how books and reading are valued in this household. What message are you marketing?

Take from ‘Parents’ guide to helping children with reading and writing at home’ - Kaye Lowe

RE News

Eucharist

Please remember in your prayers our Year 5 students and 2 Year 6 students who are celebrating their First Eucharist this weekend.

Lent

As we move into the fifth week of Lent we learn about Halima . Halima is raising her two children in a refugee camp in Bangladesh, while caring for her mother who has a disability. Widowed at 21, Halima fled violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, arriving at the camp with nothing.

Caritas Australia, through Caritas Bangladesh, helped Halima with shelter, cooking equipment, hygiene and sanitation training. She took on the role of community trainer herself, organising the cleaning of washrooms, wells and toilets. 

Halima aspired to “Be More” and is proud that she is able to earn a small income, while maintaining the health of her family and the cleanliness of the camp community.

In the Cox’s Bazar district, women and children make up 78% of the total refugee population where 52% of children are aged 0-17.

Mrs Marziano

Sport Report

Cross Country 

Cross Country was a huge success! All students did a wonderful job! Thank you to all the parents who came along and helped and to the spectators who cheered our students along. It was a great atmosphere at both the junior and senior cross country. 

Congratulations to Red the winning house with 328 points! 

Also congratulations to all the students who have made the St Brigid’s Cross Country Team. 

Division Swimming Carnival

On another note well done to Celine Incani who represented St Brigid’s at the Division Swimming Carnival in both Freestyle and Backstroke. Celine came first in freestyle and will go on to compete in freestyle in the next stage in a few weeks time! 

Miss Richards

Sustainability

Clean Up Australia Day

On Thursday the 6th of March the  Year 6 Sustainability Leaders and Wellbeing Representatives represented  St Brigid's as part of Clean Up Australia Day. All students were  provided gloves and tongs and walked with Mrs Sullivan and Mrs Wendt to the George Woods Reserve to collect rubbish. A priority of this activity was to prevent rubbish from entering the Mordialloc creek and surrounding wetlands.  The rubbish collected was categorised, tallied and carefully recorded for further exploration. The aim of the activity was to provide the opportunity for students to actively participate and to see themselves as having the capacity to act in ways that will help to establish more sustainable ways of living. Judging by the committed manner all participants undertook this activity our goal was clearly achieved just in time for our Cross Country Event. 

Mrs Sullivan's Heathliest Lunch Box

Easter Eggstravaganza

Keep those beautiful Easter Eggstravaganza's coming.  Here are some of the wonderful creations we have received so far!

Miss Kimball