St Finbar's Newsletter

Deputy Principal's Report

Dear Parents & Friends,

This week has had a number of highlights, beginning with the presentation of school leader badges at Monday's assembly.

It was very satisfying to see the genuine pride our children have in being selected for these positions. The class reps will work closely with the Year 6 leaders and a mentor teacher to plan and implement different initiatives in their areas. We are very proud of the growth in real student voice at St Finbar's and the benefits this brings for the community. Giving students greater ownership and involvement in decision making certainly helps to build a more positive and exciting learning environment.

SRC - Leaders

This week  the SRC Leaders from each class will meet with Mr Berlingeri and myself to discuss the proposal for new school winter jackets. A number of options were presented to the students to discuss the most suitable choice.

A survey will also be conducted to get the opinions of other students. The SRC reps will report back to their classes before a final decision is made.  

We hope that this will be the first of many important meetings for the SRC students throughout the year and that each of them will use this opportunity to develop their own confidence and leadership skills.

7 Habits of Emotionally Intelligent People.

Emotional intelligence involves four major skills:

•    The ability to perceive emotions.

•    The ability to reason with emotions.

•    The ability to understand emotions.

•    The ability to manage emotions.

Habit 2

'Emotionally Intelligent people understand how other people feel.

Empathy is another major element of emotional intelligence.

This involves the ability to understand the emotions of other people. In order to interact with other people in multiple life domains, such as at work or at school, you need to be able to know what they are feeling. If someone you work with  is upset or frustrated, knowing what he or she is feeling can give you a much better idea of how to respond.'

Child Safety

The following principles underpin our commitment to child safety at St Finbar's School:                  

  1. All students deserve, as a fundamental right, safety and protection from all forms of abuse and neglect.
  2. Staff at St Finbar's work in partnership with families and the community to ensure that they are engaged in decision-making processes, particularly those that have an impact on child safety and protection.
  3. All students have the right to a thorough and systematic education in all aspects of personal safety, in partnership with their parents/guardians/caregivers.
  4. All adults in our school, including teaching and non-teaching staff, clergy, volunteers, and contractors, have a responsibility to care for children and young people, to positively promote their wellbeing and to protect them from any kind of harm or abuse.
  5. The policies, guidelines and codes of conduct for the care, wellbeing and protection of students are based on honest, respectful and trusting relationships between adults and children and young people.
  6. Policies and practices demonstrate compliance with legislative requirements and cooperation with the Church, governments, the police and human services agencies.
  7. All persons involved in situations where harm is suspected or disclosed must be treated with sensitivity, dignity and respect.
  8. Staff, clergy, volunteers, contractors, parents and students should feel free to raise concerns about child safety, knowing these will be taken seriously by school leadership.

Appropriate confidentiality will be maintained, with information being provided to those who have a right or a need to be informed, either legally or pastorally.

SEL - Social Emotional Learning

This week's focus for all classes has been 'Doing Your Best' and developing self- awareness & self- management.  Please encourage your child to talk about what this means and how they can practise these skills at home. You can help your child identify their strengths as well as their challenges and that they don't have to be perfect all the time. 

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST AVAILABLE:

Ms Stacey Dellas is available for students who may be experiencing difficulty emotionally. Stacey is a highly qualified Psychologist with many years’ experience working with children and their families.  This service is completely covered by Medicare. To access this service please speak to your child’s teacher or you can email or speak to Mr Nigel Rodrigues ~ Deputy Principal who will provide you with details on how to refer your child.

nrodrigues@sfbrightoneast.catholic.edu.au