Principal's Report

The Difference That Dad Makes 

Dear Parents,

We all have a father, and almost any man can biologically father a child, but the irreplaceable and unique role of fathers is often little acknowledged. Fathers today are more likely to be closely involved and emotionally connected with their growing children than their grandfathers were. This is good news for children for many reasons.

Dads Help Their Children Thrive

Children do better academically, emotionally, and socially when their father has greater involvement in their lives. They tend to take more risks, while also developing greater self-discipline. Involved fathers are also more likely to have a stronger influence on their children’s moral development and religious belief and practice. The kind of involvement is important too. The most effective forms involve:

• Listening, encouraging, and conveying warmth

• Providing everyday assistance

• Providing reasonable and consistent behavior correction, and

• Facilitating children’s increased independence over time

Dads do it Differently

Father’s play styles and type of nurturing provides unique benefits:

• Through roughhousing type of play children are prompted to develop their gross motor skills
• Encouragement of risk-taking in play develops confidence
• They tend to use more questions in play, which encourages children’s interaction and develops vocabulary
• They inculcate a strong physical sense of protection. Children who spend lots of time with their fathers tend to be less vulnerable and are protected
• Fathers tend to provide firmer discipline, whereas mothers tend to negotiate more. Both are important, with the firmer correction prompting children to achieve goals

Prayer for the Week

On our baptism day, we become the beloved son or daughter of our Creator and Heavenly Father. Jesus showed us what our relationship with God the Father can be like, he called his Father ‘Abba’, an affectionate Aramaic name, much like Daddy or Papa.

Do you feel this close to your Father in Heaven?

Try praying to our Father with an affectionate name that comes most naturally to you. It might feel a bit strange at first, but with practice you will feel more comfortable talking to God as a Father who loves you.

A Prayer for Fathers

Heavenly Father,

we praise you for the gift of our fathers

and those who have been father-figures

to us.

We thank you for the life and love they

have brought to our world.

May they be strengthened in virtue and

faith so that they might give glory to you through

their lives of service.

Amen.

What Makes a Dad?

God took the strength of a mountain, 

The majesty of a tree,

The warmth of a summer sun,

The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of nature,

The comforting arm of night,

The wisdom of the ages,

The power of the eagle’s flight,

The joy of a morning in spring,

The faith of a mustard seed,

The patience of eternity,

The depth of a family need,

Then God combined these qualities, 

And then there was nothing more to add,

He knew His masterpiece was complete, 

And so, He called it—

Dad.

Amen

Father's Day Breakfast

Many thanks to all the staff who assisted with the preparation, setting up, cooking and serving the Father's Day Breakfast this morning. It was tremendous to see this level of support by the staff at this school. Some of the staff even came in on their day off. 

It was fantastic to see so many DADS in attendance this morning! We hope all dads enjoyed the opportunity to share a special time with their child/ren as well as catch up with a few of the other dads within the school.  Thank You also to our Year 3 students and the School Choir for leading the Liturgy in the hall.

iLearn@Infant Jesus School

Next Wednesday, September 6 we have invited, the Executive Director of Catholic Education WA and his Directors, a number of Catholic school Principals and members of their school leadership teams, educational consultants and teachers to our school to share in how Infant Jesus School is trying to challenge and reshape the teaching and learning program through an innovative approach to pedagogy and technology.

Principals and lead educators will hear teacher’s stories, visit flexible classrooms, and listen to children sharing their learning experiences in a variety of hands on workshops on exciting topics such as:

•       Leadership in A LEADing Learning School

•       Technology in the Early Years

•       Collaborative teaching

•       Discover how students and staff create content for a global audience

•       STEAM and robotics

•       Project Based Learning

We are really looking forward to this opportunity to share the work we are doing and at the same time learn from other leaders and teachers how we can continue to drive school improvement.

Thought for Father's Day

I saw a wonderful sign outside a florist the other day which stated, “ Only six months to go to Valentine’s Day; get your orders in now!” 

Surely, a tongue in the cheek job! However, Father’s Day is the big push at the moment, only a few days to go before dads will receive that gift that will no doubt make their day!  

All that aside, the following article offers all married men a wonderful piece of advice – perhaps a Father’s Day resolution.

For Men Only

The Key to Health, Wealth and Longevity

Dr Joyce Brothers

“How would you like to be healthier, live longer and earn more? Without having to go on a diet, do exercise, or work harder or longer? Sounds like a never-never idea, doesn’t it? Well, there’s a very simple prescription that will help you achieve these goals.

It was worked out by a group of German psychologists, physicians and insurance companies who cooperated on a research project designed to find out the secret of long life and success. They found, according to Dr Arthur Szabo of West Germany, that the key to longer, happier, wealthier lives for men lies in one single act. All you have to do is: 

KISS YOUR WIFE EACH MORNING WHEN YOU LEAVE FOR WORK!

(You don’t have to feel like kissing her; just do it! That’s the secret of success.”)

The meticulous German researchers discovered that men who kiss their wives every morning, have fewer automobile accidents on their way to work than men who omit the morning kiss.

The “good-morning-kissers” miss less work because of sickness than the non-kissers. And they earn from 20 to 30 percent more money and live some five years longer than men who are stingy with their kisses.

Dr Szabo explains, “A husband who kisses his wife every morning begins the day with a positive attitude.”

Is there any hope for those gentlemen who neglect to deliver that morning kiss? They have a lot going against them, insists Dr Szabo. These unaffectionate fellows start the day with negative feelings and doubts about their own worth. You see, a kiss is a kind of seal of approval.

If you have been rushing out of the house in the morning without kissing your wife, consider changing your ways.

It might make a change in your wife, too. Why not try it!

Performing Arts Festival

Congratulations to the School Band and Choir on their recent performances at the Catholic Performing Arts Festival.

The band were awarded an Outstanding Award for their performance in the Concert Band section of the festival. This prestigious award is only awarded to two bands in each section so all involved should be very proud of their achievement! Special congratulations and thanks are especially given to band director, Natalie Le Goueff who put in many long hours helping our children succeed. 

Additional congratulations are in order for the Infant Jesus School Choir who were awarded another award. The choir were awarded a Merit Award for their performance of “Shelter” and “I Still Call Australia Home”.   Well done to all of our talented musicians!! 

On Thursday the 14 September the band will perform at Carnevale in Forrest Chase. Carnevale is a street concert in celebration of the role The Arts have in Catholic Education. All parents are welcome to attend this public event. 

The Birthday of Mary

September 8 is celebrated as the birthday of Mary, the Mother of Jesus . We do not usually celebrate the birthdays of saints, instead we celebrate the day they died because that is the day they are born into the joys of heaven. But the birthday of Mary, our Mother, is an exception. We celebrate her birthday because she was a very special person who was chosen to be the Mother of Jesus.

Our Blessed Mother has many titles, but the greatest title of all is Mother of God. Mary is mother to all saints and the Mother of the Church. We honour Mary for giving us Jesus and ask our Mother to help us to be her faithful children and followers of her Son. We honour Mary best, by imitating her virtues: her openness to God, her faithfulness, her humility and her concern for all.

From my Readings  . . . 

As a father and father-in-law to three young dads, it’s great to see each of them embracing the life-changing nature of fatherhood and becoming fully involved in their children’s lives.

I see myself in these young fathers, and in doing so I’d like to guide them away from making the same fathering mistakes I did. However, knowing that young dads are loathe to take fathering advice from a member of the previous generation, I’ll give the following advice to my younger self instead:

1. Play to your strengths

Men generally parent differently to women, based on their biology. Fathers often parent in a more active or action-oriented way than mothers so games, play and physical activity become important parts of a man’s parenting repertoire. Your partner may not always appreciate your more active approach, particularly if you play with kids just before bedtime then leave it to her to calm them down.

Practical advice: Be yourself, but be smart about it!

2. Lighten up – don’t take yourself too seriously

It’s easy to get caught up in your own importance, taking yourself and your work too seriously. For many men a bad day at work translates into poor or, at best, distracted experiences when they’re with their families. Consider putting a strategy in place, such as exercise, that will help you leave work and the moods it engenders behind.

Practical advice: Be present in mind as well as in body when you’re with your kids.

3. Have something in common with each child

It would be wonderful to say that you can always connect with your kids, but family life is not that straightforward. There’ll always be a child who we struggle to connect with or a developmental stage during which a child seems alien to us. In these cases and times it helps if you share a common interest (such as a love of sport or music) with a child so that you always have something that will bring you together, even though you may not always see eye to eye.

Practical advice: Be prepared to take an interest in your child’s interests.

4. Take it easy on your son

Many dads are tough on their boys and have expectations way above their son’s interest and ability levels. It helps to remember that it takes a little longer for a boy to mature. Resist the temptation to turn every game and every joint activity into a lesson and avoid giving advice when all your son wants is some understanding.

Practical advice: See the boy as he is now, not the future man, when you spend time with him.

5. Enjoy the outdoors with your daughter

The biological nature of fathering causes most men to be very protective of their daughters. But that doesn’t mean you should put your daughter on a pedestal and treat her like a little princess. Expect a lot from her. Play with her, and get her outside into nature as it will do wonders for her confidence levels.

Practical advice: Enjoy spending time with your daughters on a daily basis.

6. Be ready for kids to knock you off your pedestal

Most children in the pre-school and middle- to late-primary school years look up to their dads. “My dad is better/bigger than your dad” is a type of mantra that’s familiar to many parents. Make the most of it as this Superman Syndrome doesn’t last. Young children soon become adolescents and will go to great lengths to prove that you’re Clarke Kent after all. Expect that they will stop laughing at your jokes, raise an eyebrow at your well-intentioned advice and even stop being friendly to you in public. Ouch! It can be hurtful to a man who just wants to be the best dad he can be.

Practical advice: See number 2 above: don’t take yourself too seriously.

7. Give your kids a compass and a map

One day your children will become independent of you. Don’t worry! You won’t be irrelevant, just redundant in a practical and managerial sense. There are two things you can do to help your kids safely navigate the world when you’re not around. First, help them develop a set of positive values including integrity, honesty and respect that will act as their moral compass when they have difficult decisions to make. Second, reveal your personal story over time as this narrative will become a personal map that will reassure them when life gets tough. It’s good to know that they are not in uncharted territory when they finally strike out on their own.

Practical advice: Tell kids your story – don’t make them guess it or learn it from someone else.

Father’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the contribution that men make to the lives of their children. It’s a very personal reflection as each man’s experience of fathering is as unique as the children they are raising. I invite you to reflect on your own fathering as well as the contribution that fathers – whether your own dad or someone else’s – have made to your own life. 

(by Michael Grose)

NAPLAN

If you are the parent of a student in Years 3, 5, you will be receiving an individual report of your child’s results for the tests they sat in May. These tests in key areas of literacy and numeracy provide parents and educators with a snapshot of how students are progressing — individually, as part of their school community and as a nation.

NAPLAN results enable parents and teachers to see how students are progressing, not just within their class, but also against national standards that have been agreed upon by all state and territory governments.

How does NAPLAN help my child and my school?

NAPLAN is designed to provide data on a student’s literacy and numeracy achievements. It complements school assessment and provides nationally comparable data that allow for objective discussions, for successes to be celebrated, additional support focussed where it is needed and to address areas requiring improvement.

NAPLAN allows for an understanding of a child’s literacy and numeracy ability at a school, state and national level. It helps governments to know whether programs designed to improve student literacy and numeracy are effective. It assists parents to know how their child is tracking against students in the same year level across Australia.

What impact will the results have on my child’s future?

NAPLAN results can help teachers and parents direct extra attention where it is needed to help students improve their literacy and numeracy skills. As such NAPLAN tests are ‘low stakes’ for students as there are no rewards or punishments for the result a student achieves. Testing children is not new. NAPLAN is unique because it gives a national snapshot of how students are doing in the important skills of literacy and numeracy. NAPLAN does not carry the same potential consequences as ‘high stakes’ tests, such as Year 12 exams.

Some schools may ask for NAPLAN results in addition to school reports as part of the admissions process for secondary school, or for students changing schools. NAPLAN tests are not designed to be a school admission test, however, results are sometimes used to inform new schools of student needs. If you have any concerns, ACARA encourages you to talk them over with the school.

What if the results are not what I expected?

NAPLAN tests are not pass/fail tests. Students are provided with an indication of where their results are on the common assessment scale. The student report also indicates the skills and understandings that students are expected to demonstrate at each band of the scale. The same scale is used for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 so you will be able to track your child’s progress over the years.

NAPLAN results provide a snapshot of student performance on the days of the tests. There are many reasons why students may not have performed to the best of their ability, such as illness or other distractions. Equally, some students may perform much better than expected when compared against their regular classroom assessment results.

Athletic Carnival

A reminder to all parents and student that the school Athletic Faction Carnival is only a few weeks away. Wednesday 20th September is the date set for the BIG carnival with the venue being the Noranda Sporting Complex/Athletics Track (access via Wylde Road). Please mark this date in your diary!

Canteen Closed 

Just to inform parents that next Wednesday, 6 September, there will be no canteen available for students. Please mark this date in your diaries.

Did You Know

• Chinese is the most spoken language in the world
• Antarctica is the driest, coldest, windiest and highest continent on the earth.
• The tongue is the fastest healing part of the body.
• The 1st personal computer, the Apple II, went on sale in 1977.
• If  you spell out every number starting with one, you won’t use the letter “a” until you reach one thousand.

Infant Jesus Family

Congratulations to Troy Buckley who recently played his first event with Golf WA Junior Tour 12 years and under on Sunday 27 August at Royal Fremantle Golf Club. Troy was in a three way tie for first place with a score of 52 from 9 holes. A great result Troy for your first try at this event.

Thought for the Week

“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person. He believed in me.”

Jim Valvano

God Bless,

Paul Hille

Principal

#ExpectGreatThings