1. family and parenting

Family Matters
Holy Family Primary School
7 May 2014…………………………………….Issue 02
DATES TO REMEMBER
EDUCATING IN FAITH FOR TOMORROW’S POSSIBILITIES
Event 1
Principal’s message
2016 ENROLMENT
OPEN DAY TOURS today
9:30am-12:30pm
and 4pm-6pm
Mrs Anne-Marie Marek
Dear parents,
Event 2
ENROLMENT PERIOD
A reminder to parents that the Catholic Schools’ Enrolment Period commenced on
Monday 4 May and runs to Friday 22 May. Our Open Day is today from 9.30am to
12.30pm and then will be 4pm to 6pm. Enrolment Packs are now available from the
Front Office. If you have a younger child who is commencing school in 2016 please
submit an application form, or if you have friends at preschool and childcare who are
interested in enrolling in Holy Family, please let them know. Please ensure that the
enrolment application forms are returned to the school within the Enrolment Period.
Catholic Schools 2016
Enrolment Period
Monday 4 May – Friday 22 May 2015
Boys and Girls K -6
at Holy Family
LET’S COMPLETE THE JOURNEY TOGETHER
All welcome
Holy Family (Corpus Christi Parish)
Early Learning & Care Centre
Enrolling now for 2016 – Preschool
Please feel free to contact Nicole Doherty (ELCC Director) on 02 6292 7932
Last of three Information sessions– next Thursday 14 May at 6pm
SCHOOL PHOTOS TOMORROW– full School Winter
uniform
WELCOME
We have welcomed two new families to our community. Wesley (3B) and Ryan (3R)
and Molly (4R). We hope that the children make new friends quickly and the
families feel ‘at home’. I’m sure the parent network will be in touch shortly to further
welcome you to this wonderful school.
SCHOOL PHOTO DAY
TOMORROW
Event 3
MOTHER’S DAY BREAKFAST
Friday 8 May from 7:45am
Presentation Hall
Event 4
NAPLAN
Next week…...
Event 5
LAST PRESCHOOL
INFORMATION EVENING
Thursday 14 May, 6.30 pm
FAMILY MATTERS | Issue 02
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MOTHERS’ DAY BREAKFAST
On Friday morning, a breakfast will be held for all mums, grandmothers and families. Invitations have been
published in both the P & F newsletters and Family Matters for the past couple of weeks. The Breakfast is
being organised by the Parent Network and will begin at 7:45am in Presentation Hall. I thank Angela Ryan
for organising this mammoth event.
TESTING WEEKS
Weeks 3 and 4 (starting next Monday 11 May and Monday 18 May) are TESTING weeks at Holy Family.
During these weeks all students in Years 3 and 5 will sit the NAPLAN government tests. Children in Kinder,
Year 1, Year 2 and Years 4 and 6 will be individually tested for Reading comprehension, and Maths. All students in Year 3 will also be individually tested for Reading Comprehension and Sena Maths. In Week 4.
Teachers and Learning Support Assistants will be released from class to test their children. If your child will
be away from school during this time, could you please let your child’s teacher know ASAP.
CROSS COUNTRY CARNIVAL
Our Cross Country Carnival was held across the road at Fadden Pines last Wednesday. What a fabulous
morning. We congratulate the winning House, Brennan and also Gallagher House who won the Father John
Armstrong House Spirit Award Here are some photos…. Many thanks to David Bugden and Cain Holgate
for organizing such a great event. Thank you to the many parents who came along to support their children
or who offered their assistance–THANK YOU!
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to the Zingohume family on the birth of little Joel. Big sisters Angel (KR) and Grace (2R)
and brother Elijah are very proud.
HATS
In Canberra, we have already started to witness daily UV levels take a nose dive, to what is considered
"low" levels (under 3), during the morning and afternoon periods.
Cancer Council ACT does not generally recommend sun protection behaviour (ie hat wearing and sunscreen application) when UV levels are under 3 due to the low risk of potential UV skin damage. In Canberra UV levels drop and remain under 3, all day, around the June and July period and so the end of May is
usually Hats Off Day! It’s takes a long time to have 660 children rountined into wearing hats. If you would
like your child to not wear a hat during this time, please provide them with a beanie to wear instead– no hat
or beanie = no play at Holy Family.
SICK STUDENTS – WHOOPING COUGH
There has been a recent case of pertussis (whooping cough) of a student at Holy Family. The student was
infectious during the school holidays and has been medically cleared to return to school. Whooping cough is
highly contagious, more information on whooping cough can be obtained from the front office
If your child is ill please keep them at home for their own benefit but also so as not to spread it to other students and staff. Please make sure that your emergency contacts are up-to-date so that we can contact you
quickly if your child becomes ill or is injured at school.
FAMILY MATTERS | Issue 02
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Mothering is different to parenting.
Being a mum is emotional,
instinctive and a job for life!
There’s a massive difference between being a mum (or dad) and being a parent.
‘Parenting’ is a twentieth century term that suggests that raising kids is a gender
neutral activity. It’s a managerial, almost scientific term that has given rise to a huge
industry. In Western countries, millions of parenting books and magazines are sold each year,
parenting columns appear in most newspapers, and new television series appear every year
focused on the modern notion of parenting. The problem is that when we refer to ‘parenting’ we tend to remove the
heart and emotion from the task. We obscure the fact that it is mothers and fathers who are doing the child-rearing, rather than mere parents.
Parenting means different things to different people. For many people the term ‘parenting’ is code for behaviour management – particularly taming toddlers and their close cousins, teenagers. A broader and more thoughtful definition includes teaching kids positive values and attitudes, developing a range of skills that equips them for adulthood, and ultimately preparing kids to be parents themselves one day.
Michael Grose from ‘Parenting Ideas’ states that being related to our kids can stop us from being great parents. We all
know how our neighbour’s kids should be raised, but somehow it’s harder to raise our own. That’s because the hopes and
dreams of motherhood (and fatherhood) can somehow get in the way of rational decision-making.
Mothering is emotional and instinctive.
And that’s the thing. Being a mother is not always rational, as parenting is often made out to be. There is a great deal of
emotion attached to the role of mother. This emotion drives you to fight hard to protect your children, work assiduously
to right any wrongs on their behalf, and exhaust yourself looking after their physical and psychological well-being. Being a
mother is instinctive. In the information age we need to be careful we don’t deny the intuitive nature that mothers bring
to their child-rearing. The nature of mothering infers nurturance, protectiveness and longevity. Mothering is relational
rather than rational. You may grow out parenting by making yourself redundant but mothering is something you never
grow out of. You are a mum for life.
Kids want their mothers, not their parents
Kids of all ages say, “That’s my mum!” They don’t say, “That’s my parent!” (They may say that when they are annoyed or
embarrassed by you, but that’s another story.). Boys and girls of all ages generally love their mothers unconditionally,
whereas they merely put up with their parents, particularly during adolescence. They can live without their parents, or so
they think, but deep down they know they can’t live without the one person who has a blind spot for them, overlooking
all their faults. That person, of course, is their mother. When kids of all ages get into emotional difficulty or their life becomes too hard, they generally go looking for their mums. They only look for their ‘parent’ when they want some money,
or want someone to get them out of a jam! Raising kids is about mothering (and fathering) ... rather than parenting.
That’s why we have Mother’s Day (and Father’s Day) rather than Parent’s Day.
From Michael Grose’s “Parenting Ideas” www.parentingideas.com.au
HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY
TO ALL OUR SPECIAL MUMS AND GRANDMOTHERS AT
HOLY FAMILY
I pray for God’s blessing on you and your homes
Anne-Marie Marek
Principal
[email protected]
FAMILY MATTERS | Issue 02
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Assistant Principal News
NAPLAN 2015
I am certain that you are very much aware that next week our Year 3 and 5 students sit the NAPLAN tests in
Literacy and Numeracy. I wish to thank all our teachers for assisting these students prepare for the NAPLAN
testing by familiarising them with the format of the tests and the structure of the week. Parents are able to
assist their child/ren during the testing time, as they do every day, by ensuring that your child/ren have
plenty of sleep during the week and a hearty breakfast of ‘brainfood’ and that they arrive at school punctually before the morning bell. This will give them the best possible conditions in which to sit the tests.
Although it is an important testing period and provides both the school and parents with a snapshot of
achievement, It must be kept in mind that the NAPLAN tests are just one aspect of the school’s assessment
and reporting process, and do not replace the extensive, ongoing assessments undertaken by teachers
about each student’s performance. Along with other valuable information gathered on a regular basis
teachers are able to formulate and communicate to parents a more rounded view of the holistic development of each student.
To give you an idea of what the tests look like, sample questions and a sample writing task can be accessed
on the NAP website: www.nap.edu.au
Date
Item
Test time
Tuesday May 12
Language Conventions (covering
spelling, grammar and punctuation)
9.40am -10.40am
Tuesday May 12
Writing
12.00pm – 1.00pm
Wednesday May 13
Reading
9.40am – 10.50am
Thursday May 14
Numeracy
9.40am – 10.50am
Working with you celebrating learning and life.
Lina Vigliotta
Assistant Principal
Security Roster Thank You
Thank you to the wonderful families who kept an eye on our school over the holidays.
We had no vandalism and we do feel the extra presence around the school contributes
to this. We also thank those who have volunteered for the Term 2 Weekend Security
Roster. We had a great response and rosters are going home tomorrow. We welcome
some new families to the roster which has meant I have been able to give some of our
regular helpers only one session...thank you one and all!
FAMILY MATTERS | Issue 02
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Religious Education
A Litany for Mothers
(Women of the Bible)
Eve our first mother – thank you for stepping out and being the first to understand the complexities of
life.
Sarah, Hannah and Elizabeth – thank you for your patience and courage in waiting for a
miracle. May all people longing for children be strengthened by your stories and comforted in their pain.
Hagar – thank you for your resolve in the face of exile. May all mothers who are forced to flee or are forgotten be given hope in you.
Rebecca – thank you for your flexibility. Let us remember all mothers who have to raise their
children in a different country or far from their relatives and who feel isolated.
Rachel – you carried the burden of grief and wept for your children. Hold the hands of all those mothers
who weep for their children – children who have gone missing, who have died or are lost to them in other
ways.
Jochebed – you used wisdom and insight to protect your children. Give to all mothers this wisdom and
insight in the bringing up of their children, especially in vulnerable times.
Naomi and Ruth – you showed that love can conquer all trials. Help all mothers to love constantly when
life seems impossible and despair weighs hard upon their souls.
Mary – the new Eve whose ‘yes’ to God changed our world forever.
Thank you for sheltering the Holy One all those years ago,
for your faithful love and tender care of God’s most precious Son.
May we never forget that in your giving is our greatest receiving, the gift of life wrapped in a manger and
in a tomb.
May we know the true cost of relationship by holding our faith in Christ deep within our hearts as you
once held him deep within your womb. Amen
FAMILY MATTERS | Issue 02
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Leaving Holy Family?
If you are planning for your child to leave Holy Family at the end of this year, could you please notify the Front
Office? This includes those who have applied for Marist or St Edmund’s Colleges – please let us know as we need
to begin planning for staffing and class configurations for 2016. Naturally Year 6 need not respond to this
request.
STUDENTS LEAVING NOTIFICATION (excluding the present Year 6)
To: Mrs Anne-Marie Marek (Principal) Holy Family Primary School
Return date of Friday 19 June 2015
My child/children have an Enrolment Application pending at another school.
My child/children will not be returning to Holy Family Primary School in 2016
Child’s name: ………………………………………………………….………...………...Class: …………………….…….………
Destination school: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...…….
Parent/Carer’s Name: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………..

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Canteen News
Canteen is open this week and from now on Wednesdays, Thursday and Fridays.
an you come in and lend a hand for 10 mins, half and hour or longer? Please complete the slip below and return
to the front office or alternatively email your availability to [email protected]
We thank Patricia El-Badawi managing the Canteen during Eleni’s absence over the next few weeks.
—————————————————————————————————————
Name:________________________________ Phone number_____________________
Weekly
DAY
Wednesday
Thursday
Fortnightly
Monthly
TIME
9:00-11:00
12:30-2:00
9:00-11:30
12:30-2:00
Friday
9:00-11:30
12:30-2:00
Other………………………..
NAME
FAMILY MATTERS | Issue 02
HOLY FAMILY
PRIMARY SCHOOL
ENROLLING NOW FOR
2016
4 May-22 May 2015
Enrolment packs available at the
front office
If you have a child starting
kindergarten in 2016 you must complete an
enrolment form and submit it to the office by
Friday 22 May
OPEN DAY
Wednesday 6 May 2015
9:30-12:30 & 4-6pm
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