As parents, it is important that we help our children to define boundaries. It’s a balancing act that requires knowing when to let children take risks in safe environments, as against taking risks in situations where they would endanger themselves or others.

Taking risks allows children to understand the concept of trial and error. Success will certainly build self-confidence within our children and, inevitably, failure will not only make them acknowledge their boundaries, but will provide them with opportunities to cope with the negative emotions that accompany failure. Self-confident children have the inner fortitude to try new things, even if there is a possibility of failure. So, if we can control our urge to step in and provide solutions, we may witness our children engage in creative thinking; also, we might witness our children explore their own abilities and rejoice in their own accomplishments.

Positive risk-taking behaviour can be most beneficial to our children and the more practice they have with identifying risks and acting accordingly, the better prepared they will be to handle potentially dangerous situations and to solve problems in the future. Of course, our children need to know how to differentiate between good, healthy risks, such as bush walking and bad destructive risks, such as sitting endlessly with computer games and being a possible candidate for childhood obesity.

Risk-taking allows our children to try new physical activities, test the limits of their physical, intellectual and emotional development and gain mastery over their bodies. Risk-taking prepares our children for interaction with the real world beyond what might be our over-protective homes. If our children are not exposed to risk-taking, they could become fearful and timid children who lack confidence and decision- making skills. 

KINDER TRANSITION - Next Monday we begin the Kindergarten 2020 Transition Program. Quite a few children have already participated in the Playgroup Program, which commenced at the beginning of the term. The structured Transition Program is designed to help the children and parents become more familiar with the Mary Immaculate School setting and for our staff to get to know the children in order to be best prepared for the commencement of their formal education. The children will continue their transition over the next three weeks.

STATE PARLIAMENT - Last Wednesday, 30 October, Mrs Mortimer accompanied our School Leaders to State Parliament. Greg Warren, MP, greeted students from Schools in the Campbelltown area to show them how he represents his constituents. Our student leaders were most interested in how the process of state government functions in comparison to their trip to Canberra. Lunch was spent enjoying the passing parade of tourists in Hyde Park. We were also lucky enough to have a quick visit to St Mary’s Cathedral admiring the artworks and sculptures.

SCHOOL CHAPLAIN - We welcome Alana Sullivan, who has been appointed as School Chaplain for the remainder of the school year. She will be working at Mary Immaculate on Mondays and Thursdays.

Have a great week and let Christ be our way and life.

Mrs Lillian Del Giudice

Acting Principal

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING - At Mary Immaculate the Staff have an ongoing commitment to Professional Learning. The Staff benefit from attending inservices, in curriculum areas, that assists them in providing quality learning opportunities for the Students in their class. The following Staff have or will attend Professional Learning and hence will be away from School.

SPRING FAIR

The winners of the Spring Fair Major Raffle are:

1st prize Kayla Ahearn 

2nd prize Pameti Family 

3rd prize David and Michelle Gibson 

The winner of the Money Tree was Leah Brandes.

WINNERS OF CLASS ARTWORK AUCTION

Kindergarten - B Twentyman, D Horvat and L Gibson

Year 1 - C Velante and E Humphries

Year 2 - E Humphries, B Vidovic and D Thomas

Year 3 - K Anderson, L Scales and K Pearson

Year 4 - S Coulson

Year 5 - L Vicario

Year 6 - P Tran and K Cordoba