Filter Content
I am a great believer in the power of the Holy Spirit and am regularly astounded by the way the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives. While struggling to find inspiration for this week’s newsletter I was sent the following inspirational message via email from one of the websites I subscribe to. I hope you can find some inspiration from this story too.
Spiritual teacher Jack Kornfield tells one of my favourite stories about a new English colony in India that wanted to construct a golf course in Calcutta.
The biggest challenge was that the area was populated with monkeys who were interested in golf, too.
Their way of joining the game was to run out onto the course and take the balls that the golfers were hitting and toss them in all directions. Of course, the golfers weren’t happy about this, so they tried to 'manage' the monkeys.
First, they built high fences around the fairway. But, of course, it wasn’t long before the golfers learned that monkeys climb. As you might have guessed, this solution failed.
The next thing the golfers tried was to lure the monkeys away from the course by waving bananas. But for every monkey that would go for the bananas, another ten would race onto the golf course to join the fun.
In desperation, the golfers tried trapping and relocating the monkeys, but that strategy didn’t work either. The monkeys just had too many relatives who liked to play with golf balls!
So finally, the club’s golf committee wrote a novel policy into their course rule book:
“Players must play the ball where the monkey drops it.”
Those golfers were wiser than they knew!
Sometimes in life, it feels like monkeys are dropping golf balls everywhere but where we’d like them to. Often when this happens, we react poorly. We complain, shake our fists at God, throw a tantrum, or feel resentful. But these reactions only increase our suffering! What can we do?
When life refuses to cooperate with my plans, I’ve learned to say to myself, “Like it or not, this is where the monkey has dropped the ball. I’m going to surrender to what is and adapt rather than resist.”
Paradoxically, when I let go and accept life on life’s terms, I discover 'a peace that passes all understanding,' and I find the power and wisdom to deal with whatever challenge or unforeseen turn of events life throws at me.
This week when you find yourself faced with an unwanted difficulty or challenge, say to yourself, “I have to play the ball where the monkey drops it,” and see if you don’t experience the peace and power of acceptance.
Within this process, let Christ be your way and life.
Tina Murray
Principal
REMOTE LEARNING
Our fourth week of remote learning has certainly come upon us very quickly. Each day of remote learning brings a new success along with a new challenge. The meaning of the word ‘remote’ can mean operating from a distance or having very little connection or relationship. Our Mary Immaculate Community is blessed to have teachers who are working extremely hard to ensure that the learning of our students stays as connected to the planned Term 3 learning experiences as possible. This has occurred through videos, zoom sessions, phone calls to families and detailed daily learning plans.
Our students have also broken through the idea of being remote. They are joining in zoom sessions with a sense of excitement and commitment. They connect with each other, share experiences, ask questions to clarify their understanding and submit work to their teachers that is of a very pleasing standard.
Last week a video created by our student leadership team was shared with the aim of connecting our community to the positives that can be found in our present situation.
I am extremely proud of our student leaders as they are a wonderful example of young people who demonstrate commitment to their school, their peers and to learning.
Whilst we are engaging in remote learning, we are striving to ensure that students and families remain connected and that the learning provided is as manageable as possible during this lockdown period. We are extremely grateful to the parents who have taken the time to respond to the Grade Remote Learning Surveys that were shared via Compass last Friday. Please be assured this feedback is very much valued and that staff are committed to reflecting upon the input when planning for the delivery of learning in the coming weeks of the lockdown period.
We want to stress the importance of the need to register your child’s attendance at school each week via the link sent via Compass at the end of each week.
The students attending school each day should only be those whose parents / carers are essential workers working outside of the home or those who may at times need learning support (these individual circumstances need to be discussed with Mrs Murray).
Please be aware that supervision commences at 8am each morning. For safety reasons students should not be left unattended outside the school gates prior to this time.
ONLINE LEARNING
The internet is an amazing tool that, when used well, allows your child to access a wealth of knowledge to help them learn and grow. But there are many dangers lurking online that your child needs to be aware of, too.
Because of the unique nature of the school year, more children than ever will be participating in virtual learning, spending their days logged onto a computer instead of in a classroom interacting face-to-face with their peers. The additional time spent online means that students may be more vulnerable to online hazards. Take these steps to make sure your child has a safe online learning environment.
Keep Security up to Date
Protect your children and their devices from hackers by ensuring you keep all programs on their computer up to date. Run updates, install patches and make sure you install anti-virus or anti-malware software on their computers before use.
Install Parental Controls
Kids are spending more time than ever in front of their screens, which can inadvertently lead to browsing on websites you don't want them to access. By installing parental controls like computer monitoring software, you'll be able to filter websites, block apps, games and other distracting media, and regulate your child's purchases online.
Keep Personal Information out of Usernames
Keep your child's online identity anonymous by avoiding usernames with identifying details. Usernames that hint at your child's age, location, last name or other important identifying details should be avoided. It's also important to talk to your child about online safety and make sure they know they should never give out personal information online, even if the person they are chatting with appears to be a friend. If your child is contacted online by someone they do not know, make sure they alert you immediately.
Have Rules About Where Your Child Can Video Conference
To protect your child's safety, set rules in your home about video conferencing, including requiring that your child video conferences in a shared space in the home, such as the living room or kitchen, so you can monitor their online interactions.
Talk to Your Kids About Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices. As school shifts online this year, cyberbullying has the potential to become even more commonplace. Talk to your child about appropriate and inappropriate interactions with their peers online and help them identify behaviours that may constitute as cyberbullying. If they see their peers cyberbullying, ask that they alert you immediately.
LILLIAN DEL GIUDICE
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
As we continue with our remote learning, when we can’t leave home, remember that books can help us escape to either somewhere real or make-believe, the choice is ours, depending on the book we are reading. Many students are using Sora to access either Ebooks or audiobooks, and hopefully some of you are also using the International Children’s Digital Library , where you will find books from around the world, and in many different languages:
http://en.childrenslibrary.org/
Remember also to take a look at our Oliver Library Home page oliver.dow.catholic.edu.au/miev which has links to some interesting sites and activities. Explore your book further - perhaps design a new cover for your book, or make some book marks you can use to mark your spot. Another idea is to write a different ending for your book – if we don’t like the way a story ends we can write our own! You can perhaps choose your favourite character from the book and write another story about that character. Poetry can be fun too – maybe write a poem about the book or one of the characters. Have a look at some poetry on this website – Australian Children’s Poetry
https://australianchildrenspoetry.com.au/author/australianchildrenspoetry/
Take a look at this website for some more suggestions for what to do when finished reading a book:
If you’re still short of ideas check out 103 Things to do before, during or after reading a book:
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/103-things-do-during-or-after-reading
Premiers' Reading Challenge: We have 15 students who have completed the PRC, and Year 2, and another 190 who have registered a number of books already. Remember to keep a reading log of all the books you are reading, titles and authors. If you can remember your login details you can register your books anytime before the end of August. If you cannot remember your login details you can contact your class teacher for your login, or email your list of books and we can register them for you. Remember to look at the PRC website to make sure the books chosen are on the correct list – if you have too many not on the list they will not be accepted. Years 3-6 must read at least15 from the lists and may read up to 5 personal choice books; Kinder –Year 1 can read 25 from the list and 5 free choice. Year 2 have read the books together in class. Have a look at the Premiers Reading Challenge website:
https://products.schools.nsw.edu.au/prc/booklist/home.html.
Daily Reading: Don’t forget to try to take at least ten minutes out of your busy day to read with or to your children.
"I beg you all to read superb books aloud to your children! Begin on the day they are born. I am very serious about this: at least three stories and five nursery rhymes a day, if not more, and not only at bedtime, either!.”
Mem Fox
Happy reading!
Mrs Susan Bryant
Teacher Librarian