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Dear Parents and Caregivers,
This week our Year 5 students have commenced the processes that will culminate in the election of the new school leaders for 2023. This process has involved the students carefully considering what it means to be a leader, what a leadership role demands and what contributions they could personally make to our school community in a formal leadership role.
For many years I have had the privilege of occupying a variety of leadership roles, in several schools. Although I have read and studied much on leadership, I have found through experience, that the essence of leadership is very simple, it is about exercising influence to support the needs of others. Hence, the most important attribute of leadership lies in enabling others to do things better and ultimately to make a difference.
Importantly, leadership is also about behaviours. Effective leaders should have much more than a kitbag of tools, techniques, and strategies. Although these may help with the day-to-day aspects of managing, alone they are insufficient. Leaders should be driven by a ‘way of being’, a moral compass and an ethical framework should guide their actions. A key component of this framework is a strong commitment to trust and to be trustworthy. Effective leaders are prepared to ask for assistance, seek advice and draw on the strengths of others. Leaders are judged on what they do and how authentically they act against what they say is important. Leaders should walk their talk.
All members of the Mary Immaculate Community should not only know the values which are at the heart of our school but should strive to live them daily - Celebration, Compassion, Doing your Best, Faith, Justice, Leadership, Stewardship. Our motto calls us to walk with Christ, be inspired to engage in lifelong learning, show respect for others and be of service to all.
Naturally, we expect our leaders to act consistently with these values in mind and to model the behaviours that we would wish to see from all.
Leadership is not salesmanship. Leadership is striving to consistently act with integrity.
As I have emphasized many times with the students, leadership does not, and should not, simply reside with those who are in formal roles of leadership at our school. Everyone in the school is capable of leading. All are capable of serving. No matter what grade, what age, what position a member may hold in the school; everyone has the capacity to act as a leader. Everyone has the capacity to work to ensure that others’ lives are made better and that those in need are supported.
One of the good news stories of student leadership shared with me this week was about Amelia one of our Kindergarten students. Amelia has been making loom band bracelets over the last few weeks and she ended up making 42 bracelets. Over the weekend Amelia and her family took part in the 24hr Fight Against Cancer Walk held at Campbelltown Stadium. Amelia sold all her bracelets and ended up raising over $130 to donate to the charity. She also walked over 10km. Next year she has set herself a new goal to make more bracelets and to walk 15km. Just like her family, Amelia’s school family is also very proud of her achievements and her concern for others. Thank you Amelia for proving that everyone can be a leader by demonstrating a desire to support the needs of others We are very proud of you!
I encourage everyone in our community to be responsive to opportunities to be leaders and to contribute to making Mary Immaculate and the wider community an even better place.
Congratulations to all our Year 5 students who have courageously taken a risk and nominated for a formal 2023 student leadership position.
Enjoy the week ahead.
Tina Murray
Principal
CHRISTMAS CARD REMINDER
As we enter the season of Advent and the traditional practices associated with the Christmas season we would like to share a reminder that we are requesting that our students refrain from exchanging Christmas Cards until their class end of year celebration. Classes will be scheduling end of year celebrations prior to Thursday 15 December and these celebrations will provide an opportunity for students to exchange cards personally and meaningfully. Our students are encouraged to consider making cards rather than exchanging cards that are store bought. The purpose of this request is to respond to Pope Francis’ call to care for our common home by resisting the urge to purchase excessively and to minimize our environmental footprint. We thank you, in advance, for your support of this arrangement and hope that you will reinforce with your children the importance of being a responsible consumer of the earth’s limited resources.
PROMOTIONS SESSION
The Promotions Session for 2023 will take place on Tuesday 13 December. The purpose of the session is to help our students get to know their new teacher and classmates a little better and feel positive about starting in a new grade in 2023. New students who will be joining our school community in 2023 have also been invited to attend.
To build upon the present transition supports, a copy of an All About Me for 2023 student task will be provided to all students to provide an opportunity to contribute their voice to the transition process. We encourage students to complete this task at home with input from parents. Completed sheets can be returned to the present class teacher by Friday 9 December so class sets can be passed on to the 2023 teacher.
The PB4L focus for the next two weeks for all students is ‘Respectful Behaviour moving in and out of the Church and whilst in the Church.’
When walking to the Church, students are expected to walk in two lines quietly. Upon entering the Church students move reverently to their seats, genuflect and sit praying quietly. During Mass, students are expected to participate in all responses and sing with the choir. Once Mass has ended, students will be asked to leave the Church a grade at a time. They will genuflect and move quietly out of the Church, following teacher instructions.
Assistant Principal
PARISH SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM
The Parish Sacramental Program is now open for registrations for 2023 and will close on 31 December 2022. You are able to register your child for the sacraments on the parish website.
Points to remember:
Candidates for Reconciliation need to be in Year 3 or above.
Candidates for First Holy Communion need to be in Year 4 or above
Candidates for Confirmation need to be in Year 6 or above.
If you have any questions please contact the Parish Office on 02 4626 3055
Congratulations to all the students who have returned their books, well done! Unfortunately borrowing has finished for the year now, as we start to collect all the books to return and repair, ready for next year. ALL BOOKS MUST BE RETURNED THIS WEEK PLEASE. We ask that you please search at home for any Library books and Classroom readers which might be hiding on shelves, under beds etc., also keep a lookout for our Library lLan bags, which may be hiding somewhere at home too. Thank you.
A request – if you have any spare Library bags, or cotton shopping bags suitable for Library bags, we would be grateful for donations. We like to keep some as Loan bags for students who forget to bring them, and our supplies are sadly depleted. They go out and often don’t come back. Thank you.
Even though we will not be borrowing, it is important for the children to keep reading. All those lovely books at home on the shelves, books for Christmas, and don’t forget the local Library – if you are you not already members of the Campbelltown Library, it is free to join. We have some forms in the Library, or just call in to the Eagle Vale Leisure Centre and ask there.
We finish our work with poetry this week – remember that it can be a fun way to read something different. There is such a variety of styles we can enjoy. This week Year 2 was looking at Shape poems, where the poem takes the shape of whatever it is about, like this one about a kite:
CHESS TOURNAMENT
Our 2022 Chess Tournament is now coming to an end. Congratulations to Caleb and Elijah, our Senior Finalists, and Ceazar and Nate, our finalists from Year 3. They have played some very strategic matches to get down to the final for their age groups, well done! It is inspiring to see them so focused on the challenge that a Chess match can present.
As the end of year draws nearer, and our lives become even busier, try to remember how important it is to take at least ten minutes a day to read with your children – they learn from you the importance of reading in their lives. There are so many beautiful Christmas stories which are good to share in the lead-up to Christmas. Holidays are a great time to stop and relax with a book.
"Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read."
Marilyn Jager Adams, Child Development Expert
Happy reading!
Mrs Sue Bryant
Teacher-Librarian
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are putting the call out again this year to create hampers for the St Vincent de Paul Society to give generously to families at Christmas. Last year the school community was overwhelming in their support and made such a difference in the lives of those who struggled to have a Merry Christmas.
Each grade will be collecting items to create Christmas hampers for families within our school / parish community as well as in our local area.
The Mini Vinnies Team, in conjunction with guidance from teachers and mentors from the St Vincent de Paul local Conference Centre, will pack the items ready for delivery.
Students can bring their allocated items to school and place them in the class tubs.
Items are to be donated by Wednesday 8 December (Week 9).
When considering your donations please check the use by dates and ensure that they are as long as possible.
Grades are asked to bring:
Thank you in advance for your generosity and to all of those families who have already donated.
Yours Sincerely,
Year 6 Mini Vinnies Team
Miss Earnshaw and Mrs Young
Staff Mentors
