Last night we held an information evening for parents of students beginning Kindergarten in 2020. Sandra Penfold (Speech Therapist) and Taighlor Jarrett (Occupational Therapist) provided parents with extremely important information related to the importance of building a child’s potential as a learner. The tips that were shared are of great significance to all parents and I have summarised them below.

SLEEP – Children around 5 years of age require approximately 11 hours of sleep a night. Children should be in bed by 8:00 am and should wake naturally by around 7:00 am.  Activities that compromise this essential routine should be kept to a minimum.

DIET – All children require a healthy diet, which includes fruit and vegetables and foods high in iron, which is essential for brain development.

LIMIT SCREEN TIME – This includes all types of screens – television, computer, iPad, iPod, phone, Xbox etc. Often these forms of technology can act as babysitting devices. These activities do not build fitness or creative talents, but can build addiction. They can also rob our children of opportunities to engage in conversation and build social skills. These are the essential ingredients for play and growth. Instead use ‘screen time' as a reward or for down time after interactive play. Screen time should cease at least 30 minutes before bedtime as the blue light emitted by devices can interfere with the brain’s ability to rest and the quality of sleep.

PLAY – All children should have the opportunity to have 15 minutes of undivided adult attention each and every day. During this time engage in creative and imaginative play using whatever toys and games available. Become a child again and show your child how to play. Most of all engage in lots of talk and conversation. This sends a vital message and demonstrates that everything else during that time can wait and that we are prepared, as parents, to spend this time with our child. This is a parenting investment that will reap many rewards in the years to come.

READ – Read to your child as well as have them read to you. It is important for children to hear good models of fluent and expressive reading. Use the material as a platform for discussion. Ask lots of questions and encourage the making of predictions and connections with other situations. Don’t confine reading to just home readers. These books have a special job in practicing skills but don’t always contain the long and complex language essential to stimulate the building of language and thinking skills.

Mem Fox, one of Australia’s favourite children’s authors offers her top ten read-aloud commandments for parents:

• Spend at least ten wildly happy minutes every single day reading aloud.
• Read at least three stories a day: it may be the same story three times. Children need to hear a thousand stories before they can begin to learn to read.
• Read aloud with animation. Listen to your own voice and don't be dull, or flat, or boring. Hang loose and be loud, have fun and laugh a lot.
• Read with joy and enjoyment: real enjoyment for yourself and great joy for the listeners.
• Read the stories that the kids love, over and over and over again, and always read in the same
• ‘tune' for each book: i.e. with the same intonations on each page, each time.
• Let children hear lots of language by talking to them constantly about the pictures, or
• anything else connected to the book; or sing any old song that you can remember; or say nursery rhymes in a bouncy way; or be noisy together doing clapping games.
• Look for rhyme, rhythm or repetition in books for young children, and make sure the books
• are really short.
• Play games with the things that you and the child can see on the page, such as letting kids finish rhymes, and finding the letters that start the child's name and yours, remembering that it's never work, it's always a fabulous game.
• Never ever teach reading, or get tense around books.
• Read aloud every day because you just love being with your child, not because it's the right thing to do. This is as important for fathers as it is for mothers!

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

Mrs Lillian Del Giudice

Acting Principal

PUBLIC SPEAKING - Last week our school had the privilege of holding the Western Region CDF Public Speaking Competition. As I listened to the speeches I was amazed at the talent these Year 5 and Year 6 children displayed. The students who represented Mary Immaculate were Angelina B and Sophia C. both girls performed extremely well. I am pleased to inform our community that Sophia was awarded second place in the Year 6 competition and will now compete in the Diocesan final. Angelina and Sophia should be very proud of their efforts. I thank Mrs Mortimer for organising the Competition and Mr Edwards for his assistance.

P & F MEETING - A reminder that the final P & F Meeting for 2019 will be held on Monday 4 November at 7.00pm in the School Library. All are welcome to attend.

PARKING AROUND OUR SCHOOL - A reminder to parents to please adhere to parking signage around our school. Parents are also asked to please not park across driveways or on grassed footpaths of our school neighbours. A reminder that parents are not permitted to enter the School or Church Car Parks to drop off or pick up students unless prior arrangements have been made. The safety of our children is paramount.

SCHOOL HOURS - A reminder to parents that the school day at Mary Immaculate begins with morning assembly at 8.25am and concludes with dismissal at 2.30pm. I have noticed of late, that quite a number of children are arriving late. The five and ten minutes here and there quickly add up and more importantly the lateness causes disruption to the class and morning procedures. Children who do arrive late are to be escorted to the office by their parents and signed in. As parents, we need to demonstrate to our children that punctuality is important. Thanks again for your support.

CHILDREN NOT RETURNING IN 2020 - If your child will not be returning to Mary Immaculate in 2020 could you please notify Mrs Pizarro in the office as soon as possible. This information will assist us with accommodating both new applications and students who are currently on our waiting list.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING - At Mary Immaculate the Staff have an ongoing commitment to Professional Learning. The Staff benefit from attending Inservices, in curriculum areas, that assist them in providing Quality Learning Opportunities for the students in their class. The following Staff, will attend Professional Learning and hence will be away from School.