The inclusion of any community advertising does not constitute or imply endorsement, sponsorship or recommendation thereof by St. Michael’s School. 

St. Michael’s does not accept any responsibility or liability for the conduct or content of those advertisements and sites and the offerings made by the third parties.

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VacSwim 2019

You can now enrol your children in VacSwim swimming lessons for the October school holidays. 

With swimming pools and beaches a big part of the Western Australian lifestyle, it’s important your children are safe in the water.

Programs are available for children from five to 17 years and cater to all skill levels – from beginners to those doing their Bronze Medallion. They are being offered at pool venues across the State.

Enrol your children in VacSwim now at education.wa.edu.au/swimming

 

Volunteers needed for St Vincent de Paul Society home visits

Dear St Michael’s Community

St Vincent de Paul Bassendean Conference are seeking Associate Members as volunteers for the emergency relief home visitations we do in our Bassendean, Ashfield and Eden Hill area.

Visits occur each Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the number of calls ranges between 1–5 which would take roughly an hour’s duration. William Thomas, St Joseph’s Parish Bassendean Conference President is seeking casual volunteers to assist with the visits as home visitations have to be made in pairs; the Bassendean Conference has been in existence since 1939 and currently is short of members, owing to ill health and an ageing membership.

If you are available or know of someone who may be able to volunteer some time on one or any of these days — on a casual basis — could you please make contact with him?

Volunteers must visit in pairs and you will always be accompanied on the home visits. The volume of calls for urgent financial and other assistance is growing, especially in the winter months. Please contact William if you could spare some time Mobile 0437 707 670 Email williamanthonythomas@gmail.com

 

24:7 Bassendean Youth Group

For all youth in Years 6-12
Every 1^st, 3^rd and 5^th Friday of the month, from 6:30-8:30 in the Parish hall

Call Aloyse (0401 348 508) or Anthony (0481 737 771) for more information

God bless,
Aloyse & Anthony
24:7 Bassendean Youth Ministers
www.247youthministry.org

 

Calling all female football fans!

The West Coast Eagles are hosting a free football clinic for girls in the October school holidays and we’d love to see you there.

Come and practise your football skills and fun games with outstanding female football role models in a fun and friendly environment.

This clinic is suitable for girls of all ages and skill levels, and prior football experience isn’t required.

Date: Thursday, October 3, 2019
Venue: John XXIII College, Mt Claremont
Time: 10am – 11.30am (PP-Year 6), 11.45am – 1.00pm (Year 7-12)

REGISTER NOW
Please note that places are strictly limited. Registrations are open until Monday, September 16, or until capacity is reached.

If you have any queries about this event, please contact the West Coast Eagles on (08) 9388 4566 or email membership@westcoasteagles.com.au.

 

When relationships go wrong for girls by Collett Smart

Girlhood relationships are so important, yet they can be both wonderful and awful in the same week. A friendship fallout hurts, but children need to know that arguing doesn’t have to be the end of the friendship. Developmentally, some squabbling is vital because it helps kids learn about respectful conflict resolution. Here’s how parents can help at these difficult times:

Listen to their story

When inevitable conflict arises, girls can often get caught in a ‘rumination loop’ replaying the scene over in their minds, like a song stuck on repeat, which makes things feel catastrophic. As a girl’s brain is still learning how to interpret some responses, she may be misinterpreting a friend’s words or signals. If this is the case, ask her to look for evidence to support her interpretation. Suggest your daughter talks to her friend privately in an assertive way. Help her plan the conversation beforehand, starting with ‘I’ words, which encourage her to own her feelings. She could say, ‘I felt let down when …’ Model apologies at home. Help her think of ways to say, ‘I’m sorry. Can we fix this?’

Discuss the shifting nature of friendships

Relationships don’t always last. As girls grow their tastes and interests change. They want to explore the possibilities of new people and activities. This often leads to hurt when one girl is not ready for a shift.

Parents can help by explaining that changes in friendships are a part of growing up (although never an excuse for meanness). Rather than simply dismissing a girls’ feelings as silly, acknowledge the hurt and gently reassure her there are many new, interesting people she will meet.

Expand her village

Ensure your daughter has friends in a few settings – a neighbour, a team mate, a family friend. They can provide a different connection and helps girls realise they are not alone. 

Discuss toxic friendships

Most girls will experience the pain of interacting with a toxic ‘friend’ during their school years. This type of interaction is called relational aggression and serves to damage a person’s sense of social place. For instance, a girl may appear to be friendly but she may use passive-aggressive strategies such as gossip, ostracism and online exclusion. These actions can be very confusing, leading to feelings of shame and loneliness.

When not given healthy ways to express their pain, girls can often internalise their emotions in unhealthy ways like such as through self-harm, anxiety, eating disorders and self- loathing.

Allow her to express hurt

Allow your daughter the chance to process pain, vent or cry when they are hurting. Adults may not be able to change a toxic person’s behaviour, but shouldn’t underestimate the power of listening and being available. Don’t assume that you know what your daughter needs. Rather ask, “What do you need from me in this situation?”  When a relationship problem escalates it may need to be taken to the school for further intervention.

Provide growth opportunities

Help your daughter develop the skills for developing healthy friendships. Explicitly teach your daughter to think about what compassion, kindness and empathy look like in a friend and helps her recognise what it means to be a good friend herself.

Helping girls manage friendship issues can be exhausting so parent self-care becomes a priority during these times. Girls benefit enormously from having a caring, emotionally healthy adult in their lives who can support them and help them process their thoughts and emotions when peer relationships turn sour.