Dear Parents and Caregivers

A reminder that all our dads are invited to our Fathers’ Day breakfast on Friday. Breakfast and activities commence at 8am. Please RSVP via the connected app to assist us with catering! Cereal will be provided for students – please BYO a bowl and spoon.

As I mentioned in last week’s newsletter, early next term we will be implementing Wellness Week (21- 25^th October). The purpose of Wellness Week is to give everyone (students, families and staff) an opportunity to slow down and take time to focus on our health and wellbeing, particularly our mental health. A variety of activities will be run throughout Wellness Week for students and staff to promote wellbeing. There will be no homework for students or meetings before or after school during Wellness Week. Instead, we will be encouraging staff and students to spend quality time with their families.

I encourage you to start thinking about what ideas you might implement as a family during Wellness Week. The week may even be an opportunity to make some permanent, positive changes to your family routine.

 “Childhood is not a race to see how quickly a child can read, write and count. Childhood is a small window of time to learn and develop at the pace which is right for each individual child.” Magda Gerber

It is so important to remember that childhood is a period of time in a person’s life, it is not solely about learning the lessons found in the classroom. Yes, these are very important, but so too are the lessons we learn whilst reading with dad, throwing the ball with mum, playing with imaginary friends in the back yard, cooking with nana or sitting on pop’s shoulders as we walk around the garden. I strongly encourage you all to make a special effort to enjoy time with your children during Wellness Week. It’s a great opportunity to introduce “Reading Night” to your families- a night where the TV and other electronic devices get switched off and the family comes together to read, discuss books and share the joy of literature. Have a “screen free pledge night” with your children where you all pledge a night free of the screens that encroach on our lives. This may even spark a permanent screen free night one day a week. If you usually eat in front of the tv, choose one night to sit down and have a meal together at the table with the tv switched off. Make the most of the no homework week and perhaps go for a family walk, bike ride or midweek picnic or visit other family members like grandparents that you don’t normally catch up with midweek. Have a family cooking night! Maybe walk or ride your bike to school with the children. Plan healthy recess and lunches and prepare these with your children. It’s all about our wellness and finding time to take care of our own health and wellbeing. Start planning ahead and make it a special week. You will never get these early years back again. So spend them, live them, enjoy them and make treasured memories for life.  

God bless

Dr Siobhan Galos
Principal