News from the Principal
Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers,
We have been welcoming our 2023 Foundation students to our Orientation sessions over the past few weeks, and it has been delightful to see the smiling faces walk through the gate each time. They have been kept very busy with activities in the Foundation Learning Space and have also visited the Specialist rooms to do activities there. The other children have also had time in their 2023 learning spaces getting familiar with how they look, sound and feel in preparation for next year.
We have a busy couple of weeks coming up with different activities. Below are some reminders!
Foundation excursion:
The group will leave school this Friday at 9am for Inverloch and return by 3pm. Keep your eye on the app as we will post updates if there are any delays with the return time. Thank you to all who have volunteered to assist with this excursion, you will have received notification if you are required to attend.
Parish Family Christmas Picnic:
Italian Day dress up:
Italian Day will be on Monday 5th December - children are invited to come dressed in their Italian colours or as an Italian character. There will be a parade, gelato and an Italian show for the children to enjoy. We invite all parents to join us for the parade starting at 9: 00am in the school yard.
End of Year Mass
We will be celebrating the 2022 school year with a whole school Mass on Friday 9th December. During this Mass we will present the goods collected for the Christmas Giving Plan to the St Vincent de Paul society. All are welcome to attend.
Is your child old enough for a smartphone?
Parents often ask what is the appropriate age to give their child a mobile phone and of course there is no right or wrong answer to this question. It all depends on the family circumstances and the reasoning why you feel it is important for your child to have one of their own.
The following article is from the esafety commission and may help you in your decision making process as well as provide some guidelines that will help you keep your child safe.
A smartphone is about much more than making phone calls. It allows your child to spend time online using their own device, rather than a shared family tablet or computer. It literally puts the online world in their hands.
For many parents and carers, giving a five year old their own smartphone may seem like it is a step too far. For others, it might offer them peace of mind and security to know they can keep in touch with their child – especially in an emergency.
The right age for your child will depend on their level of maturity and your family routine. It is worth asking yourself the following questions before handing over a digital device.
- Does my child have a good sense of responsibility?
- Are they able to stick to the rules?
- Do they show a good understanding of actions and consequences?
- Do they come to me or another trusted adult when they are distressed or if they encounter problems?
- What are the rules about when and where my child can use their smartphone? For example, will they only be able to use it while they are away from the house, and not in their bedroom at night.
For younger children it may be best to start with a mobile phone without internet access, and only introduce a smartphone when they demonstrate an appropriate level of maturity. There are a range of mobile devices available that allow you to control which tools or services your child has access to.
Some younger children might argue that they are ready for a smartphone, especially if their friends already have one. But it is worth holding out until you feel confident that your child is mature enough.
If you have a family online safety contract (found here), it would be a good idea to go through it carefully with your child in the context of the new responsibilities they are taking on with their own phone.
Kind regards,