Principal News
Parent Engagement Network AGM
On Monday Night we held the first AGM for our Parent Engagement Network and I am pleased to announce, congratulate and welcome the Executive for 2022:
Chair: Mrs Hayley Hubbard
Secretary: Mrs Rachel Harlen
Ex-officio: Madonna Sleba (Principal) and Fr Michael O’Brien (Parish Administrator)
Service Interest Team Coordinator: Shauna Green
Learning Interest Team Coordinator: Kim Benvenuti and Kirsty Fitzpatrick
Community Interest Team Coordinator: Renee Kilpatrick and Katie Boyd-Pratt
Diocesan Representatives on the Catholic Schools Parents Queensland: Renee Kilpatrick
On behalf of the school community, I would like to thank the outgoing Parents and Friends Executive who worked tirelessly last year through difficult times during COVID disruptions: Mrs Renee Kilpatrick (President); Mrs Danielle Hart (Vice-President); Mrs Christine Scott (Treasurer); Mr Brendan McDonald (Secretary) and Mr Terry Sanders as the Diocesan Representative on the Catholic School Parents Qld.
I also extend thanks to our School Board Members for their dedication, expertise and wisdom over the past years: Mr Chris Black, Ms Shauna Green, Mr Peter Ramsay and Mr Adam Ottobrino.
You managed to deliver at each activity in support of the school and families.
All of these generous people will be acknowledged for their support and contribution at the end of Term Assembly on Thursday 23rd June 8:45a.m. in the Mercy Centre. All are welcome to join us at this assembly.
Uniform
It is lovely to see our students wearing their uniform with pride. A reminder that Sports Uniforms are to be worn only on your child’s designated days. Please ensure all school uniforms, lunch boxes and drink bottles are labelled clearly so that they can be returned to your child if found left around the school.
It must be that time of term.
What we do know is that happiness, fulfillment and wellbeing don’t just fall upon us by accident - we actively have to do things to feel good about ourselves and others. We have to be ‘deliberate’ in doing things to feel a sense of wellbeing.
What we are seeing around the school at this time of term - almost at the end - is that a number of students are tired, suffering/recovering from illness and occasionally making poor choices.
It is definitely a time to be mindful and ‘deliberate’ about stress, anxiety, being ‘wound up’ and therefore not being able to be truly present and perform at our best. Maybe over the next week (and beyond hopefully) we all might spend time focusing on the following ten things.
10 tips to help you stay mentally healthy (crucial for this stage of the term)
- Spend time helping someone else with something - when you help others, it makes you feel good…. Volunteer for a cause, help a neighbour or simply do something nice for a friend or stranger.
- See the funny side of life and laugh often- laughter is a wonderful “medicine”. Watch/read/listen to something that will give you a belly laugh. Not only does laughter decrease stress hormones, it also triggers the release of endorphins that help improve your overall sense of wellness.
- Think about a new skill you can learn - learning something new gives the ‘grey matter’ a workout and builds neural pathways in the brain.
- Catch up with friends- spending time with our friends and loved ones is always a guaranteed way to lift our moods. Often just spending time chatting and laughing with someone is a great mood lifter.
- Go to bed early- make it your aim to get eight hours of solid sleep every night. Sleep will help restore your body and mind. To help you get a good night’s sleep put your phone/laptop away at least an hour before bed and do something soothing and relaxing such as reading a book to help you get a good night's rest.
- Focus on your organisation- Being disorganised can build stress and anxiety at this time. Try creating an early morning routine to get yourself into the habit of being ready for school on time and an afternoon routine to complete homework and be packed and ready for the next days activities.
- Ask someone for help- Everyone’s life journey is different, and sometimes we need help to overcome the bumpy bits. It’s OK to ask for help: speak to a work colleague, teachers, a friend or a family member.
- Stay active - keeping fit and staying active can help you to sleep better, manage stress and boost your mood. Take the dog for a walk, or take the stairs when you can. Try riding your bike or find a sport or physical activity that you enjoy and make a plan to do it regularly.
- Take care of yourself - a healthy body is linked to a healthy mind. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole foods, and avoid processed foods.
- Be ‘present’ in the moment - be in the here and now. Enjoy the moment.
Stable Core, Disrupted Edge
Stable core, disrupted edge is a term that was coined at the conference I am attending in Yeppoon this week for Queensland Catholic Primary Principals. It means that truly agile organisations, paradoxically, learn to be both stable (resilient, reliable, and efficient) and dynamic (fast, nimble, and adaptive).
It compels us to proceed with a relatively unchanging set of core elements—a fixed backbone. At the same time, we must also create looser, more dynamic elements that can be adapted quickly to new challenges and opportunities.
Our stable core- our backbone is our cornerstone values – Quality, Compassion, Service and Commitment which are linked to everything we do. At the heart of all our decisions are the Cornerstones, and the welfare of our learners. At next week's Awards Assembly on Thursday 23rd June at 8:45a.m. in the Mercy Centre we will recognise those students who demonstrate these cornerstone values in their learning and interactions here at St Saviour's Primary School.
By grounding our practice in the Cornerstones, the school knows what it stands for. It makes adaptive decisions easier. Things change quickly, things sometimes go wrong and the unexpected is never far away. The disruptive edge is always with us. St Saviour’s Primary School is able to pivot quickly with the support of Toowoomba Catholic Schools. The reason we can pivot is because our core is stable and understood by everyone.
Over the past months, this has been pivotal for me as Principal. Our stable core allowed me to operate with confidence. I was also able to rely on the many wonderful staff, students and parents/carers in our community for support, guidance and their collective effort to make St Saviour’s Primary a place boundless with opportunity each day.
As the last newsletter of Term 2, a big thank you to everyone who has supported the school this term. Wishing all a restful and safe holiday from the 26th June – 11th July.
We will welcome all students back on Tuesday 12th July on the first day of Term 3.
Thanks for reading
Madonna Sleba