15 November 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principals Report

The anticipation is building. On Monday morning, during morning prayer, I reminded the students that we have only 4 weeks to go until the end of the school year. Where has the time gone? This was greeted with much excitement - cheers, shouts of joy - from all. Importantly, I also reminded the students that we all still have much work to do in that time. I spoke about the need for everyone to continue to work hard, to listen to their teachers, to put in their very best effort and to be on their best behaviour. It is easy to slip into holiday mode in these past few weeks but we are not quite there yet. I ask that parents/carers please reinforce this message at home, even - or especially - on the days when everyone is a little more tired. There are still many exciting things to come and we want everyone to enjoy the time and get the most out of it.

Please keep in mind that students are still required to wear the correct uniform to school, especially shoes. Growing feet is a natural phenomenon for our students (and a headache for parents) however, pride in our school means wearing the correct uniform until the last day. If your child is unable to wear the correct uniform for any given day, please inform their teacher in the first instance through email or a note to school. Black Lynx joggers are a versatile shoe and can be worn with both school uniforms as well as with casual clothes on weekends and holidays.

St Kieran’s P&F Committee met for their final meeting of the year last week. We have a strong committee represented by a broad cross section from the school community and the fruits of their labor support many projects and events that benefit our children. On behalf of the school, I would like to thank its members, including Mel Anderson for her commitment to our Fete, for tirelessly supporting our school throughout the year and providing a much needed and appreciated service.

Parents are encouraged and invited to contribute to the school community through volunteering their time and energy to assist with tasks, events and functions throughout the year. St Kieran’s has a number of committees which would benefit from your support, including: P&F Committee, School Board, eSmart and RAP Committee. Additionally, there are many other events that make up the school calendar. Whilst everyone is invited to attend committee meetings, it is not an obligation. Projects are generated and your support and assistance is vital in order for these projects to be realised. St Kieran’s Catholic School needs you to assist in getting the job done. Thank you to all who have supported us throughout this year.

APRE Report

Remembrance Day

One Sunday 11th November we attended the Remembrance ceremony at the Civic Center. It was lovely to see a small group of students attend. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month marks the signing of the Armistice on the 11th November 1918, to signal the end of World War One. It was at this time the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of continuous warfare. On this day we remember all those men and women who were killed during the two World Wars and other conflicts, especially those still occurring around the world.

End of Year Mass

On Thursday, 29th November we gather for our End of Year Mass. It is a time when we celebrate what has happened throughout the year, but it is also a time where we get the opportunity to say goodbye to Year 6 students and leaving staff and families. You are all welcome to attend and we would love to see you there.

Parish Information

Plenary Council in 2020 is about the future of the Church. Place a thought on the Plenary Wall behind the lectern OR on the Wall near the Catholic centre side door.

Teaching Religious Education in State Schools - would you like to know more about spending 30 mins a week sharing God’s love to the young ones in the State system schools?

Catholic Women’s League - will hold its A.G.M on Sunday 18th November 2018 at 10am. All women are welcome to attend.

Kitchen Hand - The Parish now has a vacancy for a permanent part-time job, 2 hours/day, from 10:30am - 12:30pm, kitchen-hand. If interested, please apply to Corena at the Parish Office.

Parish Cleaner - There is a vacancy for a part-time cleaner for about 2 months from mid-November to mid-january. Please see Corena in the Parish Office for more details.

What’s happening in Year 1 this week.

This week, Year 1 have been working really hard to finish all their assessment tasks. Our favourite part of this week was dressing up for Book Fair. In our costumes, we did some role play where we got into groups and imitated our characters.

Prep Enrolments for 2019 and 2020

We currently still have spaces available for Prep for 2019. If you are interested please call the school.

Wahoo

It has been a very exciting term so far in WAHOO!

Prep and Year 3-4

The Prep and Year 3-4 groups have both decided to learn about the solar system! We have been learning about the planets, stars, constellations ( we even made some constellations out of marshmallows!) and gravity. We have begun building our very own solar system in each group and so far they are looking fantastic!

Year 1-2

The Year 1-2 Wahoo group are learning about the human body. So far we have learnt about the different organs in the body and how they all work together to help us live and do all that we can do. We learnt how to measure our heart rates and how the brain has different sections (we made a model out of playdough!) that have different jobs they each do.

We are beginning to look into how doctors and hospitals can help our bodies inside and out.

The Year 5-6 Wahoo group have decided to be Project Managers this term and are planning a project that they believe would benefit the Mount Isa community. They are creating a model, birds eye view map and documents explaining the purpose of their project and how it will benefit the community. The students will then present this to their class closer to the end of term.

The Year 5-6 Students are also in control of planning WET WEDNESDAY this year so keep an eye out for posters and information in the news letter in the coming weeks!

Wet Wednesday

5th December: Wet Wednesday!

• Students can purchase water bombs for $1 per water bomb to throw at their chosen teacher.
• There will also be rotations involving water such as slip and slides and water pistol fights.
• Students are to bring their SUN SAFE swimming wear, towel and thongs to school to get changed into before the rotations.
• If your child has a water pistol they are able to bring it in, with their name written clearly on it.

Get to know our staff – Kate Andrews

How long have you been at St Kieran’s Catholic School and what year do you teach?

I have been teaching at St Kieran's for nearly a year! I started teaching this year and I teach Year 5.

What do you love the most about teaching?

I love to see the ‘light bulb’ moments when children understand a new concept and to see them progress with their learning. I love the informal interactions with my students and getting to know them as a person.

Who inspires you?

My mum - My mum was a teacher so I spent a lot of time at school while I was growing up. I would help my mum in the classroom setting up the classroom. She is one of the best people I know!

If you could be any animal what would you be?

A dog because they are my favourite animal.

Tell us a funny story about yourself?

When I was little, my sister would make me and my siblings dress up in our school uniform on the holidays and we would set up our lounge room as the classroom and she would make us finish work we never finished in our books.

Parenting Information

Help kids develop impulse control

How many of you have been in a situation where, after being on a diet for a few days, a colleague comes to work selling chocolates for a fundraiser? Do you give in and buy a chocolate? It’s for a good cause after all. Or do you resist?

Austrian psychologist Walter Mischel conducted an experiment in 1965 involving four-year-olds and marshmallows. Mischel invited individual children into a room where a marshmallow was on the table. The man who brought the child into the room explained that he had to step out for a couple of minutes and if the child wanted to, he or she could eat the marshmallow. However, if the child could wait until the man returned before eating the marshmallow, they would be given an extra marshmallow – so two instead of one. Sure enough, some children couldn’t wait and ate the marshmallow before the man returned, while others were able to resist the temptation in order to earn the reward.

Mischel followed the subjects of his experiment into adult life. He discovered that those who had displayed the ability to delay gratification as young children grew to be more socially competent, self-assertive and dependable. And they performed better at school.

Other studies have shown similar results: individuals who had self-control when young later do better on a whole range of variables.

Mischel initially believed that the ability to delay gratification was a result of a certain personality type. However, in a subsequent study with Albert Bandura, Mischel placed children who had not shown the ability to delay gratification in contact with adult role models who demonstrated some delaying tactics. The adults engaged in some kind of self-distracting activity or put their heads down for a nap. The children who observed these adults later showed the ability to delay gratification themselves. That is, they had learnt the ability to resist temptation from their experience with the adult role models.

Impulse control is a skill

The implications for parents are clear. If our children display characteristics such as impulsivity, we can help them learn more beneficial ways to deal with the world. Parents can role model the appropriate behaviours and talk to their children about the strategies they used.

Two main factors seem to influence the ability of both children and adults to delay gratification. Both are more likely to delay gratification if they trust they will eventually get the better reward. That is, they will be more inclined to hold out if they believe the person or organisation that is offering the reward is likely to follow through.

Second, people will generally only display delaying behaviours if they have the skills to turn what might be tedious waiting time into a more enjoyable (or at least tolerable) time. In the original experiment, children who delayed eating the marshmallow showed a range of behaviours including turning their chairs away from the table, singing, inventing games with their hands and feet and talking to themselves to help them pass the time.

Emotional intelligence is the key to impulse control

Parents can help younger children delay gratification by distracting them. Many parents find themselves doing this instinctively. When four-year-old Holly nags for snacks just before dinner, they give her a job to do. However, be aware that children younger than about four generally haven’t yet developed the parts of the brain that allow them to delay gratification of their own accord.

Older children need to learn how to distract themselves by redirecting their emotions. This is more likely to happen if children understand that emotions don’t always need to be acted upon. Older children who are able to focus on the bigger picture will be able make choices that allow them to achieve their goals.

In the book Influencer, the authors contend that many social skills, including the ability to delay gratification, can be learnt. This is good news for most of us! They maintain that while we accept that practice improves performance in sport, music and technical areas, few people would think to practice the skills needed to delay gratification, be a better team member or to negotiate with a boss. However the authors say we should. They claim that with the right kind of practice, we can all learn to be more socially competent.

Buy, Swap, Sell St Kieran’s

Kitchen Sink x 2 - $40

Scale Playground equipment - $300 and comes with instructions

Donga - $33,000 10mx3m

If you have something that you would like to Buy, Swap or Sell please let us know and we are happy to place it in the newsletter.

Tuckshop Meal Deal – Term 4

Thursday 15th November - Asian Noodles + Popper and Second break Muffin + Zooper Dooper

Thursday 22nd November – Tacos + Popper and Second break Brownie + Zooper Dooper

Thursday 29th November - Chicken Leg & Chips + Popper and Second break Popcorn + Zooper Dooper