Newman News Term 3 Week 8: From the Leader of Wellbeing Early Childhood

Jo Dunn on 13/09/2019

As a College community, we seek to foster the development of the whole child. We work to nurture children’s educational, social, emotional, faith and physical attributes in pursuit of fostering well-balanced graduates who will be positive contributors to a global society. At an early childhood level, the development of a child’s character is achieved through a strong focus on the child’s physical and mental development. Resilience, moral conscience and values are important attributes in the growth journey of each child. Research tells us that healthy, active lifestyles in children are more likely to result in a positive overall well-being.

This past week on the Marian Campus, we have facilitated a range of events that have aimed to promote healthy, active lifestyles.

Great Vegie Crunch

Today we participated in the Cancer Council WA “Great Vegie Crunch” event, joining schools from across Western Australia to simultaneously crunch on fresh vegetables. The Great Vegie Crunch aims to increase the number of school aged children who eat the recommended daily intake of vegetables and educate students on the importance of eating vegetables.

The school provided students in Kindy – Year 2 with a vegetable snack and the ‘Crunch-o-meter’ measured that together they crunched as loud as a crocodile. The students also enjoyed a fun quiz about vegetables and had the chance to win some fantastic prizes!

National Health and Physical Education Day

Thursday 12 September was ACHPER’s nationwide initiative to highlight the importance of health and physical education in the Australian Curriculum, and its influence on the learning and development of children. Our Physical Education Teacher, Mrs Stella Northey coordinated a range of activities at lunchtime for our children to participate in. These included tug-of-war, hopper balls, hula hoops and egg and spoon relays. Research indicates that students’ participation in physical activity leads to better engagement and improved academic achievement.

Pre Primary Liturgy

I extend my thanks to the Pre Primary staff who prepared their students for a beautiful liturgical celebration at St Cecilia’s Church on Thursday. The liturgy spoke to the importance of coming together as a faith community like Jesus did with his disciples. The children read and sung beautifully, and their liturgical dance was a reverent addition to the celebration. Fr Kaz talked to the students about the importance of our soul, and how our connection to our Catholic faith allows us to nourish our spiritual wellbeing.