Newman News Term 4 Week 9 2020: From the Leader of Wellbeing Primary
As we begin to wrap up our time on campus for 2020, there is much anticipation amongst our students for Christmas and all the joy that the festive season brings. The Christmas period is a time of tremendous hope as we wait the birth of Jesus Christ, someone who has, and continues to, give hope to hundreds of millions of people around the world. If ever there is a time to be hopeful, it is as we reflect on the end of one year and prepare for the beginning of another; the new opportunities and moments especially that it might bring. This year, we should take time over the break to simply be with our loved ones, whether they be friends or family, and celebrate in Christ’s love the way God intended. I hope all families have a safe and peaceful break, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back in 2021.
Lavalla Awards Ceremonies
On Tuesday, students from Years 3-6 came together to celebrate our end of year Awards Ceremonies. This is a significant event in the life of the College, as we recognise the outstanding efforts, achievement, and character of our students. It is important to recognise these students as leaders both in their classrooms, and amongst their peers. Click here to see all award winners and photos from the day.
Year 6 Celebrations
This week has been a special week for our Year 6 students, as they complete their Primary schooling and begin their journey into Secondary School. To celebrate, students visited the Marian Campus on Tuesday and spent some time with their Kindergarten buddies, doing some reading with them, and enjoying lunch together. It was certainly a beautiful way for many students to reconnect with their early childhood origins in the sandpits of Marian. Students also had the chance to celebrate today at Adventure World. Students had a wonderful time and it was a great way to cap off their year. We wish our Year 6 students all the best as they continue their journey into Secondary School and thank them for their contributions here on the Lavalla Campus.
2021 Student Leaders
This week we officially recognised our 2021 Student Leaders. At the beginning of this term, students undertook two workshops in preparation for the nomination of the student leader positions, as well as committing to a letter of application and presenting a speech to their peers. I was most impressed with how many students spoke in their letters about how leadership is about others; it not about being in charge, or being most important, it is simply about helping others in small but meaningful ways. I am very much looking forward to working with not only our student leaders, but all of our students who nominated for these positions. We wish them all the best in 2021.
Student names: Nikita Aylmore, Madelyn Bertolini, Isabella Crisona, Benji Davies, Xavier Dunstan, Brayden Lim, Jaspar Martin-Booth, Michael Ng, Anabel Raguseo, Tahlia Thayer, Benji Thompson, Aaron Stannard.
Staff Farewells
There are a number of staff who we farewell from the Lavalla Campus at the conclusion of this year.
Firstly, Mrs Therese Le Sanders will be leaving us for a little while, as she begins her maternity leave, eagerly awaiting the birth of her second child. Mrs Natasha Penny, who works for Telethon Speech & Hearing and has been working in Year 3 Green this year, will also be commencing her maternity leave.
We also have Ms Melissa Foss and Mrs Laura Talbott whose contracts end at the end of this term. Ms Foss has been a welcome addition to our campus as our Music teacher in Term 4, while Mrs Talbott has been our Performing Arts teacher for Semester 2. We wish them both all the best in their future endeavours and thank them for the positive contributions they have made to our campus.
Pizza Pool Parties
This week, students from Years 3-5 have celebrated their final week of the year with a Pizza Pool Party!
In some very hot conditions, students braved the heat for the short walk to the pool where they were able to indulge in some well timed and relaxing water play, as well as a pizza lunch. We must thank all students and families for supporting the College’s SunSmart practices this week and helping to keep each other as safe as possible in this hot weather. We would also like to thank Mrs Donna McFadden who organised all of our pizzas, drinks and ice creams this year. Thank you Donna!
Year 3 2021 Transition Day
On Friday 27 November, we welcomed our Year 2 students from the Marian Campus for an orientation day. I was very impressed with how the Year 2 students presented themselves on the day and the positive way in which they listened to instructions and took part in the activities. We are very much looking forward to having them join us on a permanent basis next year and hope that they enjoy their time with us as much as our current Year 3 students have this year!
ACC Inclusion Ambassador
Last Thursday, the College was privileged to welcome Madison Heady (ex-Sacred Heart student) who delivered a talk to Year 6 students as part of the International Day of Persons with Disability. Madison is an ambassador for the ACC and Inclusion Sport and shared her journey with disability. Madison’s story was delivered with grace, articulation and good humour. The passionate way in which she spoke about inclusion in sport was clear to everyone. Madison also participated in a PE lesson with our Year 4 Blue class and shared a part of her story with them also. We are very grateful for her visit and the message she was able to deliver to our students.
Swimming Lessons
In Weeks 6 and 7, students took part in swimming lessons to finish off the year. We were blessed with some beautiful (not too hot) weather which made swimming over the two weeks very enjoyable for all students.
We would like to thank Mrs Jane Short for her hard work in organising our lessons, as well as our fabulous swim instructors who supported the two-week period.
Families should have received their child’s swimming certificate via email. If you have not received it as yet, please contact the Newman Swim Club via lessons.nchswimming@gmail.com
Booklists
Last week the 2021 booklists were shared with families. If you would like to order your books for 2021 now and beat the rush, you can do so by clicking the following link here.
Parents will find booklists for all classes via this link and orders can be placed now, ready for delivery in the new year. All instructions on how to place the orders are contained within the lists.
Lost Property
There are lots of items still to be found in our lost property – everything from hats and jackets, to even some College blazers. Teachers are always reiterating to students the importance of looking after their belongings as we know the cost of replacing items cannot be cheap for families! The lost property is located in the Library.