Dear Parents & Carers

Every generation, pre-teens and teenagers have always found a way to create problems for their parents and teachers. In the 50’s it was rock n roll, 60’s hippie culture, 70’s fashion blow outs, etc. This age group of course has and will always involve rebellious behaviour at some stage…it’s all part of growing up. I suppose each generation has had to deal with common issues such as drugs, alcohol consumption, body image, self-esteem, peer pressure, etc. However, with this generation it is the misuse of social media that has the potential to cause problems with all involved.

I have been to many a conference and read numerous articles on the pitfalls of the misuse of social media and the associated complications it has for this age group to function as a normal member of society. Strong parenting is a common message but I believe it is too broad a statement for as every teenager is different so is every parent. We all have our own idea of what strong parenting is. The best definition of what a strong parent is one that does not give in. The rule in our house was no mobile phone until Year 11 and no social media until you get home safely from schoolies!! And yes, they did try every trick in the book to have the terms of this seemingly harsh sentence reduced and of course try to download snapchat, Instagram etc. without us knowing. But unfortunately for them, like me, they had teachers as parents, which means lots of informants at our disposal so…no matter what…we always found out!!

The following article provides wonderful advice and I urge every parent, no matter what age your children are, to take the time to read it. Do not fall for the trap in believing it won’t happen with my child and don’t wait till a problem arises. Be proactive and start now to instil correct and proper behaviour whilst using social media.

“It’s important to start conversations with children about using social media at a young age to prepare them to be savvy users when we’re not around.

“If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”

This mantra always pops into mind whenever I am about to cut some corners or do a rushed job in any endeavour. As a result, I double-check every article I write for mistakes. I over prepare every talk I give. And I continually edit and re-edit my books. This message keeps me at the top of my game. I can thank, or blame, my mother for inserting this mantra in my mind as she repeated it whenever I did a rushed job as a youngster making my bed, doing homework or cleaning up my bathroom mess.

Parents of every generation have always found ways to frame messages of safety and success for their children to remember. Parents of past generations who only had to contend with the offline or real world intuitively knew that they needed to teach child important lessons about safety and manners rather than assume they will be understood.

The same maxim holds true for the world of social media that children now inhabit from an increasingly young age.  Even though our children are growing up with technology as a part of their everyday lives, they will still make plenty of mistakes while using it. This means we need to have direct conversations with our kids about the comments and posts that are okay to make using social media of all forms.

As parents we teach our kids to talk politely and clearly so that they know how to speak to others when we are not around. In effect, we give our kids social scripts to fall back on when they talk to friends, teachers and relatives. There is no guarantee they’ll look an adult in the eye when they speak to them, but our discussions, reminders and lessons about manners will hopefully hold up when we’re not around. The same applies to social media. Our conversations and lessons will prepare them to be savvy users when we are not around. Here are some ideas to get you started: 

1. “Is this worth posting?” The relatively impersonal nature of social media means that we can post information and pictures with relative immunity. Also, its immediacy means that we can do so without much thought. This means that kids need to be very critical about what they see online. ‘Is this accurate?’ and ‘Is this worth posting?’ are two valid questions children can ask when they read posts placed by others. 

2. “Have you taken a big breath?” A child who blurts out everything that comes into his mind without thinking is sure to put plenty of people offside. ‘Think before you speak’ is the type of message that every child should have in mind. The same applies to social media. Just because they think something does not mean they post it. ‘Take a big breath’ may just about be the most important message to give your kids about social media. 

3. “Do you want the Principal to see this?!” Inappropriate language, images or threats posted online cannot be withdrawn and even if deleted can be recovered by authorities if deemed necessary! The viral nature of social media means that kids should only post messages and photos that they want to be spread and read by a large audience. 

4. “How does this post make you feel?” We need to teach kids that not every post needs to be commented upon and not every thought needs to be shared, particularly when they are angry. Teaching them to walk away and then to step back in when they have calmed down is perhaps the most important communication lesson of all. It is very relevant to social media as emotions are often the last thing on many people’s minds when they haphazardly post a message. 

5. “How will you fix this?” Social media just like any social space requires kids to behave ethically and with kindness. When kids overstep the mark and post hurtful things then it’s fair that they fix their mistakes and apologise. It is reasonable that we teach our children to act with tolerance and with empathy online, and if mean things are posted then they should be expected to try to repair relationships through social media, just as they should offline.

[Michael Grose] 

“Parents should have conversations with children around social media before they reach the teenage years. Starting these conversations when they are younger means that they are more open to our parenting opinions, as well as being a little more amenable to the messages of tolerance, kindness and empathy that we need to encourage.”

[Galit Breen “Kindness Wins”]

Homework

Usually, one of the first things that begins to fade at this time of year is homework. Parents need to dig deep and keep an optimistic outlook. A couple more weeks of homework may seem like an eternity to kids. However, by concentrating on encouraging them to keep going, set a goal and the reward at the end is two weeks holiday.

Homework always has and always will be a source of frustration in many households around the country if not the world...so you’re not alone on this one! However, why is it so that some families struggle with homework more than others? The answer to that question is simple…. The value parents place on supporting their children and their child’s teacher, clear and consistent expectations and routines right from the start.

Homework is a common expectation for most primary school children. The nature of the activities will vary between different schools and for different ages. Purpose, content and teacher expectations on homework are covered at our parent information nights at the beginning of each year. Information about what is covered at these nights is also forwarded home to all parents.

Homework causes more headaches for parents than it does for children. Some parents worry because their children don’t seem to do enough while others are concerned because they are given too much. And most parents want to be able to help their children more effectively. Homework is very much a part of secondary education; however primary schools vary in their approach. As a general rule, little formal work is given to children in the first couple of years of schooling. But as they progress, the amount of homework increases.

Here at Lourdes each year level has a clearly defined homework procedure and expectations. Homework tasks should be an extension of work covered in class or revision. In other words, unless a student has been absent from school, the excuse of “I don’t know what to do”, is not completely accurate. For the kids who genuinely struggle academically, tasks and expectations are modified to suit the needs of the individual student. Completion of assignments in older year levels are never given at the last moment. The students are always provided with criteria sheets and rubrics with more than enough class and home time for their completion.

As I mentioned on assembly last week, I have been around the teaching profession long enough as well as a parent, to determine whether the amount or difficulty of homework is appropriate or not. I can assure all parents that homework expectations across the year levels are not excessive in any way. With a mindset of persistence "power of now" and getting it done and being organised, children should have little difficulty in completing their homework and submitting it on time.

I am fully aware there has been considerable debate over the last decade about the value of homework for primary aged children. Most educators agree that reading and learning of basic maths facts are the most valuable homework that a child can do and should become a daily habit for children. What we need to understand is that schools don’t set and have never set homework to improve academic performance. The benefits of homework are to reinforce topics covered at school, promote important learning habits of persistence and organization and to help establish a regular study routine in preparation for secondary school study expectations.

Opportunities

At Our Lady of Lourdes, we strive to offer the kids as many opportunities as possible in order to engage students in a variety of ways. These include, Tech Time, specialist tech lessons, interschool sport, gala days, drama club, choir, Yr. 6 leadership groups, excursions, camps, gymnastics, sports coaching, various library based activities, speaking festival and other performing arts events. The students certainly do have a great deal of choice from term to term. They are wonderful opportunities but they are also privileges received in return for positive behaviours and demonstrated work ethic. Students cannot expect to be chosen to represent the school in sporting or cultural pursuits if they are repeatedly reminded about poor choices in behaviour or who are regularly not putting in the expected effort with their schoolwork. Along with the teachers, particularly in the upper grades, I spend time throughout the term to constantly remind students of the role they play in co-operating with the teachers to create a safe, harmonious and enjoyable learning environment.

Race Day

Wow! What a great night! A big thank you to all who attended our major fundraising event last Saturday night. It was obvious that everyone had a ball. Thanks to all who supported the Race Day, especially our amazing sponsors, a total of $22,000 was raised for the school. So, to all who donated prizes, purchased multi-draw tickets, sponsored, attended the race day, I extend our sincerest gratitude for your wonderful support.

Prep 2022

A final reminder for any existing family who may have a child eligible for Prep in 2022 to ensure an enrolment application has been submitted. Children who are born between 1/07/2016 to 30/06/2017 are eligible to enter next year’s Prep program. It is vitally important that we have secured a place for children of existing families prior to offering places to new families. Formal enrolment interviews are not conducted for existing families unless requested by the parents. I would also highly recommend that you regularly discuss your child’s progress with your Kindy teacher. Delayed entry for children who are not developmentally ready for formal schooling is the best strategy by far in ensuring your child is given every opportunity to experience a positive and enjoyable start. Children of existing families are guaranteed a Prep position for the following year if delayed entry is recommended by Kindergarten teachers or other specialists.

If you know of any prospective families seeking a Prep position in 2022, please encourage them to contact the school or submit an application by the end of next week. Interviews for prospective new families will commence next Thursday 25^th March.

NSSAB

Every four years, all Catholic and Independent schools are required to be audited by the Non-State Schools Accreditation Board. This audit involves an external validator to review governance policies and procedures of each school. This would include an audit of Student Protection, OHS, Student Support procedures, as well as current curriculum programs, resources and facilities and school improvement processes. The review of our school will be conducted next Monday. Following a successful audit, the school is then provided with accreditation for another four years.

Principal Performance Review

Catholic School Principals are required to undergo an individual performance review every four to five years. As this is my 10^th year at Lourdes, I’m up for my second review. All families and staff should have received an email outlining the purpose and procedure of my upcoming review in Term 2. I certainly encourage each family to complete the survey which will be forwarded to you in the coming weeks. Similar to our whole school review last year, the focus of my performance review is to identify what is going well and to provide feedback on areas to improve on over the next 4-5 years.

NAPLAN Practice

NAPLAN for our Year 3 & 5 students will be held this year over two weeks in May. As part of their preparation for NAPLAN, the students will participate in a practice test on Monday 29^th March. This practice test will provide students with some insight into how the online test looks and tips on how to navigate and how to use the online tools. The practice test is also designed to trial the school’s broadband capacity. It is most important that all Yr 3 & 5 students are present at school on the 29^th to take full advantage of the practice test.

Cross Country

Our school Cross Country Carnival will be held on Tuesday 30^th March at Newtown Park. Full details of the carnival have been provided by Mrs. Salisbury in the last couple of newsletters and is again included in the P.E. News of this edition. Please take the time to carefully read the information, especially for those students wishing to run in the competitive events.

Tuckshop

Over recent weeks there has been a significant increase in the number of tuckshop orders. While this is an encouraging reflection on the wonderful service Tegan and her faithful band of volunteers provide, the increase in orders is placing pressure on the volunteers to process 400 plus orders each Friday. Consequently, we need some more help in the Tuckshop each Friday. Even if it is for a couple of hours, any assistance will be greatly appreciated. If you can help out in any way, please contact the school as soon as possible.

School Fees

The migration of family data to the new admin system has unfortunately caused a few issues with regard to forwarding school fee statements to each family. However, we have managed to overcome these issues and statements were emailed home to families this morning. Please be advised, that the statement sent does not reflect any extra-curricular activies such as Tech Time, Chess Club, Camps and Excursions and is only covering the school fees and levies. A statement with these extra-curricular activities will follow in due course. If you have any questions in relation to your statement please contact Hazel at the school office.

Most families utilize internet banking; however, parents are more than welcome to come into the office and pay school fees at any time, eftpos facilities are available at the office. If you would like to start paying via BPAY, please contact Hazel in the front office for your biller code and reference number.

Once again, I apologize for the delay in sending out statements and any inconvenience this may have caused but it is vital that we are confident that family details are correct rather than a “fingers crossed and hope for the best” approach in launching untested financial and administrative procedures. Thank you for your continued understanding in this matter and we look forward to receiving timely payment of school fees and levies.

Happy Easter

This will be our last newsletter for the term, so I will take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Easter. Please take care if you are travelling and I look forward to catching up with everyone after a well-earned mid semester break.

Thanks for reading…...Chris.