Dear SJV Families

Welcome to the end of Wk 3. 

I think it has been remiss of me not to include a prayer from our current Pope, therefore i have placed his prayer for this month below. 

Jesus, Lord of our history,

Faithful companion and living presence,

You who never tire of coming to meet us,Here we are, in need of your peace.

We live in times of fear and division.Sometimes we act as if we were alone,

Building walls that separate us from one another,Forgetting that we are brothers and

sisters. Send us your Spirit, Lord, To rekindle within us The desire to understand one

another, to listen, To live together with respect and compassion.

Give us the courage to seek paths of dialogue, To respond to conflict with gestures of

fraternity, To open our hearts to others without fear of differences.

Make us builders of bridges, Able to overcome borders and ideologies,

Able to see others through the eyes of the heart, Recognizing in every person an

inviolable dignity. Help us create spaces where hope can flourish,

Where diversity is not a threat But a richness that makes us more human.

Amen

Trivia Night 15th August 7pm. 

Are you ready for a hootin' and a hoolerin', rip snortin' good time for the planned trivia night?  We have definitely hit our target for parent participation and will be forging ahead with the Western inspired theme.  I look forward to seeing everyone there. 

Classroom Mastery and Good Manners

Yesterday, I re-stated school expectations to the whole school about moving to and from class, how we greet each other and how we listen to instructions from teachers.  I made sure that the students realise that what I discussed are expected norms at SJV.  These norms help the flow of lessons and stops distractions from interfering with our learning. 

I  reflected on my discussion and began to relate the topic to one of an article I had recently read on manners.  Many of the concepts discussed in Classroom Mastery relate quite well to manners. 

The next time I discuss our norms with children I will discuss manners and how students can use them to work more efficiently in class.

I have placed a link below to the article I have read, it's a little long but you might find it an interesting read. How to teach kids good manners (and why they matter)

Principal Away - NCEC/Appa Conference and SILOAM

There is an expectation for Principals to attend the National Catholic Education Conference which occurs every three years.  As such I will be travelling interstate to attend in Week 5 and then following this up with the Australian Primary Principal's Conference in Wk 6. 

What will be interesting will be the dynamic to a conference with a specific catholic educational perspective and one that sits outside a religious focus.

I will feed back to community as to what I discover.  

My principals's retreat is scheduled for Thursday and Friday of next week and this is always a great place to continue to strengthen my faith.  

Feast Day

A big thanks to all involved, especially Mrs Matchett for our Feast Day activities.  We began with a lovely mass and followed this with a Gem-A-Thon focussing on elements of our Resilience Project.  We learned more about our Patron Saint and finished the day with an amazing Variety Show.  

Thanks to all parents, grandparents and carers who came to support the children and adding to the fabulous atmosphere. 

Have a wonderful blessed day. 

Peter Rodda

Principal