Dear Parents and Carers,
Some of the most precious moments in a child’s faith journey are those of their First Holy Communion. We were blessed to be witnesses to this over the weekend. Congratulations to all of the children who made their First Eucharist on the weekend. One has to prepare carefully for such golden moments, or they glide away before one knows they have arrived. The children were a credit to their parents, in the way they were prepared and in how they participated in the ceremony.
Thank you to all of the Staff that attended Mass to support our students. Our school and parish communities appreciate all the hard work that was carried out in the preparation for the Sacrament. The goodwill of all our Parish and Staff is a massive asset to our school community.
Walk/Run or Ride to School Day
It was great to see so many students ‘stepping up’ to participate in our Walk/Run or Ride to School Day on Friday. We know, regular physical activity, especially walking, can improve self-esteem and confidence, help concentration, and improve overall fitness. Data shows less than 25% of ACT school children currently walk or ride to and from school, down from 80% 30 years ago. We are so grateful to Woolworths at Conder who continue to support our school in every event. On Friday, all of our students enjoyed a piece of fruit and a bottle of water on arrival. Thumbs up again to Woolies at Conder!
War on Waste at St Clare of Assisi
There's a war on waste happening at St Clare of Assisi! Our school community has been recycling all of our rubbish, both after morning tea and lunchtime as well as in the classrooms. Congratulations Mrs Ruzvidzo, the Sustainability Leaders along with the students of SCA who have been working so hard to become more sustainable at school and we will continue to embed sustainability into our curriculum. Look at all we have achieved over the year and our goals for the next 18 months. Thanks, Mrs Ruzvidzo, for being the driving force to such positive change.
Safety In and Around the School Grounds
I am asking for all our drivers to be careful and alert when driving along the roads around our school and in our school carpark, particularly at pick up time. It is difficult when cars are parked in the carpark and try to reverse into the traffic at pick up time. Please be mindful of the flow of the traffic and give way to the oncoming traffic. If we are all aware of the traffic, the parked cars and remember to stick to the school zone and car park speed limits we should all continue to remain safe getting to and from school. Thank you for your assistance with this.
School Uniform
A reminder that Summer Uniform commences in Term 4, so please check the wardrobe and visit the Clothing Pool, Lowes and Workin' Gear if any items are needed. We will have the usual transition period early in Term 4 to cater for the unpredictable weather.
Fete – Friday 15th November
Excitement is already building with our Fete coming up next term. Please set it aside in your calendar, knowing it promises to be a fun-filled family afternoon/evening. Please reach out to Fay Holden by email: SCAfete@outlook.com or myself if you are able to give a hand in the lead up.
School Fees
Term 3 school fees are now overdue. Thank you to those families who have paid their school fees. Please speak to Jo McCarthy, in the Front Office if you are having issues with your fees or if you are not sure of the amount due.
God Bless
Jo Reed
Acting Principal
Making Family Life Fun
For many of us, fun stopped becoming spontaneous and automatic around the time that we decided we had to be responsible adults. But if we want our families to be happier, we need to find ways to make family life FUN!
Here are 5 ways to make fun a habit:
1. Smile more
Imagine a child whose every interaction with their parent is met with a look of serious concentration or contemplation—they are not angry or annoyed, simply preoccupied. Now, imagine that when that same child looks at their parent, they receive warm smiles and gentle, approving eye contact. Which would have the most positive influence on the child’s wellbeing?
Smiles improve relationships, and they seem to make life more fun. Let your face know you feel great. Smile!
2. Learn new things together
Most children are naturally inquisitive and deeply curious. They love to learn new things. Learning is both fun and potentially profound when we do it together. We can have fun helping our children explore a topic they are interested in; we can plant a garden, learn new sports, and do crafts.
Exploration, learning, and curiosity are fun and make families happy. It simply requires that we are willing to be creative, explore ideas, and respond to our children’s questions with enthusiasm and interest.
3. Just add treats
I don’t know of any family activity that can’t be enhanced with treats. If you are having a family meeting or a working bee in the garden, include popcorn, ice cream, brownies, or, if you don’t do processed sugars, a big bowl of strawberries or freshly chopped watermelon.
This approach is best used randomly and for fun, rather than as a bribe. Treats are fun! But they should be offered unconditionally and to everyone, rather than only on conditions being met and only to those who meet the conditions. Otherwise, it stops being fun for everyone.
4. Celebrate—whatever!
Our lives are full of reasons to celebrate, from a child’s small success to a big achievement. Celebrate in varied ways: a hug, high-five, ice cream, movie outing, special date, or a family dinner. For best results, make celebrations spontaneous and unexpected, not used as bribes.
We don’t need to make our children’s minor experiences into front-page news, but we can have fun when they do well. Do something more than nod ‘well done’ while chopping carrots for dinner. Pause. Get into the moment. Respond actively and constructively. Celebrate!
5. Five minutes of fun
If your children are demanding your attention, give it to them. We can all afford 5 minutes to become engrossed in some fun with our children. This can be unstructured play, like rolling around on the floor or dancing to a favourite tune, or it can be structured play, like a game of UNO or charades.
These micro-moments of positive engagement show that we are involved and available to our children. They teach our children that they are worthy, and they promote a sense of family cohesion and togetherness. They give us moments to be grateful for, to reflect upon, and to savour.
So today, find something to smile about. Drop your agenda and have some fun. Find something new to learn about or explore with your children. Cook treats, buy treats, or just eat treats. And find something—anything—to celebrate. Then, do it again, maybe a little differently, tomorrow.
Dr Justin Coulson
Dr Justin Coulson is a dad to 6 daughters and grandfather to 1 granddaughter. He is the parenting expert and co-host of Channel 9’s Parental Guidance, and he and his wife host Australia’s #1 podcast for parents and family: The Happy Families podcast. He has written 9 books about families and parenting. For further details visit www.happyfamilies.com.au.
