The Importance of Mothers

I know the card’s funny because despite what our kids think, it is rarely true. Kids are hard work. We get moments of joy and pride but on average, parents and especially mums are taken for granted. Mums come in all shapes and sizes. No two mums are the same. Our experience of our mums is very different and it is hard to write about mums without making unhelpful broad sweeping generalisations. Some mums are fantastic carers, some are highly successful professionals. Many are both. One thing that all mums seem to have in common is that they are multi-taking super wizards who always have their hands full. Their work never stops and most often they work to support everyone other than themselves. Whilst I agree that it is the duty of mothers and fathers to take the best possible care of their family (tasks performed endlessly and usually happily), children need to realise that they do not live with a robot. That is why the students of St Francis were encouraged to take some time to show their appreciation of their mums, grandmothers and influential women in their lives this weekend. Hopefully you were shown some expression of how invaluable you are in your young person’s life. A moment of gratitude.

A huge thank you to all the mums, grandmothers, teachers and women who are significant in the lives of our school community for what you do. You are priceless and despite the fact that it seems like a largely thankless job, your work really does matter and it does pay off. My 30 years of experience as an educator tells me that children who have experienced the strong love of influential women are far more likely to be happy and successful. If attendance at our Mother’s Day liturgy on Friday is any indication, the students of St Francis are in good hands.

Gratefully yours- Simon

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The Renaissance Reading program continues in Term 2, and Years 5-8 have continued to enjoy regular reading in class. A reminder to all MYL students that when you finish reading a Renaissance book, be sure to log into the Renaissance AR Quizzes and complete the quiz for your book. Make sure you are visiting the library regularly to keep up your reading - books in the library marked with a blue dot show you that there is a Reading Quiz available. Doing the quizzes will help you track your progress as a reader and let you know if you are improving, as well as allow you to earn STAR points to reach your target! You can find out more information on this process on the Middle Years Website - Reading Hub. 

STAR ☆ Readers

Welcome back to Term 2! We would like to acknowledge the achievements of our Renaissance Readers - some students have been reading prolifically at school as well as over the holidays and have completed upwards of 10 books and quizzes so far this year - this is a fantastic effort! Special shout out to Year 5 and 6 who are really enjoying the Renaissance program. The following students who have been recognised for their reading achievements - you are our ‘STAR ☆ Readers’ for the past few weeks! Well done!

Yours in Literacy,

Ms Courtney Spencer

Earlier this week, Year 9 English students had the opportunity to attend a live performance of the ‘Poetry In Action’ theatre company’s “Words of War” which took us on a journey through the experience of World War 1 through the creative re-enactment of renowned poet Wilfrid Owen’s life.

Intertwining poetry with sprinkles of humour and thought-provoking narration was an engaging way for students to gain greater knowledge on how poets convey their stance on the divided topic of war through their own unique lense, whilst leaving room for individual interpretation in the reader.

Through showcasing the different perspectives of the three narrators, the audience was able to develop their own personal truth on the reality of war, a topic that remains relevant in the political landscape of contemporary society.

The experience provided a powerful link to the unit currently being studied by Year 9, by exploring the issues of war through language that conveys the intensity of emotion, and aids in the depiction of both pro and anti-war stances.

Year 9 students unanimously agreed that this was a highly effective way of presenting complex themes in a way that was both enjoyable and informative.

- Danielle & Jessica , Year 9

Congraulations to Ryan H in yr 9 who with his baseball team have been selected to complete in the 2021 Australian Junior League Championship, which will be held on the 16th May- 20th May at West Beach, Adelaide. The qualifying winning team set to represent Australia at the Junior League World Series in Taylor, Michigan USA.

We wish Ryan and his team the best of luck!!!!

To celebrate National Families Week CatholicCare is running a five-part webinar series to celebrate family and make the most out of family life. Each webinar will have a different focus. 

Family Resilience
Understand what a resilient person and family looks like, and how you can build resilience within yourself and your family.

Family Values
Understand what values are and why they are important. By identifying our family values we can better understand and connect.

Family Connection
With our lives so busy we can struggle to keep connections within our family, learn why connection is important and how to sustain or build family connections

Family Self-Care
Learn why self-care is so important and how looking after ourselves, has a flow-on effect on the whole family.

Family Mindfulness
Learn what mindfulness is and the benefits it provides, not just for ourselves, but also the benefit it has on our family.

For more information and to register visit:

https://www.catholiccare.dow.org.au/services-and-programs/family/family-care/courses/national-families-week-webinar-series/