TWCS Newsletter Term 2 Week 2 2024

Welcome Back

Hello and welcome back to Term 2.

I hope you all took advantage of the lovely weather we had during the two-week school break and spent time in the great outdoors. We are so very lucky to live in this beautiful state. As we start another school term, there is a lot to be grateful for with a lot of very exciting learning opportunities. We welcome some new staff and students to the TWCS community as they begin their time with us this term.

New Staff

• Alexandra (ESO)
• Sophie (ESO)
• Student Teachers - Harleen and Ganiesha

New Students

• Islah (Yr 3)
• Cullen (Rec)
• Henry (Yr 1)

I started the term engaging with 50 other Catholic leaders from across the country in a 3 day executive leadership course conducted by The Brown Collective. The 3 days offered an inciteful opportunity to speak with and learn from principals from archdioceses from around Australia. Some key learnings:

• Our staff are remarkable individuals with a deep commitment to our children
• All schools work with very similar challenges
• We are blessed with a rich Tradition that underpins our mission
• There are some real challenges facing the education sector

Catholic Education Awards

For the past 3 years, Catholic Education SA have held an annual awards night highlighting the excellent contributions being made across our sector to enhance catholic education for all children. There are a number of categories staff are nominated in. This year it is with great pride that Sarah Chandler was nominated for the Early Career Teacher award.

The award recognises early career teachers and the impact they have on their school communities. Please join me in congratulating Sarah on her nomination.

Mother’s Day Breakfast

Tomorrow morning we celebrate our mother’s, grandmother’s and mother figures in our lives with a special Mother’s Day Breakfast. A huge thank you as always to our amazing P&F team for the organisation that goes in to bringing together this wonderful morning. I wish all our mums a wonderful day on Sunday, I hope the children suitably spoil you!

Busy term

As it has become accustom, there are a number of events/activities taking place this term that I encourage you to add to your diaries. To name just a few:

Week 3
- Catholic Education Week
- Cross Country Trials start
Week 4
- Lacrosse Carnival
- National Simultaneous Storytime 
Week 5
- Wellbeing Day
- Reconciliation Week
Week 7
- Public Holiday Monday
- Pupil Free day Tuesday
- Basketball Carnival
- Our Little Wonders – Long Transition Program starts

Please keep an eye out for a few important Parent Workshops we are putting together in Wellbeing and Cyber safety.

Catholic Education Week - #lovemycatholicschool

Each year CESA organise Catholic Education Week, highlighting the contribution Catholic Education makes towards developing young people, communities and the wider church.

Catholic Education Week is an opportunity to:

• celebrate the excellent teaching and learning that happens in our Catholic schools every day

• reflect on and highlight what makes our Catholic schools so special

• increase awareness of the Mid-Year Reception Intake

• celebrate with the recipients of the Catholic Education Awards.

This year’s theme of #lovemycatholicschool is an opportunity for us to highlight our wonderful community here at TWCS. Keep an eye out for our social media posts.

Anxious Generation Book by Professor Jonathan Haidt

I have been reading a new book, ‘The Anxious Generation’ by Jonathan Haidt a professor at New York University. In the book Professor Haidt speaks about the ‘great rewiring of childhood’ with the introduction of smartphones, social media and the ‘always on’ access these devices bring.

The research that has been conducted worldwide in the past decade on youth and adolescent mental health has highlighted a number of concerning trends associated with technology and its prevalence in society. Reading this book has affirmed our dedication and commitment to wellbeing at TWCS as a vitally important aspect of our work. I encourage you to do some reading of your own to help in your role as parents.

God Bless and go well

Ben

Principal

The last of term 1 was our annual Sports Day and it was a beauty!! We couldn’t have asked for better weather and the fabulous atmosphere created by the community. After a morning of preparation with the class teachers the students meet with their house teams and march onto the arena. Our House Captains were elected by their peers and staff early in Term 1 and we would like to congratulate them on a fantastic effort in leading their team. Well done to Eva W, Kaylan C, Jaxson W, Esme W, Nellie B, Aseem S, Harrison C, James J and Xavier C.

Our Captains led their teams with gusto as they chanted and health hustled to create a fabulous opening ceremony. The students rotated through a range of activities throughout the day with Sprints and hurdles being some of the students favourite events. We watched the parents fight it out in an epic tug of war battle and relay. The Students House Relay was a highlight and it was heart- warming to see the students cheer their hearts out, supporting their school mates and giving everything a go.  

 We saw the wonderful sportsmanship displayed by all the teams and resilience too. The time came to collate the points and reveal who were the spirit cup winners. The cup is awarded to the team who has been showing teamwork, sportsmanship and embracing the words In all things love in their approach to the day.  

Congratulations to Mackillop for winning the spirit cup in 2024.  

In a very close race for the 2024 Shield with the lead changing numerous times in the lead up to the announcemnt, Aloysius came out as the winners!!!

A fantastic day and another sports day to remember. A big thank you to all of the staff for supporting their students to make the day so enjoyable for our students especially to Di and Peta for working hard on the tabulation table. 

Welcome back to Term 2. We are certainly blessed to still be enjoying such glorious sunny weather in the month of May.

Season of Easter

As a Church we are still in the season of Easter until Pentecost Sunday on the 19^{th of} May. The Church celebrates the Easter season for 50 days, culminating with the feast of Pentecost, where Scripture (Acts 2:1-31) tells us that the Holy Spirit descended on the Disciples. Within the Catholic Church, the Easter season serves as a time of spiritual renewal, encouraging us to renew our faith and dedication to our spiritual journey. After Jesus died, the disciples were challenged to go out and to spread the message of Christ as the first Christian communities were established.

This term at Tenison Woods school we will be thinking about ways in which we can spread the message of Jesus through outreach and a call to action. Reconciliation Week and the Vinnies Winter Appeal are some of the ways in which we as a school community can spread Jesus’ message of love and inclusion. Further information regarding the Vinnie’s Winter appeal will be posted to Audiri in the coming weeks.

May – the month of Mary

The month of May in the Catholic Church is dedicated to honoring Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Mary was the first disciple, the first to say yes and therefore we look to her as our Mother for guidance also. Mary was a courageous Jewish woman who responded to God’s call to be the mother of Jesus and is now a saint. Because of her courage and dedication to God, Mary is honoured in a many special ways in the Church. May Mary’s devotion and grace, guide and inspire us in our everyday lives, providing us with a beacon of compassion and strength.

The annual Marian procession is the one of the main ways in which South Australian Catholics show their devotion to Mary. This year celebrates the 75^th anniversary of this special tradition. Archbishop Patrick O’Regan said that the Marian Procession is a wonderful opportunity to gather communities together and provide a prayerful experience with Mary as the central focus. This year’s procession will be held in the city on Pentecost Sunday, the 19^{th of} May. Further information can be found in the latest edition of the Southern Cross

https://thesoutherncross.org.au/news/2024/04/26/following-in-her-footsteps/

This week I visited with the Reception and Year 1 students as they practiced for their Mother’s Day Liturgy. They are singing two beautiful songs about Mary and mothers which I am sure will bring a tear to many eyes. One of the songs is called Mary’s Heart by Danielle Rose and these are just some of the beautiful lyrics.

‘Oh Mary, Mother of Jesus

Give me your heart
That I might receive Jesus
Give me your heart
So beautiful, so pure
So immaculate, so full
Of love and humanity.’

Sending warm wishes to all the mothers and cherished motherly figures within our school community. I hope that Sunday brings you a day filled with joy and special moments alongside the loved ones who matter most to you.

Sheena Pattinson

Australian Early Development Census

Our school, like many others, will join the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) in May 2024. It's a nationwide initiative completed every three years, assessing children's development before they start full-time school. AEDC data helps understand community needs and plan support services. Participation is voluntary but vital for accurate results. Parents don't need to provide new information, and individual child data isn't disclosed. Parents of students in reception have received a letter of communication from me. For further information, please visit, www.aedc.gov.au

Keeping safe Child Protection Curriculum

Our Term 2 Keeping safe Child Protection focus is ‘Relationships’. Throughout the term students will engage in age-appropriate lessons through the Health Curriculum to develop an understanding of this topic in particular trust and our trust networks. Students are asked to identify a network of people and support services they can trust and seek help from.  The communication letter was sent home in February. If you would like any further information regarding the Keeping safe Protection Curriculum, please feel free to contact me or the Keeping Safe website,  http://kscpc.2.vu/DE_ParentsCarers.

The Importance of Routines
 

I recently read an article discussing the benefits of establishing routines for both children and parents. It prompted me to evaluate the routines in my own household, ensuring that both my daughter and I have structured schedules.

Research shows that consistent, repetitive routines can have a calming effect and alleviate stress and anxiety. This is because they provide a sense of control over daily activities, leading to a feeling of overall life control. Additionally, achieving tasks within a routine can bring a sense of accomplishment, further reducing stress. While establishing routines may pose challenges initially, the long-term benefits for everyone involved make it worthwhile.

TIPS ON HOW TO GET INTO A ROUTINE 

1. Decide what needs to be in your routine. Do you want to get more exercise or more alone time?

2. Set small goals. Break each large goal into smaller goals - work your way up to something you want to accomplish.

 3. Layout a plan - add in what you want to accomplish with your routine. Want to get more exercise? Start a new hobby?

4. Be consistent with time - time is important for your routine, keep track of the time so you know what is coming up next.

5. Make it fun! Have fun with your routine don’t add in something you’re not going to enjoy.

6. Track your progress - are you sticking to the routine? If so, then well done and keep it up. If not, then look for where you can improve.

7. Reward yourself.

Kind regards,

Claire Little

Assistant Principal: Teaching and Learning

This Term 3B have started looking at Indigenous Art. We have looked at a number of different artists through videos and artworks and used the medium they were most known for using to recreate in a lesson-based activity. Last week we looked at an Artist called Nongirrna Marawili who is an artist in Yirrkala, in northeast Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. Our activity was to create a stencil that represented the fundaments of print making, pattern, repetition, and colour.

We started by watching a video of our chosen artist, who showed us how they started making their artworks. We then folded a paper in half and drew our stencil on this in pencil. We cut our design out and then using water colours we painted inside the stencil pattern. We are looking forward to looking at more artists and the different ways we can use materials in our artwork.

Here at TWCS, we provide a wide range of sporting options for students of all ages from Reception to Year 6. Whether you’re into the fast-paced action of basketball and soccer or enjoy taking a step back and diving head-first into cricket, we have something to offer for everyone!
Going back in time to Term 1, our TWCS Year 2/3 Cricket team saw results within their school competition, playing each Saturday morning down at Flinders Park! It's a great opportunity for our students and community to connect with each other over a game of Aussie-classic Cricket!
Our most popular Term 1 sport, basketball, saw participants right through from Reception to Year 6. Whether it’d be our R/1 Basketball Skills program on a Monday afternoon, learning the basic fundamental skills of basketball and allowing a nice introduction to the sport for our younger ballers, right through to our competition teams from Years 2-6. We were fortunate this year to nominate two teams in the Year 2/3 age bracket and a larger Year 5/6 team, playing on Monday and Friday nights respectively at the state-of-the-art St Clair sporting complex. These basketball teams are currently half-way through their season, as they begin the second half through the end of Term 2.
Term 2 is another exciting period for school sport, as we once again offer all students the opportunity to participate in either soccer or netball! With nomination numbers higher than ever before, we were able to nominate three netball teams and four soccer teams, with all matches starting this Saturday, going right through until end of Term 3!
A massive thank you to all our parent volunteers who put their hand up to either coach, team manage, act as ground steward, or simply bring the team oranges each week to half-time. We are super appreciative of everyone and school sport at TWCS wouldn’t be possible without you!
Moving forward, if you wish to participate in school sport at TWCS in the future, please don’t hesitate to reach out to either Mitch or Katie, who would be more than happy to put your name down on the team sheet! We are super excited to see what’s to come at TWCS and anticipate our school sport to continue to grow and flourish in the future!
-
Mitch Saba (Sports Coordinator)

The P&F are looking forward to celebrating our Mother’s Day breakfast on Friday 10^th May.  It is always a special day for our community as we take the opportunity to come together and celebrate our special care givers.  It looks like we will be blessed with lovely weather too.  Thank you to Unique Homestyle Foods and Alby’s Gluten Free Bakery for preparing the beautiful food that we will enjoy tomorrow and a big thankyou in advance to Greg our coffee guy.  We have a couple of wonderful Dads who will help tomorrow, thank you in advance to Ryan and Stuart for volunteering in the canteen.  Please look out for the family photo opportunities with our fantastic roving photographer Diana and the lovely Mother’s Day photo frame!

During Term 1 the children enjoyed Icy treat Wednesdays, a big thank you to Kimberley Marjas and Christina Fabbian for doing a wonderful job volunteering in the canteen.  Icy Treat Wednesday will be back in Term 4.

Our canteen also opened on the last day of Term 1 for the fantastic Tenison Woods annual sports day!  Thank you to our canteen helpers Sarah Wylie & Keryn MacDonald for selling drinks & ice creams and thank you to all of you who visited the canteen that day! What a wonderful day it was, and we extend our thanks and congratulations to Katie & Mitch and all the staff for putting on such a successful and enjoyable day for our wider school community.

Thank you to Marissa Sorich & Kirsty Miller for organising the Kytons Hot Cross Bun Fundraiser and Wine Drive before Easter, this organised duo makes the task look easy!  The support of the community for these initiatives is greatly appreciated.

The Tenison Woods printed Aprons are on their way home today, to the families that pre-ordered. Thank you to these families for your support, we just know that you will be looking sharp and staying tidy whilst you do your cooking or BBQing!

Our warmest thanks go to Peta in the Front Office and school mum of three, Christina Fabbian for your wonderful efforts and fine tuning to get the Year Level Representative initiative off the ground with a fresh approach in 2024. 

We are very fortunate to have the following people volunteer to help foster a warm and friendly community across the year levels here at Tenison Woods, thank you to Heidi Loureiro, Stella Chubb, Shannon Hornhardt, Marissa Sorich, Kimberley Marjas, Rebecca Hein and Christina Fabbian.  We are grateful for your efforts.

We have applied to Bunnings at Mile End once again, for our annual Bunnings BBQ.  Please stay tuned as we wait to hear back as to the date of the BBQ!

We would like to extend a warm invitation to you all for our upcoming P&F meeting on next Wednesday 15^th May if you would like to join us either in the staff room or online.

Kind regards, Chris Trewin & Jane O’Donoghue