Principal's Reflection

Dear Families,

In schools and in life, there are some weeks that are quieter and there are some weeks that have 'a bit more happening.' Last week is a great example of a 'bit happening' at St Brigid's, however, what a fantastic week our students had. On Monday, I was fortunate enough to accompany the Grade 6's on their cultural leadership day. It was fantastic to witness the growth that our leaders are making and the leadership skills that they are developing. On Wednesday, we had Peter Mitchell (Mitch), founder of the Making Jesus Real (MJR) program come in and work with students in Grades 3 and 4 as well as address our school at assembly. Students took a significant amount from these sessions with Mitch and this was evident through my conversations with students and families across the week. The message that Mitch passed on is a simple one. As people and members of this community we have an outstanding opportunity to take the learnings from Jesus and put them into action into our own lives. It could be as simple as a smile or helping out at school or at home. Thank you Mitch for your work with our students. Below are some responses students gave to Mitch in answering the question of: WHAT CAN YOU DO TO BE A BETTER TEAM PLAYER AT HOME (TAH)? 

  • By saying THANKYOU 3 times every day at home to my parents and siblings
  • To be more cheerful at home and by keeping my room tidy
  • To be more aware of the Spirit of Jesus at home when it happens
  • By thanking my parents for the time, love and sacrifice they have given me
  • Less moaning groaning and complaining at home
  • By doing my jobs cheerfully without being reminded
  • Asking family members about their day
  • By being kinder and more pleasant to family members
  • To be more cheerful, giving more compliments and encouraging words at home

On Friday our Grade 6's travelled to St Peter Chanel in Smithton to work with Marty Ogle as part of the MJR program. This opportunity not only allows our students to continue to reflect on their values, attitudes and choices but to also develop relationships with students from another Catholic school. Thank you to the team at SPC for hosting our Grade 6's. Further across the week, our students from Prep to Grade 2 participated in the swimming program and our Grade 3 and 5 students participated in NAPLAN testing. Finally, we came together as a community on Saturday night to celebrate Mass. Thank you to the staff and families who were in attendance. 

Despite all of the busyness that occurred last week, there were two common threads. The first being that our students consistently demonstrated our values of care, courage, curiosity and connection in a variety of settings and that our school values were a consistent point of emphasis in all of the learning opportunities. This feedback has been consistently been passed back to our school and it is a credit to not only our students, but to the work of our staff and all in our community. The second key thread that was evident last week was our vision statement. Our vision states that our aim at SBW is "To provide high quality education within a connected community that inspires students to grow holistically, in faith, love, virtue and knowledge".  As a school we are working diligently to ensure that we are aspiring to our vision in order to provide the best possible, holistic learning opportunities for our students. 

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Nic