News

Term 2 is over—how time flies. I was recently reading an article in the Economist about how Covid has disrupted education on a large scale. Since mid-April last year, 90% of the world’s learners have been locked out of classrooms. The closure of schools has impacted many students learning. Data has shown students learning less than what they usually would have done. At St Brigid’s College, we are blessed to be able to embrace classroom teaching and face to face contact. Our teachers continuously work hard in providing students with the best possibilities in the academic, social and spiritual aspects of their daily schooling activities. You would by now have received your child’s Semester 1 report via the SEQTA portal. It is good to acknowledge your child’s effort and also a perfect opportunity to encourage your child and build a growth mindset with them. Some schools talk about Dr Carol Dweck and use the power of ‘Yet’. I, for one, believe that all our students will reach their potential with guidance and directions from our teachers and parents. We have high expectations for our students in our school community. We know they will develop their abilities; and we encourage parents to praise the process and not the end results. When you watch students playing together, the Mercy value of Hospitality is certainly evident. Hospitality is being inviting and accepting of everyone. Students in the early years are naturally inclusive. Everyone is involved in the creation, and all ideas are welcomed. For example, the boys built a zoo, and Milly wanted to have a spa within the zoo. The little ones quickly accepted the ‘out of the box’ concept. At the Lightning Carnival recently, we had students involved in various sports. They encouraged and supported one another. We all have different talents, some shine exceptionally in sports, and others don’t. Whatever their sporting capabilities, they all played as one team. The wonderful Year 11 students were there, guiding and coaching their younger counterparts. Lunchtime is a time for sharing, caring, and having conversations with our friends. When it is wet weather, the Year 6 students organise structured games for the younger ones. Let the little children come unto me; it was a delight to witness the Year 1s liturgy in the Heritage Chapel, as they sang and confidently prayed the “Our Father”. The Year 6’s received the Sacrament of Confirmation on the 27 and 28 of June. I always enjoy listening to the names of the Saints they select. We congratulate the candidates for receiving the Holy Spirit and look forward to them being the succession of the Apostles. In Catholic Education, stewardship is one of the pillars of our vision and strategies. Through Pope Francis’ Laudato Si, the Year 6s have learned that we can live out our faith by caring for our common home. The world speaks about climate change and reducing carbon footprint. But, as Mother Teresa once said, we can always do small things with love. We can start the difference right here by providing opportunities to recycle containers for charity. We encourage students to place containers for change in the designated recycling bins. We also teach students about looking after and respecting the environment through minimising litter, less plastic wrappers, putting rubbish in the bins. On the topic of the environment, the boys’ toilets will be undergoing refurbishment these holidays. The boys will certainly find the “oasis” more pleasant place to visit. Students have enjoyed their time learning to dance hip-hop with the help of the Edu-Dance instructors. Dancing teaches timing, body movements and control. But, most importantly, the students enjoyed working with one another. Unfortunately, due to the snap COVID lockdown, the students could not perform their dance items. However, some made the most of the day and performed around the college and showcased their dance in class. Our assemblies always are always magnificently linked to the curriculum. For example, Year 4 Green spoke about Colonisation and exploration, while the Year 3 Green presented about different celebrations throughout the globe. It has been an excellent term despite the lockdown. This unpredictability only makes us stronger and more resilient. “Wise men ne’er sit and wail their loss, but cheerily seek how to redress their harms”. William Shakespeare. We wish everyone a safe holiday. God Bless. Anne Tan Head of Primary

Time flies, and we are now in the midst of term 2. Students are beautifully dressed in their Winter uniform to keep them warm. One of the highlights so far this term was the Mother’s Day event. It was such a wonderful day to spend time with the special person who gives us unconditional love. Year 5 Green did a fabulous narration from the book “Love You Forever” by Robert Munch. We then had a beautiful spread of cakes and tea. Another significant event that took place was the Interhouse Cross Country. We were blessed with glorious sunshine. What was more incredible was the show of collegiality as students cheered and supported one another. Learning and lots of knowledge was evident as we witnessed colourfully decorated spacecraft in Kindergarten. Students used their imagination and creativity to make them. Pre-Primary wrote the story of “Dear Zoo” by Rod Campbell. They also learned to innovate the story by changing the characters. The Year 6s learned about plants and the types of soil they need to grow. They experimented by planting seeds in varied conditions. Through their investigative skills, they were able to determine the specific earth that plants need to flourish. Prayers and Faith are still the main focus in our school. Year 6s attended mass along with the Lesmurdie Parish community. We also had two student leaders who represented the school at the mass to celebrate 200 years of Catholic Education in Australia. As for sports, by the time this newsletter is published, our interschool swimmers will hopefully be beaming with pride as they represent the College at the interschool swimming carnival. After school is a busy time, especially at the pick-up points, we advise parents to park their cars in the designated areas. Kindly follow the queue and pick up your child only from the given location. This system is to ensure the traffic flows with ease and the students’ safety. We would also like to thank parents who supported the school, whether volunteering for events or being partners in their learning. God Bless. Anne Tan Head of Primary

The long weekend with plans to make the most of the beautiful weather came to a screeching halt with a snap COVID lockdown announcement. It was a blessing we did not experience any local transmission of the virus, and we could once again gather to learn and be amongst our friends at school. The first week of the term, we had our ANZAC ceremony led by the Year 3 students on Friday. This was a sombre occasion for us remember those who have served and defended us. It was a touching moment seeing each class lay wreaths they had made. Year 1 students enjoyed a visit from some ravenous caterpillars. The students had the opportunity to witness black striped and green coloured caterpillars munching the leaves. On the tip of the stalk was a jade green, smooth, opulent chrysalis, waiting to be transformed into a butterfly. Students researched and learned they were monarch caterpillars. The beat and rhythm streaming from the Wandhju Room was a telltale sign that Edu-Dance had commenced for the term. Not only were the students dancing hip-hop, but the teachers also joined in as they could not resist moving to the music. Music always lifts the spirit, which was evident from the faces that were radiant with smiles during the dance lessons. Creative play is essential in the early years. Whether they have balloons, spades or a bucket, students use their imagination to create stories in the playground. Play is an essential element in childhood. It is through play we build solid muscles and coordinate our bodies. Play can also be a tool for learning, where students discover and investigate. The college wants to create a nature playground in the Junior Oval area. We will need community support to see the fruition of this project. We welcome parents who can support us with our nature playground. We will need community support to see the fruition of this project. We welcome parents who can support us with our nature playground. We will require resources such as labour, machinery and natural products. If you think you can help us, do not hesitate to contact us at tan.anne@stbrigids.wa.edu.au “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.” Henry Ford We look forward to hearing from you. Best Regards Anne Tan Head of Primary

Despite manoeuvring through the short term like formula one drivers, our primary teachers have established and accomplished many things within a short period. Our Spelling Mastery lessons have been in full swing. Every morning, students moved into their learning groups in an orderly and synchronised way. Many students have mentioned how much they enjoyed the daily spelling routines. Within the classroom, students regularly used mini-whiteboards. The whiteboards are similar to the old-fashioned chalkboards that allow students to show their responses. Having students write the responses on whiteboards gave the teachers the chance to quickly glance around the room and see the student’s answers in real-time assessment mode, provide immediate feedback and correct any mistakes made. Whiteboards are a great way to “Check for Understanding” and ensure that every student is learning and working. Lifting the boards also provides a kinesthetic activity for students when they show their answers. Our kindy children made instruments with socks and stones as part of their letters and sounds activities. This activity helped to train their little ears to discern different sounds. They sang and played their hand-made instruments and entertained our visitors during the Open Day. It was lovely to share the achievements of the students with their parents during our assemblies. We had an astounding discovery of talents in Year 6 Green as these students wrote their script and directed the skit. Embedded within the brilliant dramaturgy were important messages about cybersafety. Year 5 Gold used their understanding of persuasive text and turned it into an entertaining play. In their skit, the big bad wolf’s lawyer had to convince the court that the wolf was not the perpetrator, but an innocent and misunderstood character who knocked on the little pigs’ doors to borrow a cup of sugar! The swimming carnival was one of the highlights of this term, and it was an event that exhibited St Brigid’s College community and warmth. Parents decorated the house bays and the decorations had a wonderful carnival fiesta feel. The excitement of the event pumped through the veins of our students as they competed in their events. Everyone was a winner because of the immense participation and collaboration. Primary Inter-House Swimming Results: 1. Watson 1391 2. McAuley 1364 3. Shine 1223 4. Rielly 1215 5. Docherty 1183 6. O’Connor 1110 Year 3 Boys Champion – Nicholas Emmott Runner up – Blaise Parmenter Year 3 Girls Champion – Madison Schmidberger Runner up – Kayla Pammenter Year 4 Boys Champion – Jase Goodall & Daniel Kettle Runner up – Kyle Hales Year 4 Girls Champion – Molly Sayer Runner up – Havana Dobson & Maisie Lloyd Year 5 Boys Champion – Aaden Kettle Runner up – Kobi Paull Year 5 Girls Champion – Giuseppina D’Orazio Runner up – Lara Sanderson Year 6 Boys Champion – William Stockdale Runner up – Nathaniel Martin Year 6 Girls Champion – Amelie Markovic Runner up – Ella Evangelista-Comito & Laura Considine Many other exciting events have taken place since the last newsletter, including the Year 4s celebrating their liturgy at OLOL church. It was a refreshing change to walk across and celebrate Mass with the parishioners. The Year 2s and 3s celebrated their Mass in the chapel. The Year 5s took Mrs Cox’s message of “hospitality” and “compassion” to another level. They integrated narrative writing with religion as they retold the Good Samaritan story and made their story enjoyable by using their grammar skills. We also had the Year 2s and 3s visiting the Sawyers Valley Primary School, going back to the olden days. Some of our primary students were presented the Spirit of Mercy Award, as they consistently made a positive contribution to the school community. Kindy – Prudence Hookway Preprimary – Cruz Marvelli Year 1-Lakshmi Thananchayan Year 2 – Thomas Bolding Year 3- Laycee Chadd Year 4 – Carlo Ridolo Year 5 -Isabelle Tysoe Year 6 – McKenzie Allington The Year 5’s took centre stage for the Stations of the Cross and a liturgical dance presentation. Students were moved as they remembered the love of Christ as He sacrificed Himself for us. The Easter Hat Parade gave the students an upbeat end to the term. The entire parade glowed with colours. As you can see, the primary area is always vibrant with activities. There is never a dull moment on the primary campus. As Easter approaches, may we always remember that Easter not only renews our faith but it is a new beginning and new hope, especially at this time when the world needs reminding during the pandemic. From the staff on the Primary campus, we wish every one of you a Blessed Easter and a safe holiday. “We are an Easter People, and Alleluia is our song.” St John Paul II Anne Tan Head of Junior School

What an unusual and delayed start to 2021. It has been fantastic welcoming our St Brigid’s families back and a special welcome to new families. False start aside, we still had a great beginning. Students settled into their routines very quickly, and the pulse of learning began. Wandering around the school in the morning, I see the early years working on their letters and sounds. Students are learning a new letter sound each day, blending and segmenting words. From Year two to Year six, they are geared and ready to take on Spelling Mastery. Throughout the classrooms, Learning Intention and Success Criteria are visibly seen and given to students. By explicitly providing students with challenging goals, they would engage, manage and plan their learning. “Research shows goals are important for enhancing performance. It is important to set challenging goals, rather than ‘do your best’ goals relative to the student starting place.” (Hattie,2009) It is fabulous watching the Kindergarten and Pre -Primary students playing with the freshly painted playground. During recess and lunch, the Year 6’s buddied with Year 1’s to help our little leagues transition to big school. I watched Kindergarten and Pre-primary students during play, and I am amused at how they used their imagination. Although it has been two weeks into the term, we have already had an array of events. We officially acknowledged our primary leaders and house leader into their roles. We had the Ash Wednesday liturgy and the opening mass. These pray-filled occasions had a soothing and calming effect on us as we celebrated the presence of Christ amongst us. The primary leaders had their first leadership role when they led the first assembly. Year 6 Gold held their assembly, and it was entertaining when these students parodied Disney stories in a pandemic situation. Their talents were evident, and I will be watching out for some future Oscar winners. Our first ‘Little Ducks” playgroup for our future kindergarten students also took place last week with our well loved Mrs McDermott, our Kindergarten teacher running the programme. Mrs McDermott sang and read stories to the children who also had the opportunity to paint and engage in creative play. It is a holistic programme inspired by Reggio Emilia pedagogy and balanced with building a firmer foundation for reading and writing. If you know of any families interested in this exceptional kindergarten program, please direct them to us. Many exciting activities are coming our way. One of them is the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P), taking place on Thursday, the 18 of March 2021, at 6:30 p.m. Triple P is the parenting program that helps make raising kids easier. It gives you tips and ideas to help raise happy and confident kids; see more of the behaviours you like and less of the ones you do not, and have better relationships with your family. More information is found on this link: here I have thoroughly enjoyed my morning visits to classes, and I always look forward to this lovely ritual as it brightens my day to see beautiful smiles. God Bless. Anne Tan Head of Junior School