Dear Parents

As a Catholic learning community,

all at Mother Teresa School are called

to care, to dream, to innovate, to inspire!

Lenten Season

Our Year 6 cohort has had a fabulous time at camp and I know they will have many stories to share over the weekend and in weeks to come. Thank you to Craig Hart for his coordination and all of the staff involved - Kelly Boyton, Belinda Hicks, Kieran Russell, Jessica Binet, and Sarah Stubbs. I know they will all have a well-earned rest over the weekend.

School Clubs/Activities Update

WHOLE SCHOOL FOCUS

The Whole school focus theme for this year is ‘Walking Together’ every family will receive a beautiful prayer card next week supporting the theme. Please place it in a prominent place so it can be share with those in your family.

We will show the value of Courage towards those we meet in our class and on the playground by following 

‘The Mother Teresa School Way’:

• Showing confidence
• Thinking creatively
• Being a positive risk taker
• Having a healthy self-esteem
• Standing up for what’s right
• Having a sense of achievement
• Thinking and acting independently
• Getting involved in service initiatives

FOCUS ASSEMBLY

Thank you to Mrs Radic, Mrs Macarthur, Mrs O’Keefe & Mrs Snowdon along with the students in Year 4 Amethyst & Indigo, for presenting a fabulous Prayer Focus on Courage. The students did an amazing job at presenting what courage looks like at MTS. They shared a fabulous so with actions about ‘I’m going to brave, I’m going to be strong and courageous.’

1st Sunday of Lent 26 February 2022 - Year A

“Jesus fasted for forty days and nights and was tempted.”

The Story

In the first week of Lent each year we hear the story of Jesus’ time in the desert where he was tempted by the devil. The devil tried to tempt Jesus to do the wrong thing – three times! - but Jesus was strong, and he did not give in. Jesus remembered the words of Scriptures which gave him the wisdom to make the right choices. When the devil saw that he could not trick Jesus, he went away. Then angels came to help Jesus.

Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc-x4qKY6Wc

LENT & ASH WEDNESDAY

PROJECT COMPASSION

At Mother Teresa School, we are trying to reach out to others and bring hope to those who are less fortunate than ourselves during this time of Lent by raising money for Project Compassion.  We encourage you to talk to your child about the importance of giving to those in need and to give generously.  Each class has a Project Compassion box available for the children’s donations. 

We invite all families to contribute by sending in the envelops each week.  Please talk to your child/ren about this important project and aspect of Lent. Let us remember though that it is not how much we give, but the compassion that accompanies our giving.   

We encourage you to put your compassion into action this Lent through your prayer, fasting and almsgiving by supporting Project Compassion. On Wednesday each student received a set of envelopes for their weekly donations. The ELC will be given Project Compassion boxes. This week we raised $125.90 this money goes toward Laxmi in Nepal. During Lent we will be looking at ways we can follow the beautiful example Jesus showed us.

Laxmi's story

Nepal

After losing her father at a young age, Laxmi was at risk of falling further into extreme poverty. But with the support of our partner Caritas Nepal, Laxmi joined a child's club, became a leader in her school and is now a mentor to other girls in her village. 

Confirmation 2023

Thank you to all our Year 6 students and families who attended the enrolment and commitment masses last weekend. The Ministry Masses start this weekend and don’t forget to bring your item of food for the ‘Food Pantry’. Please ensure you have enrolled online and made your payment to the Parish by next Monday 27^th February. Please pray for our Year 6 Confirmation Candidates, their teachers, and families as they embark on this important time in their faith journey.

Peace and Best Wishes.

Anne Leet (Religious Education Co-ordinator)

Supporting Children with Anxiety

All children experience feelings of anxiety sometimes, especially during new or challenging situations.  However, when anxiety starts to take over and affect day to day life, this can be a sign that they may need some support and guidance to build some coping strategies.

Some signs that your child may need some support to cope with their anxious feelings are:

• Their worries seem out of proportion compared to the situation they are in
• Anxiety is interfering with their ability to participate in activities that other children their age do.
• They start to avoid situations that cause them to feel anxious such as school, social activities, sports.

Whilst avoiding situations may seem like an effective short-term solution, the dilemma is that this avoidance tends to make facing that situation feel harder next time. 

Here are some tips from Kids help line and Beyond Blue to support you in supporting your child.

• Find out more about anxiety.
• Try not to just tell them not to worry or to ignore it but rather, acknowledge your child’s feelings.
• Help your child notice when they are feeling anxious and how anxiety can sometimes be felt in the body Eg. Stomach aches, headaches, sleeplessness
• Emphasize giving things a go rather than focusing on success or failure.
• Teach your child about anxiety and why we have it. A great resource to explain anxiety is the book Hey Warrior by Karen Young.
• Tell your child that you’ll figure it out together.
• Help your child to notice the worried thoughts they are having about the situation and support them to come up with some calm and more realistic thoughts instead.
• Set small goals with your child to help them to face their fears slowly over time.
• Encourage and acknowledge their success when they face a situation, they were anxious about.
• Learn some calming strategies with your child like slow deep breaths or listening to a mindfulness app such as Smiling Minds.

Remember that there is support available if you feel that your child could benefit from it.  The goal isn’t about eliminating anxiety completely, but rather, supporting children to build strategies for coping with their anxious feelings so that anxiety doesn’t get in the way of them participating in things they enjoy. 

For more information, please visit the Kids Help Line or Beyond Blue websites or contact your School Counsellors Bron and Ryoko if you feel that your child could benefit from any further support.

https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/anxiety-kids-and-teens

https://healthyfamilies.beyondblue.org.au/age-6-12/mental-health-conditions-in-children/anxiety?

School Student Support Referrals and Counselling

To direct our families to access the best support available through Mother Teresa School, we are setting up the following process to assist with referrals and the most appropriate use of our resources.

1. Enquiry (teacher or parent) – Request a referral form from the office
2. The principal will talk with you and guide you to the appropriate support

Support types:

• • • • Diverse Learning Teacher and team,
      • Student welfare officer (individual or small group guidance and/or mentoring support),
      • Defence School Mentor,
      • School counselling (individual or small group)
      • External agencies

If school counselling is recommended the School Counsellor will contact the parents and go through the online CatholicCare referral process if school counselling is suitable. Once the online referral has been submitted and consent is signed, the School Counsellor can begin working with the student.

To make it easier for payments to be made at Mother Teresa School, we have introduced the use of Qkr! by Mastercard, a secure and easy way to order and pay for school items from your phone at a time and place that suits you.

Please refer to the attached document for instructions on how to download the app to your phone. I have also included several screenshots from my phone so you will know what it looks like once registered.

This will become our preferred option for many school payments in the future. Additional payment options will be added as required eg, sporting events.

Oscar Ciampa (3 Turquoise) participated in his first U9s JDS tournament organised by Melba Tennis Club.

Twelve children participated in singles and for the first time it had to go to tiebreaker to decide the winner. Well done Oscar!