Monday, August 31, 2015

25-8-15

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends of St Mary’s School,

One of our five core Mercy values is compassion.
So what does it actually mean? Here are some definitions.
Compassion:
a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by
misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.

 literally means “to suffer together.” It is defined as the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another's suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering.

Sadness for and a desire to help someone

I see some children show a high level of compassion even as young as five, but I also see others not aware of how to help those around them.
Sometimes it is easy to feel sadness or sorrow for someone who is suffering but to be compassionate is to do something to help that person.
One of the hardest things to do as a child or adult is to support those who need help in a situation where you have to confront someone else. To do that, one puts themselves at risk but that is the true meaning of being compassionate.
Please talk to your children about how to go about helping others, it might be as simple as telling someone else the problem, telling someone to stop, or helping someone walk away from a situation.

Have a good week.
Lindsay Stevens

(Acting Principal)

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends of St Mary’s School,

This week we have been given two excellent examples of commitment, courage and determination with Richie McCaw (All Blacks Captain) and Casey Kopua (Silver Ferns Captain – netball).
Richie McCaw is now the most capped rugby captain and the most capped player of test rugby of all time.

This is a huge achievement in the rugby world. McCaw has met a number of challenges on the way but through determination and commitment he has reached an amazing milestone.

Casey Kopua has also shown commitment, determination and especially courage coming back from a severe injury, to again play at the top of her field.

It was lovely to see the children displaying commitment and determination at the sports exchange with St Joseph’s on Thursday and again at netball on Saturday.

We might not all reach such high honours as Richie and Casey, but if we show these same attributes we will have more chance of reaching our potential in whatever we are trying to achieve.


Have a great week.

Lindsay Stevens

Acting Principal

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

11-08-15

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends of St Mary’s School,

One of our Mercy values is Respect. Last week I asked a class, what does it mean?
The children responded with some good ideas but found it hard to give a definition. They could give examples of some things they could do, like respect the environment by picking up rubbish but couldn’t really describe what respect  is in relation to each other.
Here are some definitions and ideas about what respect is:
 Respect
·      to show regard or consideration for the feelings, wishes, or rights of others.
·      to admire their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
·      respect can be both given and/or received.
·      respect can be something that is earned or built over time.
·      continued caring interactions are required to maintain or increase feelings of respect among individuals.
If we can teach our children to understand what respect is, it must surely help to develop positive interactions with each other.
It seems to be easier to respect our elders but we also need to work on respecting our siblings and peers, which can sometimes be harder.
When talking to the children we discussed how we are all different from each other and if we can respect peoples differences we find it easier to get on together.

Have a good week
Lindsay Stevens

(Acting Principal)
Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends of St Mary’s School,

How do you choose a school for your child? What makes one school different to another? Parents when making these decisions consider a variety of factors e.g. location, friends, size of class and many more things but it really comes down to what you value the most.

Two very clear differences we have to the other schools in Mosgiel are that we are a Catholic school and we are a full primary school – that means our school goes to Year 8 where as the other primary schools in Mosgiel only go to Year 6.

As a Catholic School our Mercy values are a fundamental part of our school and the culture we foster at St Mary’s.

The Board of Trustees’ have created a certificate to recognise and celebrate our Mercy values of Respect, Care, Service, Compassion and Justice.
As a school we teach the children about these core values – what they look like, what they sound like and how we would see them in action.

We would ask that you as parents reinforce this learning at home.
 If you use the same vocabulary we use at school around our values they will take on even more meaning and understanding.

The certificates are going to be awarded at assemblies and singing times, and a cup is going to be awarded at the end of each term for the person who has received the most certificates. 
So please talk to your children about who won a certificate and why, and celebrate the achievements of those living the values.

Have a great week.
Lindsay Stevens

Acting Principal