Principal's Report
Dear Families and Friends
Book Fair
This Tuesday, the 7th of August, we will celebrate Book Week. Our book week theme this year is “Find Your Treasure “and we are asking the students to come dressed as a character from a book they treasure. As part of our Book Week celebrations, we will be holding a morning tea for our grandparents and friends commencing at 9:30 at our school. This will be followed by our Book Week Parade at 10:30 and Book Fair. Please come and join us and spend time with your grandchildren in their classrooms. Grandparents/parents may also like to bring along their favourite book to read to the children.
Public speaking
Our Public speaking finals between Gundagai and Tumut will take place on the 14th of August with selected students progressing to West Wyalong on the 23rd of August. Good luck to all those students preparing for this event.
School Photos
This Friday, school photos will take place at St Patrick’s. Please ensure our children are wearing full winter uniform and have their photo envelops indicating photo orders.
Why tolerance encourages success
Want your child to be successful way past the confines of the school gate? Then you need to make sure your child is tolerant of individual differences and accepting of children and adults who look and act differently to them.
There’s no doubt that success in today’s world depends on the ability to understand, appreciate and work with others. The child who is open to differences is likely to have more opportunities in school, in business and in life in general.
Schools are diverse places
Walk into any school ground in Australia and you’ll witness diversity firsthand. You’re likely to see children from many different cultural, racial and family backgrounds. You’ll also see children with different needs and diverse ways of expressing themselves. Tolerant kids are accepting of these differences. They make friends with children and young people who may look and act differently to them.
5 ways to promote tolerance in your child:
- Help your child feel accepted, respected, and valued. When your child feels good about themselves, they are empowered to treat others respectfully.
- Model acceptance. Kids learn what they live so make sure you welcome differences in others and be sensitive to cultural or racial stereotypes.
- Challenge prejudice or narrow-minded views. Sometimes children, knowingly or unknowingly, can say the cruellest things about others. As a parent, respectfully remind your child or young person about the impact that a narrow view can have on his or her own behaviour as well as on those it may be directed towards. Intolerance of diversity is an attitude that parents should make a stand against.
- Answer children's’ questions about differences honestly and respectfully. Teach your kids that it is acceptable to notice and discuss differences as long as it is done with respect.
- Respect individual differences within your own family. Your ability to accept your children's differing abilities, interests and styles will go a long way towards establishing an attitude of tolerance in the children themselves. By valuing the uniqueness of each member of your family you are teaching your children to value the strengths of others, no matter how diverse.
