Wednesday, October 16, 2013


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


Welcome back to you all for term four.  I hardly need express to you that this will be a very busy term:  we have our inter-schools athletic sports followed by the Otago athletics championships for those who qualify, our choir is taking part in the Catholic Schools Choir Festival, all classes going are on trips to the art gallery, the senior pupils have their annual camp in Pukerau, all the senior classes have swimming lessons and our highly popular school fair takes place this weekend and finally of course we have our end of the concert and celebrations to acknowledge our year eight leavers.  Whew!


 


Already many of you will have noticed the number of tasks that have been completed during the holidays; and playground is now operational.  Thank you to all of the people who gave up their


Saturday morning to spread woodchips, it was gratifying to see such a huge turn out of people willing to give up their time to help out our school.


Recent studies that I have read underline the fact that one of the most important factors in


children achieving at school both academically and socially is parental engagement.  This is a highly important factor right throughout your child’s education, even at Year 13 when you can’t help them with their applied maths homework or answer their questions on quantum physics the fact that you support, discuss and are part of their lives is affirming.


I remember being a speaker at a forum supporting transition from early childhood education to primary a number of years ago; at the end of the formal presentation we asked for questions from the floor –a relatively new dad, who was preparing to send his first child to school stood up and said how much time and effort he had put into visiting a huge number of schools, reading ERO reports and talking to parents at schools.  He had, he said decided on the right school for his child and now he would step back and let the school teach, Another speaker—one far wiser than me replied—that rather than see that he had completed a process he should think that he was now only at the beginning of a long but ultimately fulfilling journey, our children are only young once and the time we spend with them is time we cannot regain.  So talk to your child and ensure that you remain an important part of their lives.


 


Have a great term


Mike Brosnahan,


Principal