Week 1 Term 3 2021

Dear Families and Friends,

Although it has not been the start of term we’d imagined, I warmly welcome you all to Term 3 of the school year! I hope you have had a wonderful holiday time with opportunities to reconnect and reenergize with your children, family and friends. After being away from IHM for 9 weeks, I am so delighted to be back and it feels like coming home in the best of ways, even with the current situation with COVID-19.  Being greeted Tuesday morning by so many smiling, happy children, especially our new Receptions and families was the highlight of my week!

I hope you are managing the lock down with a positive spirit. I thank you all for your understanding and support. I also especially want to thank our amazing staff because within the short time of the lock down being announced and the children going home at the end of the day, they capably informed children in a calm way, prepared ongoing learning and organized resources for the children - so that children left school in a calm, happy and assured manner. Be assured that we will continue to support the learning and wellbeing of your child throughout the lock down and whatever happens in the near future.

I also want to assure families that if you are negatively impacted financially, I understand and will treat situations charitably as I do not want to place any family under any undue strain as a result of the lockdown or ongoing situation. Please let me know should this be the case.

Welcome New Students

This term we are delighted to welcome nine new Reception students and their families to our IHM family:

• Austin
• Yusuf
• Coco
• Beau
• Sapphire
• Juande
• Emily
• Wyatt
• Evelyn
• Alexis (Yr 4)
• Isabella (Yr 5)

We also welcome the Piesse Family from Tasmania.

We are all looking forward to getting to know you and watching you grow, learn and flourish at IHM and we know you’ll love it here!

Staff Professional Learning - Pupil Free Day

Our learning focus on the recent pupil free day was on Developing a Culture of Thinking. The notion of ‘Cultures of Thinking’ was developed by Harvard researcher, Ron Ritchard and involves a whole school approach to supporting the development of higher order thinking skills and problem solving in students. We have had a whole school focus on this area since the beginning of the year, capably guided by our Leader of Learning Nadia Morris, and this will continue into our future. This culture promotes qualities that drive learning (e.g., curiosity and questioning); facilitate innovation such as creativity (e.g., problem solving and risk taking), collaborative skills (e.g., empathy, good listening), and the ability to deal with complexity (e.g., analysing)

As a staff we are constantly updated so that we use contemporary, inclusive and the most engaging and meaningful approaches to learning. Having worked in many schools, I know that our educational approach is of the highest calibre and am very proud of what we do at IHM.

Calendar and Term Overviews

There is never a dull moment in IHM school life and we have many things happening this term. All parents will receive a Term overview and newsletter from your child’s teacher soon. I encourage you to read through your classes Term Overview/Newsletter and to check our Website Calendar, the School Stream App and our Facebook page for regular updates.

With constantly shifting circumstances, things may change at any time. Should a change occur, you will be notified immediately through the School Stream app. Please ensure you have access to the App on your mobile device as is the quickest and simplest way for us to notify you of any changes or updates.

Let’s hope that this lock down allows us to get back to school soon and we can all look forward to a fabulous term, full of quality learning, love, fun and connection.

Warmest blessings to you all!

Pauline Kinsman
PRINCIPAL

Welcome Back

Welcome back to Term 3. I hope you all had a restful and happy break.  COVID restrictions permitting, we are looking forward to Dances Lessons, National Science Week, Sacraments of Confirmation and First Communion and Student Centered Conferences.

Wizard of Oz

Our whole school attended the Wizard of Oz production by OLSH College at the end of last term as part of our school's 70th anniversary celebrations.

OLSH did a wonderful job and the long performance was enjoyed by our students, staff, and parents.

A big thank you to our parent helpers Rachel P, Nadia R, Chrissie B, Kate H for your help on the day.

Winter Warmers Appeal

Thank you to all our amazing families who contributed towards the Adelaide Day Centre For Homeless Person’s Winter Appeal.  Ms Morris and I were able to drop off so many items donated by our very generous families that the staff at the Centre were blown away with the generosity of our small but beautiful school.  Your kindness and compassion for those less fortunate is what makes our IHM community so special.  Thank you!

Prayer for Term 3

Dear God,

We give you our school Immaculate Heart of Mary.

 We give you all the teachers and staff who work here.

We give you all the children who learn here.

We pray our school would be place of great discovery, adventure and creativity.

May it be a place where we love to learn and where we learn to love.

A place where everyone is respected, where our Heart Spirituality flows through every person

and each person in our community is deeply valued.

We ask all this through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

God Bless,

Annette Diassinas
APRIM