By Mr Kort Goodman - Principal

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students 

What else can I say to start this newsletter but; OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD YOU GUYS!!! 

Wow, what an amazingly talented, dedicated and inspiring group of students. From the students who played lead roles, to the students who were part of the support crew and everyone in between, your efforts over the last seven months, culminating in your performances over the end of last week has been simply sensational. You epitomize the culture that we are constantly endeavouring to embed at Assumption College – striving to be the best you can be through application, hard work and dedication. Congratulations to you all! You should be very proud of your efforts, because as a College we are so very proud of you.

To Mrs Searson and her immediate team; Miss Bastion, Mr Kirby, Mr Schultz, Mr Bernardi, Mrs Johnson, Mrs Cullen and Miss Cooper, your tireless efforts and generosity to prepare such an event has been phenomenal and on behalf of the Assumption College community I thank you. Mrs Searson commented on Saturday night that the group of staff and students involved refer to themselves as the musical family and this has been very evident in the way that they have interacted, challenged, cared and supported each other throughout the year. I believe that I can confidently say that our students who have been part of this musical are better young people for the experience. 

To the numerous other staff members, students and parents who assisted in anyway with the preparation of costumes and props, ushering of guests, serving at the canteen and the many other jobs that were completed, we thank you so very much.

Finally, I would like to thank the parents of the students who were part of this wonderful production. As I stated on Saturday night; we are very aware of the fact that we only have to deal with these students when they are on their best behaviour at school, or when they are loving the comradery of their peers and the excitement of the preparation and performances. You have been the ones who have had to deal with the exhausted, irritable teenagers who have been not only juggling school and the musical, but in a lot of cases part time work and sport. For your support of our College and your child we thank you so very much.

Continuing the School Year Well…

Over the first few weeks of this term we have held a range of activities that have highlighted and congratulated students on their efforts up until this point of the year. We have acknowledged the efforts of students striving for their best academically by presenting Academic Excellence Medals and Academic Achievement Certificates. We have also presented 100% Attendance Certificates; we have acknowledged numerous individual and teams of students who have represented our College outstandingly in a range of sports and we will obviously acknowledge the amazing students involved in the school musical in the near future at school.

In order to foster, this spirit of continuing the school year well, I have dug out a few helpful tips that I presented back in 2017 that parents reported were useful in supporting their children.

1. Be intentional about nurturing belongingness; if a student feels welcomed, valued, trusted and respected at home, there is a high chance that this positivity will enhance the student’s sense of belonging at school. Recent studies show that there is a high correlation between a student’s approach to school, their approach to learning and their sense of belonging.
2. Model and engender attributes of inclusiveness, kindness, courtesy and respect; there are some things that simply cannot be told, but are taught, felt and learnt by example and empowerment. Among these are the vital attributes that allow us to get along with others, such as kindness, courtesy and respect. By coaching our students at home and at school about how to care for others, we allow students to develop bonds with their peers and the College. These bonds are closely linked to developing not only their sense of belongingness but also a student’s sense of empathy and willingness to assist and be assisted in their learning by their peers and teachers.
3. Champion a Growth Mindset; our students need encouragement (from someone who they trust) to strive for their best, and they need to understand that trying (and sometimes not succeeding) is of higher importance than not striving for your best. To dare to be brave and strive for your best elevates personal growth and eventually our students will see this as being more valuable than the risk of disappointment when they do not succeed at first.
4. Let your child lead; as students become exposed to a myriad of situations and a greater diversity of personalities, they need to learn how to master themselves. This includes developing self-control, self-discipline, self-regulation and self-awareness. Where learning is required guide your child through social stories and invite them to suggest alternative ways that the situation could have been played out. Allowing our students to lead their own self-discovery empowers them to work through the challenges independently.
5. Explain to your child that it is important at times to just breathe; the number one antidote for anxiety and stress is controlled breathing: even one good, deep breath helps. To just breathe is a conscious reminder of an involuntary function. To breathe deeply on purpose injects a boost of oxygen to the brain and vital organs, relaxes muscle tension that impacts our posture and sense of well-being, and takes the brain off high alert to enable clearer thinking in the moment to make the most of each moment.

I hope that these few tips are helpful in assisting with engaging your student for the remainder of the year.

Have a lovely week.

Kort