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Twenty-Six Simple Words

Do you know what made my whole week this week? Two simple anonymous messages. I was sitting at my keyboard, wondering what I should write in this Newsletter editorial. Yes, let’s cover the great learning and commitment inside and outside the class by students and staff, with the ever-present support of families! What else, though? The anonymous messages gave me the theme on which to write. This week is Wellbeing Week at ÐãÐãÖ±²¥. Naming one week as Wellbeing Week is both educational and a bit clichéd. We want to focus on what ingredients and actions support wellbeing, but not condense it into just one week of focused activity and awareness. Nor do we want to suggest that there are no significant challenges to mental health faced by many on a daily basis or at times in one’s life, that require professional resources and support. How do we make every week a week of exercising towards balanced wellbeing?  Not a construct of expecting to be in a constant and heightened state of happiness, but the mindset and ability to manage the ups and downs, and the awareness of how to seek help.  It has been a superb few days led by our Wellbeing Captains, Leyla Do and Jasmin Afflick, senior students and staff. Balance, gratitude, mindfulness and flow have been discussed and shown alongside emotional regulation, perspective, setback, grit and reframing – the really hard bits to handle. Short, heartfelt Gratitude Assemblies were held in each year group at Marcellin, where representatives from each Pastoral Care Group expressed gratitude to their PCG teacher (the block of Cadburys helped too!). A range of wellbeing focused activities were held during the week, including wellness, mindfulness and fitness sessions, messages of gratitude between students and a staff v student soccer game.

Much of the Equip Guide Thrive programs at Marcellin and the U R Strong – Zones of Regulation at Lavalla that are being delivered to students are about balancing life and deepening the toolkit to manage life’s ups and downs. On Wednesday evening in the Marist Auditorium, the event adjudicator for the CPAF Concert Band-Symphonic Orchestra performance spoke of the importance music and playing musical instruments have in wellbeing. Music, dance, dramatic performance, sport and physical activity are great animators of wellbeing. So is connection.

You may be wondering about the two written messages that I mentioned earlier? Twenty-six precious words that just said thanks from a parent and hoped I was having a good day from a student. Very grateful for these words and even more grateful to know that many more expressions of simple gratitude flowed to our staff from families and students.

Book Week and Celebrating Story Telling

There are few better weeks in the school calendar than Book Week. I know, as a parent who has gone through Book Week planning, that you might groan at the thought of meeting your child’s expectation for a flash costume to conjure for the Parade. ‘Book an Adventure’ was this year’s theme, and Lavalla students dived into celebrating and exploring the land of stories. In Year 7, the students dived into reading time for the week, while our Pre-Kindergarten classes began the initiative of Celebrating Storytelling- the invitation to parents and grandparents to share the magic of storytelling at school. Families connecting through culture and language.

Mullewa Immersion

Finally, our annual visit to Mullewa took place this week. This is a long-standing relationship between the Mullewa community and ÐãÐãÖ±²¥, with our Year 11 Game Changers and staff deeply involved in acts of service to the local primary school, parish and shire.

Wishing you a great weekend and fortnight ahead (Go Dockers!)

Mr Andrew Watson

PRINCIPAL