Walk Safely to School Day

Next week the college is proud to support a Federal government initiative by supporting Walk Safely to School Day. National Walk Safely to School Day (WSTSD) is on Friday 14th May 2021. Now in its 22nd year, the annual campaign encourages all primary school children, their parents and carers to walk safely and regularly to school. The event seeks to promote road safety, health, public transport and the environment. Australian children are becoming less active.

One substantial contributor is the decline in walking and/or taking public transport to school. Children who are regularly physically active are healthier, perform better academically and are less likely to be obese or overweight. Sedentary behaviour can lead to long-term and costly risks of illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. Walking regularly is the best exercise because you can build it into your daily routine.

The objectives of the National Walk Safely to School Day are:

• To encourage parents and carers to walk to school with primary school age children
• To promote the health benefits of walking and create regular walking habits
• To help children develop vital road crossing skills and ensure children up to the age of 10 years hold an adult's hand when crossing the road
• To reduce car dependency and traffic congestion
• To reduce the level of air pollution created by motor vehicles
• To promote the use of public transport

Detailed information on how to participate is at walk.com.au.

If you feel you live too far away to walk from home, then meet at Oakdale Park, in Oakdale Circuit, Currimundi and join us for a short 850m walk from there. Staff will be there to meet you at 8am, for an 8:05 departure. To ensure the safety of our students, we ask that children are accompanied by a parent / carer where possible.

 Chess

Congratulations to those students from Years 4 and 5 who represented the College at the SCIPHA Chess tournament which was held at Suncoast Christian College on Friday April 30th . The competition was open in two categories; Open and Novice. Our teams performed very well and most importantly, had a great day mingling and learning from other chess enthusiasts. Thank you to Mrs. Amanda Empson for her organisation and supervision on the day.

Gawun

This term has seen the beginning of a new service leadership model in Year 5. As mentioned previously, the Year 5 students were passionate about being of service in many areas of the College. Our leaders are easily identifiable with their high-vis vests on and are making a real impact in our College. Our leaders have been busy helping students enter the College from the Foundation carpark, supporting readers, and helping in the playground and the library spaces. In addition to this, two separate groups of students are involved with an excellent council run program, Kid’s in Action and another are busy addressing issues around the environment and providing guidance with waste in the local context. I thank the dedication and enthusiasm of the students and staff in Year 5. Their passion for service is making a huge impact for other Junior Students and they are learning a lot about themselves in the process.

Parent connectors

Thank you to many parents and guardians who have expressed interest in becoming a parent connector within the college. We have kept expressions open for another week to allow more access for those who may want to get involved. Please follow the link Parent connectors and enter your details.

Outdoor Education

I look forward to attending the Year 4 Outdoor Education next week. I thank Ms Kim Wood and the many staff involved in the preparation of this rich experience for our students. I look forward to sharing the highlights on my return. Take care and God bless.

Mr Damian Davis, Head of Staff and Students P-5