CSPWA President's Welcome
As we continue to, what feels like, race through the year, here we are a third of the way through Term 2 with the Senior School students facing their Semester 1 exams and the Early Learning Years settling into their new school routines and are hopefully thriving in their new learning environments. It has been a frantic start to the school year for many of our families with welcoming gatherings, family events and community building opportunities.
We are still in the Easter Season which will conclude with the feast of Pentecost on Sunday 28th May which will be when many of our Catholic students in upper primary school particularly, will receive the most beautiful Sacrament of Confirmation – this is a wonderful celebratory opportunity for our families.
Coming up 15-21 May is National Volunteer Week. Our Catholic Schools would never have been built, maintained or in fact survived had it not been for our predecessors having put in so many hours, weeks, and indeed years of voluntary efforts to bring us to this point in time where we have such a wonderful, thriving system of Catholic Education in Western Australia. We have been truly blessed. We know anecdotally that our children love it when we parents are involved in their schools, whether it be listening to reading, attending busy bees, participate in committees, assist with sports days, shelve in the library, cover books, sell tickets in the music or sports departments raffles and so on, our children know that we care and are INTERESTED in THEM! The children may not always show it, but we know that they do appreciate it and it adds value to their education in so many ways. In fact, recent research indicates that children of parents who have volunteered throughout their educational journey are more likely to become the parents who volunteer themselves in their own children’s education (Perks and Knoecny 2015).
So … to all of our parents who spend precious time and effort contributing to not just your own but many other children’s school environment and learning, I say a very heartfelt “thank you for all that you do”. Personally, throughout the 23 years I have had children in the Catholic Education system, I know my children have benefitted not just from our family’s voluntary efforts but have benefitted enormously from the collective efforts of so many others – many known to us, some who have become long-term friends, but so many who have gone before as well.
On the topic of volunteering … the CSPWA Awards of Excellence are on again this year! These awards are a wonderful opportunity for individuals or groups to publically recognise others in their community who have contributed so valuably. It also gives us all the chance to see and applaud the efforts different P&F groups use in order to build and sustain thriving communities. I am so looking forward to the event again this year after the wonderful time we all had last year, the CSPWA office staff have a big task ahead to outdo themselves!
I also take the opportunity to once again offer a great vote of thanks for the hard work and dedication our office staff, Siobhan, Nicole and Jennifer. Their efforts, way above and beyond our expectations is always felt but not often enough expressed.
May Term 2 be a very productive one for all of our P&F groups and please remember we are always just a phone call or email away from support or advice.
God bless,
Marina