Issue 19 - 20th October 2021

MEET MONTY

Monty has joined our SPC community, and is already a huge hit!  He is 14 weeks old.  I chose to introduce a puppy as our school dog, rather than an adult dog so that he knows nothing different than being a part of our school.  It will also be wonderful for the students to watch him grow and change and learn, as they are.

Monty will take on some important responsibilities in the school, such as being a reading buddy, a comforter, assisting with de-escalating anxiety and a friend.  He has already shown that he is a valuable addition.  We have witnessed him calm students who have been hurt on the playground, brighten the day of sad students and calm students in need of de-escalating.  The students love having him visit their classrooms and playing with him in the yard. He has a lot to learn, but will soon come to know what is expected of him.

The following information will provide information on the benefits of a school dog and address some of the questions you may have:

The dog will be owned by Mrs Flynn

The dog is a Schmoodle (Maltese/Shi Tzu/Poodle), chosen because it is an intelligent, playful breed that will respond well to training and which is known to be good with children. Schmoodles are classified as low-allergen, and are very sociable and friendly.

A risk assessment has been completed that will be reviewed annually.

The dog will be kept on a lead when moving between classrooms or on a walk.

He may be off-lead when playing with the children during breaks.

From time to time, some children may take the dog for a walk.

Children will be reminded of what is appropriate behaviour around the dog.

• Children should not put their face near the dog and should always approach it standing up. Children should never go near or disturb the dog that is sleeping or eating.
• Children must not play roughly with the dog.
• Children should always wash their hands after handling the dog.
• Children should not feed the dog or eat close to the dog. 

Any dog foul will be cleaned immediately and disposed of appropriately.

The dog will not be allowed to enter the school canteen, Josephite kitchen or any classroom where food is being prepared. 

Our policy of no dogs in the playground is still applicable as we are unable to put effective control measures in place that guarantee temperament and safety when children come into unsupervised contact with unknown dogs.

All other dogs must not come on site unless they are a known therapy or assistance dog and the Principal has been informed beforehand.

Parents/Carers have the right to remove consent for their child to have any direct contact with the dog. Any such wishes will be respected and upheld by the school. These wishes will be communicated by ‘opting out’ of contact with the school dog.

REASONS TO HAVE A DOG IN SCHOOL

Dogs in the school environment can achieve the following:-

• Improve academic achievement
• Increase literacy skills
• Calming behaviours
• Increase social skills and self-esteem
• Increase confidence
• Teach responsibility and respect to all life
• Help prevent truancy
• Motivate children who are often less attentive

BEHAVIOUR:  Researchers report that students can identify with animals, and with empathy for the dog, can better understand how classmates may feel. The dog can work with students on a one-one basis and will especially help those students who are feeling vulnerable, have suffered trauma or are going through upsetting/difficult times;

EDUCATION: Reading programs with dogs are doing wonders for some students. Children who might be embarrassed to read aloud to the class or even adults are likely to be less scared to read to a dog. A dog won’t judge them. Dogs are used to encourage struggling readers to practise reading aloud.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: Dogs in school offer an opportunity for improving social development. They are especially useful for teaching students social skills and responsibility. With a dog in school, students have the opportunity to learn how to care for the animal. 

AS A REWARD: Dogs will be gentle and loving, but at the same time full of fun and enjoyment for the students. Those students who have performed incredibly well during the week or those who have made progress in a certain subject, or those who have achieved tasks set for them, can be rewarded with spending time during lunch or break to interact with the dog. Walking, playing and training are some of the responsibilities students can undertake. It has been proven that working and playing with a dog improves children’s social skills and self-esteem.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

Q Who is the legal owner of the dog and who pays for its costs?

A The legal owner of the dog is Mrs Flynn; she will bear the costs associated with owning 

    the dog.

Q Is the dog from a reputable breeder?

A Yes. The dog is from a home where both parents were seen and has been specifically 

    chosen for its temperament.

Q Will the dog be a distraction? 

A The dog will be kept in the office area when he is not ‘working’ around the school. The dog

   will also spend time in rooms, the library and in the yard where children can interact safely.

Q Who is responsible for training?

A Mrs Flynn is the legal owner of the dog and as a result, will be responsible for its training. 

    Appropriate professional training will be obtained, as required.

Q How will the dog be toileted to ensure hygiene for all?

A In the interest of health and hygiene our school dog will be toileted when taken out for 

   short walks in the grounds. This will be cleared away appropriately.

Q How will the dog’s welfare be considered?

A The dog will be walked regularly and given free time outside.

   The dog will have unlimited access to food and water.

  All vaccinations, worming treatments and vet checks will be up-to-date and paid for by Mrs

  Flynn.

Q How will it be managed where children have allergies? 

A Children will not need to touch the dog, which will relieve the possibility of allergic

   reactions. We already manage a number of allergies at school and this will be no different 

   for children and adults that are allergic to dogs. Individual needs will always be met and we

  are happy to work with parents to put additional control measures in place. The breed of 

  dog is known for minimal moulting, he is given a high quality food and regularly groomed to 

  reduce any possibility of allergens.

Q My child is frightened of dogs; how will you manage this?

A Access to the dog is carefully managed and children do not need to have close contact. 

   We hope to work closely with parents of children who are fearful of dogs to alleviate their 

   fear and to teach them how to manage this.

Q Is there a risk in bringing a dog into a school environment?

A Yes, there is. It is just another risk that needs to be managed, as we do the many risks to 

   children in a school environment. A risk assessment has been carried out as per our 

   normal risk assessment processes.

We are very excited to have Monty with us. We know he is going to be very loved!!

If you have any further questions, or opt for your child to not have close contact with Monty, please let us know by emailing the front office - spc@catholic.tas.edu.au

What is the Rosary?

How do you plan to celebrate the month of Rosary? What is the significance of the Rosary in your personal life? How did it strengthen you in your walk of faith?

The Rosary is taken from the Latin word “rosarium” which means “crown of roses” or “garland of roses.” To those of the Catholic Faith, the Rosary is a form of prayer that we use along with it’s namesake, prayer beads. According to pious tradition, the idea of the Rosary was given to Saint Dominic when the Virgin Mary appeared to him in an apparition in the year 1214. 

Praying the Rosary is not just simply about reciting prayers. It involves reflecting on the grace of God. Praying is a powerful act that lets us develop and strengthen our relationship with God and the Rosary offers the same beautiful reward. By praying the Rosary, we meditate on the events in the life of Jesus Christ and this lets us better know God.

When we are unaware of the meditation aspect of the Rosary, we reduce the prayer to an empty, repetitive and meaningless gesture. In Matthew 6:7, Jesus Christ forbids us to practice prayer in meaningless and repetitive babbles. It is precisely the reflective nature of the Rosary that distinguishes it as a powerful and profound way of praying.

Our students in Grade 1 have been learning about the Rosary and how praying to Mary helps us become closer to God. 

Pax Texum 

Mrs Andrea Jaffray Morf

Deputy Principal

Today, Wednesday, 20th October our students from grades 3 to 6 have taken part in an afternoon of sporting activities at the Circular Head Christian School in Smithton. They were very excited about this event and they will participate in another afternoon on Wednesday, 27th October. 

The Sport & Recreation students at CHCS organised sport rotations, with staff from CHCS and SPC supervising. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to interact with children from their local community and share their fine sportsperson skills whilst having loads of fun and displaying our strong athleticism! 

Some of our students mentioned before alighting the bus that they were excited to see their friends at CHCS, and this confirmed to me, exactly why we need interaction with other schools in our region. 

It brings us together and strengthens our sense of community.

 

Mrs Andrea Jaffray Morf

Deputy Principal

Parents Be Aware!

At St Peter Chanel, we STRONGLY advise that children not watch Squid Game.  This game is quite graphic with violent content. 

We recommend parents/carers check their device settings, as children may be accessing and viewing the show/elements of it, without their parents’/carers’ knowledge.

Ms Donna Porteus 

Chaplain 

Congratulations to the following students who recieved Aiming High awards at last weeks assembly;

Kinder - Noah & Mac

Prep - Huxley & Oliver

Grade 1 - Milla & Dawson

Grade 2 - Airelle & Nina

Grade 3 - Bayley & Indiana

Grade 4 - Tayla & Asta

Families are now able to book their Parent teacher meetings for Tuesday 26th October via ‘Conferences’ on the compass app. If you have any questions please contact the office. 

Due to Miss Ling being on leave for placement Grade 1 parent teacher meetings will be scheduled for when she has returned. Our apologies for any inconvenience.

This year we will be holding Grandparent's Day on Thursday, 28th October.  We will be having a Roast Lunch option at a cost of $10 per head as a 2022 Grade 5/6 Camp fundraiser.  Lunch will be roast pork and lamb with vegetables and dessert will be apple crumble and apple and raspberry sponge with cream and ice cream.  Meals can be purchased via the Qkr app.  

The Timetable for the day will be as follows:

11.30am Liturgy in the Josephite Centre led by Kinder and Grade 6 students

12pm Roast lunch will be served

12.45pm - 1.45pm Grandparent's can join their grandchildren in their classrooms. Also a photo booth will be set-up.

Parents and Friends invite new and current members to their next meeting tomorrow, 21st October at 3.00pm. 

There will be a BBQ run by our P & F this Saturday, 23rd October held at Mitre 10. Starting at 9am and finishing at 12:30pm or until sold out. 

Congratulations to last week's cake raffle winner Phebe!

Good luck to our Under 8’s team who play their first game this Friday at 3:30pm vs Stanley Blue.

Our Under 12’s take on Smithton following our U8’s at 4:15pm.

Last week, students in grades Five and Six embarked on a week-long trip to Hobart. The trip began with our first stop at the new Wynyard playground. It was so much fun! We then ventured further south. We stopped at Campbell Town before, finally, finishing at our campsite, Blue Lagoon in Dodges Ferry. Blue Lagoon had the most amazing playground and awesome food. We slid down a 30 metre slide, played in the Ga-Ga pit, and jumped on the enclosed trampolines. The first night we were at our accommodation, we ate a beautifully made chicken curry. Throughout the week, this was followed by pancakes, shepherd's pie, chocolate mousse and french toast. Early Tuesday morning, we set off to Zoo Doo, where we were met by exuberant and friendly animals, including meerkats, marmosets, ostriches and Tassie devils. Our favourite part of Zoo Doo was hopping around in the paddock with the kangaroos and deer. We then made our way to the Richmond lolly shop, where, I am sure, the owners/ workers were excited to see 41 beaming faces. Wednesday saw us cruising through Port Arthur to the Isle of the Dead. We were challenged to look through old convict records to find out who committed the current crime, as well as look at artefacts and decide where we think they were found. On Thursday, we set off to Laser Skirmish, which was a camp favourite for most of us. We were tasked to work as a team to protect bases, civilians and ourselves. We then went to Bounce, which was also a favourite. We jumped on trampolines, threw dodgeballs, flipped into a giant pillow and climbed giant rock walls. The staff and guests at Bounce commented on how well behaved and mannered we were. We then set off to travel back to Launceston for the night, where we were greeted with heaps of pizzas! Friday morning saw a lot of us conquering our fears by tackling the obstacle courses at Hollybank High Ropes. We zip-lined, seesawed and free-fell from great heights to try and finish the different courses. We then started our commute back home, where we were greeted by the familiar, smiling faces of our loved ones. 

A big thank you goes out to Mrs Flynn, Mrs Thorp, Ms Monson, Mrs Britton and Miss Bradley for their commitment, dedication and planning to make sure our camp could go ahead. Your effort to ensure our safety and enjoyment were greatly appreciated by all students, family members and by those businesses that were visited on camp.

Our Preps had an informative and adventurous morning on Monday, visiting La Cantara Cheese in Smithton.

They were able to view robotic milking and learn of their farming practices and view the yummy variety of cheeses. 

Mrs Hart and Mrs Bishop were very impressed by the information shared with their students, and of course our students’ responses!

Positive Partnerships are holding a free workshop for parents and carers in Smithton on the 18th November.

This is a great opportunity for them to learn about autism and building positive partnerships with their child’s school.

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