Thursday 14 September 2017

1. Principal's News Week 8 Term 3 2017

Singing Cup
We look forward to you joining us for Singing Cup next week.  6pm at St Kevin's College.  The house choirs are sounding good.




Promoting Respect
There is a lot in our present culture that promotes little acts of disrespect.  Our Dominican charism is about excellence, not just "good enough" or "OK but we let the little things go."  We also know that the staff don't always see the little things because the children know we wouldn't approve.  For excellence to thrive in our school we need to look at all the little things.  And we need you, the parents, to help us.

One of the big things that I think is having an effect on children is gaming.  There's an online component to many of the games the children play whether it be Playstation, X Box or individual devices.  In that online component the children are interacting with and hearing the talk of other people from around the world who have different values to the ones we are promoting and who may be a lot older than our children.  If you constantly hear the little put-downs, swearing and disrespect that comes through in online gaming - it becomes your norm.  If that speaking becomes your norm, it becomes your thinking.  The thinking it promotes is negativity and dismissal.  Even for some of our younger children.  Some of them have ways of talking that are not promoted in your families and not promoted in our school.

Be aware that through ipads, using Siri, children can look up things through voice that they wouldn't be able to write or spell.  And they do.

One way to deal with it could be to make sure the Playstation and X Box don't have an online component.  Another is to check the history on devices.  Limiting time on devices is a really good idea.  Keeping them out of bedrooms can also help.

It's a minefield I know and one we can barely keep up with but I truly believe one of the best things we can do for our children is protect them from the values and attitudes of the big wide world until they're ready to go out there themselves.

Reminder - School is closed next Friday 22nd September.

God bless and aroha,
Lorraine Frances-Rees





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