Term 1, Week 5

Dear Parents and Carers,

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about our MSS 2022 theme for the year:

I’m from Calvary,

I know I can learn,

therefore,

I can change my world.

Learning can be such a challenge for many of us, because being an effective learner requires commitment, resilience, perseverance and often courage. Learning is hard when it requires endurance, effort and ongoing practice. This is where character intersects with competency, where our values play a role in our success (or lack of success).

My nine-year-old daughter came home from school the other day very excited because she had been allocated to play the clarinet in the band. She has played piano for a few years but has never learnt the clarinet. I asked her if she now needed to get some clarinet lessons and her response was ‘No, I know how to play the Clarinet – I am great at it’. She then proceeded to show me that she could put the instrument together and make noise.

Going along with her confident attitude, I asked her to get out a piece of clarinet music and play me a song. She couldn’t do that and when I asked her why she couldn’t, I received our family favourite response ‘I don’t know’. I then gently nudged the conversation to ‘do you think you would be able to read music and play a song if you put in a lot of time, effort, patience, and practice?’ The grumbled response came back ‘I don’t like doing that’.

Anything good and worthwhile in life often takes time, effort, patience, and practice. This is the sacrifice we need to make if we want to improve. I would love to encourage families this week to sit over a meal and ask each other what is something in 2022 that each family member wants to learn and improve at, and are they ready to the commit to the time, effort, patience, and practice to achieve their goal?

NOTICES

College Photo Day

On Wednesday we had our annual College Photo Day. We understand that some of our students missed this day for various reasons. There are two opportunities for these students to have their formal photos taken:

1. Our Springwood campus have offered our students the opportunity to take their catchup photos on the 8th of March from 7:45 - 8:20.

2. On the 11th of October 2022 when we have our scheduled group photo day and can accommodate catchup photos at this time.

Mask Reminder

All students in the MSS are required to bring a mask to school, as per the health directive from the QLD Government until the 4th of March. We are able to provide a spare mask for students who have lost or broken their masks, however we are handing out a very high number of extra masks each day. Can you please check with your child that they have an adequate supply of masks to take to school. Please see this, until the 4th of March, as an extension of the uniform policy.

COVID Notice

The College has been notified of positive test results for COVID-19 within our school community this week.

Our school has been taking all appropriate precautions regarding health and hygiene and we will continue to act in accordance with the advice of Queensland Health.

Please continue to:

• Monitor yourself and your family for COVID-19 symptoms that can include fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, headache, fatigue, diarrhoea, vomiting or nausea, loss of smell and/or taste.

• Keep your child at home if feeling unwell. If your child has developed any COVID -19 symptoms, you should attend your local Queensland Health testing clinics where students are prioritised to get a free rapid antigen test (RAT).

• Continue to follow all Queensland Health advice.

If students become symptomatic while at school, you will be contacted to collect them. You will also be provided with a rapid antigen test (RAT) to administer at home.

If your child tests positive to COVID-19, please follow Queensland Health guidelines for reporting the test result, isolation and quarantine.  More COVID-19 related information is available from www.health.qld.gov.au