Caritas Australia's Project Compassion

During Lent, we support Project Compassion. The Caritas boxes have been distributed to our classes and the students talk about this wonderful project during prayer.  Please encourage your child to bring in donations to support this cause.  The students are encouraged to help with small jobs at home to raise money that they can donate. 

We also have a large community box that is placed outside each morning and afternoon for community contributions.  Your generous donations are much appreciated. 

If you would prefer to donate online, please use the QKR app and via the menu tab, search - Fundraising, Donations: Caritas – Project Compassion.  Please see further information about the QKR app in this newsletter. 

If you would like more information about Project Compassion you can look here;  https://www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/

Sensory & messy play

St Anthony’s preschool is a place of wonder, creativity, and collaboration. We see children as unique, capable individuals whom we trust as active protagonists of their own learning. We believe children have extraordinary potential with the capacity to express themselves, explore their worlds, and connect their thoughts, feelings, and imaginings in endless ways. We support developing potentials through creative, artistic, and innovative means. 

As part of our program, we encourage the students to get messy and be involved in sensory play.  This play supports scientific thinking which involves inquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching, and investigating and encourages children to use their senses to discover new aspects. It delivers on Outcome 4 of the Early Years Learning Framework – Children are confident and involved learners. 

This is evident when children:

• express wonder and interest in their environments.
• are curious and enthusiastic participants in their learning.
• use play to investigate, imagine and explore ideas.
• follow and extend their own interests with enthusiasm, energy and concentration.
• initiate and contribute to play experiences emerging from their own ideas.
• participate in a variety of rich and meaningful inquiry-based experiences.
• persevere and experience the satisfaction of achievement.
• persist even when they find a task difficult.

Spare clothes

Messy play can result in the students needing to change their clothing during the day.  We appreciate having access to spare clothes in the students’ bags and we have a small supply of clothes that the students can borrow.  If your child comes home in spare clothes please wash, dry, and return these promptly. 

Parent/teacher interviews

In Weeks 8 & 9 you will have the opportunity to meet with your child’s class teacher.  Please look out for an email this week, asking you to book a meeting time.  This is a wonderful opportunity for us to connect with you.  You are also very welcome to contact us at any stage to arrange a time to meet with the teaching staff.  They can be contacted at elc.stanthonys@cg.catholic.edu.au