It has been a busy time at school! We have had significant water issues and I thank the school and the staff for their patience when the water has been off. Our main water lines to the fire hydrants is a galvanised pipe that is reaching the end of its life. So as one section is fixed another busts due to the increased pressure.  The front of the school is barricaded off and I ask all students and visitors to be careful in the area and respectful of the signage. 

Harmony Day occurred last week and I encourage all parents to view our Facebook posts. Our Years 7, 8 and 9 students were wonderful ambassadors for the school on our visit to Amity College at Shellharbour. Students participated in activities for music, sport and creative arts. Amity provided an excellent lunch and recess and we had a great group photo at the end of the day. Thank you to Dr Mehmet Aslan for the invitation and to Mr Stephen Jones local MP,  and Mr John Lo Cascio from the Catholic Education Office for their attendance.

I asked students this morning to speak with their parents about what are the four top apps you have used on your phone in the last week and how are they positively contributing to your life? Is the time that you spend on them aligned with the values you want in your life? This is just a discussion point for our young people, so as to be more reflective of how their time is being spent and whether it is good for them.

For example, is Facebook or Twitter a better way to use your time? Are you socially connecting with others or using it as a passive way to gather information? This is not about whether it is right or wrong but just a recognition of the purpose behind the way you spend your time. Is gaming time wasting and contributing to aggressive behaviour, or is it a way to connect and talk to others? Is it a good use of your time? Rather than just looking at how much time you spend on a device look behind that to what is the purpose, and create a discussion at a family level. Are the values that are important to you as a family being reflected in your time on devices? If not what do you do about it?