October Pupil Free Day

can reply by saying, “In our we family we do it this way.” Leaning against family tradi@on in this way gives you a strength to resist children’s pester power. Family tradi@ons and rituals need to be fiercely defended by parents.

Make family meals non-negoVable

This writer recommends that shared meal@mes should be non-nego@able in families. It’s no coincidence that countries with strong food cultures are also known for their strong family cultures. Shared meal@mes build connec@on, are great tools for developing children’s manners and respeceul ac@ons. They’ve also been linked to the maintenance of good mental health in children and young people, presumably due to the opportunity it provides parents to stay in touch with their children.

Healthy families are built around tradi@ons and rituals. It’s useful to approach the concept of family tradi@ons with a mix of firmness to insist that children adhere to family rituals but also flexibility to accommodate growing independence as children move into the next stage of development.

Prayer

Prayer – St Therese of Lisieux

St Therese was born in 1873 near Lisieux in France – the youngest of nine children. She was only 15 years old when the Bishop gave permission for her to enter the Carmelite convent. At the convent St Therese prayed much and did ordinary things such as washing dishes, scrubbing floors, sewing, cooking and caring for the sick. Her greatest gins were her concentra@on, which helped her to pray, and her determina@on. Throughout her life, St Therese decided to do every act for the love of God. She always tried to smile and be posi@ve and not complain or cri@cise. She had simple ways of saying yes to God and did ordinary things extremely well. Therese was only 24 when she died of tuberculosis.

Therese kept a journal that showed her faithfulness and love of God. She also wrote many reflec@ons including this prayer -

May today there be peace within May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibili@es that are born of faith. May you use those gins that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence seile into your bones, And allow your soul the freedom to sing dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

With gratefulness

Sincere thanks to all the staff for their effort and commitment to the school, and the community during the past ten weeks. This term has been extremely busy, however, also very rewarding. Congratula@ons and well done to everyone. Best wishes for a safe, happy and very relaxing holiday,