Russian Pancake Day
On Tuesday, we served something like 700 pancakes to our school community to acknowledge Russian Pancake Day. Why is this significant? There are a couple of key reasons:
We are taking steps to better understand each other.
Did you know that the 421 students enrolled at St Leonards identify with cultures from at least 43 countries around the world? This presents an awesome opportunity to shift beyond acknowledging difference, to better understanding the different customs, beliefs and perspectives that are woven into our collective identity. Dr Stephen Covey suggests that one of the most important principles of interpersonal relations is ‘seek first to understand, then be understood.’ When we intentionally take steps to find out what is important to others, we take great strides toward a truly inclusive and supportive community for all of our children, young people and their families.
On Tuesday, many children discovered that there is a Russian folktale very similar to ‘The Gingerbread Man’, called ‘The Runaway Pancake’. Some discussed the different forms of pancakes across the world, other classes listened to Russian music and a few were lucky enough to hear some Russian language spoken by their peers..
We are fortunate to have committed volunteers.
Our pancakes were served by a team of volunteers who served every pancake with a smile, and commitment to our kids and community. It can feel challenging to invest time to register as a volunteer but the feedback we are receiving is that the process is becoming quite streamlined and the 2:30 Wednesday workshops in the format of a ‘drop-in session’ are really helpful for potential volunteers to be guided through the process at their own pace.
We would love to hear from you about days of cultural significance that could be shared by the St Leonards community.
Road Safety Alert
A member of the public has recently alerted the school of serious concern about the safety of children who are riding and scooting home across the footbridge from David Ave across to Shannon Ave. He observed students on scooters and pushbikes riding at speed straight out onto Shannon Ave without looking and noted that their exit from the footbridge to the road is also hidden from the view of northbound motorists by bushes and compounded even more by a bend just before the footbridge exit.
If your child travels this route, we urge you to practice riding/scooting with them, highlighting potential hazards and how to minimise the risk.
Bikes on School Grounds
Most children and young people are being very considerate when travelling to and from school by dismounting and walking their bikes from the crossing to the bike shed 8:30-8:45 and 3:05-3:20. Please remind your children to always consider safety when riding on school grounds. Even if the final bell has rung, please be aware of toddlers, prams and people still moving about the school if your child is riding at speed.
It would be appreciated if children did not ride their bikes around the buildings as staff are usually on site until at least 4:30pm and do not want to be bowled over a they move across the buildings around the quad area.
Thank you for your support and understanding.
Jo Meredith, Acting Principal
Kathy Baker, Inclusive Education Coordinator
