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Dear Parents and Carers,
This week has continued at a busy pace.
We have been hosting Mrs McFarland from Catholic Education. She has been working with staff to review our NCCD (Nationally Consistent Collection of Data) to ensure that we are meeting the requirements of this process.
Thank you to those children who are working hard to CONNECT with others in different ways.
Some have taken on different jobs in a very thorough and organised manner. Others participated in a visit to the MPS, where I understand that there was a very competitive paper plane flying competition.
We have also spent time this week talking about the fact that we will not always like everyone, however, we can interact with those people in a respectful manner. Sometimes we have to rise to the occasion and really work hard to remember this skill, which we will find to be very useful as we move through life.
Earlier this week, Miss Schneider travelled to Canberra to participate in a training course, and she already has plans for how she can use her new learning with Yr. 5/6.
WR Cross country carnival – please be aware that the postponed Western Region cross country, will be held in Murrumburrah as previously planned. The new date for the carnival is Friday May 17.
School Athletics Carnival - our Athletics Carnival is set down for Thursday May 10 weather permitting. The day will be held at the Henry Lawson High School. If you are available to help on the day, please let Mrs Best know. Please be aware that our children will not be using the High School’s canteen and the children are required to bring a hat, sunscreen, morning tea, lunch and a drink for the day.
NAPLAN—all children in Years 3 and 5 will participate in the National Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Program in a few weeks. This year we will be using the online format for this process for all of the assessments except for the Yr. 3 Writing assessment, which will be completed using the traditional format.
Using the online format allows us some extra time to complete “make up” assessment sessions for those who are absent or sick across the course of the assessment period.
The following website provides sample/practice papers:
Good luck to all year 3 and 5 students! I am sure that you will do a fantastic job!
Congratulations to Mrs King – she has completed another course of study through ACU and recently received her graduation certificate at a ceremony in Canberra.
Registration renewal process - This term staff have also been preparing for our Registration Review Process. This review process takes place every five years and allows us to review processes and procedures to ensure that we are compliant with current regulations and practices. The review team comprising staff from our head office and principals/assistant principals/RECs will be visiting us in May (20-22). We are looking forward to working with the team during their visit.
Asthma Plans –There are a number of children who are making regular use of blue asthma puffers during the school day. Please be aware that if your child needs to have an asthma puffer at school then you need to provide the school with an up to date asthma plan.
Nits are a sensitive topic – we understand that the incidence of nits is a sensitive one, however, I encourage all families to monitor and take action as necessary.
Be aware that there have been several cases of nits reported. Please check your children’s heads and take the appropriate actions. Remember that shampoos only work if they are used at the right strength. Good ways to prevent nits include:
- Brush hair thoroughly every day
- Tie back long hair
- Check regularly for lice or eggs (nits) – take action as needed
People often say that regular use of conditioner is a very effective way to remove both eggs and lice.
All families are reminded that children whose hair is shoulder length or longer, should be wearing their hair tied back so as to keep the incidence of nits to a minimum.
Changes to routine - Thank you to those families who are keeping us informed when children are absent from school, or there are changes to the regular routine. Please be aware that we are required to keep the rolls up to date and that thorough explanations for absences enable us to do so.
Interruptions to the school day – everyone is reminded that during all visits to our school everyone must report to the office when entering the school grounds. Please do not go to your child’s classroom, even during break times. We ask that you observe this practice so as to minimise disruptions to classes during learning times. What may seem like a “quick one minute” thing to you, can actually be the cause of significant disruption to the flow of a lesson, as often there can be several “quick one minute” visits by different people.
I ask for your cooperation, if you have messages for the children, please let us know in the office rather than interrupting classes. We appreciate your understanding – thank you.
Sincerely,
REC News
In a couple of weeks there will be several people visiting our school to take us through the Registration process. We have been preparing for this for many months and thinking about our strengths and the areas that continue to need improvement.
It is also a good time to reflect on our school’s name and the qualities that Joseph had that make him such a great role model and patron saint of our school and indeed, many schools across the globe. Today’s prayer reflects some of these wonderful qualities and offers us all something to reflect upon as we prepare for the challenges that lie ahead.
Prayer to St Joseph
Faithful Joseph:
Teach us to listen and not be afraid to trust
as you did in God's promise.
Loving Joseph:
Teach us to love courageously with a heart
that is free and just.
Protector Joseph:
Teach us to protect one another and all
that belongs to God.
Dreamer Joseph:
Teach us to dream a world where all are neighbours;
a vision illuminated by God's light.
Teacher Joseph:
Teach us to keep the Word of God close to our hearts, and to proclaim it in word and action.
Gentle Joseph:
Teach us to be gentle with our power and
strong in our tenderness.
Parent Joseph:
Teach us to be for all persons a living lesson
of goodness and truth - a blessing for all
generations to come.
Amen.
Classroom News K/1
This term the K/1 students are continuing to revise the 40+ sounds they have learned and use this knowledge to blend sounds for reading and writing. They are also being exposed to some of the ‘tricky’ words which don’t follow the rules. Unfortunately, the English language is full of tricky words! For instance, did you know that there are more than 5 different ways to spell the long a sound?
- a as in gate
- a as in wait
- a as in neighbour
- a as in they
- a as in play
- a as in agent
The text type that we are working with is informative text and the students are learning about things that you might find in this type of text such as: facts, fact boxes, photos, diagrams, and labels.
They have each chosen a topic for their own informative texts and are in the process of preparing their drafts ready for publishing during Week 3. They are being challenged to write at least ten sentences for this text.
In Religious Education, the students are learning about choices and how they are shaped by our beliefs. We have been looking at the book Miss Lily’s Fabulous Pink Feather Boa and the many choices, both good and bad, that the characters make.
This theme will continue in the Personal Development and Health lessons where the children will begin to understand that the choices we make about activity and food can also affect our health.
The students will be setting their term goals this week and will be bringing home a copy to show to their parents. Goals are individual to each student, and are intended to support and challenge them to grow as learners. Please talk with your child about his/her goal.
Creative Arts will be a mix this term due to our commitment to the play for the Henry Lawson Festival. All students in the school will participate in the play rehearsals. The other weeks will involve other drama lessons as well as Visual Arts on a winter theme.
NUMERACY
Kindergarten and year 1 students have been using story boards to communicate a variety of ways to represent numbers. The story board allows students to draw, write, make the collection and write number sentences.
Year 2/3/4 students have been developing efficient strategies for the four operations. We have looked at adding numbers by partitioning the tens and ones, using a number line and recognising the other strategies of doubles plus one and two, make a ten and doubles.
We have also look at reflective symmetry and symmetry in patterns using pattern blocks. The students created a pattern and made it again using the Pattern Block Ipad app and identifying lines of symmetry.
Year 5/6 have reviewed multiplication and division of whole and decimal numbers. We used an activity called Calculator Slido where we x and ÷ by 10, 100 and 1000. Students are beginning to recognise the pattern found when we use these numbers for these operations. Formal setting out and solving of multiplication is a concept that needs to be practised, so I suggest students attempt to solve at least two of these for homework this week.
