Week 2 Term 4 2020
Aboriginal Acknowledgement
As we come to gather we acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We commit ourselves to actively working alongside Aboriginal people for reconciliation and justice.
Dear Families,
We welcome our students and families back to school for Term 4. we trust that the holidays were a time to rest, recharge and enjoy some quality down time with family and friends. I have been speaking to students and camping seemed to be the most popular holiday activity with many stories being relayed to staff and friends.
Over the last few months we have had the privilege of meeting students and parents who will be joining our school community for the first time in our Kindergarten class of 2021.Today we had the absolute pleasure of welcoming our new students to St Carthage’s for the first of their orientation visits. It is always wonderful to see their happy, smiling faces as they engage in the activities which the Kindergarten teachers have prepared for them. Thank you to Mrs Beirsteker, Mrs Yates and Mr Evans for their work in preparing for these visits. I have been reflecting on how lucky the children in our school are, to have such strong family support and parents who really take their roles seriously.
‘A Parent’s Prayer’ is shared as a tribute to parents who model the intentions of this prayer.
A Parent’s Prayer
Help me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they have to say and to answer all of their questions kindly.
Keep me from interrupting them, talking back to them and contradicting them.
Give me courage to confess my sins against them and to ask of them forgiveness, when I know I have done them wrong.
May I not vainly hurt the feelings of my children. Forbid that I should laugh at their mistakes or resort to shame and ridicule as punishment.
So guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all I say and do, that goodness produces happiness.
Reduce, I say, the meanness in me.
May I cease to nag, and when I am out of sorts, help me, O Lord, to hold my tongue.
Blind me to the little errors of my children and help me to see the good things they do.
Give me a ready word of praise for honest effort.
Help me to treat my children as those of their own age, but let me not exact of them the judgments and conventions of adults.
Allow me not to rob them of the opportunity to wait upon themselves, to think, to choose and to make decisions.
Forbid that I should ever punish them for my selfish satisfaction.
May I grant them all of their wishes which are reasonable, and have the courage always to withhold a privilege which I know will do them harm.
Make me so fair and just, so considerate and so compassionate to them that they will have a genuine esteem for me.
Fit me to be loved and imitated by my children.
Amen.
I trust that we all take the time each day, to say thank you for the gift of our children.
- Cleaning and hygiene protocols will continue to the highest standards as per Term 3.
- Non essential visitors are not permitted on site. Parents still have access to the front office.
- No cross stage activities- students are to work within their own cohort.
- Kinder Transition can occur but needs to be significantly reduced. Kindergarten Orientation will run for three consecutive Thursdays, beginning today. Parents will have restricted access to the site.
- Year 6 Graduation can be held at the school with restricted food options for students and staff only at this stage.
- Parent drop off and pick up will remain as per Term 3.
The usual practices will be maintained - hand washing, hand sanitising, extra cleaning, physical distancing of staff etc.
Please remember the guidelines about children who are unwell - none of this has changed.
I thank all parents for their ongoing support during this time. We will keep you up to date if changes occur.
School Uniform
Thanks so much to all families for the way in which you have your children presented to school in full and correct school uniform. It is a great sight to see how proudly our students wear their uniform. Just a reminder, that if your child is not able to be in the correct uniform on a certain day they are to have a note stating the reason why. If you are experiencing difficulty obtaining uniforms or you know a family that is struggling with keeping up with uniform requirements can you please let me know. All will be kept confidential.
Are you moving?
Planning for next year is underway and to estimate enrolments and class structures for 2021, it would be appreciated if the school could be notified of any children who may be leaving St Carthage's at the end of the year.
Thank you for your co-operation with this matter.
School Starting Dates 2021
Please note the following dates for the commencement of the 2021 school year:
Wednesday, 27 January - Staff return.
Monday, 1 February - Years 1-6 return.
Wednesday, 3 February - Kindergarten begin.
Mathematics Assessment Interviews
At St Carthage’s we are always evaluating and reviewing the way in which we do things in the teaching and learning process, in order to make it more productive and engaging for all students. For the past two years, we have conducted Mathematics Assessment Interviews (MAIs), which are part of the Extending Mathematics Understanding (EMU) program, with all our students from Kindergarten through to Year Six. We are continuing with these interviews next year in 2021.
The staff at St Carthage’s have continued to engage in professional learning around EMU through the use of data, collected at the MAIs, in their Professional Learning Teams. This has strengthened our understanding and practices in the way children learn mathematical concepts and skills, in order to be able to meet their learning needs.
Children begin to learn number concepts and skills from a very early age. Even before they begin formal schooling, many children already know the names of numbers, counting sequences and can attach a numerical value to a collection of objects. However, this is not always the case and children will learn at different rates, at different times and in different ways. Our challenge as teachers is to “cause mathematical learning” for all children by meeting students at their current place on their learning journey.
This challenge is complex and in order to meet this challenge, teachers need to plan learning opportunities for students based on a clear understanding of:
- children's mathematical thinking;
- the possible course of children's mathematical learning and the major growth points that describe students' number learning;
- instructional sequences and teaching that provoke and support mathematical learning;
- the difficulty that some children experience when working with numerical situations.
The information gathered as a result of the MAI is imperative in helping teachers understand how children learn and assess where a child's understanding is at in order to plan teaching that meets the student's next 'point of need'. In addition to this, the data assists us in being able to identify children who are at risk in their learning — at risk of having gaps in their mathematical understanding which could impede their ability to develop appropriate number concepts and skills for continued learning
To determine where a student is at in their learning, we conduct Mathematics Assessment Interviews. These interviews will be conducted at the beginning of the year. Your child will be observed individually whilst completing a range of numeracy-based activities to determine their conceptual mathematical understandings in the areas of counting, place value, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division. This assessment provides rich information to guide ongoing mathematics planning for teaching and learning, allowing the teacher to ascertain what growth points your child is at in mathematics at the commencement of the new learning year. This valuable data on your child will be shared with you early Term One, when the school conducts its Parent Meetings.
We will endeavour to have the interview conducted by your child's teacher for 2021. The MAI is deliberately timed after the holidays as it measures their conceptual understanding or the learning which has been deeply embedded in your child. Those students who were at St Carthage’s in 2020 have data recorded, which will determine where they start the assessment and move them forward to where they demonstrate understanding. New students from K-6 will start at the beginning to record accurate data and move through to where they demonstrate understanding.
More information will follow about when the MAIs will occur and how to make an interview booking for your child/ren in the next newsletter.
Encouraging students to move from their Heads to their Hearts to their Hands...
This is one response to the “signs of the times” and hopefully we can better support students themselves to find meaningful answers to questions they ask about life, identity and belonging.
One major step we are taking is to start with what the students know! So each Unit commences their learning with listing WHAT THEY KNOW and WHAT THEY WANT TO KNOW...so that we can tailor their learning to suit where they are - rather than where we think they are!
Below are some images of Year 6 students ACTIVELY involved in their learning!
Lily Comber (6MC), in exploring through Scripture the qualities of Mary, chose this image of Mary which brought to Lily
"...a sense of wonder and joy as you can see the beautiful family of Mary and Jesus. Mary shows great care and love. The painting shows great wonder because she said “Yes!” to a blessed opportunity and life. Mary was an amazing role model to all mothers and females and Mary is such a devoted and strong mother and is loved by all catholic people!
In this painting, the qualities of Mary I sense are as loving, independent, brave, strong, humble, courageous, forgiving, dedicated, and passionate. I've heard many stories about Mary and each story represents how amazing Mary was as a person and how strong and compassionate she is towards our Catholic Church."
Thank you Lily!
Our ‘FAMILY IN NEED’ freezer - usually full of homemade meals thanks to the marvellous generosity of our families - is STILL EMPTY! These meals provide families going through a rough patch with some pastoral care. If you could provide even one meal it would be very much appreciated. Any meals may be brought to the School Office. (Meals need to have an attached date of cooking and ingredients please.)
Sacramental News – On the 11 September 2020, Bishop Greg has advised the following:
After taking the advice of the Council of Priests, I have decided that from next year, 2021, Confirmations will begin in grade 3. First Communion will be in grade 4. This will ensure smooth continuance of our Sacramental Program without the need for gigantic Confirmations and First Communions in 2021. This is consistent with the practice in a number of Dioceses. Let’s pray that we will be able to have Confirmations in 2021.
For St Carthage’s a draft plan for the 2021 and future Sacramental Program might look like this:
2020 - Year 2 have completed their Confirmation program and Year 3 have completed their Reconciliation and Holy Communion programs.
2021 - Year 3 will have a 'refresher' Confirmation Unit and be Confirmed. Year 4 will have 'refresher' Reconciliation and Holy Communion Units and make their first Reconciliation and first Holy Communion.
2022 (and into the future) - Year 3 will prepare for and complete the Sacrament of Confirmation. Yr 4 will prepare for and complete the Sacrament of Penance and Sacrament of Eucharist.
Socktober means Crazy Socks Day!
This month is World Mission Month and we would like to raise funds for Catholic Mission’s work with poor children around the world. To help raise funds, we will be holding our annual CRAZY SOCKS DAY on Friday 30th October. Students can wear colourful, crazy socks to school for the cost of a gold coin donation. Please don’t forget to wear your CRAZY SOCKS!
Our work in the past to raise funds is much appreciated!
A special thank you from our friend in Cambodia. Sros, a young resident at the Arrupe Centre in Battambang, Cambodia, shares a message of thanks for Socktober supporters.
https://youtu.be/55Y7i1CGOxA
Soundwaves -
The focus sounds for the following two weeks are:
Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
Book Week
This week each class participated in a shared writing opportunity as part of Book Week Celebrations. Below are some examples of the stories written. The theme was 'Curious Creatures, Wild Minds'.
Our wonderful Book Week display in the Library. Thanks to all those who helped to set up this display for our students to celebrate Book Week 2020!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Happy Birthday to all the Staff and Students that have a birthday at this time.
Cienna Brett, Ethan Bromhead, Jessica Holmes, Hugh Jeffery, Elwyn Dunne, Lachlan Magnay, Vincent McFarlane, Eloise McFarlane, Milliam Mosse, George Jones, Toby Conlan, Ella Kennedy, Elizabeth Slattery, Kaytlyn Turner, Milla Zorzo, Maggie Lynch, Sophia Wells, Abigail Challinor, Nash Taylor, Emily Marsters, Aiden Coghlan, Alanah Andonov, Ivy Jackson-Hill, Finn Martin, Katrina McQuilty and Janelle Connelly.
Congratulations
The school community would like to congratulate Levi Dunstan and his family on the birth of their baby daughter and sister. Also to Madison Baillie and her family on the birth of their baby daughter and sister. Congratulations on the arrival of your new-born! We hope you enjoy this special time and make lots of wonderful memories.
BOOKCLUB
BOOKCLUB is due back NEXT THURSDAY 29th October.
If paying by cheque, please make payment to Scholastic Australia.
Unfortunately, NO late orders can be accepted.
A huge THANK YOU to Bridget Swan for volunteering to process the Bookclub orders again this year. We sincerely appreciate her time and effort which assists the school to continue offering this opportunity to students and families.
NOT RETURNING IN 2021?
To assist with our projection of class numbers and placements for 2021, we ask that parents advise the School Office, in writing, if your child/ren (K-5) will not be returning to St Carthage’s next year. Please include details of your child/rens’ new school, new home address and new contact phone numbers where applicable.