2022 Term 1 Week 5 Newsletter

Prayer Focus

From the Principal

Open Classroom Evening

Are parents permitted in the school?

Yours in Faith,
Warren Niethe
Principal

All Things Learning & Teaching

Wet, Wet, Wet

The weather over the last few weeks has been very challenging for so many. This is especially so for our schools in the north and our thoughts and prayers are with all affected by the floods. 

Here at school our lunch and recess time have had to operate very differently. Our students have had wonderful opportunities to explore and create, choose to be inside or outside in undercover areas, work together or individually and generally discover many ways to play. The increased duty roster has also supported the needs of students during this time. 

We are certainly grateful that we have such a beautiful school that allows such flexibility but are looking forward to sunny times ahead.

NAPLAN 2022 Preparation

In preparation for NAPLAN 2022 which is for all Yr 3 and Yr 5 students throughout Australia, we are sharing a brochure for parents and carers so that you can familiarise yourselves with the process.

NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows parents and carers to see how their child is progressing in literacy and numeracy against the national standard and compared with their peers throughout Australia. At the classroom level, NAPLAN provides additional information to support teachers’ professional judgement about student progress. It is not intended to be a ‘big deal’ but rather an opportunity to look at a snapshot of learning. A snapshot we all share.

eSafety Webinars for Parents

Parents who are interested in learning more about navigating through and supporting their children in the online environment are encouraged to visit the eSafety Commissioner website which contains lots of useful information, resources and free webinars.

The Council of Catholic School Parents and the eSafety Commission are partnering to provide a free webinar designed for parents and carers of young people aged 10–18. It will provide helpful information for parents including:

• What do to about accidental exposure to content about suicide, self-harm or eating disorders
• Using games, apps and social media to support mental wellbeing
• Digital mental health platforms
• Strategies for young people to support friends online.

Sharon de Dassel
Assistant Principal Learning & Teaching

Faith & Mission

Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday

The School Leaders cooked pancakes for the school to share on Shrove Tuesday, in observance of the popular tradition where eggs, flour and butter were ‘used up’ prior to the commencement of Lent and the period of fasting.

Season of Lent

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Church’s season of Lent. The marking of the ashes on this day is a public expression of our faith and humility. It is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. 

Through prayer we come closer to God so that we are better able to realise the promises made for us at our baptism, to live justly as  Jesus teaches us. 

Fasting joins us in solidarity with people experiencing poverty who often have no choice but to go without the basic human  needs. 

Sharing what we have, or ‘almsgiving’, is a sign of our  commitment to justice and our thanks for all that God has given us. 

Each family has received a Project Compassion box and are encouraged to make a contribution to this worthy cause which provides physical resources, practical assistance, education and training to those in marginalised communities both here in Australia and abroad.  Boxes can be returned at the end of the term. 

First Sunday Family Mass

We are pleased to announce that weekly Children’s Liturgy and monthly morning tea at St Francis Xavier Church will be resuming this weekend. Children’s Liturgy takes place at the beginning of Mass. School aged children are invited to gather in a small group to share the Gospel and related activity, returning during the Offertory Procession to join the congregation for the remainder of Mass. Children’s Liturgy is run by school staff. On the first Sunday of every month, students are invited to join in various ministries including the Choir, reading and bringing up the Gifts during the Offertory Procession. Following Mass all parishioners are invited to enjoy a cuppa and a chat. We hope to see you there!

Introducing the Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) Team

This Year 6 Leadership Team is responsible for helping to promote PBS in our school, organising PBS initiatives, collecting tokens and maintaining and updating PBS displays. They are a dedicated bunch who have chosen to be part of this team because they are passionate about PBS at St Francis Xavier. They’ve created this video to help people understand what PBS is all about and what it looks like at our school.

Katrina Ryan
Assistant Principal Mission

Spotlight on High Potential Learning

High Potential Learning (HPL) Universal AGAT Testing

As part of our whole school HPL identification and selection process, all Year 3 and Year 5 students will sit the AGAT (ACER General Abilities Test) by the end of this week. This assessment is given to students in an online format and is used as a screening tool to assess a student’s general reasoning ability. This information is then used to determine if further assessment is required which could lead to students being involved in extension opportunities for their learning. 

Stage 3 HPL Focus

This term Stage 3 HPL students will be following their passions! Students will engage in a ‘Passion Project’ requiring them to identify and explore a passion with the additional challenge of discovering ways their passion can positively impact the school or local community. 

Our students have a wide range of passions. Please take a peek at the proposals created by these amazing students. 

Suzie Coster
Leader of Learning HPL

Communicating Diversity

English Language Skills and Reading 

Developing your child’s academic skills at home can be easier than you think. The single most important thing you can do to support your child’s learning is to read at home. Daily reading stimulates the imagination and supports both social and cognitive development. Offering a range of books that capture your child’s interest can make reading an enjoyable time that you can share together as a family. Children love being read to and will benefit from listening to stories, which not only helps build a rich vocabulary but also supports concentration and offers a deeper understanding of the world around them.

When reading with your child remember to ask them questions about the book. This extends comprehension and provides opportunities for creative thinking. Happy reading!

Laura Cooke
Leader of EAL/D

A Focus on Inclusion

Disability Standards for Education

All Australian education providers have obligations to students with disability and additional learning and support needs.

Under the Disability Standards for Education (2005) all principals and teachers have legal obligations to ensure that every student is able to participate in the curriculum on the same basis as their peers through rigorous, meaningful and dignified learning. The Disability Standards are Australian law under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1992.

This does not mean every student should have the same experiences.

On the same basis means that students with disability should have the same opportunities and choices in their education as students without disability.

This may be achieved by making reasonable adjustments to suit each individual student's education needs and may include any reasonable adjustments to the learning program or to the school's physical environment – and the provision of additional support – to assist each student fulfill his or her potential.

Information taken from the NSW Government Website - Education.

Autism Workshop

 This is a great opportunity for parents of children with ASD to attend a free workshop to learn more about their child's diagnosis.

Fiona Jupp
Leader of Inclusion

Sporting Roundup

Swimming Age Champions and Runners Up

Congratulations to all Age Champions and Runners Up at our School Swimming Carnival. These awards were presented to students last Friday. The winning house was McKillop!

New Sport Equipment

We have purchased new sport equipment for playground use at lunch and recess times. 

Netball and AFL Clinics

Stages 2 and 3 particpated in a netball clinic this week.  Stage 1 will begin an AFL clinic next week. Both the netball and AFL clinics will continue for four weeks.

I am happy to announce that Stages 2 and 3 will begin netball clinics in Week 5. This will be a four week program as part of their Physical Development Health and Physical Education units led by an external coach. Stage 1 students will also begin AFL clinics in Week 6. They will also participate in a four week coach led program.

Try Rugby/Get into Rugby

Due to the recent wet weather, the date has changed for the Try Rugby/Get into Rugby afternoon. If your child is interested in playing Junior Rugby Union this year, please come along to the Try Rugby/Get into Rugby afternoon on Friday, 11th March at Woolgoolga Sports Ground from 5.30pm-7.00pm.

For further information please visit the Facebook Page by clicking on the link below or email coffsjuniors@gmail.com

Tiffany Wishart
Leader of Sport

Canteen News

Gold Token winners

Well done to all Token recipients this fortnight and congratulations to our Gold Token winners!

Certificate of Recognition recipients

Congratulations to all the Certificate of Recognition recipients for Week 4.  Keep up the great work!

Scholastic Book Club

Issue 2 of Scholastic Book Club has come home this week with your child.  Click on the link below to view the catalogue online.

Please return cash orders to school, or place orders using LOOP, by Friday 11 March.