Newsletter Week 9 Term 4
Principal's Report
Happy Thursday and hello summer! My favourite season of the year.
Well the countdown is well and truly on. The children have all been very busy preparing for our Graduation Mass on Tuesday 14th December at 6:00p.m. Everyone has a special job so if you are not going to be able to make it, please let me know as soon as possible. The children with readings will be given a copy to take home to practice with. This copy can stay at home, they have another copy at school. After Graduation Mass we will have a BBQ tea in the quadrangle. Everyone is welcome and please bring your own drinks! If we have a couple of parents who would like to cook the BBQ during Mass, please let me know, we would really appreciate your help.
It is also at that time of year when we have a 'blow out' in our school shoes. If this has happened, the children can wear their runners but please send a note in with your child. I understand it is silly to buy new shoes with 9 days to go as they may out grow them in the holidays.
It has been nice to see blue socks on the boys as they were asked. I did tell them, they can wear blue socks on sports day too if they like.
Can all fee payments be finalised as soon as possible please.
Unfortunately we have had no interest in the cleaning position. Can you all please put your thinking caps on and see if you can think of anyone who may be interested and tell them to caontact me ASAP. thanksOn Monday 13th December, the CCSA is organising a fun day. We haven't been able to have a fete the last two years so they have decided to organise their own fun for the children. I can't wait to see what they have in store for us. I will provide some more details next week.
Yesterday we had Samantha Meerbach and Christine Bulger from the Catholic Education Office here to start the planning process for next year.
Today we are going on a scavenger hunt around our local community. Unfortunately last week the weather was not in our favour but today is a beautiful day! I will meet them with their morning tea and maybe a sneaky icecream for a treat. I can't wait to hear about everything they have seen and learnt during the walk.
On Thursday next week, Bernadette Zagame will be facilitating the Reconciliation Program with the Grade 5, 6 and Year 7 students. The children will complete the programme during the day and will receive the Sacrament that evening with Fr Gerry.
As you know, Jason Whatnall has accepted the full-time ongoing position in the junior classroom. Jason has been planning an overseas trip since before covid and now that the borders are open, he is going to take 6 months leave in the first half of 2022 and will return for second semester. This means staffing for the first half of the year will be changing. Mrs Byrne will be full-time in the 3/4/5/6 room and Mrs Armstrong will be 4 days in the prep/1/2 room. The fifth day is still to be confirmed. We hope Jason has a wonderful time in his travels and look forward to him coming back in Term 3.
That's all from me this week.
Cate Olive
Acting Principal
Upcoming Dates
2nd December - Local Scavenger Hunt
13th December - Monday Fun Day - CCSA to organise
14th December - Graduation
15th December - Students last day
16th & 17th December - Staff Planning
1st February - Students first day 2022
7th February - Swimming Programme begins
3rd March - School Photos
Foundation, 1, 2 Class News
This week in the Prep/1/2 class, the students have continued to work hard on revising their concepts of learning for the semester before we start winding up for 2021!
In Reading, the students have continued to explore non-fiction text types, with our weekly book titled ‘Wet’. We have explored some of the different relationships that people, animals and plants have with water. Following on from our learning around ‘The Water cycle’, similarly we’ve explored what a food chain is and have had some interesting discussions around what would happen if an animal or plant food source was to get removed from a food chain, and what the implications could be for the other animals or plants and the environment in which they live.
In Numeracy, we’ve been learning about Australian money. The students have learnt how to order the coins and notes in order of value; we’ve had a look and discussions around the people, animals and symbols printed on our money. This week we’ve started to add money together to create a value for an item and have investigated how to make $1 & $2 in different ways, i.e. Five 20cent coins, Two $1 coins, Twenty 5cent pieces, etc. The students have really enjoyed working with the play money and have done extremely well with the content explored in class.
Last Friday was our last orientation session with our new Preps for 2021, before they join our school community next year as ‘The Lil’ Joeys’ - beginning their lifelong journey of learning and growing. It was a big day for our little excited learners, starting at 9am with reading and writing activities in the morning, counting and number activities after recess, before finishing off with a bible story and prayer before a big play at lunch! We joined as a whole school before eating lunch to present the new Preps with a certificate and giving them each a big clap for all their hard work at school over the last three weeks! We look forward to seeing you back at St Joseph’s in 2022.
3, 4, 5, 6 Class News
Literacy: Students are continuing their reading on Australian bushrangers. We are reading about Fredrick Ward this week and his adventures. Students are continuing to consult their spelling skills through structured activities in the classroom. Students are working on writing tasks related to their bushranger and life in the 1800s reading. This week students had to plan a typical day’s meal in the 1800s and explain how they would source, prepare and cook the meals of the day.
Maths: Students are working on applying mathematical concepts to solve problems posed to them. They are continuing to consult their Maths knowledge and revise any concepts as needed. Examples of these include division, problem solving, read timetables and subtraction with borrowing for year 3 and 4 and grams, kilograms, tonnes conversions and word problems for year 5 and 6 as well as working on BODMAS.
Cooking: Students are working well during our cooking classes and utilising skills such as reading, writing, mathematical knowledge and clear communication. They are enjoying cooking recipes that bushrangers themselves would have made.
Community News
