9 October 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Message

Michael Gray, Principal

Dear Parents, Carers, Staff and Students,

This year I have had two stunning learning experiences; Jerusalem with a focus on faith, bible scripture, biblical history and pilgrimage. This learning underpins my leadership of our school faith dimension and our religious education program.

The second experience I have had was visiting schools in North America. Over the last week of term and the school break our school literacy co-ordinator (Monica Currer) and myself visited schools over two weeks in Vancouver and Los Angeles. These schools work in the areas of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Response to Intervention (RTI). These are strategies we focus on in our school improvement process. Building our understanding of these world class strategies is critical to our student success. What were some of the key learnings for me from this experience?

  1.  A focus on high levels of learning outcomes for all students is imperative and that there are many processes, procedures and approaches we take that are working.
  2.   I learnt that all students need constant, and changing specific targeted help if they are to progress to high levels of learning. This key goal will require work as a school, staff and community. The Response to Intervention process has three tiers of support to aid this type of student learning. This work will form part of our focus in our 2019 school improvement plan.

While visiting schools overseas it also re-confirmed my belief that values and motivation also have a significant impact on learning. A value we focus on here at St. Joseph’s is respect. Respect for self, each other, our school, our families and our civic life. We have also focused on respect for our indigenous history and culture. We also focus on respect for our country, those that sacrificed their lives for our freedom and way of life today. Some practical examples of the value respect in action are:

  1.  Two Joeys “kids” in Salt Lake City A current Joeys student visits a past student, Nathan Sobey, who is on a practice session for the Adelaide 36ers at their Utah Jazz game in Salt Lake City. Mum, (Melissa Happ) says…. “Nathan was so great, he signed Jess’ basketball, did some shots with her, held her up to the ring to do a shot. He was so generous with his time, such an awesome ambassador for Joeys!!” The Happ family are in America for a specialised health recovery program for their daughter Jessica.

Jessica Happ with Nathan Sobey

  2.  Warrnambool Junior Youth Council (WJYC). As mentioned at assembly and the school newsletter last term four current students of St. Joseph’s have taken on the challenge representing their peers at our city council. Well done to Hayley Wilson, Ian Roache, Charlize Wiffrie and Theo Kane. These students, out of respect for their peers and our city will meet the challenge of being ambassadors for growth and change in our city.

Parish Opportunity

Join us at the Annual Pet Blessing this Friday. The Annual Blessing of the Animals will be conducted by Fr. John in the grounds of the parish church, St Joseph’s this Friday at 5:30pm. All are most welcome to bring along a pet to receive a blessing to commemorate Saint Francis and his love of creation and all creatures great and small.

Mr Gray and his Golden Retrievers will be at the Blessing this Friday at 5:30pm.

Regards,
Michael Gray, Principal.

Important Messages

Jim Guinan, Deputy Principal

Dear Parents and Guardians

I hope you had the chance to spend some quality time with your children over the holiday break. They certainly came back to school looking refreshed, healthy and full of conversation about their experiences. Coming home with this newsletter is heaps of information to allow you to fully participate in the life of St Joseph's in what is shaping up to be another busy and exciting term. Fourth term is an eleven-week term and given there are only 77 days until Christmas, it will go quickly enough.

At the end of the term we will say good-bye and good luck to two of our longer-term teaching staff. Kerry Bruce is announcing her retirement after a 31-year association with St Marcellus, Purnim and St Joseph's Warrnambool. Belinda Wrigley has had a teaching association at St Joseph's since 1996 and has recently gained a teaching position at St Francis Xavier Ballarat to commence in 2019. We will say our final goodbyes and thankyou closer to the time.

Parking

During the last week of last term, there was a nasty incident at school dismissal time on the spare block near the Queen's Road school crossing. Can I please advise parents not to park there as it is private property.

Students have also been asked not to cross the Allen Oval when leaving school at dismissal time. Instead they are asked to use the track to the back of the tennis courts or the footpath along Botanic Road.

2019 Class Placement

An important step in the class placement process for the following year, is giving parents the opportunity to have input into this process. If you feel it is essential please collect the 2019 Placement Survey (Green Form) from the School Office and return the completed form in an envelope to the school by Friday 19th October, 2018.

Parents would put in a “Green Form” if they have confidential pastoral information about their child they consider very important that a teacher may not be aware of. If you have any further questions about the above information or the process of classroom placement, please contact me at the school office.

Green Forms are confidential but reviewed by Principal and Deputy.

It is also timely to remind parents that if their children are not returning to St Joseph’s Primary School in 2019, could they please let us know as soon as possible.

Teacher Awards

Week 9

Week 10

Gold Box Winner

Congratulations to Gold Box winner Jorja Keilar for being a great buddy in C3 and Patrick Mather and Leland Spence for walking their bikes into school.

Congratulations to Gold Box winners Darby Walsh for picking up litter on the way to school and Jeff Collins for walking his bike into school.

Winners of our Gold Box get to go for a swim at the pool.

The Learning continues…

Louis O’Connor, Curriculum Coordinator

Term 3 gave students many opportunities to learn and engage in their area’s inquiry topics.

We had Ben from ‘Fizzics Education’ visit and perform ‘The Big Science Show’ to all year levels across the school. The students found the performance high engaging and left them with further interest in the science areas.

Meg Anderson as a volunteer during the 'Big Science Show.'

The Junior area was also lucky enough to have a performance by ‘Aussie Rock Kids’ who demonstrated the different genre of musics and links to cultures around the world.

Aussie Rock Kids

The Middle school held a ‘Forces’ expo in the hall. The Middle students gave demonstrations and explained the science behind their activity to the junior classes who visited through the afternoon.

The Senior school went on camp to Ballarat, including a visit to Sovereign Hill to further their understanding of their ‘History’ based Inquiry unit.

As a whole school we also had many dress up days for fundraising and to further our awareness of issues to help our community, including Super Hero day, Book Week and Daffodil Day/Buy a Farmer a Bale Day.

Term 4 will continue to provide our students with opportunities to learn about our world and the community we live in. The Inquiry units/questions the different areas across the school will explore are as follows:

Foundation - What are the arts and how do they help us express ourselves?
Junior School - How do people from around the world celebrate?
Middle School - How do living things interact with their habitat?
Senior School - How Have Innovations Changed our Lives and How do they Make our Lives Easier?

Louis O’Connor
Curriculum Coordinator

Numeracy at St Joseph’s

As we begin the final term for 2018, the mathematics content addressed in classrooms comprises some revision and extension of concepts covered earlier in the year as well as some new topics.

In Foundation classes, students will be extending their knowledge of counting and place value by increasing the range of numbers up to 20 and beyond. They will also be consolidating their work from Term 2 in addition and subtraction with a focus on writing a number sentence, especially from a simple story.

The Years 1 and 2 classes will be reinforcing place value concepts from early term 1 and extending those to include reading and writing the words for numbers and using a numberline for Year 1 for numbers up to at least 100. The Year 2’s will be reading and writing the words for numbers and using a numberline for Year 1 for numbers up to at least 1000. They will also be working on developing their place value use so as to be able to state 1, 10 and 100 more or less than any given number (without counting by 1’s) using numbers up to 1,000.

The Years 3 and 4 classes will be reinforcing place value concepts from early term 1 and extending those to include placing numbers on a numberline (marked with a scale initially then unmarked) using numbers up to 10,000 (Year 3) and 100,000 (Year 4). They will also be working on developing their place value use to be able to state 10, 100, 1,000 (Year 3) and 10,000 (Year 4) more or less than any given number (without counting by 1’s) using numbers up to 10,000 (Year 3) and 100,000 (Year 4).

The Year 5 and 6 classes will complete their unit of work on measurement and move on to a pattern and algebra unit of work where they will examine sets of numbers, identify and continue patterns involving whole numbers, decimals and fractions. They look at the order of operations in the context of solving word problems where they will pay particular attention to the reasonableness of an answer in relation to the question asked in the word problem.

Religious Education News

Armistice Centenary 1918-2018

The 100th anniversary of Armistice is the most significant world-wide event of the 2014-2018 Centenary of the Great War. It is a celebration of peace and a remembrance of service and sacrifice. It is a time we will honour and remember.

On Monday 11 November 1918, at exactly 11 o'clock in the morning, marked the agreement between both sides to stop fighting for a while. The fighting in 1918 didn't start again and on 28 June 1919 a peace treaty was signed to officially end the war. (WW1)

Bears to School - A Legacy of Learning

Great War Bears are proud to be part of 'Bears to School', a national not-for-profit initiative to help primary school children connect to lessons about service and to commemorations that honour those who serve. Visit the link below and select St Joseph's Primary School - WARRNAMBOOL to send a bear to school. In the hands of teachers these bears animate lessons in a way that respects the ages and learning needs of our youngest. Proceeds from donated bears are given to support veteran and military charities.

Foundation Swimming

Commences Tuesday 9th October

All Foundation classes will have swimming lessons on Tuesdays and Fridays for 5 weeks. The lessons will go for 30 minutes. Please make sure you are very organized for school swimming lessons as it eliminates many anxieties and enables full participation.

It would be best that your child does not have a lunch order on their swimming day. If this is not possible, please let your child’s teacher know.

If parents intend to help at swimming a Working with Children Check is required.

Blessing of Animals

5:30pm, Friday 12 October

St Joseph’s Parish will have a Blessing of Animals on Friday 12th October at 5:30pm in the Church grounds. Everyone is invited to bring their pets, big or small, along for the Blessing.

Mission Week

Friday 19 October 2018

October is Mission month and Catholic Mission’s theme this year is “Healing a nation through education” - a project to help children in Myanmar.

The children have been learning about the plight of the children in Myanmar and the challenges they face in regards to receiving quality education.

To help raise money for the children in Myanmar the Young Vinnies are hosting a “Crazy Sock Day” on Friday 19th October. On this day, for a gold coin donation the children may wear colourful, crazy or odd socks (with their school uniform).

2018 Artwork Project

Orders close at 3pm, Friday 19 October

This year the PSA is running an exciting project in collaboration with the Art Department where each child has designed a beautiful and unique and personalised drawing of their family. This drawing is transferred onto a high quality ceramic mug. The mugs are highly durable and are dishwasher and microwave safe. The mug is made out of ceramic. Your child’s drawing will not scratch, fade or wash off. Each Mug comes in a gift box.

We chose the mugs because the project gets the children involved, produces a wonderful memento and meaningful gift for parents, relatives and special friends. The mugs look amazing and make a fabulous reminder of your child being part of St Joseph’s School. Orders can be made via CDFPay (Online Ordering) for $15.00

This year you will be able to view your child’s beautiful artwork before you make your purchase. Look for your child’s classroom via the attached link.

All efforts are made to give your child an opportunity to participate in this project. However, if they were away from school during the period when the artwork was being done they will not be able to place an order this year.

2nd Hand Uniform Sale

2:00pm – 3:15pm - Friday 19 October 2018

The PSA are conducting a Second Hand Uniform Sale for all school uniforms. If you have any good quality uniform that reflects current St. Joseph’s uniform policy and standards this day could be for you. You can either donate items to be sold to the school for sale OR price them accordingly and have a % of your sale go to the school’s PSA.

If you would like to participate you can do so by one of the following two options:

OPTION 1 - If you are donating any school uniform items for sale please bring these along to the school office. Volunteers will price all items accordingly and all sales will be donated to our schools PSA.

OPTION 2 - If you have any good quality uniform that you are wanting to sell please name clearly with your family name, grade of the eldest child, size and price. All tags are to be pinned on the garment and removed when sold. It has been determined that 70% of the sale will go to the family and 30% to the PSA.

Second hand school bags are also able to be sold on the day providing that they are in appropriate working condition.

Unsold items are then placed in the 2nd hand uniform cupboard for future sales.

Please remove any name labels or blacken out any names.

Bring donations and sale items into the office.

The sale will occur before and during School Assembly in the School Hall. This is a fantastic opportunity to purchase good quality second hand uniforms.

Lost Property

We have a lot of “special lost property” at the office. Keys, prescription glasses, watches and fitbits. Contact the office to claim any of these items.

Contact the office to claim any of these items.

Operation Christmas Child

Belinda Wrigley

St. Joseph’s Primary School has been invited to once again take part in Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse. Families are invited to fill a box with items which is then sent to a child in need. Boxes can be collected and returned to Room B7.

There is a $10 postage charge. Boxes are due back to school by the last week of Term 3.

Thanks.