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Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to the end of Week Five. We’ve now crossed the halfway point of the term. The next four weeks or so will be packed with significant events and tasks, including the Colour Run, graduations, leadership handovers, orientations, reports, and excursions, to name a few. It will certainly be a busy time for all.
With such busyness also comes fatigue, and this is true for everyone in the community. Please make sure to look after yourselves and each other during this hectic period. If you have any concerns or need support, please don’t hesitate to contact the school.
It is important to set goals with your children and discuss how they respond to tiredness. Knowing that an extended break is not far away can be a helpful motivator. Please also encourage your children to let their teachers know if they are feeling tired or unwell so that we can offer support. We can only support what we know about.
Colour Run
On Tuesday, our school leaders did a fantastic job launching the Colour Run for 2024. A heartfelt thanks to Mrs. Mac, Ms. R, and the fundraising committee for their incredible support in organising this exciting event. All funds raised will go towards upgrading our sensory playground, a recurring theme in our student and parent surveys this year. We are excited to see this initiative come to life, creating an even better environment for our students to enjoy. Thank you to everyone for their enthusiasm and commitment to making this event a success!
Don't forget, if you are looking for more information about the Colour Run, this week's StFA podcast has an interview with Megan from the Community Council talking about the Colour Run sponsorship card sent home on Tuesday and answering a few other commonly asked questions.
We look forward to hosting this event later in the term.
Staffing
As of now, we are fully staffed for 2025. Kinder teachers will be announced in the next two weeks following our second orientation day. Other teaching staff will be introduced later in the term at our Meet and Greet afternoon, which will be held on Thursday, 12th December.
Class Lists – 2025
The students are currently finalising their 'Friendship Five' requests, which teachers are reviewing as they compile the class lists for 2025. Please speak with your children about these choices and encourage them to select friends who support or compliment their classroom learning. A variety of factors, including students' friendship choices, are taken into account when creating the lists. The school works hard to guarantee that one friend from the students' lists will be placed in their class.
In addition to friendship considerations, working dynamics, an even split of gender and ability, and teacher knowledge must be factored in. We use a program called Class Creator to assist with this process, entering a range of data, including the Friendship Five responses. Once this is complete, we review the lists using our professional knowledge and judgment to make any necessary adjustments.
Thank you to those parents who have written to me with considerations for their child in 2025. These submissions have now closed. All considerations will be reviewed carefully, and while we will make every effort to honour as many as possible, we cannot always accommodate every request for various reasons. Please rest assured that we will consider these parent recommendations in conjunction with our professional expertise. Please also note that general teacher requests cannot be entertained. The final decision regarding class and teacher placements will rest with me.
Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Data
The questions in the survey for teachers are grouped to assess eight of the most important Drivers of Student Learning. The research on classroom and school effectiveness has consistently shown these factors to be strong correlates of student achievement. Scored on a ten-point scale. A score of 0 indicates strong disagreement; 10 indicates strong agreement; 5 is a neutral position (neither agree nor disagree). We received 21 responses to our anonymous teacher survey.
Below is a radar graph showing the regional average for Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese; the blue line represents our school's Mean against the eight areas.
- Strengths:
- Strong teacher collaboration, with lesson-sharing and engagement strategies
- Safe and orderly environment created in collaboration with leadership
- Inclusive support for students with additional needs
- Areas for Development:
- Increase useful feedback and classroom observations from leadership
- Enhance integration of interactive technology in learning
- More support for teachers in using tech to track student progress
Bathroom Renovation
The flooring was completed on Friday, and tiling should begin this week. The final measure for the cubicles has also taken place.
Blessings and best wishes,
Sean Rutledge
Principal
Reconciliation Retreat Day
On Wednesday our Year 4 children attended our Reconciliation Retreat, a day of pray and reflection for all children, regardless of whether they are making their Sacrament or not. The children learnt all about the Japanese art of Kintsugii, also known as kintsukuroi which is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with urushii lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. The method, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. This very similar to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and in fact all acts of reconciliation as it is about acknowledging and confessing one's sins, seeking forgiveness, and being spiritually restored. The sacrament emphasizes healing and renewal, accepting one's flaws, and striving to become whole again through God’s grace. Both practices celebrate the idea that brokenness and restoration are part of life's journey, and they both find beauty and strength in the process of healing and renewal.
Our Year 4 children will be celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th December. We ask you to keep our Year 4 students in your prayers during this time.
Gospel Reflection: Mark 13:24-32
In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus talks about signs of change and reminds us that while some things may pass away, His words and promises will never disappear. Just like watching a fig tree grow new leaves reminds us that summer is coming, these changes remind us that God is always with us, guiding us. For families, this is a chance to talk about trusting God’s presence, even when things feel uncertain. Jesus teaches that while we can’t know everything about the future, we can hold onto faith, knowing that God's love and guidance are always with us, no matter what lies ahead.
St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal
Once again we will be supporting the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal. These contributions will provide much-needed support to families in our community during the holiday season. Information on donations needed will be provided next week and will need to be returned to school before Monday 9th December.
The Canteen is organising a sausage sizzle for the Colour Run on 6th December 2024. The Canteen will provide one (1) sausage in bread free of charge and one (1) zooper dooper free of charge. Extra sausage(s) can be purchased for $2.50. There is a gluten free (GF) option. Sauce will be available on the day.
To make sure your child is catered for please order through the QKR app. The app to order is now open and will close on Monday 2 December 2024 at 9am.
