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Dear Parents and Carers,
This week has been our most challenging so far in regard to staffing and student attendance due to the pandemic, other illnesses and the teacher shortage crisis. As promised, the Catholic Schools Office sent one of their Education Officers, Emma Bennis, up to take one of our classes on Friday. Our Leadership Team, Pedagogical mentors, part-timers and casual staff have covered as many positions on different days as possible to minimise the disruption to learning and splitting of classes across the school. We thank everyone for their efforts and the sacrifices they have made for the benefit of the students.
Even with all of this going on in the background this week, we have much to celebrate. We held a very successful Cross Country Carnival, an amazing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parent meeting, held our second Playgroup session for the year and held two well attended Open Day Sessions. These opportunities are positive moments for the school and help to build some of the great relationships and collaborations that have existed in the past.
Our Diocese launched the new Wellbeing and Pastoral Care Framework at St Joseph's Wingham and our School Captains, Marley Hodgess and Charlie Gibson were outstanding representatives for our school. The development and final launch of this policy has been a big deal in our system because we want our policies and practices to reflect the expectations we hold for the fair and just treatment of all members of our community. Student voice is at the heart of the framework with the goals that students feel safe, supported and included, are creative, connected and engaged and can lead, learn and thrive. The Holy Name School Vision, 'Belonging, Learning, and Serving, in His Holy Name', and the work that we do at Holy Name to live out our vision, aligns nicely with this framework.
Last Tuesday we held our second P&F meeting for the year and it was exciting to have a couple of new members attend. We are looking forward to reconnecting with our families from this point forward and appreciated the parents and carers who were able to offer their time to support the Cross Country Carnival. Another of our parents offered to put the shed together for the students to store their garden resources and has sourced a friend to help. These offers of help go along way to supporting us to achieve our school goals.
On Monday we will celebrate Harmony Day. Thank you to Mrs Morse for all of her preparation. Parents and Carers can check the Compass notification for details on how to support this day.
Next Wednesday 23rd March, we are looking forward to welcoming Mrs Theresa Avery, the St Clare's Assistant Principal and Curriculum Coordinator to visit with our Yr 6 students from 2.30pm and our parents from 3.30pm. The Parent meeting will be in the Learning Hub and although particularly targeting the Yr 6 families, parents from across the grades are invited to attend.
It has been nice to watch the final touches of the roof job happen and we are looking forward to planning the internal refurbishment of these classrooms that willl commence later this year.
Wishing you all a fabulous fortnight.
Brooke Stephens
School Uniform
At Holy Name we ask our students to wear their school uniform with pride. It is a symbol of belonging, of unity and community. Our school uniform policy states, "School uniforms provide a strong sense of identity and contribute to inclusiveness and equity in schools. It is a significant expectation that all students will wear the correct uniform, and are supported by their parents/carers."
A uniform is a visual tool that also creates a sense of safety and equality amongst the students. Each day we dress in the same clothing, no matter our economic background. It is this that ties and binds us. It is this culture of equality for all, that we strive to heighten in every student at Holy Name, so our students connect this importance of equlity in their lives to the inequalities for students in other communities within Australia and the wider world.
When new students enrol at Holy Name, families are shown our uniform policy and happily comply with what students are asked to wear. This is clearly seen as Kinder students arrive at the beginning of the year. Sadly, students over time overlook or choose to forget that we have a uniform policy and when replacing shoes will ask parents to buy the latest fashion style or brand in black. And there lies the beginning of a problem. Other students see what one student is wearing and then they copy this fad or fashion. And before we know it, cohorts of students across the school are wearing as their daily footwear: black converse shoes, converse laceup gym boots, black "off the wall" vans, vans with a white stripe, black and coloured nike runners, or colourful runners from adidas, asics. Teamed with pull up black santa cruz socks, white socks, grey socks, short black sockets our school uniform is beginning to become ununified, and our school student community are breaking visually away from a school where we value and uphold equality for all.
Students wear only a watch or signate ring. No bangles, braclets, leather or rubber wrist bands, nor dress rings on multiple fingers. Stud or sleeper earings are only to be worn for obvious safety reasons. False nails are not to be worn at school. Nails are to be kept at at reasonable length and only clear nail polish is to be worn at school. As the season is moving into autumn, students are only to wear the school jumper, jacket and hat. Please keep beanies and colourful scarves and other jackets at home. On school days, maroon school shirt, skort or grey shorts are worn with black socks and black sportshoes or school shoes. On sports days long maroon tracksuits pants with our school sports top and jumper/jacket are to be worn with black socks and black sportshoes.
Students are required to wear the correct school uniform as outlined in our uniform policy. If a child cannot wear the full school uniform, a note of explanation from a parent must be given to the class teacher. This note should include the date and the parent’s signature.
National Day of Action Against Bullying
The theme for 2022 is Kindness Culture. By building Kindness Culture together, we can promote inclusion, respect and community belonging for all students in schools across Australia. Holy Name children were led in an Action Against Bullying Session today at assembly.
The animation series for the 2022 , Be kind online encourages all students to:
- block content
- report it and
- support each other if they see or experience cyberbullying.
SRC Fortnightly Update
Captains Report
Dear Parents/Carers, this is what the SRC for 2022 in Week 8 are doing:
Environmental group – the environmental group is planting cabbages, beans, carrots, lettuce, rocket and sorrel to harvest for the soup kitchen, as well as looking after them.
Information Technology group – the information technology group is making tutorial cards for different coding apps, that they will use to teach kids how to code and get familiar to technology.
Social Justice group – the Social Justice group will be going to every room and telling the students about CARITAS Australia.
Creative Arts group – the creative arts group are printing bento boxes and marking objects that you can use and the ones that you can’t. They are also making posters to put on the bins to tell the student what to put in each bin.
Sports group – the sport group is going to promote skipping skills within the school, using both single ropes and large multi person ropes.
From Charlie and Marley.
Thank you to the SRC who at today's assembly, led some wonderful updates on Project Compassion, the Garden, our Cross Country Carnival, and sharing a song called Sunflowers, to build hope, and peace for the people of Ukraine.
Mrs Williamson
Acting Assistant Principal.
Every Friday morning, we hold our Professional Learning Team Meetings, where we focus on analysing assessment data and tracking the learning growth of our students. The discussions around student assessment results and the comparison of assessments samples are always rich and purposeful.
One of the ways we assess writing samples at Holy Name, is using the Literacy Learning Progressions. We use a criteria document, which was developed using the ‘Creating Texts’ element, to track our students and gauge how they are progressing with their writing. The marking rubric helps us identify what areas students need to develop, in order to improve their writing.
During our Professional Learning Team Meetings we often share writing samples and complete a task called ‘moderation’ where we all mark the same writing sample or check the marking of writing samples to ensure that we are consistent and making comparable judgements about students and their learning. We also ask our team for their professional judgement when we are unsure what direction we should take to help a student improve their writing skills. It has been so pleasing to see the quality of the writing samples that have been shared at PLTs recently, our students are definitely become more confident in their writing ability.
Mrs Suzie Monks
Primary Coordinator
Sacramental Program 2022
After a couple of years of disruption, we are very pleased that our Parish Sacramental Program will take place once more. The Sacramental Program is open to all Catholic children in Year 3. Due to many students not having been able to participate over the past two years, we are also extending a warm invitation to any families who have children that have not yet completed the Sacraments of Initiation but wish to do so now. All are welcome!
There will be an Introductory Session about the Sacramental Program on Sunday 27th March. Families are invited to attend the 10am Mass and then join Father Peter in the hall afterwards where he will meet you all and explain the Program, as well as answering any questions you may have.
Should you not be Catholic but wish to find out more Father Peter would be only to happy to have a conversation with you about what would be required. You can make an appointment with him by calling the Parish office on 02 6554 6401, or by sending an email to tuncurry.parish@mn.catholic.org.au
Fundraising Fridays
We got off to a great start last week with the first of our fundraising Fridays. We raised a total of $447.55, which is absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much for all your generosity. I look forward to seeing how much we can raise by the end of term. Your donations will make a big difference for those who are suffering at the moment. Thank you for your continuing support through Silly Sock Day.
Wellbeing Together
Last week saw the launch of the CSO’s new policy on Student Wellbeing at St. Josephs school in Wingham. The development of a positive sense of self and belonging is an integral part of supporting successful learning in the school environment. The policy is centred around the concept of the Student Voice, which shows students that they are listened to and valued. The policy leads students to think I Feel...safe, supported and included. I Am...creative, connected and engaged. I Can...learn, lead and thrive.
Our school captains Charlie and Marley represented Holy Name and spoke very well in front of a crowd which included local dignitaries and even local press.
Fin MacKay
Acting Religious Education Coordinator.
Our Mini Vinnies team have been stewards of ‘good works’ recently, wondering what they could do to support other schools in flood affected Lismore. After reflecting on our prayer, Xavier Rudy’s Follow the Sun, we acknowledged what we were grateful for in our lives and the team decided to make cards to send north to some of the schools. We agreed that sometimes its hard to know what to do but agreed that knowing that others care and send their love is a great place to start. We sent cards to Our Lady of Christians, Trinity Catholic College and St Carthages Primary School.
HNS Playgroup is in full swing after only two weeks! We have had lots of beautiful little faces join us on Thursday mornings. Playgroup is a gentle way for families to come and get to know Holy Name. If you or anyone you know has pre-school aged children please feel free to come along and join us for a cuppa. It is not only a lovely way for little ones to transition to school, it is a beautiful way to make new connections and friendships for parents, carers and grandparents. Everyone is welcome. It is a joyous way to start Thursdays.
Art Club continues to be a hive of creative activity. The students love creating art together and we are working toward being able to display and celebrate our creations in art club. This week we’ve coloured lots of fun bugs and insects, we also added inspiring words to remind us to smile, be kind and be a good friend.
Take gentle care,
Kristie Banham
Regards,
Miss McKinnon
At our Week 7 P&F Meeting, decisions were made about the upcoming Easter Raffle. The P&F are now calling for donations of Easter Eggs that will form part of the many raffle prizes that will be put together. This is an exciting raffle for students, who love to know the person or win a prize at the end of this term. Students will also bring home raffle tickets to sell in community. Thank you for supporting this P&F initiative.
During the meeting, we also re-elected our P&F President, Mr David Isbel, our Vice-President, Mrs Ivy Moore, our Secretary, Mrs Leanne Broadbent and our Treasurer, Mrs Julie-Ann Zabell. Congratulations and thank you for your willingness to lead this great team of parents.
We walked through the Parent feedback that came to us through the Tell Them From Me Survey conducted towards the end of last year. This annual survey allows us to hear the voices of the parents, students and staff so that we can ensure our plans for improvement are meeting the identified needs of the school. At our next P&F meeting, we will have a closer look at the feedback from the students.