Filter Content
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we enter the final two weeks of Term 2, I am feeling really proud of Holy Name School and the recognition our staff, our students and our parents received from the Catholic Schools Office in the recent External Review process. The highlight for me were the references to the positive relationships and collaborative practices considered as major factors in the successful strategic direction of the school. Holy Name School is growing and developing in enrolments and refurbishments but more importantly, the learning agenda of the school is considered to be strong and productive across the school. As we take some time in the near future to plan for the growth and development of the school over the next three years, I will be sure to use our Parents and Friends group as a sounding board to present the draft strategic plan for consideration.
NAIDOC Week - 'Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!'
Although NAIDOC Week actually begins on the first Sunday of the school holidays, schools typically celebrate this significant event in the Australian calendar in the final week of Term 2. In collaboration with the other primary and high schools in our local area, we made a decision to hold our special NAIDOC Assembly on Monday 27th June to avoid any clashes with the other schools. It is also a nice way to set the scene for the week of celebrations based on this year's theme, 'Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!'
We would love as many parents, carers and friends as possible to join us for the NAIDOC Assembly. If you can attend on Monday 27th at 11.30am, we will commence under Kirkangina and move to the hall, before celebrating in an assembly together and sharing a lunch of soup for the adults and a BBQ for students. Please encourage your family and friends to join us.
Students will participate in Cultural activities in class through the week and enjoy a tabloid of Indigenous games run by our senior students.
Leaders, teachers and support staff will gather with all other Manning Region primary and high school staff on Friday 1st July, focusing on the practical ways we can develop our educational environments and ways of teaching to improve the educational outcomes for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. This will be a powerful day to build our collective capacity as a region of schools. I can't wait to see what comes from this day!
Semester 1 Student Reports
As we approach the end of Term 2, our teachers have been busy preparing the Semester 1 Student Reports for parents that are accessible via Compass from the end of next week. These reports provide a snapshot for parents about how their child is tracking against the standard set by the National Education Standards Authority across all Key Learning Areas. Aside from noting achievement against the standards, the teachers also identify areas of particular strength and areas for the student to focus on for improvement. Given that continued progress is the aim for all students, it is important to identify areas for improvement regardless of how a student is tracking against these standards. The report template has changed slightly this year as part of the review of reports across the Diocese. Development of this process will see further changes to support greater parent and student engagement with feedback and reporting. You will notice this semester a glossary has been included and that teacher comments in Religion, English and Mathematics have maintained the structure of including two strengths and one area for development. The final comment is a summary of the report created by the teacher and in future this section of the report will be a summary of the goal setting conversations between students, teachers and parents in Terms 1 and 3. Additional information has been added to the descriptors in subject areas. We welcome feedback about the changes and will review all feedback in a Report Review Committee team meeting early in Term 3. I will post a short survey following the reports going home for those interested in supporting this area of improvement.
Pupil Free days
The final day of this term, Friday, the 1st July and the first day of Term 2, Monday 18th July, have always been planned as Pupil Free Days and are hopefully in your calendar already. The Friday is a special day for all staff from all Manning Region Catholic primary and high schools focused on building our capacity to develop Culturally sensitive educational environments. The Monday of Term 2 is our staff Spirituality Day and this year we are working with Richard Cootes around the theme of 'Love is our Mission', focusing on how we can follow Jesus' example to be missionary people. With these two days planned, school will conclude for students on Thursday 30th June and recommence on Tuesday 19th July. St Nicholas OOSH will provide their service for families on these days.
A personal win!
Last weekend I participated in the GeoQuest Adventure Race in Port Stephens, commencing in Shoal Bay. Our team of four women completed the course in 28hrs and 22mins, coming in as the first all women's team in the 24hr race. The winning 'premier' team, made up of three men and one woman came in just a couple of hours ahead of us, making this our absolute best race yet.
The race was a real test of my physically endurance and mental fitness as I was required to make collaborative decisions under tough conditions, including the cold, wind, darkness of night, fatigue, accidents and rough waters. This is what I do for fun and I know many would think I'm crazy, however, there is something special about testing yourself out in the wilderness of the Australian bush and water areas. We use maps and compasses to move through to checkpoints on foot, on a bike or in a kayak. We are required to locate small flags given only the position on a map and a clue such as 'high point' or '10m east of creek junction'. The following day, at the post race discussion, the organiser spoke about the research behind how to build resilience and mental strength and how to maintain focus when things get tough. He said that basically the research says that the only way to achieve these goals is to do things that are difficult, that do test you and push you to your limits. I am grateful of my ability to participate in events such as these each year and know that my leadership here at Holy Name is strengthened because of the practice I gain through my preparation and participation in Adventure Racing.
Thank you for your wonderful support and the respectful and collaborative way you continue to work with our staff to make sure the students of Holy Name flourish.
Yours sincerely,
Brooke Stephens
Wear It Yellow
Across Australia, over $43 000 was raised for the Children’s Ground organisation during National Reconciliation Week. Holy Name School raised over $1400. A huge thank you to families for their generous donations. A special thankyou to Autumn Barrett in 1M for her generous donation of over $800. Autumn achieved this wonderful goal by getting her parents to share the donation site with family and friends on social media.
This is a great initiative and we will support this foundation each year during Reconciliation Week.
Regional Athletics
What a magnificent day we had on Tuesday to host the Manning Region Athletics Carnival. The day ran smoothly and the children were well behaved and competed to the best of their ability. Holy Name had some outstanding results including winning all four relay events.
We will have the carnival results and Dio Team list available next week. On Monday morning the medals will be presented from our school Athletics carnival as well as Age Champion trophies from the Regional carnival.
These events do not run themselves. A huge thankyou to Shantelle McKinnon for organising the event and to Mrs Russell and Mrs Stephens for their assistance on the day. Also, thank you to Mr Gleeson, who helped set up in the morning. To Bianka Shulz-Allan for her advice and help with gear and to Stuart Allan for giving our relay teams some coaching. To Gordon and Niki Cooper and helpers for the great canteen and to Angus Laurie for his assistance at the finish line.
Athletics is a great way to meet new friends, learn new skills and stay fit.
SRC
Our SRC met today to continue following our plans through our meetings. Last meeting the children learnt how to send emails and how to share information using Microsoft Teams. This week we firmed up our meeting schedule and set times for our group projects.
The garden is a bit barren at the moment as most things don’t grow in winter, however, we have begun planting some seeds in the hothouse for our spring crops. This is a time to give the garden beds a good clean out and soil upgrade as well as general garden maintenance. The Environment Team will continue to work in this space.
Our Social Justice Team are working to produce videos for our PBL targeted behaviours. On Monday, they will share a video about respectful communication to the children.
The Arts Team began work on an Art project in the garden sppace as well as creating some signage for our SRC space. They will also discuss providing some extra activities at some of the breaks.
Our Sports leaders are organising a tabloid of traditional Indigenous games for NAIDOC Week as well as sorting out a roster and soccer referees for the Infants Playground.
The Technology Team will be reserching what software is required for our robotics and also develop a plan for App of the Fortnight.
The School Captains visited classrooms today to hear the voices of all our students. They listened and listed any concerns or ideas that the students had.
Our next meeting will be in Week 10.
PBL and Behaviour
Our PBL focus for the last two weeks of Term will be Respectful Communication. Sadly, we have had instances of late where students are not listening to instructions as well as speaking and interacting with staff in a disrespectful manner.
It is important in this busy life in which we live that children are guided to have respectful interactions with everyone they meet.
Students will receive surfboard tokens when they are “caught” being respectful over the next fortnight.
Soon you will begin to see some PBL signage around Holy Name and the introduction of our mascot, certificates and Term rewards.
ICAS
The ICAS portal is open for parents to enter their students in the 2022 competitions. The competitions are open for students in Years 2-6.
Parents can enter their child into the competitions through the portal https://www.icasassessments.com/portals/
Digital Technologies |
Thursday August 11th |
Writing |
Friday August 12th |
English |
Thursday August 18th |
Science |
Thursday August 25th |
Spelling |
Friday August 26th |
Mathematics |
Thursday September 1st |
Learning Hub News
The Learning Hub is always a busy place at Holy Name School. All Infants classes have a lesson in the Learning Hub each week, while the Primary classes spend a five week block each Term on a research task. History and Geography lessons are taught in the Learning Hub, with a focus on the use of technology and research.
Bookweek will be celebrated in Week 6 next Term. In LH lessons, children will be introduced to and read one of the shortlisted books for this year's Bookweek. In Week 4 next Term, the students will vote for their favourite books and we will see if we can choose the same books in categories as the judges.
These are 2 of the shortlisted books this year.
Stellarphant by James Foley - Heroes come in all shapes, sizes and species. Stella wants to be an astronaut. There is only one problem: Stella is an elephant. Every time she applies to Space Command, they come up with a new reason she can’t join. But where there’s a will, there’s a way and Stella is determined to reach for the stars. Does she have the right stuff?
Pip never wants to go home. She likes to sit at the waterhole at dusk and remember Mika, her best friend. At home her mother’s not the same since her boyfriend moved in. They don’t laugh anymore and Pip has to go to bed early, turn off her light and pretend she doesn’t exist. When she finds a half-dead creature at the waterhole, everything changes. She knows she has to save this small dragon and return it to where it comes from. But how?
A story about surviving and saving those you love.
The children may borrow from the library on Wednesdays, providing they bring a library bag.
Love is Our Mission
Faith formation of Catholic school community members is Christ-centred. It is intentional, ongoing and a reflective process that focuses on the growth of individuals and communities from their lived experiences, in spiritual awareness, theological understanding, vocational motivation and capabilities for mission and service in the Church and the world.
Staff formation is vital and seen as imperative to help teachers to form students in spiritual formation in our school.
On Monday 18 July of Term 3 our whole staff will engage in a day of contemplation, discussion, and formation around the theme: Love is our Mission- recognising the “Mission” activity in God in the Cosmic Narrative, Christ Narrative, and the Church Narrative. The day will be led by Mr Richard Cootes, former educational ambassador of Catholic Mission for our diocese.
This day will be:
- Christ-Centred, leads to personal and communal encounter with Christ
- Incorporate the 'Head, Heart and Hands'' approach
- Build capacity for mission and service of our staff
- Is invitational, intentional, differentiated, ongoing, reflective
- Deepens vocational motivation and spiritual awareness
Teachers will explore and engage with the word “mission” and draw upon music, art, and story to deepen their appreciation. The staff will be brought to appreciate the work they do as teachers is the missionary activity of Christ. “I have come that they may have life. Life in all its richness.” Jn 10:10
The staff will be invited to identify ways in which the activity of God is manifested in everyday school life and will be invited to explore the costs, and joys of loving as Christ loved. The Staff will reflect on death/resurrection as a theme of the cosmos. And additionally, reflect on how their school community manifests itself as a BELIEVING, SERVING, CELEBRATING community.
This experience will help staff to build their capacity to believe that we can all contemplate “mission” as being no less than the very activity of God that draws all things towards completeness. Teachers will be guided to understand and appreciate that they are at the very cutting edge of such activity by virtue of their commitment to developing each student in their care towards wholeness.
Parish Based Sacramental Program
Holy Name students are now invited to enrol in the Confirmation Parish Sacramental Program. The sacrament of Confirmation is the second sacrament children prepare and receive before the sacrament of Eucharist. Once children have received Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, they are fully initiated into the Catholic Church. Recently students enrolled and prepared for reconciliation- this is not included in initiation.
If your child is baptised, did or did not receive Reconciliation last month, they are now invited to enrol for Confirmation.
Your child does need to be in Yr. 3, Yr. 4, Yr. 5, or Yr. 6 to enrol in the program.
Forster Tuncurry parish priest, Fr Peter, is eager to ensure all Holy Name catholic students take up this invitation and receive these sacraments before they graduate from Holy Name. We understand COVID has interrupted the sacramental program and are eager to include all students from Yr3-Yr 6 who are baptised in the Catholic Church, to take up this invitation to receive the sacrament Confirmation and Eucharist this year.
Please contact Danielle at the Parish Office 6554601 for further details on how to enrol.
Genevieve Williamson
Religious Education Coordinator
Art Club
Students visiting Art Club have been enjoying paper plate weaving over the past few weeks. It is a wonderfully mindful activity that promotes calm, the students are so proud of their creations. We have also been creating and will continue to create banners for events in our school. Recently we made a Be Brave. Make Change. banner for Reconciliation Week and we are looking forward to making a NAIDOC Week banner as well.
Our Mini Vinnies team have been busy supporting events in our school community. Putting their creative skills to work they supported the recreation of Tent Embassy at school by making and painting signs that were on display. They also led our school in Wellbeing Week by Flash Mobbing both playgrounds at lunch with the Macarena, YMCA and The Nutbush. It is always such a delight to witness the pure joy of this and lots of others students joined in the fun.
Wellbeing
Our Wellbeing groups have been using the Smiling Mind App to listen and participate in some relaxation mediations. Smiling Mind is a non-for-profit web and app-based meditation program developed by psychologists and educators to help bring mindfulness into your life. It is free and there are a wide range of meditations to promote mindfulness. You can check out the website here https://www.smilingmind.com.au
Smiling Mind is a non-for-profit web and app-based meditation program developed by psychologists and educators to help bring mindfulness into your life.
www.smilingmind.com.au
|
Great Learning Happening in Year Four!
Each fortnight I like to put a spotlight on the great learning happening in a particular grade in our school. In this report the spotlight is on 4H. During reading sessions Year 4 have focusing on persuasive texts where they can develop opinions about the characters and describe a particular character’s point of view. Through assessment data it was identified that understanding point of view was an area that the stage 2 students needed to work on so it has become a focus within the reading lessons. In Year 4, like all other grades in the school, Guided reading groups are differentiated through text selection. Some groups focus on using decodable texts to continue working on decoding and fluency skills. Other groups take part in reciprocal reading and other more advanced readers engage in book club opportunities where students develop high level comprehension skills and discuss features of a text.
In writing Year 4 have been learning to write a persuasive text that convinces a reader. Students have been focusing on using cohesive devices to link points, use exaggeration to express their argument, use consistent and correct compound and complex sentences and to effectively use simple and complex punctuation. I was impressed to see some of the students completed persuasive writes where use of the learnt strategies was evident. Students recently received formal feedback from Mr Hassett based on a marking rubric which matched the writing success criteria. It was pleasing to see students using their teacher feedback to go back and improve their writing. I was particularly proud to hear the student’s ability to articulate to me new strategies they had used in response to the feedback they were given. Check out the photos of two of these students.
In Maths, Year Four has been focussing on the Big Idea ‘Building and Designing with Shapes and Angles.’ The students are learning to identify, compare and describe angles so that they can solve real world problems. This week the focus has been on comparing the faces, edges and vertices of prisms and pyramids. The students had lots of fun drawing the nets of various shaped pyramids today and were excited to share their work with me. Check out these photos!
Well done Year Four students and teachers keep up the awesome work!
Mrs Suzie Monks
Primary Coordinator
Safety at Parent drop-off and pick-up times
We were contacted this week by MidCoast Council about the number of parents doing a U-turn on Lake Street and dropping students off in the Bus Zone in the morning. The officer reported that parents were then reversing into the crossing and sometimes into the pathway of students. There will be law enforcement officers moving in this area over the coming weeks to monitor the correct use of this space. They will also be making sure that cars are stopping when the school crossing signs are out.
We would also like to remind parents and carers to wait on the grass along the Carawa Street fenceline in the afternoon at school pick-up time. We are concerned about the safety of our students when parents and carers are standing on the road in the area where cars are attempting to park and leave.
Our school staff recommend dropping off and picking up students on Carawa Street.
Thank you