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Dear Parents and Carers,
On the last day of Term 3, our staff - teachers and support staff, spent the day immersed in the whole school data set to begin to draft the strategic plan for the next 3 years. This external review year happens once every six years and is an important time in our cycle of improvement. This review year provides us the time to ensure we are continually improving in areas of need to serve our students and families in the important role we play in educating young people. We are asked to set one goal in our 'Catholic Identity' and one goal in our 'Learning' agenda. This narrow focus allows schools to ensure the depth of new learning occurs and the resultant changes are embedded within the practices of the school. The draft plan will be presented at our P&F Meeting in Week 7. Our first P&F Meeting for this term will be held next week, Week 3 and can be attended in person at 6pm Tuesday in our Staffroom or online via a request through our office.
Thank you to our parents who were able to complete the Tell Them From Me Survey. The results of these surveys each year with staff, students and parents do impact the focus of our planning and are an important way for you to have a say in what happens at Holy Name. The survey closed on Friday 21st October.
Changes to NAPLAN dates impact Sporting events
With the government's advice this year about the changes to the dates for NAPLAN 2023, many annual sporting events and pathway programs have been thrown into disarray because of a clash of dates. We are still awaiting confirmation, however, it appears that our Regional Swimming Carnival in Gloucester will be held in the second week back for students. With a short first week back, there are no dates available for the Holy Name Swimming Carnival to be held during this time. We have made the decision to hold our swimming carnival on the final day of 2022 this year, so that we will have our team sorted for the second week of term. This change aligns our school with many of our schools in the Newcastle Region which hold their swimming carnivals at the end of each year. As the Yr 6 students will not need to compete, they will be trained to time keep and support the administration of the carnival. As this will be the last day of their time at Holy Name, we think that supporting the carnival for a half day and ending with a sausage sizzle, prior to the last day after school activities at the Bullring will be a memorable day for them. They will spend the first half of the day at the carnival and the second half of the day back at school.
Student nominations for the swimming events for students turning 8 in 2023 up to our Yr 5 students will be sent home shortly so that the carnival can be organised. We love our parent volunteers and supporters on the day so please know that you will be welcome to support the smooth running of our carnival. As this is also one of the Yr 2 Intensive swimming days, we will need to be out of the pool prior to their lesson.
Block A Refurbishment
With the commencement of the refurbishment to Block A, we are reconsidering the way our end of year events will happen. We are planning to hold our Awards Assembly at a local club and will make arrangements with the Forster Bowling Club or Club Forster and advise of the dates and times. Our end of year concert will be held at Club Forster on Wednesday 14th December from 6pm.
With the coming and going of workers on this site from the Lake Street side of the school, it is a good idea for all those families who can, to use the Carawa Street entrance for the remainder of this year.
Diocesan Spelling & Maths Bee
Congratulations to Marley Donegan and Arden Cassar who will represent Holy Name School and the Manning Region at the upcoming Diocesan Spelling and Maths Bee competition. Arden is our representative for ES1 Spelling and Marley is representing Stage 3 in both Spelling and Mathematics. This event will be held in the Southern Cross Hall at the Catholic Schools Office on Thursday 3rd November. We wish them well and are proud of their efforts so far.
Transition for students to 2023 classes
Between Week 1 and Week 5 this term, our students in Kinder to Year 4 are part of a transition plan that allows our students in Kinder, Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 to experience the classroom spaces and teachers for the following year. With the support of our leadership team and learning support staff, we are able to continue their regular program of learning in the new environment as a way of gently preparing their minds for the changes to come in 2023. This also allows our Kinder class of 2023 to visit for the very first time as a group with the Kinder teachers. I am grateful for the willingness of staff to be involved in this program for students and especially for Mrs Praschinger who is attending to support her class for next year. Year 4 students deserve a special mention because of the mature way they handled the changes, including working in the hall for the morning session with different teachers. I was personally very impressed by the progress of this class to manage these changes.
Mrs Loring was away for some of this week but I'm sure some of the sporting achievements of students over the last fortnight will be featured in our next newsletter.
Yours sincerely,
Brooke Stephens
Term 4 is here and the end of the year will soon be upon us! The school is abuzz with learning, building and creating.
Congratulations to our State athletes who competed in Sydney this week. These boys have been putting in a huge effort training for their events and did Holy Name and our Diocese proud. Ashton Robertson finished 7th in his 200m heat and our Senior boys relay team, Aston Hodges, Ashton Robertson, Levi Van Haren and Chrlie Gibson, just missed out in a finals spot by finishing 4th in their heat.
A huge thank you to Anne Evans for her effort spent training the boys - much appreciated by all.
Term 4 Religious Mass and Liturgy Dates
All Souls Day Mass- Wednesday 2/11 at 9:30am Forster Church
Mission Day Liturgy- Friday 4/11 at 11:30am MacKillop Hall
Remembrance Day Liturgy- Friday 11/11 at 10:30am Kirkangina
Year 6 Graduation Mass- Wednesday 7/12 at 11:30am Kirkangina
All Souls Day
On Wednesday 2nd November, parents and friends of Holy Name are invited to join with students from Kinder to Year 6 in our local church at 9:30am to remember those we love who have died. All Souls Day is a day marked on the Catholic calendar to remember all those who have died, and to celebrate and give thanks in their memory.
Mission Day
Each year Holy Name supports the work of Catholic Mission by raising money in the month of October. Called Socktober Mission day, it is a day where we "sock it for poverty" and wear silly socks.
Socktober is a journey towards and celebration of World Mission Month. It is an opportunity for our school to comprehensively educate, form and fundraise to engage the heads, hearts and hands of our entire school community in the global work of mission. Socktober uses the game of soccer to form a connection between students in Australia and the children they support with their fundraising, while also incorporating formation and education components throughout this experience. Through Socktober, students are invited to learn, pray, advocate for, and financially support children and communities in need around the world.
Our school invites all children from K-6 to bring in a gold coin donation for wearing socks with their school uniform and to buy lunch for $5 (one sausage sandwich, juice popper and zooper dooper.) Year 3 will lead a whole school liturgy on Friday, 4th November at 11:30am in MacKillop Hall. Our students will then go back to their rooms to make soccer balls from reused clothing, plastic bags, string, rubber bands, tape and netting they have brought in earlier in the week. They will then go out and play with their soccerballs. After this, our children will line up in their classes to receive their BBQ lunches.
A heart will be drawn on the netball court, thanks to Mrs Banham. We are challenging the school to cover the heart with coins. One more way to raise money on this day. Please take a look at some of last years photos as a reminder of the fun we had, but more importantly the action of service we all engaged in, to help the poor and disadvantaged around the world.
First Eucharist
This weekend, on Sunday 23 October at 10am, children enrolled in the sacrament of Eucharist will begin their first preparation meeting. Children are following the Brisbane Sacramental Program, completing lessons on Belonging and Gathering, and Listening and Responding. Please arrive and join the parish inside the Church for a 10am start. Children will be presented to the parish and then will move to the hall for their preparation lesson with Mrs Williamson. After mass, parents join their children in the parish hall.
Religious Education Program in Term 4
This term the following units will be taught across K-6. Each day teachers teach their Religious Education units for 30 minutes. Religion in most classes is taught after Maths in the second learning session.
Kinder Week 1-10 (NEW SYLLABUS) Loving like God
Year 1 Week 1-5 Values: The Law of Love
Week 6-10 Advent and Christmas
Year 2 Week 1-5 Justice: Belonging to Community
Week 6-10 Advent and Christmas
Year3/4 Week 1-5 Values: Beatitudes
Week 6-10 Advent and Christmas
Year5/6 Week 1-5 History: Early Church
Week 6-10 Advent and Christmas
Attached are some photos of work products from Year 3's Unit The Beatitudes.
Genevieve Williamson
Religious Education Coordinator
It was been wonderful to see how calm and refreshed our students looked after their two week holiday. Term 4 is always a busy one with lots of exciting events, so it’s good news that our students are engerised and ready to make this term the best one yet!
Great Learning Happening in Year One!
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 Year One.
In English, the Year One classes have been focussing on reading narrative texts and have been learning about how important structure and character development will be when they begin writing their own narratives. The students have learnt that the main purpose of narrative texts is to entertain and will be continuing to build the necessary skills to have a go at writing their own narrative! It has been lovely to hear that each day a students from Year One gets to read a narrative book to the class using fluency, intonation and expression! This is a wonderful way to build the students love of reading and develop their confidence in reading in front of their class.
During spelling lessons the students have been engaging in hands on and interactive activities where they are segmenting and blending words that contain consonant digraphs such as: ch, st, and nt as well as digraphs ow/ou. Such clever cookies and their teachers are reporting lots of light bulb moments when the students unlock a new skill or become more confident spelling more challenging words.
In Maths, Year One been continuing to develop their problem solving skills. Each day students are presented with a word problem that they need to solve. Students need to identify the operation they need to use to solve the problem and are encouraged to show their working out using pictures. An example of a problem they worked on last week was: There are 8 teachers in the staff room. They eat 5 cookies each. How many cookies did they eat altogether? Mr Mackay and Miss Nolan were super impressed with the strategies the students used to solve this problem. It is a pretty accurate representation of what actually happens in our staffroom too!
The focus in Maths has also been on area. Students have been given the opportunity to explore the concept by comparing and ordering areas. Students engaged in hands on activities to compare the surface area of two different spaces. Students used grid paper to draw shapes of varying sizes and compared the areas with their peers. They observed how they could tell which shapes had a larger surface area.
In Science Year One have been working on a unit titled ‘Energy Comes in Different Forms.’ This unit provides opportunities for students to explore different forms of energy using their senses. Students will investigate how sound is produced. They will use a variety of materials to create instruments learning about a fair test. Students will then create algorithms using flashcards to record and follow musical patterns. They introduced the unit to students by using heat to pop corn kernels to make popcorn, which prompted great discussion. I’m looking forward to hearing more about their Science investigations as the term progresses!
In Sport, Year One have been working hard on learning new dances. The teachers were impressed with how fast they were able to pick up the steps of ‘The Nutbush’ as well as an Irish dance called ‘Dreoilin’. Check out the photos of the dancing in action!
Well done Year One students and teachers keep up the awesome work!
Kindergarten 2023 Transition
Last Thursday we welcomed our 2023 Kindergarten students for their first transition visit. It was a wonderful morning where the students got to play and investigate the Kinder classrooms and well as meet their Yr 5 buddy who will look after them next year. Each child received a shirt that says ‘I’m going to big school at Holy Name’ which they were all excited to wear. I am happy to say that this week at their 2nd transition visit the children were even more confident and happy to say goodbye to their parents because they knew how much fun they would have! The new Kinders got to spend more time with their big buddies and made a rainbow fish to take home with them. We can’t wait for their next visit.
Mrs Suzie Monks
Primary Coordinator
Heart to Heart
This week we launched Heart to Heart Art and Wellbeing program at Holy Name.
Our students really enjoyed our first class of Heart to Heart. Together with Crystal, Maryanne Handford and myself, our Year 5 girls began creating their very own cake art inspired by artist Erica Sears. There was much excitement and a little nervousness in our art space today but once our painting got underway everyone relaxed and immersed themselves in their art. We can’t wait to share this art journey with you as the girls artworks progress over the coming weeks.
We are thrilled to be able to offer this program at Holy Name. The program aims to increase students capacity to be able to overcome personal challenges impacting on student’s emotional and social wellbeing through an arts-based mindfulness program in a school setting. The program empowers students and facilitates strategies for coping with change as they move through challenges as part of life’s journey.
Every class involves a period of meditation, relaxation and focus exercises to encourage mindfulness, increased calm and emotional regulation, adding to their self-care and capacity to manage fear, anxiety, stress and other challenges.
Through participation in the art classes and associated activities, the students are given the opportunity to learn skills and methods to improve their emotional and social wellbeing. They are given encouragement to work through any difficulties they may be facing in a safe environment where they can connect with our mentors and supportive peers.
Our art journey will continue over the course of eight weeks culminating in an Exhibition to celebrate the girls and their artworks.
Mini Vinnies
Mini Vinnies work tirelessly all year at Holy Name doing ‘good works’. They are a wonderful support at Breakfast Club each and every Monday morning serving warm Milo and toast to lots of students.
Our Mini Vinnies team will continue to collect for our 5c Friday initiative, thank you to everyone who continues to send in their 5c pieces. To date we have now raised $672.00. This total really reflects what we are able to achieve together.
Mini Vinnies have also been working hard sewing dream pillows filled with lavender form our garden. These little pillows will be gifted to our 2023 Kindergarten students. The lavender promotes a restful night sleep which we know our new Kinder friends will benefit from.
DSE in practice: Action Plan + Resources Disability Standards for Education in practice: Action Plan
The Department of Education has worked with Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA) and young people with disability and their parents and caregivers to co-design a new range of resources about their rights under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005. The new resources respond to recommendations 1 and 12a of the 2020 Review of the Standards. The resources provide easy-to-use information about the Standards and offer practical advice on how to navigate the education system. You can find the resources on the Department’s website here:
https://www.education.gov.au/disability.../students
There are four new resources:
Explaining the Disability Standards for Education – this resource outlines what the Standards are and what they are designed to do. https://www.education.gov.au/.../students/english/explaining
Milestones and Transitions – this resource is to help students and their parents and caregivers make their way through their education journey. https://www.education.gov.au/.../students/english/milestones
Advocating with and for your child: Primary School – this resource is for parents and caregivers of primary school students and aims to help you and your child plan and set up reasonable adjustments. https://www.education.gov.au/.../students/english/advocating
Disability Standards for Education in Practice: Action Plan – this resource is for students who are in high school or tertiary education. https://www.education.gov.au/.../english/dse-in-practice
Each resource is available in Easy Read format and Auslan and translated into Arabic, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Farsi, Hindi, Khmer, Korean and Vietnamese.
https://www.education.gov.au/disability-standards-education-2005/students?fbclid=IwAR3HQpRnI7SFND3yfIjupXwvrpeTqoyfa3DEYHYTJbMcnEMsL0hqHyRLxHA
Parent and carer webinar: Digital Technologies and Mental Health eSafety’s free parent and carer webinar for October is on Digital Technologies and Mental Health. This may be great timing for concerned parents and carers who watched the first episode of season two of Todd Sampson’s Mirror Mirror last night. This webinar is designed for parents and carers of young people aged 10 to 18 and will cover:
· current research on young people, time online and mental health
· what to do about accidental exposure to content about suicide, self-harm or eating disorders
· using games, apps and social media to support mental wellbeing
· the pros and cons of digital mental health platforms
· strategies for young people to support friends online.
Webinar date and time: · Thursday 27 October 12.30 to 1.30 pm.
Please find a flyer attached with a registration link.
If you have any questions, please get in contact.
Damian Kelso
Learning Support Teacher
Holy Name's Public Speaking Representatives competed strongly against tough competition at the Manning Catholic Schools' Regional Final held at St Joseph's, Bulahdelah, yesterday. Each student has now qualified for the Diocesan Final to be held in Newcastle on November 24th.
The results for our students were:
Zara Rahman (Stage 1) and Tara Isabel (Stage 3) Runners Up
Ilijana Trautsch (ES1) and Chase Brooks (Stage 2) First Place
Congratulations to these students on their skilful presentations and for the way they represented Holy Name. Thank you to the family members who were wonderful support, and to Mrs Annie Evans, who generously gave her time to assist with adjudicating.
The Promoters of Safeguarding continue to endorse a culture of safeguarding within our schools. To this end, your attention is again drawn to the RIGHTS OF THE CHILD.
As with all peoples, children have human rights across the full spectrum of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. Because children are recognised as having particular inherent needs and dependencies, they also have particular rights.
Both the Commonwealth of Australia and the Roman Catholic Vatican (Holy See) ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in November 1990, this is the central international instrument that underpins both Australia’s and the Church’s approach to safeguarding children.
The Australian Human Rights Commission’s child friendly summary of children’s rights state that children have the right to:
- be treated fairly no matter what
- have a say about decisions affecting them
- live and grow up healthy
- have people do what is best for them
- know who they are and where they come from
- believe what they want
- privacy
- find out information and express themselves
- be safe
- be cared for and have a home
- education, play and cultural activities
- help and protection if they need it.
The Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle has an abiding commitment to promote the safety, welfare and well-being of children and vulnerable persons — particularly those who participate in the life of the Diocese as part of our faith communities in parishes, in our diocesan systemic schools, early education centres and out-of-school hours care service, as part of our welfare and community services through CatholicCare and other diocesan ministries, including the Office of Safeguarding (OsSG).
The OoSG is an integral part of the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese, reporting directly to the Bishop’s Office. The Office of Safeguarding works with NSW Police, the Office of the Children’s Guardian, the Department of Community and Justice and other statutory authorities and specialist authorities within the Catholic Church in Australia to fulfil its responsibilities and maximise the safeguarding of children and vulnerable persons.