Dear Parents and Carers,

We've had a really productive couple of weeks and I thank you for your engagement in the day-day life of our school. Your support of our efforts to improve the outcomes for your children is greatly appreciated. Our success at the Regional Swimming Carnival has been a highlight. Thank you to Gordon Cooper for the fabulous gallery of photos taken on the day.

Over the last fortnight, Mrs Loring and I have started to work through some behaviour challenges with students that occur mainly in the playground. I believe it is important for parents to understand our professional response to these situations so that the school receives their full support and engagement in working through to solutions. It is also important that our parents understand the concept of bullying and do not brand students as 'bullies' without a full knowledge of what it means to be a bully, and of the circumstances around events that may occur at school. It is equally important that if you believe your child is being bullied, to discuss it with your child's teacher immediately so that the school can work through our processes and to encourage your child to do the same. It takes a collaborative effort and respectful relationships to achieve a high standard of behaviour in any school. 

How our staff manage playground behaviour

On the playground, our teachers initially follow the guidleines set out in our current policy. They remind students of the rules if there is a problem and reidrect them to make a better choice. Our school appreciates parents informing us of concerns that may be mentioned at home because we are committed to dealing with behaviours that impact our positive learning culture.

If the behaviour continues, the teacher may decide that sitting a child out for a couple of minutes or asking them to walk and talk with them is appropriate. Our staff endeavour to find out what is driving the behaviour - is it a relationship problem, someone not following the rules, a prior issue etc.

Depending on the nature of the behaviour, escalation may result in the child spending time in the reflection or time out room. This year, Mrs Loring is almost always the teacher in this setting. This is an opportunity to spend time reflecting with the student to find out what was going on before, at the time and after the event, and to discuss the options for behaviour that may have resulted in a more positive solution. The students are asked to consider their behaviour, who was impacted and what they plan to do in the future. The teacher is also thinking about the social skill that the student may need to develop in order to be more successful next time. We consider the reflection room an opportunity for the student to manage a change in their own behaviour and to build resilience in this aspect of their social functioning. A letter to parents is forwarded if the student attends the time out room. 

For more serious or repeated scenarios, Mrs Loring, our Assistant Principal may be invited to work through challenges with the students. This almost always involves the parents as we build perspective on a plan for the future. In Mrs Loring's absence or for more serious behaviours, I will become involved. Again, this almost always includes the engagement of the families. 

There are a number of behaviours that would result in suspension of a student from the school environment, however the main reasons include repeated poor behaviour, and/or verbal or physical assault of any member of our school community. Parents are always engaged for behaviours of this nature. For me, it is really important that the parents of the Holy Name community understand the time that we take to speak with the students in more serious incidents and to speak with all students involved to gain a picture of the events. The truth is always somewhere in the middle of the many perpsectives we gather. We change enviornments, staffing and seek specialist support for students to develop the necessary skills to allow them to be successful on our playground. Our students, your children, will make mistakes in the school environment but it is the lessons they learn and carry with them into adulthood that are important during these early years. The mistakes our children make are not necessarily a reflection on your parenting, they are just mistakes. 

It was my privilege this week to chat with one of our senior students about a mistake that they made. I told this young person that my belief in them as a leader actually grew because of the way they handled themself when they made the mistake. Such an important trait to develop.

I hope that you all feel comfortable to have a conversation with us when things do go wrong and to share in the creation of a positive school culture. We need your belief in our practices and support along the journey if we are truly going to create a positive learning environment. 

Canteen 

This term we started our partnership with the team from Plunge in the provision of a school canteen. In order for this option to be viable, the operation of the canteen had to change. We operate during the first lunch only, delivering online orders at first lunch, between 10:45am and 11:00am. The menu is completely based on healthy options and includes substantial meals as well as snacks. Where possible, all foods are delivered in biodegradable packaging. The canteen is open all days except for Wednesday and our parents, carers and friends are welcome as volunteers between 9:00-11:00am to assist in the food preparation.

As promised, we would like your feedback, as without your support, the canteen will cease to exist. It is now time to let us know your suggestions about ways we could make slight changes to improve the service for families. Please respond to this simple survey to provide your feedback.

Canteen survey

Staffing update

Miss Spinks has taken leave indefinitely and will be replaced by her job share partner, Miss Redding and Mrs Judy Cusack. Our Yr 3 parents were informed last week that we are all praying for Miss Spinks who has had some complications with her pregnancy and remains in John Hunter hospital. Mr Hassett will replace Miss Spinks as Pedagogical Mentor and will be off class each Wednesday working with the Leadership Team and teachers in their classrooms. Mrs Arrow will coordinate sport while Miss Spinks is on leave.

Last week, Mrs Brown informed me that her family are moving to Western Australia and she will finish up on March 6. We thank Mrs Brown for the flexibility she has shown in taking on different roles within our school and wish the family well as they take off on this new adventure. Mrs McKinnon, who already teaches 3 days each week on this class will now take the class full-time. 

This week, I also received the news that Mrs Maureen Nicholls, our Pastoral Care Worker was resigning. Mrs Nicholls has done some amazing work with our Mini Vinnies groups, coordinates breakfast club and initiates many positive experiences for the students and families within our school. We will adevrtise shortly for this position but it is going to be hard to find a replacement. We wish Mrs Nicholls well for her future. If you know someone who is interested in working approximately 14hrs per week in a pastoral support role in our school, please encourage them to apply. This position is funded and therefore depends on government funding each year.

Kiss n'Drop zone

I have been asked to remind families that the Kiss n' Drop zone in Carawa Street is for short stops and not for parking. Please try to adhere to these rules. 

Warm wishes,

Brooke Stephens

A warm welcome to all the new families who have joined Holy Name in 2020 and a big welcome back to our wonderful families who have returned. The beginning of the school year is a very exciting time, yet it can be a little stressful, particularly when things are new.

In my REC Reports I hope to give you all the information you need about Masses, Liturgies, The Sacraments and Parish News at Holy Name, so that you can join us and celebrate in our community of faith.

PARISH MASS EACH FRIDAY

Classes from Holy Name each Friday at 9:30am celebrate Mass with Fr Greg and the Parish in the Forster Church. Families are also very welcome to join us. A timetable of classes celebrating Friday’s Parish Mass will be in our next newsletter.

Welcome Mass

Holy Name’s Welcome Mass was held yesterday in the Forster Church to mark the beginning of a new school year. We welcomed new members to our community, gave thanks for all we have and together made a commitment to make Holy Name more sustainable and more environmentally friendly. We want to work together to value and cherish our land and protect our fragile earth.

Faith, Story, Witness

Last Friday, several Learning Support staff from Holy Name, along with others from the Manning Region, came together for Spiritual Faith Formation led by Brad Fuller from the RE and Spirituality Team. This was an opportunity for these staff members to understand fully the Catholic ethos we strive to cultivate in our school and to deepen connections with Catholic Faith and Aboriginal Spirituality. All staff members of Holy Name each year are required to accrue hours for Faith Accreditation from courses such as this.

PARISH NEWS

For new families to our school our Parish Priest is Fr Greg Barker.  

Weekend Mass Times

Holy Name of Jesus Church 33 Lake Street, Forster   

Saturday Evening 6pm

Sunday Morning 7am 

Sunday Morning 9am

Sunday Evening 5:30pm

Keeping the Faith - A day for all women

On Saturday 26 March in the Parish Hall, all women are invited to come along to listen to the faith stories of other women. Guest speaker Brooke Stephens will share something of her story and it will be an opportunity to be informed about the Plenary Council, meet new friends and hear diverse voices, share their stories. Please see the flyer attached for more details. RSVP by 20 March.

Every third Sunday of the month children from Holy Name and their families are warmly welcome to attend the Parish Youth Mass. This mass is held on Sunday afternoon at 5:30pm. Mrs Carmel Brown leads musicians and singers to play and sing modern uplifting music through the mass. Any children who are interested in joining the musicians are most welcome.  Attached is a letter of invitation to any student who would like to know more about the Youth Mass.

Genevieve Williamson

Religious Education Coordinator

Never see a need without doing something about it. Mary MacKillop

Dear

Your Son/Daughter __________________ in ____ has shown an interest in being part of the Music Group that performs at the Forster Youth Mass each month.

The Youth Mass is held at the Holy Name of Jesus, Catholic Church in Forster at 5.30pm on the third Sunday of each month. It is a wonderful collaboration of musicians who generously give of their time. We welcome new members and would be very happy for your child to join us. It also provides an invaluable platform for building confidence and working with others.

Due to the diversity of our ensemble, our regular rehearsal time is prior to mass at 4.30 in the church.

In between masses, I email music and links to our players so as they have a chance to listen and practise their parts and come prepared to work as an ensemble on the day.

All are welcome. You do not have to be an experienced musician, there are many percussion parts that make the music very special.

If you would like further information, please contact me via email or mobile.

Many Thanks,

Carmel Brown

This year, Holy Name Primary School is one of eight new schools joining the new Diocesan project for Kindergarten students Successful Foundations. Successful Foundations is a play based action research project, which specifically transitions early learners to school and nurtures positive collaborative relationships between children, families, teachers and the community. Successful Foundations supports the Catholic Schools Office’s Early Learning Policy and Strengthens classroom practices. The project was piloted in 2019 with 11 schools all achieving great success in their classrooms.

For the first hour of school this term, Kindergarten have been engaging in play activities both inside and outside the classroom, allowing Mrs Monks and I to observe the students and their capabilities. It also allows time for us to build a strong relationship with each student and their families, while also seeing their interests and all of the things they can do. The provocations allow us as teachers to view the students collaborating, problem solving, how they interact socially, their creativity while also engaging in literacy and numeracy activities. We have already observed students collaborating with others, creatively designing using blocks, students problem solving when they have to share resources and also see students curious and competent natural researchers.

Last week Kim Moroney, Education Officer (Early Learning) for the Catholic Schools Office came to visit Kindergarten during the hour of play. Kim felt welcomed by the students and enjoyed viewing the students in their provocations and she has been a great support to Mrs Monks and I as we develop our own understanding of the project and of the importance of play. Mrs Monks and I will be attending a Professional Development opportunity at the end of the month in Newcastle with the other schools, to find out how to further incorporate play based learning, once the project concludes after the first five weeks of term.

Mrs Sarah Praschinger

(Kindergarten Teacher)

At Holy Name School, we provide a valuable Year 6 buddy program which begins during Kindergarten Transition, providing each new student a Year 6 Buddy for their first year of schooling. The program also provides the Year 6 students the opportunity to demonstrate leadership responsibility during their final year of schooling. More importantly, the program develops relationships between the younger and older children, enhancing a friendly and supportive school community.  

The benefits for the Kindergarten students also include promoting a sense of belonging, social support and a sense of community as they transition to Kindergarten. During the Kindergarten transition program, the teachers notice the students feeling more at ease as they spend time with their Year 6 Buddy and develop a relationship.  

The Year 6 students spent time with their Kindergarten buddy during the first week of school, eating their lunch and playing during play times, while also assisting the new students around our school. Additional structured activities occurred throughout the week, while also offering opportunities for students to choose their own activities with their Buddy, such as reading and participating in art and craft activities.  

We thank the Year 6 Buddies and their teachers for their support and commitment to this program and I know the Kindergarten students thoroughly enjoy their time with their Buddies each week.  

Mrs Praschinger and Mrs Monks 

Swimming

The Manning Region Swimming Carnival was held at Gloucester Pool last Wednesday 12^th February. The team were accompanied by Mrs Stephens and Mrs Arrow. The following students made up the Holy Name team:

FORSTER TEAM FOR REGIONAL 

Holy Name were very successful on the day and our students gained 5 out of the 6 possible Age Champions. This is a remarkable effort!

Regional Champions 2020

Snr Girls	Snr Boys
1st Kalani Ryan (FRS)	Jack Thacker (FRS)
2nd  Gabriella Swierczynski (WNG)	Lucca Boyling (TAJ
3rd Charlotte Marchant (GLO)	Bailey Wilson (TAJ)
11 yrs Girls	11 yrs Boys
1st Sophie Scislo ( FRS)	Cohen Shoesmith ( TAJ)
2nd Charlotte Cooper (FRS)	Thomas Davy (TJ)
3rd Georgia Sparks (FRS)	Rhys Shanahan (FRS)
Jnr Girls	Jnr  Boys
1st Lilah Gibson ( FRS)	Hamish Carmichael (FRS)
2nd Lucy Millard (TAJ)	Levi Van Haren ( FRS )
3rd Kannika Broadbent (FRS)	Charlie Gibson (FRS)
Xanthe Fenning (GLO)

                                                                                                                                                        

The next stage is Diocesan swimming on Thursday, February 27 at the Lambton Swimming Centre. Mr Hassett will be a team manager on the day. Good Luck to all those children involved! 

Trials

We have called for expressions of interest for Winter Sport trials from the students in Years 4-6. Winter Sports are: Soccer, Rugby League, Netball and Hockey. Children may trial for one of these sports only and must be playing at comp or even rep level to be considered. The Regional Trials will be held in Taree on 12^th March. If we need too, we will run a school trial next week.

Cricket and Touch Trials are separate, and children can nominate as above. The Regional trials are to be held later this term. 

nap.edu.au

As children progress through their school years, it is very important that checks are made along the way to see how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and mathematics – skills that will set them upon the path to success as adults.

NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows parents to see how their child is progressing in literacy and numeracy against the national standard and compared with their peers throughout Australia. At the classroom level, NAPLAN provides additional information to support teachers’ professional judgement about student progress.

Federal, state and territory education ministers agreed to gradually transition NAPLAN online by 2021. NAPLAN Online is a tailored test that adapts to student responses, providing better assessment and more precise results. Your child’s teacher will be able to tell you in what mode your child does NAPLAN in 2020. 

NAPLAN results 

Schools will receive their students’ NAPLAN reports from mid-August to mid-September, depending on their state or territory test administration authority. The school will notify you when the reports are being sent to your home. The same report format is used for every student in Australia.

Your child's school is your first point of contact for any questions about their NAPLAN report, including:

• if you do not receive a report
• for replacement reports (please note: ACARA does not have access to individual student reports and cannot organise the reissue of lost student reports)
• if you want further information about your child's results. Copies of individual student test papers are not available.

How is NAPLAN performance reported?

NAPLAN is designed to illustrate the range of student performance across the country.

Individual student performance is shown on a national achievement scale for each test. The performance of individual students can be compared to the average performance of all students in Australia.

Read more about individual student reports in the Student report – frequently asked questions document (PDF 278 kb).

Read more about the reporting of NAPLAN results in the 'Results and reports' section of this website.

Preparing for NAPLAN

NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students have already learnt through the school curriculum. Teachers will ensure that students are familiar with the test formats and will provide appropriate support and guidance. Excessive preparation is not useful and can lead to unnecessary anxiety. If you have any questions about your child's preparation for NAPLAN, please make a time to speak with your child's teacher.

NAPLAN tests are constructed to give students an opportunity to demonstrate skills they have learnt over time through the school curriculum, and NAPLAN test days should be treated as just another routine event on the school calendar. The best way you can help your child prepare for NAPLAN is to reassure them that NAPLAN tests are just one part of their school program, and to advise them to simply do the best they can on the day.

ACARA does not recommend the use of commercial products, such as booklets and practice tests, to help your child prepare for NAPLAN tests. None of the commercial products currently on the market were endorsed by ACARA. The use of services by coaching providers is not recommended.

Participating in NAPLAN

All students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are expected to participate in NAPLAN tests, and schools should not exert influence on parents to withdraw their child from the tests. NAPLAN tests give you information on how your child is progressing against national standards. This information can be used to identify areas in which your child may benefit from additional assistance. NAPLAN does not replace, but rather complements assessments run by your child's classroom teacher throughout the year.

Adjustments can be provided for students with disability to enable them to access the tests on an equivalent basis to students without disability. Read about the adjustments in the next section.

Some students who have been attending school in Australia for less than a year before the tests may also be eligible for exemption. Exemptions should be discussed with your child's school.

Parents or carers may withdraw their child from the tests to address issues such as religious beliefs and philosophical objections to testing. It is recommended that withdrawal be considered in consultation with your child's school. States and territories have different ways of managing student withdrawals, but formal notification must be received by the school principal prior to testing.

Wherever possible, schools will organise for individual students who are absent at the time of testing to complete missed tests at another time during the test window.

Detailed information about exemptions, withdrawals and absences from NAPLAN can be found in the 'Student participation section' of this website.

Adjustments for students with disability

Adjustments are available in NAPLAN tests for students with disability to support students’ access to the tests.

ACARA has developed a number of scenarios to explain some of the available adjustments for students with disability.

A student may be granted access to multiple adjustments, and adjustments may be different for each NAPLAN test. For example, the adjustment(s) approved for the NAPLAN reading test may be different to the adjustment(s) approved for the NAPLAN writing test.

As the scenarios show, there are many adjustments available to students with disability, but not all students with disability are eligible for all, or even some, of the adjustments. Please note these scenarios are examples only.

Adjustments should reflect similar support and assistance provided in the classroom for assessment activities. An example might be a NAPLAN support person filling in bubbles at the direction of the student. However, not all adjustments provided in a classroom setting are applicable for NAPLAN.

Some students with significant intellectual disability and/or students with significant coexisting conditions, which severely limit their capacity to participate in the tests, may be exempted from sitting the tests.

Parents of students with disability should meet with their child’s teacher and discuss the adjustments that may be suitable for their child.

The provision of adjustments must in all cases comply with the National protocols for test administration.

More information

For more information about NAPLAN:

• see also NAPLAN – frequently asked questions
• subscribe to ACARA's monthly e-newsletter, Parent Update
• contact your child's school
• contact your state or territory test administration authority.  

Unless otherwise stated, the advertisements placed in the Holy Name newsletter are placed by independent third parties who have no legal relationship with the school or Catholic Schools Office. The activities or services of the advertisers are not supervised or controlled in any way by the school. The Catholic Schools Office is not in a position to endorse the advertisers or the services provided and makes no representation about those matters. Accordingly, the Catholic Schools Office cannot accept any responsibility for the advertisers or the activities or services that are the subject of these advertisements.