St Francis of Assisi School Newsletter Term 2 Week 1 7.5.2024
Dear Parents,
Term 2 is upon us, and you’ll see us right back into the swing of it in classrooms. As my previous newsletter indicated I am in the classrooms far more this term, trying to engage in the teaching and learning process as much as possible. As a teacher it’s my passion and it’s been great to see the level of engagement in the classroom as we begin the term.
Catholic Education Week
Next week we celebrate Catholic Education Week which is a great opportunity for us to launch some initiatives and celebrate what a beautiful community we have here at Newton.
I will be announcing some exciting community partnerships and initiatives we have been working on behind the scenes here over the past term next week. Stay tuned.
You’ll also see some various activities involving the children and the wider community through our social media next week so please feel free to engage, and chat to the children about the various Catholic Education Week activities.
Explicit Teaching – What is it and why is it in the news?
You may have seen through the Advertiser and various other media outlets, articles over the past two weeks around behaviour management and ‘discipline’ being explicitly taught in schools. The media articles were deliberately inflammatory and alluded to school’s ‘bringing back’ explicit models of teaching around behaviour. They were written to create likes, comments – anything to get clicks and purchases. That’s how the media works.
The articles centred around a teaching method you have heard already through previous newsletter articles – Explicit Teaching. When you hear the term Explicit teaching, it’s a complicated term that refers to a specific teaching style. It generally alludes to a teacher instructing in a way that provides clear expectations to the students about what is expected of them. This is achieved through a teacher modelling expectations or learning objectives, allowing students many opportunities to practise and then slowly allowing the student to achieve the required learning or behaviour independently.
Often this is used in the teaching of English and Mathematics. Take writing as an example. A method of explicit teaching may look like a teacher modelling a sentence or a paragraph on the board, allowing students to practice that paragraph in small groups of with a teacher, and then moving to independently complete the work.
When we are using an explicit model to practise behaviour expectations it might look like – a teacher modelling how to walk between classes, watching and guiding students as they practise and then expecting this to occur each time their class walks through the school.
This is what the media articles were referring to – but where they got it wrong is that we are not reverting to an old model – we are refining a model that’s existed all the way through Australia’s educational history. We can’t expect students to know routines and expectations unless we teach it to them – explicitly with clear direction and modelling. We have various routines to ensure children in listen in class, are kind to one another and are respectful to their teachers – all of which are explicitly taught to our students.
Later this term staff will receive further training in this model of teaching, and as always, I will try to educate and inform our families of this training as we move forward through this.
It’s not secret teacher business.
Kiss and Drop
Just a reminder that we try to open the gates in the afternoon around the 2:45pm mark to ensure the flow of traffic into the kiss and drop space flows. It’s an efficient process and if I’m going to be honest – it’s an absolute luxury for families.
Many of our Catholic partners in this area have their Kiss and Drop Zones on main roads or tight back streets, where the traffic banks up and the line-up can take between 15 minutes and half an hour at peak times. It’s done with flowing traffic, impatient parents and done extremely close to busy roads.
Ours is managed by our staff, is done in the safety of our school grounds and at the absolute worst families are in line for 5 minutes. It’s a wonderfully efficient system.
If we haven’t opened the gate by 2:45pm there may be another issue we are working with, or we might have a sport lesson on the courts, or a young person who has left the classroom and we want to keep the gate shut for the time being. Sometimes it needs to wait until 3pm, but the flow on effect to families may only be 2-3 minutes difference.
Please be patient.
God Bless,
Scott
Next week we celebrate Catholic Education Week in South Australia. Our Year 6 students will be visiting the Mary Mackillop Museum to learn about our Josephite roots here at St Francis of Assisi. Did you know that the Josephite sisters begun our school in 1965? Catholic Education Week is a time to reflect on our history and successes as a Catholic School. Keep an eye on our socials to see what our students love about our Catholic School.
In Catholic Education Week we will launch our Vinnies Winter Appeal. More information will come out about how you can support this. Our local Vinnies team have requested pantry items to support those in need in our local community. Mini-Vinnies will hold a fundraiser later in the term to support the Winter Appeal. You will see large blue Vinnies bins around the school which are for donation items such as clothing, blankets, toys and household items.
This Friday we will celebrate Mother’s Day with our community. Please join us Friday morning for Community Prayer in the MPF led by 3/4Z. This will be followed by morning tea and the children will be visiting the Mother’s Day stall furing the day. A huge thankyou to our wonderful P & F for organising the gifts and running the stall on Friday.
I am sharing with you our Catholic Education Week prayer which I invite you to pray with your families.
Raising Hearts and Minds Prayer
Loving God,
Guide us to know life in its fullness, to raise our hearts and minds to know God’s love.
Raise our hearts and minds to be inspired by Jesus, the Catholic faith and tradition.
Raise our hearts to be loving, compassionate and respectful.
Raise our minds to be inquisitive, capable and seek truth.
May we be aware of listening to the stirring of our hearts to prompt action.
Guide us to respond to the needs of others and all of God’s creation.
In all our thoughts, words and actions, help us raise our hearts and minds
in creating the world you desire.
Loving God hear our prayer,
Amen
Wishing all Mothers, Grandmothers and special women in our lives a blessed Mother’s Day this weekend.
Prayer for Mother’s Day
God of blessing, God of life,
We thank you for the gift of our mothers,
And all those who are like mothers to us.
We place them in your loving care
And trust that you will give them all that they need for life.
Amen.
Melissa Canil
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Please see below for opening days and times for the Campbelltown Uniform Shop. Please remember to make a booking when you need a fitting for your child
To shop online: https://www.belgraviaapparelschools.com/collections/st-francis-of-assisi-school
To make an APPOINTMENT - Book a fitting
OPENING HOURS
Monday: 8:00am – 12:00pm
Tuesday: 1:00pm - 5:30pm
Wednesday: 8:00am -12:00pm
Thursday: 1:00pm - 5:30pm
Friday: CLOSED
Saturday: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Sundays & Public Holidays: Closed
Dear Parents/Caregivers,
Welcome back to Term 2! Could you please encourage and assist your child/children to find and return their long-standing overdue library books. Currently there are over 151 overdue books in our school library from Term 1. Recently I have sent out emails to parents whose children have long standing overdue books. These need to please be returned or replaced by Friday 10th May (end of week 2) to avoid an account of $15.00 per book being sent home via our school finance officer.
Thank you for your continued support.
Debbie Harrip
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The church car park is NOT a drop off zone for children. Children must be supervised by an adult at all times in this area.
If you are choosing to park in the Church car park it is important to follow the arrows indicating the correct direction. Please park between the authorised park lines and walk children to and from your car. Please DO NOT just drop them off here.
The only supervised school Kiss & Drop, is the basketball courts (off Graves St) and is available each morning from 8:30am to 8:55am and from 3:00pm to 3:20pm. It is always supervised by a staff member during these times.
If you wish to park your car, limited car parking is available in the staff car park. Priority parking is on the basketball courts for up to 10 minutes and there is ample street parking.
Use of car parking outside school boundaries, including the church car park remains your responsibility and you are legally expected to use the same caution that you would in any public car park, e.g. managing hazards including ACTIVELY supervising any children in your care.
Please find attached the St Francis of Assisi School calender for Term 1 2024
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Important Dates
Term 3 Reception Transition Programme begins
Mothers Day Stall and Morning Tea
Assembly led by 5M - 2.15pm
Induction Session 6pm -please book online. https://sobs.com.au/pt3/parent.php?schoolid=921
Class Liturgy 1/2TC 9am
Year 5 and 6 Lacrosse Carnival
Community Prayer 1/2V 8.55am
FUTURE DATES
TERM 2
PUPIL FREE DAY- Friday 7th June - OSHC available
PUBLIC HOLIDAY - Kings Birthday - Monday 10th June 2024
VOLUNTEER INDUCTION - 9am Tuesday 18th June 2024 - book online -https://sobs.com.au/pt3/parent.php?schoolid=921
TERM 3
PUPIL FREE DAY- Monday 22nd July and 27th September - OSHC available
TERM 4
PUPIL FREE DAY Friday 14th December - OSHC available
Is your child due to start school?
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SFOA Merchandise
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SFOA Umbrellas are now available on the QKR! app. Get your orders in quick - limited stock available!
OSHC
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CLICK HERE to enrol online!
Available before / after school hours with Vacation Care during school holidays.
The Southern Cross Newsletter
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Uniform Shop
Opening Hours & Uniform Prices
By Appointment Only: BOOK HERE
10 Newton Road, Campbelltown
Phone: 8336 2602
Parish Bulletin
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Latest Parish bulletin available here
Catholic Schools Magazine
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