Week 5 Term 1 2024
2024
Week 5 (Monday 15th - Friday 23rd February)
| Monday 15th February | Three Way Conferences start |
| Thursday 8th February |
Run Club Starts 8.15am Water Awareness Lessons |
| Friday 9th February |
Playgroup starts 9am Interschool Sports Yr 5/6 Yr 1/2 Assembly 2.15pm |
Week 6 (Monday 26th February - Friday 1st March )
| Friday 1st March |
Year 2/3 Assembly Interschool Sport Playgroup |
We would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land the Birri-Gubba Juru people and pay our respects to the elders past, present and future for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and hopes of Indigenous Australia.
Curriculum News
PhOrMes
This year we have commenced our work with our new spelling program. Phormes is in line with the new Australian Curriculum Version 9 and also based on the Science of Reading. PhOrMES does the following:
Word Reading, or decoding, is taught in a sequential manner. Beginners are taught to read short, simple, phonetically regular words and progress to increasingly more difficult words across their primary schooling.
Spelling is best taught side-by-side with word reading/decoding. This is what PhOrMeS does. Students are taught to spell words with the same target graphemes, spelling rules, morphological concepts or etymological roots they are learning to read.
Phonemic Awareness is both taught separately and embedded in word reading and spelling activities.
Reading Fluency is practised daily from Prep to Year 3 with opportunities for extended practice from Year 4-6.
Maths Version (Australian Curriculum)
This year staff will continue their focus on the new Australian Maths curriculum. Staff during Professional Development week examined the new curriculum and looked at ways that new assessment material catering for all learning news could be created.
Computers and Carpets
Over the holidays our Year 1/2 and Year 2/3 classrooms were recarpeted. This has helped make the classrooms more modern and an inviting learning environment.
Year 2/3 will also have a charging station for the laptops placed into the classroom in the next few weeks.
This year will also see new laptops in the Year 5/6 classroom. The present laptops have reached the end of their technological life and will be replaced. Prep will also have new Ipads this week.
Please remind your child that although they have their name on the laptop/ipad it is on loan from the school.
NAPLAN
Our NAPLAN testing period for Years 3 and 5, 7 and 9 will occur in Week 8 (13th to 15th March) this term with catch-up sessions occurring the following week. NAPLAN stands for the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy. It is an annual assessment for students in Australia in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9. NAPLAN assesses students' proficiency in literacy and numeracy through a series of tests that cover reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar, and punctuation), and numeracy. Naplan pratice will occur this week.
PAT Testing and Early Years Testing
This week we will finalise our PAT testing with new enrolments in Year 3 and above. These assessments provide our teachers with good information on the progress of the students they are teaching.
Early Years Testing across Prep to Year 2 is also under way. This is the pretest. Results are then used to help plan future teaching and also if student may require intervention. Post Test will take place at the end of Term 3 this year.
Playground
This year will also see the colourful playground under the Tamarind tree removed due to now not meeting Australian Safety Standards. The new playground will be placed in front of the pirate ship with a shade area and new softfall. This will occur in the second half of the year.
St Colman's School Year of Renewal
Catholic School Renewal is a process that enables school communities to examine the way in which they work together so that they can continue to develop and adapt their practice to better meet the needs of the children they serve.
Please answer the following areas so as to help us develop St Colman's School into a vibrant catholic learning environment.
Lent being a time of giving, is the time of Project Compassion. You should have received your Project Compassion boxes on Friday. Even a small donation is helpful and can be returned in Week 10.
With your support, Caritas Australia has been able to support communities around the world to tackle poverty, food security, education, water and sanitation and disaster risk reduction.
Project Compassion 2024 reminds us that the good that we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come. Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow for all future generations.
Loving God,
You sent us Jesus your Son to show how great is your
love and care for each one of us.
On this day
give us the courage to face the things we have done
that separate us from your friendship.
Help us to welcome your love and forgiveness once
more.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Class Assembly Dates
Enhancing Catholic School Identity project - survey
Everyone’s input is important.
Your participation should take about 55 minutes. Your responses are anonymous and your personal data is treated confidentially in accordance with ethical and legal guidelines.
Only you will be able to view your individual results and this can be done once you’ve completed the questionnaires.
Swimming
A huge thank you to all our wonderful volunteers that helped over the Water Awareness Program. We really appreciate you giving up your time and effort to make the program such a success. It was wonderful to see the students develop their confidence and skills over the lessons.
Sport Clinics - Soccer
After our Water Awareness program we will be having Soccer clinics for 4 weeks. This is part of our successful application to Sporting Schools for a grant. This money is then used to have an experienced coach of the sport come and train the students in that sporting area. It also helps students build the confidence and capability to be active for life. These clinics will take place on Thursday during Sport time with Mrs Keys.
Run Club
Run Club is an opportunity for students to improve their physical fitness and get ready for the upcoming Cross Country to be held on Wednesday 24th April 2024.
Students come to school by 8.15am and run a circuit around school and the church. Each lap is recorded and they are encouraged every week to go faster or run further. All age groups are welcome and parents are welcome to run as well.
Interschool sport - AFL / Hockey
We have been able to form 2 teams for hockey and 2 teams for AFL. A reminder that if your child is playing Hockey they must have a mouth guard. Students will play in mixed teams at the Burdekin Touch Fields on Wickham Street Ayr. Parents are welcome to watch from 1.30pm.
