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- Recent School Calendar Updates
- School Focus & Positive Behaviour
- Principal's Corner
- Teaching & Learning and Inclusion
- Catholic Life & Reflection
- The Marriage Course
- Happy Birthday
- Library News
- Year 4 - 1 to 1 Technology
- End of Term Special Lunch
- Parenting Ideas
- Student Celebration of Achievement
- Entertainment Book
- OSHClub Holiday Program
- Young Engineers After School Club
- Community Notices
- ThinkUKnow Session - Year 5 & 6 (week 5)
Please go to our school calendar on the website or SZapp for more details.
It was a joy to read all students reports over the past few weeks as they were prepared for sending home. All of our students are making wonderful gains in their learning. Sometimes the first Semester can be a challenge for students as they grapple with greater expectations and more challenging curriculum. It's all part of the journey and it's always important to celebrate any achievements along the way.
Building a positive school culture...the journey continues
Over the last four years of working at St John the Apostle we have experienced very positive results on our parent, staff and student annual surveys.
One of the few areas that both parents and staff have identified that we could work further on (i.e. moving from good to great) is around managing challenging behaviour. This has been part of our Annual Improvement Plan for a number of years and the fruit of our work is in the policies, routines and practices we now have in supporting positive behaviour and increasing student engagement in their learning. There have been many comments made this year about the positive behaviour of our students while on excursion, when we have visitors, in assemblies, prayer and generally in classrooms.
Supporting positive behaviour and social interactions for students at St John the Apostle remains a priority. We know that children who, over many years, learn to have confidence in themselves, self-regulate their emotions and thoughts, express their needs productively and manage conflict will experience greater opportunities for success. We want to continue to be a school that provides students with the supports to grow in these areas.
Next week we welcome Mr Ian Luscombe, consultant in building exceptional behaviour in schools. He comes with a wealth of experience and recommendations to support us in our continuing journey to build a positive school culture and support positive student behaviour.
Ian supports schools to establish a whole school system of behaviour, embed a culture of positive interactions, and develop a school climate where the well-being of students (social, behavioural and learning) informs a teacher’s interactions with them.
We expect that Ian will both reinforce and challenge us and the students and we really look forward to the positive impact his work will have for our school and students. Parents can expect that there may be a few changes to our practices next term as a result of our work with Ian. We will communicate these well in advance.
School Reports and Parent Teacher Interviews
Just a reminder that Semester One Student Reports went home on Wednesday. As mentioned in previous Newsletters, we are transitioning to new reporting software across our system and our school reports don't allow for comments this semester. We are holding Parent-Teacher Interviews next week. The booking system for these is currently open at the following link:
Parent-Teacher Interview Booking - Term 2, 2021
Please note that bookings close this Sunday at 5.00pm.
Communication is an important part of maintaining relationships between home and school. This is a perfect opportunity to connect with your child's teacher and tune in to how they are going. Please do book in. If you have any trouble in booking then please contact the Front Office and Leanne will assist in making your booking.
Matthew Garton
Principal
Enrolments for 2022
We are still accepting enrolments for 2022.
If you have a child currently in pre-school and will be enrolling them for Kindergarten then please do so as soon as possible. Please go to our school website to lead you through how to do this or contact Leanne at the Front Office with any questions.
Rocket Maths
Through our research about Cognitive Load Theory and Daily Review, we have begun implementing a program called Rocket Maths in our school. Years 2 and 3 are currently trialling Rocket Maths with great success.
"Rocket Maths is a supplemental learning program that teaches students addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions. Specifically, the program teaches math facts – the basic building blocks of all math. This program can be used in each year group and is easily differentiated for all students. Students learn using printable worksheets and verbal partner practice" (Rocket Math, 2019).
Below is the link to a parent guide for Rocket Math.
https://www.rocketmath.com/parent-resources-teach-math-at-home-guide/
Personalised Plan Reports
On Wednesday, each child on a Personalised Plan received a Personalised Plan Report with their School Report. I had the pleasure of reading each of these Personalised Plan Reports. It was so lovely to see all of the students in our school having personal growth in specific areas. All students are either closer to achieving their goals or were able to achieve their goals and new goals will be set for next Semester. If you have any questions about the Personalised Plan Reports and your child's goals please do not hesitate to contact your child's classroom teacher, Bec Neiberding (Inclusion Teacher) or myself.
Fidgets and Sensory Toys
This year, Bec Neiberding and I, have carefully selected fidget and sensory tools for each classroom. There are enough sensory toys and fidgets for each child, in each class, who need them to self-regulate or support their concentration. We have noticed that more and more students are bringing sensory tools and fidgets to school (specifically Pop It Fidget Toys). Not all students are using these appropriately and they cause distraction for them and the students around them. I would ask that students do not bring their own fidgets and sensory toys to school, as we have more than enough at school. There are some particular children that have specific tools to help them regulate and come from home, and of course these are still allowed.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the above.
Rebekah Brown
Assistant Principal and Inclusion Coordinator
What the students are learning about
On Sacred Heart Day last week Year 2 performed a beautiful song they had learnt. Each one of them sang with great enthusiasm and joy about the fruits of the spirit.
They are also very excited to have special bibles to read from in the classroom and to look up special scriptures like John 3:16.
Well done Year 2, you are remaining us of the love of God and the joy He has in us.
I also had four Year 6 students approach me about doing a liturgical dance. They designed it all themselves and did a wonderful job of praying with movement and song. They used the beautiful robes made by Mrs Milne and were inspired by the Sacred Heart and Pentecost.
Year 5 added to our understanding of Pentecost by writing and sharing their prayer liturgy with us today. They told us all about the beginning of the church and the way that the disciples spread the word right after Jesus assended into heaven. They read with confidence and sang with joy and delight.
Well done Year 5!
God bless,
Stephanie Stewart
Religious Education Coordinator
Notices from the Parish
How can you strengthen your marriage/relationship?
Nicky Gumbel says “There’s no marriage that can’t be improved.”
You’re invited to a short, fun course of 7 sessions designed to strengthen your relationship.
Whether you’ve been together six months or 40 years, married or in a long-term relationship. Whether you’re in a good place or struggling, The Marriage Course offers practical support and ideas to strengthen your relationship, in a fun-pact format offered online in the comfort of your home via zoom.
The course is open to any couple in a committed relationship, wanting to have fun, spend time together and even get to know some other couples. We are advertising in St John the Apostle Primary School and St John the Apsotle Parish, Kippax, however feel free to invite anyone.
To find out a little more watch The Marriage Course Trailer here: Marriage Course Trailer
You can also come and discover more at a
Wine and Cheese Information Night (FREE):
at St John the Apostle Primary School (Library), 9 Pawsey Cct, Florey
Thursday 22nd July (Week 2, term 3); 6.00-6.45pm
Children welcome - baby sitting and pizza will be provided
Please RSVP to marina.philip@cg.catholic.edu.au for catering purposes (advise number of adults and children attending)
The course commences online Thursday 29th July at 7.15pm (Week 3, Term 3) and runs for 7 consecutive Thursdays.
Venue: Your place – course is facilitated through Zoom.(All the important conversations between couples are private, however each session begins with a group ice breaker on zoom).
You can register for the 7 week course here: https://www.cgcatholic.org.au/sjaps/ or wait until the information night.
The course is free, however you will need to purchase 2 course booklets at a cost of $25 each (available for purchase at the information night, or at the Catholic Bookshop in Manuka for $22 each).
The course is being facilitated by Carl and Cathy Madsen and Marina and Andrew Philip.
A social dinner will be organised in September.
Happy birthday to Olivia A, Charlotte S, Evan M, Apajok G, Xavier B, James J, Ryan L and Bradley L who all celebrated their birthday this week.
Please note that we ask students to not bring home made cupcakes to share with the class for their birthdays. This is a precautionary measure for health and hygiene. The Canteen offers a number of options to share with the class. Purchases can be made through the QKR app.
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Find out what is happening in our School Library Community June 2021 |
As the weather cools down and we approach the winter holidays, we are encouraging all students to return any overdue library books so then they may be able to borrow again. This week parents were emailed about overdue books. Unfortunately this report also included Chrome Books for students in Year 4 and other students who use Chrome Books. These due dates have now been changed. Chrome books are for the year and are not considered overdue. We apologise for this mistake.
Family Borrowing - Wednesday 2:50 -3:30
The Library is now open every Wednesday for Family Borrowing time. We hope to see you there! We have some lovely new books in the Library and a range of parenting and helpful books that parents and carers can now borrow.
Author Visit – Nicole Godwin
All students had a great visit with author Nicole Godwin this week. She also kindly donated these three books to the Library, so keep an eye out for them on our New Books List. you might like to have a chat with your child about some of the issues that arose during this visit. The students were all so engaged with her stories and their messages of sustainability and caring for the earth.
Happy Reading,
Lauren Hudson (Teacher/Librarian) lauren.hudson@cg.catholic.edu.au
Kirsty Vera (Library Assistant) kirsty.vera@cg.catholic.edu.au
Students in Year 4 have now received their devices and the first instalment is now past due. The amount due is $53.00 per term. Prompt payment would be appreciated. Please make payment on QKR no later than Tuesday 22 June. Thank you.
Establishing digital boundaries for a good night’s sleep
It’s well established that sleep is vital for children and adolescents’ learning, physical health, mental wellbeing and emotional regulation. Yet, a concerning number of Australian children and adolescents aren’t meeting the national sleep guidelines according to a recent study*.
There are many reasons for young people’s poor sleep habits including school demands, co-curricular and/or work commitments, perceived pressure from parents and educators and consumption of energy drinks. Young people’s digital device habits can have a significant, negative impact on their sleep.
Handheld devices emit blue light which hampers melatonin production. This can result in the delayed onset of sleep and potentially shorten critical phases of the sleep cycle. Research confirms that children who have not yet gone through puberty are particularly vulnerable to blue light exposure in the evening as they have larger pupils, compared to post-puberty adolescents.
Strategies to stop screens from sabotaging your child’s sleep
Parents can have a positive influence on their child and teens’ digital habits and doing so will yield positive results for their child’s sleep and subsequent learning and wellbeing.
Establish a digital bedtime
Kids should switch off digital devices 60 minutes prior to falling asleep. Reinforce this habit by establishing a ‘landing zone’ such as a kitchen bench, or desk in a study or sideboard where digital devices go for charging and storage. Many students report that they ‘need’ to complete homework or submit assignments late at night. Verify the validity of such statements and work in partnership with your child’s school to limit this type of required screen activity at night. Parents need to also be good role models by switching off before bed too.
Tech-free zones
Bedrooms should be tech-free zones so consider buying an alarm clock if your child uses a mobile phone to wake themselves up. Keeping devices out of bedrooms removes the tech-temptation to use them throughout the night, reduces the likelihood that they’ll reach for them upon waking and lessens the chance of cyberbullying incidents. Ensure any devices left in bedrooms are on airplane mode and that the device is away from their line of sight.
Ensure a daily dose of ‘greentime’
Exposure to natural blue light from sources such as the sun is critical for regulating circadian rhythms and promoting sleepiness at night. Ensure your child/teen is exposed to bright, natural, daytime light preferably before midday each day.
Use blue light filters
Most devices include options for ‘night mode’ or ‘dark mode’ that reduce blue light exposure. Dimming the brightness of the screen in the settings or applying a filter on a desktop or laptop also assists.
Do a screen swap before bed
Encourage passive tech activities before bed such as watching TV, listening to an audiobook, music or podcast, or reading on an e-reader.
It can be a challenge navigating digital boundaries with your child or teen particularly when it involves sleep, which is vital for health, wellbeing and learning. Talk to them regularly about the importance of sleep using science and facts to substantiate your claims.
*The Australian Department of Health recommends between 9-11 hours of sleep for children (aged 5-13 years) and between 8-10 hours of sleep for adolescents (aged 14-17 years). A 2019 study published by the Australian Institute of Family Studies found that a quarter of 12-15 year olds were experiencing a concerning lack of sleep and more than half of the 16-17 year olds in the study were not getting the recommended 8-10 hours/night (Source: https://aifs.gov.au/sites/default/files/publication-documents/lsac-asr-2018-chap4-sleep.pdf )
Dr Kristy Goodwin
Dr Kristy Goodwin is a digital wellbeing and performance speaker, author and researcher (and mum who also deals with her kids’ techno-tantrums!). She’s the author of Raising Your Child in a Digital World, and a media commentator who doesn’t suggest that we ban the iPhone, or unplug the gaming console (digital abstinence isn’t the solution). Kristy translates research into essential information and realistic strategies for parents to ensure kids and teens thrive in the digital world. For further details visit www.drkristygoodwin.com.
The ACT Cross Country Championships was held at Stromlo Forest on Wednesday 16 June. Congratulations to Emma D (3 Blue) who was the 13th fastest runner in her age group in the ACT.
