Term 2 Week 10
Principal's Report
Welcome to the last week of Term 2. It has been an action-packed term and I know students and teachers are ready for the holidays. They have worked extremely hard over the term engaging in learning, undertaking excursions, participating in our school review, learning about feedback strategies, showing pride at many sporting events and much, much more. Each term, I become even more proud of the people that our students are growing into and the type of learners they are becoming. A number of school visitors regularly comment on the high levels of student engagement in learning across all classrooms and manners and courtesy they experience from our students. Fabulous work!
Feedback Strategies
Over the last four weeks, students have been learning about feedback strategies they can use to give feedback to their peers. Feedback allows students to extend their learning and think more deeply about the concept or skill they are learning about. Students have been using the success criteria to give feedback to ensure it is explicit and directly linked to the learning intent. The feedback strategies that we have added to our ‘feedback backpack’ so far include:
• Two stars and a wish – Two stars are for two things that the student has done well, and a wish is something that the student could improve.
• TAG – T is for tell the person something they did well. A is for ask a question about their work. G is for give some encouraging feedback to improve their work.
• Glow and Grow – Glow is for something they did well, and grow is tell them something they can do to grow their work.
• Stars and Stairs – Stars are things the student has done well, and stairs are to outline what the students next steps are in the learning.
Engaging in these strategies, using the success criteria, and seeking feedback, firmly places our students on the path of becoming expert learners. Please ask your students at home to describe to you some of these strategies or feel free to give them some feedback about home chores, or homework!
Pre-Prep Transitions
To support the Pre-Prep students who will be beginning Prep in 2023, we have begun the transition to school process. The first step in this process, is for the Kindy students to become familiar with key staff members and the Prep students from Sacred Heart. Miss Bretherton and I had the pleasure of reading the stories to the Kindy class over the last fortnight. They were keen to hear about the things they will need to have ready to start school!
We are looking forward to more visits next term and the Kindy visiting Sacred Heart for a Teddy Bears Picnic next term.
Confirmation Congratulations
On Sunday, Jason and Sophia Tolete received the Sacrament of Confirmation at the Sacred Heart Parish Church. Bishop Robert McGuckin was present to confirm both students. Confirmation is the Sacrament that deepens and strengthens the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to us in our Baptism. It is one of the Sacraments of initiation that makes us full members of the Church and about receiving the gifts of the spirit and being closer to God. Congratulations Jason and Sophia!
Report Cards
Semester 1 report cards will be available to be picked up on the last day of term, Friday 24th June. Those that are not picked up will be posted to families.
I hope everyone has a restful and safe break.
Polly Goodman
Principal
Prep
Just like that, we have made it to the end of another busy and fun filled term! The Prep students have had a busy fortnight finalizing their assessments and work. We are all a bit tired and definitely ready for a holiday. The students were lucky enough to participate in our HASS excursion where we visited the different features of Cunnamulla. We went for a big walk around town and took lots of pictures. It was a great experience and lots of fun! The students practiced some of their Maths skills by demonstrating their knowledge of continuing and creating patterns. We also practiced our sharing skills by attending Miss Bretherton’s Birthday Party. We practiced sharing the food between the teachers to make sure they all had equal amounts. As our term draws to a close, Mrs Fett and I would like to say a huge thank you to all our Prep friends and families. It has been a very successful semester and we have learnt a lot so far. The Prep students are officially halfway through their first year of school and we cannot wait for the next semester! Have a great holiday!
Miss Aimee Bretherton
Prep Teacher
Year 1
Happy week ten!!! Over the past fortnight the Year Ones worked hard to complete assessments and finalise details for their celebration. As part of this terms HASS unit, the students have been exploring how different cultures recognise significant events. Over the term the Year Ones learnt about a range of celebrations, and they drew inspiration from these festivities to plan their own event. In English, students completed their invitations, each one adorned with a unique artwork. Science studies taught students about light and sound transfer which enabled them to address the lighting and sound aspects of their event. The students were all delighted to have a disco light set up in our classroom on Wednesday afternoon thanks to PLO Nic and Police Officer Brody. Students used recipes written earlier in the term to make chocolate freckles, fruit kebabs and they even decorated cupcakes for the celebration. The students should be proud of how their celebration turned out – we had family, friends, games, just dance and food. It was a lovely afternoon and a great way to close our Let’s Celebrate HASS unit.
The following day the Year Ones participated in an on-Country excursion. We thank Dan and Lawence for taking us on such a wonderful trip. The students learnt all about plants and the importance of looking after places. We had fun identifying flora such as River Red Gums, Lambs Tongue and Coolabah trees just to name a few.
The students finished off a fun filled fortnight with a visit to the 3/4 class who graciously let the Year Ones try out their science games. The class had loads of fun and were blown away by the use of magnets in the games. As the term draws to a close the Year Ones are looking forward to a well-deserved break.
Happy holidays everyone!
Miss Abby Davidson
Year 1 Teacher
Year 2
As I sit to write our class news, I glance around the room and see all of our hard work during the term displayed on the walls and I realise why both the children and myself are well and truly due for some down time. It has been tricky at times getting everything taught and assessed due to absenteeism from Covid but we’ve made it. It has been one of the liveliest terms I’ve put in for a while, as there’s been so much to teach and so much for the children to absorb. But they have done it and are to be congratulated for their effort.
We have written our information report on ants and bees, tested reading and continued with our phonics to spelling programme in English. They all produced a PowerPoint presentation about an insect with Mrs Tolete and we were delighted with their efforts. During maths, we’ve explored groups and arrays as a foundation for formal multiplication, added one and two digit numbers, consolidated telling the time, practised skip counting, explored the value of Australian coins and notes and worked on patterning.
Our Sacrament of Penance unit in religion classes has had us exploring the choices we make and their consequences, while learning that Jesus told many stories to teach us that regardless of what we have done, God is a loving father who welcomes us back into the fold each time we fail to live our lives according to the Gospel values. The story of the The Lost Son was used to teach the steps we can take when we receive the Sacrament of Penance;realising we’ve fallen short, asking for forgiveness, changing our ways and being forgiven.
Our Watch it Grow science unit is complete but we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our two chickens who’ve already been named. Fingers crossed it happens this week, however if it doesn’t eventuate, it’s been a very valuable life lesson; things don’t always go according to plan! We also had another science unit to cover, Water Works, in which we examined different water sources, discussed the water cycle, identified where we use the most most water at home and represented our findings on a graph before examining ways to use this precious resource responsibly. They also should be able to tell you how water gets from raindrops to our taps!
Having a growth mindset, being persistent, learning how to set goals and being a good time manager have been our focus in You Can Do It lessons this term. Each time I teach one of those lessons, I remark to the children how fortunate they are to be taught this from such a young age, as a famous philosopher once said, “Habits formed at youth make all the difference.”
Have a restful and safe holiday and I look forward to doing it all again in term three.
Mrs Jenny Shellshear
Year 2 Teacher
Year 3/4
Welcome to Week 10! We have made it through another busy but productive term in the 3-4 classroom. Over the past two weeks, the students have completed a variety of assessments and activities.
The highlight for the fortnight has to be the Magnetic Board Games we have produced. In Science this term we have explored forces and the affects they have on objects. We learnt that speed and mass can affect an object and that these are important components when planning a game using magnetism. In pairs the students planned, designed and created a Board Game using their Scientific Knowledge and Design Technologies. We invited the Year 1 class to be our official game testers. They all had a ball! The year 3-4 students were very eager to show off their wonderful games and demonstrated patience and kindness while interacting with the younger students. The Year 1 class were extremely engaged and curious throughout the experience and we would like to thank them for their time and participation.
In Maths we have been exploring the concept of time. Students have looked at the parts of the clock and how these help us identify the time. We explored the relationship between units of time and have begun converting between these. Students have practiced how to calculate elapsed time by solving a variety of questions.
Thank you all for a wonderful term and I look forward to seeing you all refreshed and relaxed in Term 3.
Miss Ellie Charlton
Year 3/4 Teacher
Year 5/6
Holidays are right around the corner and the Year 5/6 class are ready for a break after a very busy term!
Last Tuesday, our class went on an excursion and learnt about features of the Australian bush. They students displayed a lot of curiosity as they tasted edible plants and berries, explored animal tracks and discovered traditional and natural uses of Australian native flora.
On Friday, the Year 5/6 class participated in their Survival Expedition, where they trekked back to the school from the Weir. All students worked very hard preparing for the day, with writing procedures, learning survival tips and working out what they were going to pack. On the day students participated in survival challenges, including – making shelters, practicing first aid, and learning about fire safety. A highlight of the day was when all the groups were cooking damper around the fire and roasting marshmallows. They also had lots of fun playing on the sandhill at lunch and finding hidden tracks back to school. Thank you to Lawrence Anderson, Dan McKellar, and Miss Ferguson for accompanying the groups on the day, you were all great assets to the day!
This week students have been revising number concepts and sentence structure, doing some athletics preparation, and exploring more animal adaptations.
I hope you all have a safe and relaxing holiday.
Miss Lilly Daly
Year 5/6 Teacher
Class Awards
NO HOMEWORK CENTRE THIS WEEK
800m Race
Students born in Years 2013 to 2010 will run the 800m race this Wednesday 22nd June at 2pm on the back oval. Parents and community members are welcome to come and cheer them on!
Athletics Carnival
This Friday 24th June is our annual Athletics Carnival where students from Prep-6 will participate in running races, ball games and field events. Parents and community members are welcome to come along and share in the fun. On Friday, we ask students to wear their sports uniform – white shirt and green bottoms. Students are able to wear appropriate shoes when participating in the events.
Feast of the Sacred Heart
This Thursday 23rd June, our students will be celebrating the Feast of the Sacred Heart. During this time, we reflect on how much Jesus loves us and how we can be more loving like Jesus.
Will kick start our Sacred Heart Feast Day celebrations with a Mass at 9.30am. During the day, students will complete Feast of the Sacred Heart activities. Parents and community members are more than welcome to come along and join in on the fun.
Behaviour Level Promotions
Congratulations to the following students on their promotion to Behaviour Level 1 & 2. The following students have met the Behaviour Policy requirements:
Level 1: Penny Schmidt and Amy King
Level 2: Ernest Roberts and Paige Tanner
Behaviour Celebrations
Students will participate in their behaviour celebrations this Wednesday 22nd June between 11am – 12pm. The celebrations for each level are as follows:
Level 1: Free Dress – Picnic in the park and Milkshake
Level 2: Movie
Level 3: Coloring in & Building
Birthday Awards
Tuckshop
We are looking for volunteers and cake cookers to run tuckshop on a Friday for Term 3. If you can spare one Friday next term, can you please let Mrs Crick know at the office. Tuckshop runs from 9am – 1.30pm
Current Tuckshop Menu
Flexischools App
The tuckshop has purchased an App called Flexischools. This will make ordering and paying for Tuckshop easier. In term 3 all tuckshop orders will be done through the App Only. Attached are the instructions to download and use the App.
Student Protection
At Sacred Heart the safety and wellbeing of our students is our highest priority. All children should grow up free of violence or exploitation and be able to learn in a safe and supported environment. Schools have a number of specific child protection reporting obligations that are detailed in our Student Protection Processes and Guidelines.
If a student wants to talk to someone about harm, abuse or inappropriate behaviour toward themselves or others, they can speak to a trusted staff member or one of our School Student Protection Contacts (SSPCs). The SSPCs receive additional training and are identified in the student protection posters displayed around the school.
Summary documents have been developed for parents and caregivers about our student protection obligations and our broader strategy for maintaining safe school environments.
Further information on all of the above topics can be found on the Toowoomba Catholic Schools website at the link below:
Embed Link - https://www.twb.catholic.edu.au/parents-and-community/student-protection/
Our Schools Student Protection Contacts are:
- Mrs Cara Haig (Deputy / LST)
- Mrs Carolyn Crick (Administration Officer)
- Ms Karen Bruggemann (School Guidance Counsellor)
- Mrs Polly Goodman (Principal)
Uniform Policy
The school uniform represents the pride we have for our children and our school. A smart, neat and user-friendly uniform encourages the children to take pride in their appearance and in the school. The school uniform requirements:
Hats: Our school policy is ‘NO HAT – NO PLAY’. A green school hat must be worn and can be purchased form the office.
Jewellery: The only jewellery allowed is one set of fine studs or sleepers, a chain with some form of religious significance and watches.
Nail Polish: Nail polish is not to be worn.
Hair: Children’s hair must be neat and tidy. If hair is below the collar it needs to be tied back with appropriate white or green accessories. It is expected that hairstyles reflect the code of dress required by the school. The colouring of hair and unusual hairstyles are not acceptable.
School Tuition Fees
At Sacred Heart, we have several payment options for your convenience: Cash, Cheque, ETPOS, Direct Debit and Centrepay. For further details on these payment options please see the school office.
Sacred Heart Parish
Church Times
- Sunday 26th June – Mass @ 9am
- Sunday 3rd July – Mass @ 9am
- Saturday 9th July – Mass @ 5.30pm
- Sunday 10th July – Mass @ 9am - Eulo
- Sunday 17th July – Mass @ 9am