Term 3 Week 4
Principal Report
Leadership Forum
This Sunday 7th August – Wednesday 10th August, Sacred Heart are hosting the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Leadership Forum, where we will be welcoming over 40 Principals and Senior Leaders from our Diocese. The theme for the week is; Staying on Mission. During their time in Cunnamulla, leaders will participate in a school visit, including classroom walkthroughs, mass and enjoy dinner at school hosted by our school’s PPF. They also will participate in a cultural tour organised by Dan McKellar and Lawrence Anderson. I am sure they will thoroughly enjoy their time being immersed in our Cunnamulla community and experience feelings of welcome and belonging.
Catholic Education
Last week we celebrated Catholic Education Week along with many other Catholic schools across Queensland. As part of the week teachers participated in professional development in Charleville to nurture their spiritual development. Students held an open classroom morning and a school liturgy focusing on the theme; faith, hope and love. During liturgy, students shared their thoughts on, where they experience love in their school. Some of their answers included:
- “I experience love at school when my friends comfort me when I’m sad and when my teacher welcomes me each morning with a smile.”
- “I experience love at school when my teacher helps me and when my friends play with me.”
- “I experience love at school because I have friends, school mates and teachers that help me, play with me, be kind to me and look out for me.”
- “I experience love at school playing with my friends because they make me feel like I belong.”
Cold and Flu Season
There are a number of illnesses circulating the school community at the moment including COVID-19 and Influenza. If your child is unwell or showing any flu like symptoms, please make sure they are kept at home and seek medical advice if required. The 7-day isolation period for COVID-19 remains in place.
We continue to be vigilant at school with hygiene, sanitising and deep cleaning.
Exciting News!
I am excited to share with the whole school community that Michael and I are expecting our first child in January 2023. Therefore, I will be taking 12 months leave next year and my position should be advertised shortly.
I hope everyone has a great week.
Polly Goodman
Principal
Prep
Happy Week 4! It is crazy to think that we are nearly at the halfway point of Term 3! The learning has continued in the Prep classroom, and we are busy at work continuing with our units.
In English, we are continuing to deconstruct and discuss informative and imaginative texts. We have looked at Wombat Stew so far and are currently discussing the Three Billy Goats Gruff. The students end goal is to produce their own informative text about a donkey using the iPads and the new skills we have been learning.
In HASS, we are learning about our special places and what makes a place special. The students drew a picture of their special place and discussed how a special place is somewhere that we go to make us feel safe, happy and calm.
In Media, we have been learning all about how to use an iPad. We first started by looking at the Notes app and how we can add pictures, drawings and text. We then investigated the Camera and Photos apps. This was a very interesting lesson with students testing their photography skills! We then learnt about how to search for an image and save this. There are lots of skills involved with using the iPad and we are definitely enjoying these lessons.
One highlight of our fortnight was celebrating our 100th Day of School! The students were invited to dress as rockstars on the 1st of August, as ‘We have ROCKED 100 Days of School!’. We had some very fabulous costumes and students all participated in some rockstar themed craft during the afternoon session. This was a very fun day for the Prep students, and it will hopefully be a very cherished memory as well.
With another fortnight coming to a close, we have a busy few weeks coming up for the Prep students! Have a great week!
Miss Aimee Bretherton
Prep Teacher
Year 1
Welcome to week 4! What a fortnight is has been! Amongst illness the Year Ones have still managed to smash out a lot of learning and have loads of fun along the way. In English we have deconstructed an informative text and begun to write our own. We are currently working on creating sentences from information on a graphic organiser.
In Mathematics we have continued working on number while also learning about subtraction. The subtraction game, ‘Get off my Boat!’ is a new class favourite. Recently students were reassessed on their number recognition, and they were very proud of their progress. I welcome you to ask your child what their current goal is in number or pop by and check out their recent assessment.
In HASS we have continued to look at places where dinosaurs once roamed. We have been researching Eromanga and learning about what is might have looked like when dinosaurs when alive.
We have been learning about the physical features of dinosaurs in science. In particular, we have been learning about dinosaur teeth and how they can give us clues as to what the diet of dinosaurs might have been. The students were excited to earn their second junior palaeontologist badge for creating replicas of dinosaur teeth out of salt dough.
In Religion we continued to revise creation stories. This week we will be creating a giant artwork of the 7 Days of Creation story.
Let us not forget the highlight of the past fortnight… pyjama day! We were all very snuggly on the 21st of July and I’m sure the students would agree that pjs should become a permanent part of the school uniform. We have had a lovely fortnight and I look forward to the coming weeks.
Miss Abby Davidson
Year 1 Teacher
Year 2
Much has been happening in our room. We’ve been busy with all units of work, with much more to come. In maths we’ve been exploring number stories, place value and informal multiplication. The new app Mrs Tolete introduced us to is a big hit in our room, especially now that we have a new interactive whiteboard with touch screen.
In English we continue to explore information texts related to Toys and our phonics to spelling programme. Our focus in reading group, apart from using decoding skills, is learning how to relate the language in the question to the text, to help us more accurately answer comprehension questions.
We enjoyed a visit from the visiting rugby league dignitaries and greatly enjoyed learning a few new skills. Perhaps the greatest excitement came via the Barbaroi show at the Shire Hall, just hope they didn’t try too many of the moves at home!
Mrs Jenny Shellshear
Year 2 Teacher
Year 3/4
Welcome to Week 4! Winter has definitely come, resulting in a lot of absences within our class over the last fortnight. We would like to thank Mrs Dunsdon and Mrs Campbell for coming in to teach us while Miss Charlton was out sick. We appreciate you and always enjoy our time with each of you in the classroom.
On Friday the 22nd of July, we were lucky enough to have some of the NRL staff come out and host a footy skills clinic. The coaches taught us lots of drills which helped us to develop our hand-eye coordination and our teamwork skills. We all really enjoyed this session and can’t wait for the next one!
Who doesn’t love staying in their pj’s all day? Well on Thursday 21st of July we were afforded such a luxury! We engaged in pyjama day to help raise funds for sick kids. The weather was yuck and rainy, which made wearing our pj’s even better! Thanks to everyone who got involved in this wonderful cause.
Oh yeah, we have actually done some work amidst all the fun! In Science we have been exploring living and non-living things, their observable features and how to classify specimens using this knowledge. We became scientists in our own homes, searching for a living and non-living specimen to share with each other. We practiced our journal writing skills by creating a simple science journal entry with an annotated picture of what we found, some of the specimens were really cool! We even had a spider come to visit! (in a jar of course!).
We are continuing to explore fractions in Mathematics, particularly how to represent a fraction on a number line and how to find equivalent fractions. Using string and post it notes, we created a hands on number line on our Maths wall. This is a visual representation of the way we can count using fractions and the best part is we can keep using it over and over!
Miss Ellie Charlton
Year 3/4 Teacher
Year 5/6
Welcome to Week 4! Our class have been busy juggling extracurricular activities and learning. The Year 5/6 Students have continued to develop their knowledge of narrative writing and have begun writing short narratives including descriptive language. In Maths, we are starting our measurement unit and applying skills to real-life situations.
The Year 6 Camp was a great success and all students thoroughly enjoyed their time at the Sunshine Coast. Here is what the year 6 students had to say about their favourite moments on camp:
Jesse: “I loved the Bungee activity where you were on a big inflatable runway and was hooked to a big bungee. We had to run and do team challenges – it was the best!”
Charlotte: “Stand-up paddle boarding was really fun. It was a challenge staying balanced on the board and we also spotted a stingray in the water which was cool!”
Tyler: “My favourite part of camp was the milk crate climb activity. You were in a harness and had to climb up milk crates that your team built. The best bit was being pulled to the top of the line.”
Dominick: “I liked rock climbing because it gave me a challenge! It was great getting to the top and looking down at the camp!”
Kelisha: “I loved stand-up paddle boarding in the water. It was fun paddling with your friends and falling off the board.”
Ruby: “Mid-ropes was really fun because you had to stay balanced on the slippery rope while getting past obstacles. I really liked the flying fox at the end.”
Paige: “I loved rock climbing because it was really challenging on the boulder walls.”
Thank you to Bradley Palmer and Des Ramsay who volunteered their time to attend camp!
Last Friday, some Year 5/6 students participated in the District Athletics Carnival and represented their school with pride. Congratulations to all students for their efforts and showing excellent sportsmanship at the carnival.
Miss Lilly Daly
Year 5/6 Teacher
Class and Uniform Awards
Birthday Awards
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 term. They were keen to hear about the things they will need to have ready to start school!
Key dates this term for Pre-Prep Transitions include:
- Tuesday 2nd August: Miss Aimee Bretherton and the Sacred Heart Prep students visit the Kindy to build relationships and get to know the Pre-Prep students.
- Tuesday 16th August: Sacred Heart Teddy Bears Picnic. Kindy students and Pre-Preps visit Sacred Heart to participate in a Teddy Bears picnic day with our Prep students.
- Tuesday 30th August: Year 5 Students visit the Kindy to get to know their Kindy buddies.
Prep Enrolment 2023
Homework Centre
Homework centre is up and running again for the term and will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00-3:45pm. It is a great way for students to receive support with their homework tasks. Mrs Fett will be supervising the students.
Sport
Last Friday 29th July, students participated in the District Athletics Carnival along with Eulo and Cunnamulla State School. Congratulations to all students and for showing great sportsmanship.
Age Champions:
- 2013 Girls - Penny Schmidt
- 2013 Boys - Hunter Girdler
- 2012 Girls - Amy King
- 2012 Boys - Kaydan Munn - Mcfarlane
- 2011 Girls - Paige Tanner
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
Dates required for Volunteers:
- 12th August
- 19th August
- 9th September
- 16th September
Flexischools App
The tuckshop has purchased an App called Flexischools. This will make ordering and paying for Tuckshop easier. Attached are the instructions to download and use the App.
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
School Fees for Term 3 have be sent home. Can these please be paid by Friday 9th September 2022. 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.
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)
Sacred Heart Parish
Church Times
- Sunday 7th August – Mass @ 9am
- Saturday 13th August – Mass @ 5.30pm
- Sunday 14th August – Mass @ 9am @ Eulo
- Sunday 21st August – Mass @ 9am
- Sunday 28th August – Mass @ 9am