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- Year 3 Reading and Year 5 History
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APPLICATIONS FOR EXTENDED LEAVE (TRAVEL OR HOLIDAY)
A change for applying for extended leave has been given to schools, which is now in effect. These decisions are not of our school and we are required to inform you of them. Previously, parents or carers were required to complete a form for the absence due to travel or holiday from 10 or more days. Now we are required to let you know that this is 3 or more days. Here is an excerpt from the document for your information:
From time to time parents/caregivers may approach the school to seek permission for their child to travel during school term for periods of time. From the beginning of 2015, family holidays and travel are no longer considered under the Exemption from School Procedures and therefore as a general rule, Principals should not approve leave for this purpose. Parents should be advised of this and if they choose to proceed, the absence should be recorded as Unjustified Leave and a Notification of Extended Leave Form A4 should be completed when the leave is for 3 or more days. Travel outside of vacation period is now counted as an absence for statistical purposes.
ABSENCE DUE TO ILLNESS/MEDICAL
If a student is absent for more than 3 days due to illness/medical, they are requested to provide a medical certificate which states that they are unable to return to school due to an ongoing medical condition. If a student is absent for more than 3 days without a medical certificate, this will be recorded as an unjustified absence and followed up by the school in line with normal practice.
PARENT WEBINARS
Our Parent Assembly, sponsored by the Catholic Schools Office, is a wonderful group of parents across the Diocese who provide opportunities for parents to engage in ways to support their children as they move through school.
The third recent webinar (easy to access from the comfort of home) is:
Michelle Mitchell - Turn everyday challenges into moments that build resilience.
Thursday 6th August 7:00-8:00pm.
Please see the Michelle Mitchell webinar flyer in the Parent Assembly section of this newsletter
A previous webinar which is very relevant to parents whose children enjoy gaming online was “Game Aware” with Andrew Kinch. If you missed this one, and have concerns about how gaming is affecting your child, I recommend you look up what Andrew says about it via his website. https://www.gameaware.com.au/about-us/
WINTER UNIFORMS
We have one more week of term to practice having all of the items that we need for starting Term 3 showing pride in ourselves and our school in the correct uniform. Thank you to those families who have already done this. Notes will come home in Term 3 with requests should there still be uniforms that are not correct.
SOCIAL DISTANCING
Until the end of Term 2, our practices remain the same, and until there is a change to these directed from CSNSW and Health Departments, we will not make any changes.
DROP OFF AND PICK UP
Our practices remain as they have been for the past number of weeks. Thank you for your assistance in the drop off and pick up procedures. Handy tip: staggering of pick up is available via our Warlters Street process - duty for pick up is from 3:10-3:30pm, so a wise choice to avoid lengthy lining up would be to come during the later part of this timeframe.
ILLNESS
Children must remain at home if they have any cold or flu symptoms. If they present unwell at school they will be sent home. This also applies to staff members. If any family member is being tested for COVID-19, the school needs to be informed and all students from the family are not to attend school until the results are returned as negative.
CONGRATULATIONS!
We congratulate Spencer Searle (1R) on the arrival of a new baby sister named Tilly Louise. What a wonderful addition to his family.
Tess Koning
Principal
MASS AT CHRIST THE KING CHAPEL
If you would like to attend Mass at Christ the King Chapel (at the top of Boronia Street) during the week or on the weekend, please contact the Presbytery on 6583 1024 to register so they can record your contact details as required by the Government’s COVID guidelines.
Visit the Parish website for Mass times.
PROCLAIM LISMORE
In reinvigorating Catholic identity and mission in Catholic schools, Proclaim Lismore has focussed on the head, heart and hands of staff, parents and students. This week’s video, a part of the Proclaim Lismore Student project, powerfully gives students a voice. “We yearn for more. Will you listen? Who will walk with me?”
LIVING OUR FAITH
We welcome a new family to our warm community, the Van Den Boom family with Elijah (KM), Emmett (3BH) and Tahlia (6H) starting at St Joseph’s this week. Some lovely children from Kinder demonstrated an act of kindness by making a special card to welcome Elijah to our school.
Nathan Porter
Assistant Principal Mission
A LOOK INTO SOME OF OUR LEARNING EXPERIENCES THIS WEEK - KINDERGARTEN AND YEAR 2
Year 2 enjoying some time with our Tech Specialist
TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN
A traffic management plan (TMP) is a tool for our school community to document and communicate the way in which students and staff can travel to and from school. In next week’s newsletter we will share with you our updated travel management plan which identifies safety and parking concerns, safe crossing of roads and illegal parking and stopping outside school grounds. In the meantime, please enjoy a Bus Safety video created by Kindergarten.
Thank you for your continued support in keeping our students safe during drop off and pick up times.
Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching
NEWMAN VIRTUAL OPEN NIGHT
KATHLEEN BRISCOE SCHOLARSHIP FOR YEAR 6 STUDENTS
Expressions of Interest are now open for the Kathleen Briscoe Scholarship!
PBS: POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR SCHOOL
Our focus this week is, ‘I am a Learner’. This means being school-ready to maximise our learning. Our goal for each day is:
- A healthy amount of sleep
- Making healthy choices in diet
- Being organised with our belongings and uniform
- Being ready for school in mind, body and spirit
- Being in a calm state that is ready for learning
REWARD PLAY
Our school is made up of students who make positive behavioural choices every minute of every day no matter the situation thrown at them. Our SRC Team and the teachers have introduced reward play as a way to acknowledge students who continually make positive choices and demonstrate exemplary behaviour.
Don't forget bank day is Tuesday!
School Banking Co-ordinator
ATHLETICS SELECTIONS
Athletics Selections were held yesterday instead of our usual communtiy 'carnival'. Keep an eye out for athletics photos on our school facebook page in the coming days.
Congratulations to our amazing House Captains who held their first House Meeting this week and supported the students and staff to make it a successful and fun day.
The 800m and 1500m will be held in Term 3, due to a waterlogged Dixie Park. After those events we will announce our age champions.
Please note: Zone and Diocesan Athletics or above will not be held this year.
Please continue to visit the Catholic Schools Office website for up to date information: https://sport.lism.catholic.edu.au/cancellations?doing_wp_cron=1584485846.8669068813323974609375
KINDER AND YEAR 1 - MINI ATHLETICS FUN AFTERNOON
Yours in Sport
Laura Hatherly
VISUAL ARTS
Koala Hospital Competition
It has been an exciting week in the area of Visual Arts in our school!
Early in the year, many students from Kinder to Year 6 entered into a design competition with the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital. We are so proud to announce that our school had both the Primary and Infants winners. Congratulations to Makayla Johnson (2T) and Erin Little (6H). Not only did they win prizes but their artworks will now be enlarged and displayed on their new 'Use and Reuse' bins at the Koala Hospital.
Leah Toole
Year 2 Teacher
UNE Art Prize 2020
This year we entered a record of 22 entries into the University of New England Student Acquisitive Art Prize 2020, Let's Hang it! We are thrilled to announce that out of 448 entries, we have had 3 pieces selected as finalists. Congratulations to Koen Swaysland (KM) and Isla Schneider-Smith (2T) in the Infants division and Leyla-Jane Ahoy (5G) in the Primary Division. The winners will be announced via video announcement on 31st July.
We wish our wonderful artists the very best of luck and we truly hope to report further success!
Elise Howard
Year 6 Teacher
Virtual Joey's Got Talent
The voting has closed! Well done to our finalists, you are so very clever and talented.
Please follow this link to enjoy their talent clips:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR8-L-aOuESeuF6BIPbBbxL2caJzQ72l9
Yours in Creative and Performing Arts
Leah Toole
Saints Youth Drama with Mrs Sandra Thompson will resume in Term 3 in the Hall.
Kindergarten-Year 3 classes are Tuesdays (3:15pm - 5:00pm)
Year 4-6 classes are Wednesdays
(3:15pm - 5:00pm)
Students who are already enrolled for 2020 will still have their place in the class. If you would like further information or you wish to enrol your child, please call Sandra on 0408 810 705.
DAILY SPECIALS
Daily specials are available each day at lunch starting from 50c each.
- Fresh fruit salad
- Salad cups
- Custard
- Jelly
- Pizza scrolls
- Jumbo cookies
- Frozen milk
LUNCH ORDERS
The canteen is operating as usual and lunch orders can be placed via Flexischools or by dropping them in the basket on the counter each morning.
VOLUNTEER NOTICE
We are still unable to have volunteers in the canteen at this stage until further notice.
Don't forget you can order online by 8:30am- it's so easy!!
- Download the Flexischools app from the App Store or from Google Play.
Note: for iPhone and iPad please select ‘Allow’ notification - Click “Register Now” to create account
- Top-up your balance
- Start ordering immediately
- Alternatively Go to www.flexischools.com.au
Kim Goldie
Canteen Coordinator
KS | Emmett Riske | Hamish Brockenshire | Braxton Hoitink |
1R | Diane-Grace King | Livana Lijo | Kingston Shooter |
2T | Indhi Kingsmith | Koby McGinley | Jack Cunneen |
4B | Peyton Berry | Murphy Maher | Justin Dennison |
4F | Willa Corless-Brown | Oliver Hanks | Baxter Matthews |
5G | Cooper Waterhouse | Bronte Hood | Sienna Edwards |
5H | John Dal Santo | Cooper Grant | Ella-Yindi Jenkin |
6MH | Heath Hunter | Jesse Cooper | Darcy McHugh |
SLEEP AND WELLBEING
Is there a link between poor sleep and poor emotional wellbeing? Absolutely……
As adults I am sure we can all relate to feeling down, irritable, having poor concentration and having poor impulse control when we haven’t had a good night’s sleep.
We also know that when our kids don’t sleep well we see the same thing in them.
Poor or broken sleep can be associated with increased problems academically, socially and emotionally. There can also be an increase in behavioural issues, poor concentration and attention as well as trouble with impulse control.
There may be many reasons for poor sleep but here are some tips that can be used for the whole family to promote healthy sleep:
- Establish a bedtime routine - helps kids to know what is expected of them.
- Keep bedtime consistent (within 30 minutes) every day - even on the weekend - aim to wake up and go to bed at the same time each day.
- Try to fall asleep in your own bed to maintain routine - we all know what it’s like to fall asleep on the lounge for 15 minutes when watching TV and then feeling wide awake again.
- Remove all TVs, devices and computers from bedrooms - light stimulation from these things stops the brain from producing the sleep chemical - Melatonin.
- Turn off all devices for at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
- Avoid caffeine after 3:00pm - caffeine is a stimulant that will interfere with sleep. These include things such as chocolate, tea, cola.
- Have a wind down period - for both parents and kids - show that a bedtime routine is important for everyone.
- Exercise during the day to help feel tired at night.
- If stress is playing a role in poor sleep - try some stress management strategies such as progressive muscle relaxation or mindfulness activities -these can even be done as part of a ‘wind down’ period.
There is a lot of great information out there about the importance of sleep and the effects on the body, both physically and emotionally and can be found in this link: https://raisingchildren.net.au/
If you feel there are other issues at play regarding your child’s sleep, please see your GP for further investigations.
Lifeline - 131114 - 24 hour crisis line
Mental Health Access Line - 1800 011 511 - 24 hour triage line from NSW Health - available for carers as well as people with a mental health issue to access the best service for them.
Kids Helpline - 1800 55 1800 - free, private and confidential 24 hour phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25.
Kelly Russell
School Counsellor
Year 3 Reading and Year 5 History
YEAR 3 TREE HOUSES
Year 3 has been reading 'The 13 Storey Treehouse' by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton. This inspired the children to design and make their own tree houses.
YEAR 5 BUSHRANGERS
Continuing on with our Colonial Australia unit, Year 5 became ‘Subject Experts’ on bushrangers and presented their research to the class.
Week 10 - Term 2 2020 |
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IMPORTANT UPDATE TO STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAYS 2020
The Staff Development Day that was scheduled for Monday 20th July (Term 3, Week 1) has been cancelled and will be rescheduled at a later date to be advised. Students are to attend school as usual on this day.
Our other planned Staff Development Day (pupil free) is:
- Monday 12th October (Term 4, Week 1)
Due to circumstances around COVID-19, this date may change.
Limited child minding places will be available and we will advise on how to register closer to the date if you require it.
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Please note these dates can change from time to time due to unforeseen circumstances and we will endeavour to advise you of any changes at the earliest possible opportunity. Our school Google calendar can be accessed via this link for additional advanced dates -
For your convenience school term dates are located on our website. Click on the words “TERM DATES” on the home page.
2020 Changes to Year 6 Camp
4F Whole Class Reward
Year 6 PG Permission Note 2020
July Holiday Program Is Back!
The Program will run from the 6th – 17th July (excluding weekends)
Times: 8.30am-5:00pm
Cost: $30 per child
For all other information and requirements please go to our webpage www.portstadium.com.au where you can find the registration form.
Alternatively you can click on the link below.