Leader's Message
GOING RED FOR DYSLEXIA
Thank you for supporting us today with raising awareness for Dyslexia through allowing your children to wear red. We will continue to share information with students across October to help them understand, encourage and support all children who find learning difficult, especially those with Dyslexia. We would like to share another video this week from students who have Dyslexia and show what is significant to them.
St Joseph’s Primary Values
The staff at St Joseph’s are undertaking important work to define who we are as a Catholic school community. We are seeking your valued input by completing this short survey linked. Your input along with student perspectives will contribute to the work planned during our Staff Development Day (Pupil Free) on Friday 5th November. Many thanks for your contribution to this important work.
Online survey link - https://forms.gle/bCBo1oEHAdoMvjcK7
COVID NSW ROADMAP vs LEVEL 3 RESTRICTIONS
While restrictions are being eased and changed in the wider NSW community under the NSW Roadmap, schools remain at level 3 restrictions. We have been under these restrictions since our return from lockdown, and it is expected this will remain in place until at least 1st December 2021. We will continue to inform families of any easing to these conditions, particularly later in the year when we are preparing to celebrate our Year 6 Graduation.
COMMUNICATION PLATFORM FEEDBACK
We are working with the CSO to make some changes to our school communications via our website, newsletter and facebook page. To aid us in providing the best structure for these, we would like families to assist with a short Google Form. If you could please complete this, we would appreciate your feedback.
Link to online feedback form: - https://forms.gle/rGpc8emL9dedBwY2A
CLASS PLACEMENTS FOR 2022 SCHOOL YEAR
This term, teacher teams in each grade will begin the complex process to organise students to create two class core groups for 2022. Children will complete a sociogram to identify a small number of peers they believe they work well with. Teachers will work to place students with a minimum of one of these peers, ensuring the reason for the choice is valid. Considerations for organising classes include, but are not limited to, assessment data, peer dynamics, learning and behavioural needs and the ratio of boys and girls. It is important to remember that while we have two class groups in each grade, students will work across the grade during parts of their learning time and will spend lunch breaks together.
If you are aware of a specific factor that their current teacher may not know, for your child to be a successful learner, please submit a written response to the Principal by the beginning of Week 4 (Monday 25th October). You can email to: sjpport@lism.catholic.edu.au
Consideration is given to factors stated, but requests are not guaranteed, as teachers consider the best interests of all students in the planning process. Requests from previous years will not be referred to and only written responses to the Principal received by 25th October will be considered.
THINKING OF OUR COMMUNITY
Our sympathy goes out to John Dal Santo (6B) and his family for the recent loss of his Grandfather.
WELCOME
This week we welcomed a new student to St Joseph’s. Charlize Miller has started in KSC and we are so pleased to have Charlize and her family join our St Joseph’s community.
celebrating faith
Our Lady of Fatima
This week we celebrated the anniversary of the miracle of Fatima, 13th October, 1917. Our Lady of the Rosary appeared to three children with a message for the world; to pray the Rosary. Our SRC students led a Rosary for every class, using beads to recite the prayers. Together, we prayed for our world and the end of Coronavirus; that all may come to know the saving love of Mary, who leads us to Jesus.
Learning Together
Road Safety (Part 2) - Walking together safely to and from school
Walking to and from school is a great way to spend time with our children. It also provides an opportunity to discuss safe and healthy behaviours.
Here are a few things you can do to help keep your child safer as a pedestrian:-
Discuss with your child about being alert in the road environment.
- Practice walking to school to ensure they know where the safe places are to cross eg. traffic lights and pedestrian crossings.
- Hold your child’s hand. Sometimes children need help to spot dangers eg. cars coming out of driveways.
- Remind your child to STOP! LOOK! LISTEN! THINK! and explain why they need to do this.
All age children need reminders about walking to and from school. They are never too old to hear these safety messages.
School Uniform
As we have returned to school we have noticed a growing number of students arriving at school in a variety of jumpers, socks, shoes and jewellery. All students are expected to wear the prescribed uniform. If a student has to wear the incorrect uniform for a particular reason, a note is required from the parent. For the remainder of the year, sports uniforms can be worn on any day if students have grown out of their summer uniform, due to the new uniform coming in 2022. However, they must wear correct items of the summer or sports uniform.
It is also important to remember that:-
- Hair should be neat, clean and of the student’s natural colour. Hair should be styled off the face for both boys and girls. Extremes in hairstyles are not permitted. Shaved in patterns are not permitted. Long hair must be tied back from the face in the interests of hygiene and safety using elastic, ribbon or headbands in the school colours.
- A school hat is required and to be worn correctly and a policy of ‘No hat - play in a sun safe area’ is in place.
- Nails are to be kept clean and trimmed. Nail polish is not permitted.
- Jewellery is not permitted except for simple studs, sleepers or medical bracelets.
Please refer to the Parent Handbook for further information if required or contact the School Office. Thank you for assisting us by ensuring your child/ren are in the correct school uniform each day.
Squid Game
It has been brought to our attention that some students are watching ‘Squid Game’ on television or through YouTube. It has been reported that some students are talking about this at school and beginning to replicate the games at school. This show depicts “extreme violence and gore” and is rated MA for mature audiences. If your child is watching Squid Game please discuss with them that this type of behaviour is not accepted at school. We know that children are very impressionable, and with these games, sometimes they can’t see the difference between virtual and real. Thank you for your assistance.
PIRLS
PIRLS is the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. This is one of the world's longest running international studies of reading literacy. It surveys Year 4 students in around 60 countries, examining achievements in relation to different curricula types, instructional practices and school environments. The results are used by governments and policymakers to improve reading education all over the world.
In Australia a sample of schools are selected along with one sample class. On Tuesday 19th October 4F will be participating in the PIRLS assessment. Please note this is not an assessment to evaluate performance of any individual. No data is published anywhere. The data collected assists in monitoring our educational system and provides relevant information without revealing any identities.
