Community

It was delightful to welcome our parents, carers and friends in to school today for our special community celebration of Easter hats and regular prayer service led by Year 1 students. Read all about it in our newsletter articles this week.

Uniforms

It has been wonderful to see students enjoying the ease of wearing their new school uniforms this term. As this is a transition year, it is acceptable to wear the older style uniform or the new uniform. However, we are seeing some other parts of what is acceptable not being followed. We would like to remind parents and carers of the items that are coming to school with some students that are not part of our uniform and ask that these are not worn to school and saved for home. The uniform is clearly stated in our Parent Handbook.

• Hats - must be the previous uniform green with logo or the new uniform navy with logo. No caps or non school design are allowed.
  
• Socks - are only to be the two options allowed for 2022 to accompany other uniform items: 
  • For the previous green uniform being worn by girls during 2022 - White socks that come above the ankle but not up to knees. 
  • From the previous blue shirt and grey shorts worn by boys during 2022 - Grey socks with aqua and white stripe.
  • For the previous green uniform being worn during 2022 or the new uniform - St Agnes’ Parish uniform store navy socks with green stripe.
• Jewellery - only simple earring studs or sleepers or essential medical bracelets are to be worn. No other items should be coming to school. 
• Watches - while this is not currently stated in the policy, students are allowed to wear a simple watch to school. No watches that can record photos or videos or play games are to be worn.
• Hairstyles - should be styled off the face for both boys and girls with long hair tied back with only school coloured items. Extremes in hairstyles are not permitted, including shaved in patterns. Please save these for holidays where they are able to be grown out in time for school.  
• Nails - no nail polish.

Smart Watches

As referred to in the acceptable uniform items above, we are seeing students come to school wearing “smart watches”. Students are allowed to wear a watch to school, but this should only be for the purpose of telling the time. Students are not to have any device with them through the school day that can take photos, videos or sound recordings of another person. This is against the digital technologies agreement of our school, just as phones are to be left with the office except when students are coming to or leaving school. They are also not to be playing games throughout the day using a digital device. If your child is wearing a watch such as this to school, please keep it at home or if they must have it for a particular reason outside of school, they will be asked by their teachers to leave it in the office as they must do with a mobile phone. 

Lent is a time of waiting and preparation for Easter, when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. This season is one of penance, reflection, prayer, almsgiving and fasting in order that we can prepare ourselves to better celebrate and live Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday and beyond. God’s divine mercy is a central theme of Lent. The priceless gift of God’s mercy is highlighted and celebrated by the Church in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Our Year 5 and 6 students will participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation next Tuesday 5th April, here at school. Thank you to Father Paul for officiating this Rite. 

Our thoughts and prayers are with the students of St Joseph’s Primary and St Agnes’ Parish as they receive the Sacrament of  Reconciliation for the first time next week. 

A few reminders:

• Please arrive 5:45pm. 
• Celebration of Reconciliation starts at 6:00pm at St Agnes’ Parish Church.
• Please attend the evening that you have registered for - Tuesday 5th April, Wednesday 6th April or Thursday 7th April. 
• A reminder that this is a reverent time; please respect the silence becoming the ceremony particularly at the time that students are making their First Reconciliation with Father. 
• An opportunity to take photos will be provided at the end of the ceremony. 

Caritas Giving Day 

Our students looked fantastic today for their out of uniform Caritas Giving day and Easter Hat Parade. Caritas has been striving to end poverty, fight for justice and uphold dignity since 1964. Thank you to our students and families for giving so generously to this Lenten commitment.  

Christian Meditation 

Last week three of our teachers, Ms Buckley, Mrs Rennes and Mrs Davies, attended a Christian Mediation course and have been sharing their enthusiasm and learning with others. Kindergarten have embraced this wonderful prayer format and have impressed us with their skill and focus. 

Learning Together

Support your child in Mathematics

Engaging with your child’s Mathematics’ learning in these simple, everyday ways will provide them with more and more mental images of Mathematics.  They will have more images and memories to recall when they are doing Mathematics in their head.  These images and memories will be linked to fun learning conversations with you that will make them easy to remember and bring a positive feeling to Mathematics learning.

1. Notice the Mathematics in everyday life in the things around you - counting when climbing the stairs, measuring ingredients, sport scores, giving directions, noticing patterns in everyday things around you.
2. Take the opportunity to count anything you can - Ask your child: What is one more or one less? Or ten more or ten less?  Remember to count backwards too.  Don't be afraid to play with big numbers either.
3. Always ask your child how they worked it out - What did they see in their head?  Tell them how you worked it out and notice that you are both right.  If they struggle to explain how they worked it out, give them some materials to show you eg. lego, paddle pop sticks, a bead string etc.
4. Find arrays in everyday life - An array is an ordered collection of similar objects, usually in rows and columns.  They can be used to help imagine groups.  Ask your child questions like ‘How many rows are there? How many in each row? How many groups are there? etc.

Mathematicians work together to find solutions to problems.  They can explain their thinking …. and sometimes they question it and change to new thinking.  Working and discovering solutions together develops your child’s Mathematical thinking.

“Talking to children about how Maths is important in their everyday life 
makes it relevant and real.”

Assoc. Prof Janette Babis, University of Sydney