News
RE News
Hello!
Today we held our first whole school mass for the year and it was such a joy to have us all together again. We celebrated the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven and rejoiced in His promise that He would be with us unto the end of times. We thank the year 3/4 class for leading us so beautifully.
Next term we will be starting our MITIOG program. MITIOG (Made in the Image of God) is the Human Sexuality curriculum mandated for South Australian Catholic Schools, for Years R-12. Each year our students engage with age-appropriate curriculum content regarding sexuality through this curriculum. This year we are offering a Parent Information Night to briefly go through the curriculum and answer any questions or concerns you may have. This will be held in week 9 on Wednesday, June 29 at 7pm. A letter with more information and a RSVP slip will be given out later in the term.
God Bless,
Miriam Honner
APRIM
Junior Primary News
There has been great learning growth in Year 1/2 literacy this term! We have been practicing our tricky words, learning different spelling choices for certain words, and putting the words we can sound-out into sentences.
Spanish News
In Spain, children start school when they are 6 years old. Some schools begin their day at 7 or 8 o’clock in the morning, and finish at 1 o’clock and go home for the day. Or they might begin a little later and finish at 2 o’clock and this is the most usual time for people to have lunch. Just think! Waiting every day until 2 o’clock to eat lunch!
Home Economics
As part of the 5/6/7 curriculum, students are engaging in a Home Economics program each Thursday, with the support of Jo Minks.
Jo, is not only teaching them life-long cooking skills, but also the importance of using fresh produce that is locally sourced. Food miles, health and nutrition, as well as cooking with love are all major focuses of each lesson.
Through this program, students are learning to love and care for the environment and their bodies, as well as the safety of themselves and others around them.
Our 5/6/7 students are working towards a goal of opening a once off lunchtime café, where they will be able to use the cooking skills they’ve learnt, to serve and cater others. This experience will help them build confidence and skills that will be useful now and in their future.
Standouts so far this term have been the Thai Pumpkin Soup and Rhubarb Crumble. Both made using the delicious vegetables and fresh herbs sourced from our own school garden. We were able to utilise the Pumpkin, Lemongrass, Spring Onions and Rhubarb that had been planted and nurtured by the SCMS community.
If you ever have homegrown produce that you are unable to use, please bring it in to school and we will happily find a use for it, within our Home Economics program.
Junior Primary News
In Year 1 and 2 we have been learning different addition strategies through the week. We have been counting on from the biggest number, using objects, doubling and subitising.
Principal's Report
Hi all,
At Staff Meeting last night I described the period of time we are in currently as the gap between hurdles in a 110m hurdle race. In a hurdle race it’s vitally important to clear the hurdles. Your technique has to be sound and your resilience is high. In education over the past two years we’ve had many of these hurdles.
While clearing the hurdles is vitally important, it is between the hurdles where the race is won as this is where you can gather the most speed. At present it feels like we are in that space between hurdles, where the most important thing we can do is accelerate. Accelerate with our programs, with our dialogue with parents and by focussing on what is important in schools – student learning.
It has been a busy week at school with our learning programs back in full swing. It has been great to see our Junior Primary progressing through the Initialit program and the delight I hear from the students when they have mastered a new sound, or progressed through their readers.
Our Year 5-7 students will be working towards a Learning Expo later in the term where they will present their work and complete presentations in front of their peers, educators and parents.
NAPLAN
This week we have completed 75% of the NAPLAN tests, with Numeracy tests to be concluded on Monday. Our school has completed the tests online for the past 4 years so our children are familiar with the format
NAPLAN week (or weeks) this year as it may be is always an interesting week as it tests not only the academic capabilities of our students but their endurance, patience and resilience.
In saying that for both our Year 3 and Year 5 students it was their first taste of NAPLAN as the 2020 tests were not completed due to COVID.
Our kids have been nothing short of stoic in their approach to their tests. They have taken their time, completed the tests to the best of their ability, and come out the other side proud of what they have achieved, simply by sitting the test.
The Year 7 Reading test is a 65 minute test. For many of us as adults, sitting and concentrating for that long is an almost impossible task, so for our young people to do it in the approach they have has been nothing short of inspiring.
In 2021, our school reported incredibly strong results which placed us in the top echelon of Primary schools in the Peninsula for results across all year levels.
Building Project
Today I met with representatives from four companies who will be tendering for the school project. It is an incredibly exciting time for our school as we continue to finalise plans for the new build. I will be releasing further details around time frame shortly, but we are hoping to get underway with the Junior Primary build by August of this year.
This part of the build will cause minimal disruption to our site as the build will be occupying the space of the current school garden.
COVID-19 Update
As you know under the recommendations of Catholic Education and SA Health we no longer provide classroom contact notifications in the event of a positive case on school site. This term we have had only one case reported on school site during the first two weeks of school, and no spread on site.
We continue to report cases to SA Health and work alongside them to ensure our processes and school site are following all guidelines.
Parent Teacher Interviews
Notes were sent home this week regarding Parent Teacher interviews. These will be occurring next week and are an important time to talk to your children’s teacher about their progress, their strengths, what they are doing well and what they require further support with.
As parents we often ask ourselves… How can we best support our child at home?
If I could offer one piece of advice for any parent, regardless if your child is 5 or 13, is to listen to your child read every night. Prompt them with questions and help them decode unfamiliar words. All research shows that this is the most effective method of primary school homework.
God Bless,
Scott March
RE News
Hello! And welcome to Term 2.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter and had the chance to stop and enjoy a truly beautiful feast day. Even though Easter Sunday was nearly 4 weeks ago, we are still in the season of Easter, revelling in the Joy of this eternally world changing event. We continue with this season until Pentecost, which occurs this year on June the 5th.
This term we have some school masses which we are very much looking forward to welcoming you to. The first one being on Thursday, May 26, celebrating the Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven and the next one on June 23, the Feast of the birth of St John the Baptist.
Have a great rest of week and God Bless,
Miriam
Library News
Could all Issue 3 Book Club orders please be in by Friday 13th.
This Friday our Book Fair begins. The children are so excited to see all the new books and stationary to purchase. The Book Fair dates are Friday 13th May to Monday the 23rd of May in the library.
Feel free to pop into the library while on site for Parent/Teacher interviews or anytime over the duration of the fair - a good opportunity to stock up on Birthday and Christmas gifts.
