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Last Sunday, the Church celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi, also known as The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. This Feast commemorates the immense gift of the Eucharist in our lives and the life of the Church. It is central to our Catholic Faith that when Jesus said when breaking the bread – “This is my body” and later when He took the cup of wine and said, “This is my blood”, that he was truly giving us His body and blood in the form of bread and wine. We continue to do this, as He said, “in memory of Him”. May we be renewed, strengthened and graced with the gifts which will assist us in building our communion with one another and as members of the Body of Christ.
Semester 1 - Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences
Thank you to our families who have booked their meeting time. These meetings commenced this week and will run until the end of term. Below is the breakdown of bookings for Year 1-6. Let's see if we can reach 100% by the end of the term.
If you cannot attend these meetings, the teachers are happy to reschedule these meetings for early next term or conduct an interview over the phone. If you are having issues creating a booking, please see your child's class teacher or Mr Murphy for support.
For our Kindergarten families, Mrs Beckhaus will be holding her three ways conversations early in Term 3.
“Parents and families are recognised as integral members of the school community and partners in their child’s education.”
Australian Council for Educational Research National School Improvement Tool, 2016
Mrs Vicky Davidson
Principal
Semester 1 Reports
Please keep Mrs Staffiero in your thoughts and prayers following the recent passing of her father, Viktor. We extend our sincere and heartfelt condolences to Mrs Staffiero, her husband Pas and the family during this most difficult time. We pray that in the midst of your sorrow, you find comfort in all the joyful memories shared.
Thank you to our families for continuing to be vigilant around unwell students. As we continue to live, work and learn with COVID-19, the precautions and testing are still in place. If your child is unwell with Covid like symptoms, we still require a negative Covid test before returning to school. This also applies to staff. Please continue to practise good hygiene.
- wash your hands often with soap and water. This includes before and after eating and after going to the toilet.
- use alcohol-based hand sanitisers when you can’t use soap and water.
- avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- clean and disinfect surfaces, such as benchtops, desks and doorknobs.
Semester 1 reports will be available on the Compass Parent Portal on Friday 18 June for students in Years 1–6. Kindergarten only receive an end-of-year report (Semester 2).
It is a requirement of national legislation for Primary schools to provide twice-yearly written reports for students in Years 1-6 to parents. These reports are to be standards-referenced, which in NSW means reporting based on the Common Grade Scale. Standards-referenced reporting requires teachers to consider the performance of each student according to the standard detailed at each level (A-E) of the Common Grade Scale for each Key Learning Area (KLA).
Students are then awarded a grade based on the evidence teachers have of their learning in that particular Key Learning Area and the standard it reflects.
According to the Common Grade Scale, a ‘C’ grade is considered sound. That is, if awarded a C in a particular Key Learning Area, the student has demonstrated that they have gained the knowledge, skills and understanding expected of them at that point in time.
The Common Grade Scale
The Common Grade Scale describes performance at each of the five grade levels.
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A |
The student has extensive knowledge and understanding of the content and can readily apply this knowledge. In addition, the student has achieved a very high level of competence in the processes and skills and can apply these skills to new situations. |
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B |
The student has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the content and a high level of competence in the processes and skills. In addition, the student is able to apply this knowledge and these skills to most situations. |
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C |
The student has sound knowledge and understanding of the main areas of content and has achieved an adequate level of competence in the processes and skills. |
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D |
The student has a basic knowledge and understanding of the content and has achieved a limited level of competence in the processes and skills. |
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E |
The student has an elementary knowledge and understanding in few areas of the content and has achieved very limited competence in some of the processes and skills. |
Other Report features include:
Overall grades
Each Key Learning Area has an overall grade that is determined by the teacher by considering the evidence of each student’s learning and the standard on the Common Grade Scale it reflects. Overall grades are not determined by averaging performance on strands within a KLA. In many cases, more time has been dedicated to learning in one strand over others, and this contributes significantly to the balanced judgement a teacher is required to make in order to award an overall grade.
It is not unusual for a student’s overall grade to change from one reporting period to the next as the knowledge, skills and understanding they encounter in each Key Learning Area will vary from one reporting period to the next.
Commitment to Learning
Commitment to Learning captures the student’s attitude to the particular KLA and their skills in managing their work, persisting when challenged and working to their potential. A scale explaining the three standards used in Commitment to Learning is included on the front of the report.
Strands
The term ‘strands’ refers to the breakdown of learning within each KLA that is presented in a grid with the options Extensive, Thorough, Sound, Limited, and Basic for teachers to indicate the performance of the student within each strand. Over a reporting period, some strands will have a greater focus than others, which will impact the overall grade for the KLA. In some KLAs, not every strand will be covered in each reporting period; those that are not covered will not appear on the report.
PB4L News
The staff have noticed that some students are bringing more resources to school than is required. This includes textas and pencils. A large number of students in each class have multiple pencil cases, which are taking up a lot of space on and around their desks. This often causes a distraction to learning, as the students find the urge to play with the items in the pencil cases almost impossible to resist.
Could you please assist us by minimising the amount of stationery that your child has? Students only require 1 pencil case, no larger than 20 cm x 30 cm.
Holy Spirit Performance - Mary Poppins
Tomorrow, Year 3 and 4 have been invited to attend the Holy Spirit College performance of ‘Mary Poppins’. Thank you to the staff and students of Holy Spirit for the invitation. Our students are really looking forward to experiencing a live show.
Canteen
It has also been observed that some students are bringing large notes to school ($10 or $20). We understand some parents may not have change. Bringing this amount to school could lead to problems at school. Please limit the amount that your child brings in to spend to $5 or less.
Mr Green
Assistant Principal
Class Visits
This term, rather than class visits, Father Damien has invited each class to visit the Church. During the visits, Father Damien invites the students to explore the different areas of the church and then come back with questions. Students were able to open and touch things. The students are to be congratulated on making some wonderful observations and asking interesting questions. Thank you, Fr Damien.
Feast of the Visitation
On Monday 31 May, Year 3 and 4 joined the parish and the Visitation Sisters to celebrate their feast day. It was a beautiful celebration for the Sisters, who are such an important part of our parish and school community. Each week some of the sisters support our staff and students in our classrooms. Our students presented the Sisters with flowers at the end of Mass to share our appreciation.
Year 3 Class Mass
The Year 3 students have enjoyed returning to Mass. During last Friday's parish Mass the students were very reverent and participated very well. Thank you to the students who took part in the offertory and readings. It was such an enjoyable celebration and the students were all dressed in their school uniform representing our school with pride.
Staff Spirituality Day
On Friday 25 June (the last day of term) is the Staff Spirituality Day and Pupil Free Day. The staff will not be at school. The staff will be attending a reflection day at Gerringong. The focus of the Spirituality Day will be reviewing the school's Vision and Mission and Franciscan spirituality with are grounded in our school culture.
Confirmation
Please keep our Confirmation candidates, their parents, and catechist leaders in your prayers as they continue their preparation over the next few weeks. Bishop Brian Mascord will celebrate confirmation on Tuesday 20 July at 7.30 pm at St Francis of Assisi Church Warrawong.
Mrs Madaschi
Religious Education Coordinator
| Tuesday | 15 June 2021 | Netball Gala Day - Berkeley |
| Friday | 18 June 2021 |
Whole School Athletics Carnival
Myimbarr Park, Shellharbour
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ATHLETICS CARNIVAL - Friday 18 June
Our annual Athletics Carnival will be held on Friday, 18 June 2021 at Myimbarr Oval, Shellharbour (opposite Shellharbour Workers Club). All children from Kindergarten to Year 6 are expected to attend. The children will be leaving school at 8:45 a.m. The Carnival will be completed by 2:15 pm and students will return to school for 3.00 pm dismissal. ALL children must travel to the field by bus and there is no cost for the day.
Parents who would like to take their children home at the end of the carnival, must speak to the class teacher and sign out before they are taken.
Please complete the online consent form via your Parent Portal.
Carnival Lunch Orders
A canteen will be available on the day, with pre-orders required. A separate Compass notification has been sent with details on ordering, as well as a paper copy of the order form provided to every student. Please see a copy below also. These orders are due back to school in a brown lunch bag with the correct money by Tuesday 15 June. A coffee van will also be available at the venue from 8:30 am-11:30 am for parents and families to use if you wish.
Ribbons for each event in each age group (boys and girls) will be presented to the first 3 places. Male and female age medallions will also be presented in each age group at the Celebration & Learning Assembly on Thursday 24 June. Infants ribbons will be presented for 5, 6 and 7 years 70m sprint event only.
LOOKING AHEAD ...
Soccer Gala Day - Friday 23 July
We will be entering teams in the Diocesan Soccer Gala Days in Week 2, Term 3. These will be made up of Senior (Year 5 and 6) and Junior (Year 3 and 4) students. They have expressed an interest in this, so if your child is asking questions please note that the Compass event will be published in Week 10 this term with all relevant information attached to the event.
We were fortunate to open this to all students who were interested from these grades, so if your child has said they will be going, then they are probably right. Please see Mr Murphy if you are unsure.
Please note, that it is expected that parents will organise transport to these days (either with themselves, other family members, or with other known families from school). Year 5 and 6 will be at Albion Park and Year 3 and 4 will be at Nowra.
As always, happy sporting adventures and you are welcome to see me anytime with any questions.
Mr Murphy
On Thursday, 3 June, the students in Year 1 and Year 2 were excited to attend their Sydney Wildlife Park and Aquarium excursion. Staff and students arrived at school at 7.00 am. The excitement on their faces as we approached Sydney was wonderful to see. The students loved going under the tunnel near the airport, we were lucky enough to see some planes take off.
Our first adventure was the Sydney Wildlife Park. After dividing into our class groups, we walked around the wildlife park and saw many unique Australian animals such as the red tree kangaroo, Tasmanian devil, wombat, red belly black snake, crocodile, bilby and green tree frog. During lunch and we were lucky enough to sit in the undercover koala exhibit and have lunch with the koalas.
After lunch, we went to the Sydney Aquarium. We walked through the shark and stingray tunnels, saw a dugong, sea turtles and a variety of different fish from all over the world. Unfortunately, we had some rainy weather but this did not dampen our day or our enthusiasm. It was a great excursion, something all our families would enjoy.
Thank you to Mrs Grey for all the organisation and Ms Martins, Mrs Zaffonato, Mrs Agius and Ms Maitland for assisting us on the day.
Some comments from the students:
Fatima A- My favourite animal was the quokka because it had cute nose and was playful.
Mason W- The best part of the day was seeing the massive crocodile. I could see it’s sharp teeth and very long tail.
Marcas D- I loved the grey nurse sharks at the aquarium. This was the first time I have seen a shark.
Mohamad JB- The grey nurse sharks swam over my head. I could see their very sharp teeth.
Natinee P- I loved having lunch with the koalas! The baby joey was very cute!
Amelia S- I loved touching the starfish at the rock pool. It felt rough and hard.
Mrs Mansbridge
| Lexie | I think bees flew through the window and he rolled off the wall. |
| Sophia | I think someone bumped him and he was pushed off the wall. |
| Thayir | I think someone pushed the wall behind him and Humpty Dumpty rolled off the wall because he is round. |
| Andrea | I think one of the builders might have pushed him off the wall by accident because he is the shape of an egg and he can easily break. |
Stay tuned for more updates!
We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation. In playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures. Students have also acknowledged National Reconciliation Week in their classrooms.
St Francis will celebrate NAIDOC Week on Thursday, 24 June (last day of term).
The NAIDOC 2021 theme – Heal Country! – A call for all of us to continue to seek greater protections for our lands, our waters, our sacred sites and our cultural heritage from exploitation, desecration, and destruction.
NAIDOC 2021 invites the nation to embrace First Nations’ cultural knowledge and understanding of 'Country' as part of Australia's national heritage and equally respect the culture and values of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders. It is s an opportunity for all Australians to come together to celebrate the rich history, diverse cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the oldest continuing cultures on the planet.
Parents are invited and very welcome to attend the P&F meetings, which are held during the term. Details of the meetings will be advertised via Compass or the school newsletter.
The next P&F meeting will be held on Thursday 5 August 2021 at 3.30 pm.
All welcome!
Parenting an Anxious Child
When parenting an anxious child, it is important to remember the following behaviours. They are the behaviours that help children overcome their anxiety most often:
Attention. Attention is probably the most powerful way to influence your child’s behaviour. Paying attention to an anxious behaviour increases it, removing attention from an anxious behaviour reduces it.
Praise. Praise is another way of paying attention. Providing your child with praise is another way to reinforce appropriate (non-anxious) behaviours. Make your praise clear and specific e.g. “You tried really hard today, you caught the bus on your own and you didn’t cry or hold onto me before you got on the bus. I know that getting on the bus and saying goodbye to me makes you worried so I am really proud of you”.
Avoid giving excessive reassurance. Parents want to protect their children and so the most natural response to children’s worry is often to sympathise too much, letting emotion creep into your voice and providing the child with lots of attention when they are worried. This can feed the anxiety and at worst, increase it. Try to take the emotion out of your voice and respond in a matter-of-fact tone. “I understand that you are worried, but things are going to be fine”. Limit reassurance to one or two times. Remain kind but firm.
Consistency. It is important to be consistent in your praise of brave behaviours and in your paying less attention to anxious behaviours. If you do this, you will help to shape your child to behave less anxiously. It is important that both parents are consistent in their approach.
Modelling. Children learn how to behave by observing others. You may need to pay attention to your own behaviours and if possible, deal with your own anxieties using the same tools that your child is learning, to demonstrate to your child a better way of dealing with worries.
Self-Talk. Teach your child to say a statement inside their head to help them to stay calm and handle stress. Here are a few: “Calm down”, “Relax”, “Everything will be ok”, “I am ok, I will be fine”.
Breathing. Train your child in how to control their breathing. Practise slow, deep breaths with them. Ask them to think about what the air feels like going in and out. They may like to count in for three “one . . . two . . . three . . .” and then say the word “calm” as the breath comes out.
Much of this information is taken from the “Cool Kids Program – Parent’s Workbook” by Heidi Lyneham, Maree Abbott, Ann Wignall and Ronald Rapee (Macquarie University Anxiety Research Unit).
Happy Birthday to the following students and staff who celebrate their birthdays in June:
Nicholas.C, Nicholas.G, Emma.s, Isla, Marcus, Antonio, Lucinda, Razan.H, Dominic.G, Abigail, Kylar, Sophia, Aleksander and Mrs Mansbridge.
TERM 2 CANTEEN
OPEN 3 Days
Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays
See Menu below
Please see below the Canteen Roster for your information. We are always seeking parent helpers for the Canteen. It is as simple as 2 hours when you are available. Please complete and return the attached form or email your details to info@sfawdow.catholic.edu.au.
The Catholic Education Office Wollongong manages the school fee accounts. Monthly fee statements are issued via email. Your school fee account can be viewed by logging into your Compass Parent Portal via the web browser, not App. Please do not hesitate to contact the School Office if we can be of any assistance.
IMPORTANT SCHOOL FEES NOTICE
WEEKLY BPAY PAYMENTS MUST HAVE COMMENCED
and a Fee Instalment Request form has been submitted.
Please ensure you have completed this form and that you have set up your payments of approximately $75.00 - $100.00 per week. The Bpay biller details are at the bottom of the fee statement sent in your email.
Casual or permanent after school care bookings are available. The fee is $25 for a permanent booking or $30 for a casual booking. It does not cost anything to enrol your child. You can enrol your child and if you are running late or have a meeting, call the service and book your child in for casual care.
This service is available in the school hall and operates from 3:00 pm until 6:30 pm Monday to Friday. We also provide afternoon tea daily.
If you are interested in booking after-school care, please feel free to contact Melissa Farrell, St Francis OOSH Coordinator, or book online via the link below.
CatholicCare OSHC - St Francis of Assisi is staffed by a dedicated team of education professionals who are university-trained early childhood teachers or TAFE-trained Diploma educators who support and respect the uniqueness and individuality of children and their families. Our goal is to ensure that educators support and facilitate children’s social skills and self-confidence.
Our educators collaborate with children to provide play and leisure opportunities that are meaningful to them and that support their wellbeing, learning and personal development. Children in school-age care settings are challenged to be curious about what is of interest to them while at the same time developing self-identity and social competencies (taken from MY TIME, OUR PLACE Framework for School Age Care in Australia).
The day-to-day operations of St Francis of Assisi OSHC is managed by a Coordinator and supported by CatholicCare OSHC Leadership Team.
Feel free to contact us for more info.
Melissa Farrell
OOSH Coordinator
0447 623 580
warrawongoosh@catholiccare.dow.org.au
Parents and screen time: role-modeling for children
What is healthy screen use?
Healthy screen use is using technology in balanced and positive ways.
It’s about what you use your screens for, when you choose to use them, and how much time you spend using them. It’s also about getting a healthy mix of work, social, leisure and digital activities into your life.
How your approach to screens influences your child
Your screen use choices can have a positive influence on your child’s attitude to screens. Children develop healthy screen use habits when they see you and other key role models using screens in healthy, balanced ways.
You can have this kind of influence simply by making regular, screen-free time for your own activities and family activities, like walking, reading, eating and just talking. When you do this, it sends your child a couple of key messages:
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There are many ways to entertain yourself, relax and have fun – and not all of them involve screens.
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Family time is one of the most important ways to spend time.
To grow and thrive, children need warm, responsive interactions with parents. But screens can sometimes get in the way of these kinds of interactions – for example, if parents interrupt conversations with children to check text messages. So when you’re talking or playing with your child, it’s great if you can put devices aside and really focus on what’s important to your child.
Role-modeling healthy screen time: tips
Here are some ideas for healthy screen time that you can use to set a good example for your child:
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Set aside some phone-free time each day, so you can be ‘in the moment’ with your child. This could be when your child gets home from school or you get home from work, during family mealtimes, when you’re watching your child play sport, when you’re at the park with your child and so on.
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If you get a text message or social media notification while you’re talking to someone, especially your child, wait until the conversation is finished before you check it.
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Try not to have your phone, tablet or laptop in your bedroom at night. Charge your devices overnight in a family area, and teach your child to do the same.
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Switch off the TV at family mealtimes or when it’s ‘on in the background’. You could try listening to some music instead.
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Work together with your child to create a family media plan. You could include things like no mobiles phone at mealtimes. Then make sure you follow the guidelines in the plan too!
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Use screens in a positive way – for example, to keep in touch with family and friends by sending texts, making video calls or using social media.
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Take breaks and move around regularly when you’re using screens. And use your device at eye level for good posture.
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Avoid always using screens to entertain your child in situations like long car journeys or appointments. Try mixing it up with things like memory games, card games, reading or drawing.
Keep track of your screen time for a week. Include all your screen use – TV, video games, social media, texts and so on. If you think you’re using screens more than you’d like to, reduce your use. Try checking your phone less often, or plan heavy use for weekends or as a treat.
Role-modelling healthy social media use: tips
Healthy social media use can keep you connected with friends and interests, the latest news, your child’s school and sports activities, and so on.
If you use and enjoy social media, there are plenty of ways you can be a role model for your child:
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Regularly check the privacy settings on your social media accounts.
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Take care of your digital footprint by being careful about the photos and comments you post and the photos and comments you’re tagged in. Make sure you’re always respectful in your posts.
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Talk about your social media use with your child. This will encourage your child to be open about their social media use too. If you share fun content with each other, it can be a great way to talk about the things you both like and think are important.
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Talk with your child about following each other on social media. This can be a great way to be a part of your child’s life and share interests. Younger teenagers might be OK with this, but older teenagers might not want you to follow them.
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Ask your child for permission before you post a photo of them or share information about them on social media.
If your screen time feels out of control, try to change the ways you use technology. If you’re finding it hard, look for support from friends, family or a professional. If your child sees you trying to manage your screen time, this sets a good example for them too.
