Last Sunday the Catholic Church celebrated the feast of Pentecost - regarded as the birthday of the church.  Pentecost is when Christians celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through the Pentecost experience, we see that the coming of the Holy Spirit inspired and strengthened the apostles to embody the mission of Jesus. The strength of the Holy Spirit creates the enthusiasm and wisdom to live as Jesus did. Just like the apostles, we too need the strength of the Holy Spirit.  Pentecost enables us to recognise what is good, what is right, what is ethical, what is true and of lasting worth that guides us on our lives’ journey to God. It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to recognise and celebrate our connectedness to God and to one another.

A  special thank you to Father Martin for the beautiful parish Mass on the weekend to celebrate Pentecost Sunday. During the Mass, Father Martin spoke about the many languages the apostles spoke at Pentecost. Like the apostles, we have many people in our school and parish communities that speak many different languages, but the one true language that we all have is love. May the presence of the Spirit help us to be people of love and service, bringing the hope-filled message of Jesus into our world.

Staff Development Day
As you are aware our Term 2 Staff Development Day will be held on Monday 24 June. On this day the staff will participate in a Spirituality day.  The theme of the day is "Listening to the Spirit of the Great South Land." Just a reminder students do not attend school on this day. 

Photo Day
Congratulations to the students and families for the effort you put into looking great for our school photos. All students were in their full winter uniforms and remembered to bring in their best smiles. Well done! 2020 photos will be in Term 1 - Summer uniform.
Just a reminder that it is an expectation that all students wear their full winter uniform each day. Thank you for adhering to our school uniform policy.

Staff Leave
Last Friday Mrs Matos commenced some long service leave. In her absence, Mr deVet will teach Year 5 Blue until the end of term.  We wish Mrs Matos all the best as she travels overseas with her family. Thank you again to Mr deVet for ensuring the effective learning continues in 5 Blue.

Condolences
It has been a very sad time for three of our staff members over the past two weeks. Our sincere condolences to Mrs Andraos on the recent passing of her brother in law, Charbel. Last Friday night, we were informed that Mr Green’s grandmother, Gloria, had passed away and in the early hours of Saturday morning Mrs Davidson’s grandmother, Miriam, also passed away after a short illness. 

A difficult time for all our families. We would like to thank the school community for your thoughts and prayers during this time. We pray that in the midst of your sorrow you find comfort in all the joyful memories shared.

Yours in partnership

SCHOOL REPORTS

Semester One reports will be sent home to parents at the end of the term for students in Years 1-6. Reports are written in line with the requirements of the new NSW K-10 syllabuses for the Australian Curriculum in English, Mathematics, Science, History and Geography. Grades are awarded to students following the Common Grade Scale.

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.

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.

The Common Grade Scale is outlined below and is also included on the front of the report.

If you have any concerns, please make an appointment at a mutually convenient time to discuss this with your child's class teacher.

Confirmation

The preparation for Confirmation has begun. The candidates will attend lessons for four (4) weeks with their parents. The practice will be held on Monday 1 July at 3.30pm in the church. As Bishop Brian will be in Rome at this time, Vicar General Fr Bernard Gordon will celebrate the Sacrament at 7.30pm on Tuesday 2 July. A big thank you to Mrs Briscoe, Sr Anna and Mrs Eady for volunteering to lead the lessons.

School Review and Improvement

As part of our Catholic Life and Mission for School Review and Improvement, and as Religous Education Coordinator, I have set a goal to be visible in the classrooms and make sure that the students are aware of my role.

In the last couple of weeks I have visited the classrooms to conduct Religious Education Sense lessons. As teachers, we revise content learnt and assess the prior knowledge of students before they begin a unit. This is now done in most Key Learning Areas, but particularly Maths.

It was great to interact with the students and it is a great privilege to work with our students who have such a high level of understanding of our Catholic faith. In K-3 I used Holy Week pictures and invited the students to sequence the events and give facts for each day. In Year 4 we revised and sequenced the Stations of the Cross.  Year 4 had presented them at the end of last term before Easter. In Year 5 I asked the students to sort and sequence the Mysteries of the Rosary. This was quite a challenge and I will follow up with Rosary lessons for all grades in October- the month of the Rosary. In Year 6, we had a quick quiz on the Bible and their knowledge was excellent.

The great knowledge our students have is a credit to our dedicated teachers and the support of our parents and Fr Martin.

Mrs Madaschi
Religious Education Coordintor

ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
A huge congratulations to the staff, students and parents for a fantastic Athletics Carnival yesterday. The students were a credit to our school community. Their participation, school spirit and persistent effort is to be congratulated. Thank you to all our parent helpers, we couldn’t have run such a successful carnival without you! Special thanks to Mrs Briscoe and Mr Murphy for all their organisation and preparation. Watch this space for more results and photos!

Ribbons and Medallions presented at our assembly on Friday 21 June.

On Tuesday 11 June, Nurse Sandra visited Kindergarten to teach us all about hospitals and the wonderful work nurses do for those people in need. We learnt about some tools used by nurses and some of the duties that nurses are required to complete each day. Kindergarten enjoyed asking lots of questions. We even got to listen to our heartbeat using a Stethoscope!! Thank you to Nurse Sandra (Mrs Beckhaus' mother-in-law) for visiting us and giving us the knowledge and skills to look after Humpty Dumpty in hospital. 

Kindergarten has transformed into a play hospital in which the children are encouraged to explore. Already they have been using appropriate language, caring for others, and taking on the roles of receptionist, nurses/doctors, patients, cooks (in the cafeteria) and pharmacists.

It is important to remember that Play IS learning! Both structured and unstructured play is essential in a child's learning and development. It is an age appropriate pedagogy that allows for the development of social skills, develops oral language skills, and allows them to explore content and the curriculum in a comfortable and safe environment. Children learn through movement and the development of gross motor skills which are activated during play and inquiry. Play-based learning is so important to our development, learning and success, and we think we do this really well in Kindergarten!

Mrs Beckhaus
Kindergarten Teacher

OverDrive’s Chill Out & Read global reading program is designed to encourage your children to keep reading all year long. This 10-week program, running 6 June – 15 August, will be available to all students and staff in our schools. The collection includes 26 free and simultaneous use ebooks (with select audiobook and Read-Along options).

How it works: launch the Sora App.

Tap/Click the Explore tab: The first thing they will see is a new Collection called ‘Chill Out & Read’ All the titles in this collection can be borrowed by all students who use Overdrive in the world at the same time from today until 15th August!

We have well and truly begun our journey on 'The Premier's Reading Challenge' and even have some students who have completed the challenge.

Congratuations to the following students for reading
their allocated books: 

Thomas , Sekne, Maximillian, Zaid, Dean and Kitarni.

Keep on Reading!!!! 

Casual or permanent after school care bookings are available. This service is available in the school hall. 

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.

Woolworths Earn and Learn

Please return your Earn & Learn stickers.   This promotion finished on Tuesday 25 June.

We will submit all the Stickers we have collected to purchase educational resources across all curriculum areas, including Maths, English, Science, Art and Craft, Digital Technologies, Sports and more.

Thank you for supporting our school so that we can purchase much needed resources that will benefit our students.  Thank you.

The 5 symptoms that mean your child should stay home from school...

Over the past two weeks, we have had a number of staff and students quite unwell.

It is a decision every parent faces regularly, whether or not to keep a sick child home from school.

Here are symptoms that mean your child should stay home:

1. Fever - this is a sign of infection and while giving them medicine might bring the fever down, it won't stop them from being contagious.

2. Vomiting or diarrhea - it is unfair all around - to the child and the school - to send a child with vomiting or diarrhea no matter how well they might look to you. Please allow at least 24 hours and check with your doctor for advice.  Some viruses can be contagious for an extra day or so.

3. Bad pain - if your child has any pain that is more than mild, keep them home and check with your doctor.

4. Cough/Flu - this too is a sign of infection and medicine won't stop them from being contagious to others.

5. Illness Medication - If your child has an illness that is being treated with antibiotics, they often need a minimum of at least 24 hours of treatment before  returning to school. Medication should be administered by parents at home. 

While it is important for children not to be absent from school, it is also important for them to be well enough to learn and not share contagious illnesses for others to get sick.  It is best to seek medical advice and allow your child time to rest and recover.  Please always notify the school and where possible provide a medical certificate when they are well enough to return.

Please do not bring your child to school if uncertain and "See how they go. Let the teacher know" as children usually tell the teacher and the school will contact you. As a school we need to consider your child's wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. When it comes to your child's health and the health of students and staff, it is better to be safe than sorry.

An explanation is required on Compass or provide the medical certificate to the class teacher. All absences must be explained and recorded.