Filter Content
Message - Deputy Principal – Teaching and Learning
NAPLAN
We congratulate our Year 3 and Year 5 students on their participation in NAPLAN assessments which were held over the past week. Our children demonstrated positive learning behaviours in the way that they focussed and persisted throughout the various tasks they were given. The assessments administered included Writing, Reading Comprehension, Conventions of Language and Numeracy.
Despite the majority of these assessments being administered online, we will not have access to our students' results until later in the school year. In the meantime, parents can be assured that NAPLAN is only one test, administered on one day, which measures the skills, knowledge and understanding that our students have. Our teachers use other forms of assessment in an ongoing way to identify each student’s point of need and their next steps for learning.
Semester One Student Reports
As we move into the middle of the term our staff are beginning the process of preparing and writing student reports for this semester. We are looking forward to sharing your child’s growth in learning and achievement from this semester. Should you want to speak about your child’s learning, please contact their teacher. All parents will have the opportunity to speak to their child’s teacher when parent/ teacher interviews are held early in Term 3. Information regarding booking a time will be provided towards the end of this term.
National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS)
On Wednesday 25th May at 11:00am our students will be involved in this event. Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. NSS aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age-appropriate themes. This year the text Family Tree by Josh Pyke and Ronojoy Ghosh will be read to all students by our very own, Mrs Sarah Chappell.
Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead,
Peta Overbury
Deputy Principal – Teaching and Learning
Jerusalem Mass
Jerusalem Community celebrated Mass on Wednesday this week. The theme was ‘Obedience to God’. This sounds like an old-fashioned term to use when we express it in terms of our relationship with God, however, Father Denis is very good at taking a term like this and making it understood by our young minds who are present at the Mass.
We find in scripture, particularly in the Old Testament, lots of rules to follow. The 10 Commandments are a perfect example. When Jesus came along, he did not replace these rules. He didn’t say, “OK, now that I’m here, its time I made the rules”. No, he said, I have a new commandment for you. We still have the 10 Commandments, but he helped us understand the reason for the rules. His new commandment was of course, “Love one another as I have loved you”. All other rules are followed, if we follow this one! This is essentially what we mean by ‘Obedience to God’ – loving one another is what God wants us to do
Pentecost/Multi-Cultural Dress
We'd like to let our school community know that Pentecost is coming soon. The day of Pentecost is Sunday 5th June but we celebrate it as a school on Monday 6th June.
Students and staff can wear their cultural dress on this day - wherever you can trace your family heritage!
Our learning communities across the school will have a prayer service on this day to commemorate the birthday of the Catholic Church. You might like to prepare for this day by learning how to say hello in the language of your where your family traces back to.
Sacraments 2022
Parent Formation Night - opportunity for adult formation as well as details around the preparation and celebration of the sacrament. No children attend this event.
Parent/Child Workshop - opportunity for students to learn about the sacrament with parent participation. Children come with their parent to this event.
Reconciliation - opportunity to see the priest individually, ‘reset’ their relationship with God before the celebration of Confirmation or First Communion.
Confirmation
21/22 May |
Enrolment Masses |
|
7 June |
Parent/Child Workshop 1 (children attend) |
7pm |
8 June |
Parent/Child Workshop 2 (children attend) |
7pm |
16 August |
Retreat Day |
|
10 & 17 August 13 August (catechism group) |
Reconciliation |
|
20 August |
Confirmation Masses |
11am 2pm |
Communion
Date |
Event |
|
19 July |
Parent Formation Night 1 (no children) |
7pm |
23/24 July |
Enrolment Masses |
|
26 July |
Parent Formation Night 2 (no children) |
7pm |
30/31 July |
Enrolment Masses |
|
9 August |
Parent/Child Workshop 1 (children attend) |
7pm |
10 August |
Parent/Child Workshop 2 (children attend) |
7pm |
7 September 3 September (catechism group) |
Reconciliation |
|
10 & 11 September |
First Holy Communion Masses |
6pm 9am 10:45am |
17 & 18 September |
First Holy Communion Masses |
6pm 9am 10:45am |
Our Year One children and staff worked together to plan and take part in a beautiful mass this week.
Their singing, reading and following along was amazing.
Thanks to those families and parishoners who managed to join us!
Walk Safely to School Day - 20th May
Well it’s that time of year again when our school seriously starts talking about walking!
Walk Safely to School Day asks that we all consider our transport habits and try to incorporate more walking as part of a healthy, active way to get around. And although walking all the way to school isn’t realistic for many of us, it’s quite easy to figure out how you can build a walk into your family’s daily routine.
You can teach your child the healthy habit of walking more by:
- Walking with them the whole way to school
- If they get the bus or train, walk past your usual stop and get on at the next stop
- If you have to drive, park the car a few blocks away from the school and walk the rest of the way.
Regular exercise like walking with your child not only helps them (and you!) beat chronic problems like obesity, heart disease, behavioural and mental health issues and diabetes. It also gives you a great opportunity to teach your child safe ways to behave around roads and traffic.
Remember, Active Kids are Healthy Kids so get planning your own Walk Safely to School Day journey for Friday 20 May 2022!
I looked out my window and saw this lovely group playing, laughing and squealing playing Uno! It reminded me what a great game it is for turn taking, learning to win and lose fairly and creating fun memories.
In addition, it is very flexible and can be played in the standard way or adapted to suit a childs developmental needs and suport their maths understanding. Lots more ideas here!
Dear Parents,
As you know the area in front of the school gets very congested during drop off/pick up times.
Council members, parking enforcement and police will be visiting the school over the next few weeks at drop off/pick up times and will be enforcing parking regulations.
Fines will be issued to those parking in the wrong places and driving unsafely.
Please be courteous, follow the road and parking rules and keep everyone safe.
Again I would encourage you to look at getting your children to walk part of the way to/from school to meet you at a location where there is less congestion. The gateway closest to Ferrari Drive (away from the main road) is always staffed before and after school to ensure safe movement of pedestrians.
City of Casey are very proud and excited to release our third Safe Around Schools education animation for this year on Driving Around Schools Safely.
Watch and share our new animation to find out more:
This animation focusses on driver behaviour around the school precinct, 40km school zones signs, No Stopping, No Parking, the Drop off Pick up zone and what they mean as well as road safety education and good role modelling from parents/carers for our children around the school precinct. When all families follow the signs, the traffic flows better and it is safer for our children.
With 96 Schools in the City of Casey, we believe these animations will promote good road safety behaviour and outline the rules around creating a safer school precinct.
Kate
Early Pick Up
Dear Families,
Occasionally, there are times when you need to pick up your child early from school. It might be an appointment or due to an emergency, but these things happen.
To help you in these situations and to minimise the impact on school logistics, we ask that you adhere to a window of time that is most convenient for everyone.
We request that if you are picking up your child early, to do so:
[before the lunch break -1:45pm] or [after the lunch break- 2:30pm] and before 3:00pm
Avoiding the lunch break and before 3pm will be quicker for you, especially when time is of the essence. We hope this can ease the task of getting to an appointment or dealing with an emergency.
Thank you for your consideration.
Term 2 School Fees
A reminder to those families who pay their fees each term that the due date for Term 2 is 26th May. Should you have difficulty meeting this deadline please contact do not heasitate to contact me.
Kind Regards
Nicola Saunders
School Photos
Dear Families,
To allow for sibling photos and the return of a significant number of children who were absent due to isolation, production of photopacks will be delayed and will be available at the end of Term 2.
Dear Families
We are very pleased to let families know that some small changes to our morning and afternoon pick up procedures can take place.
Morning Drop Off
Parents are welcome to come onto the school grounds between 8.25 and 8.43am to drop their child to school and move about the playground to the child’s line up area. As soon as the music begins at 8.43 am, please say your goodbyes and allow your child to independently enter the classroom.
During this time the car line drop off continues as normal.
Learning time starts promptly at 8.45
Afternoon Pick Up
The gates will reopen at 3.05pm when the pack up bell rings. Parents may move around the playground to a designated meeting place or on the basketball court. Choose a special spot where your child can find you, but remember to discuss this with them!
Please do not select a meeting point under the bridge where the four pillars of our Catholic School Identity are. The bridge is a high traffic area and a wet weather point for our car pick up children. Please do not wait under the grey pergola between the double story building and the Bethany learning community. The pergola is the meeting point for the Walking School Bus children.
The gates are locked at 3.30pm when supervision finishes. Parents and children must leave by this time as the Outside School Hours Care team use the school premises.
Introducing a new staff member to the STAPS Community.
Hi Everyone,
My name is Tania Christopher and I’m working as an ESO supporting the Grade 2’s in the Bethlehem community. It’s been a nice beginning for me at STTAPS meeting the wonderful Staff at the school and I’m enjoying getting to know the students and supporting them in their learning.
My husband and I live in Cranbourne with our three children Ethan, Natalie and Brendan. On the weekends I enjoy spending time with my family, visiting new places in Victoria, going to the beach, playing sport and board games with my kids and meeting up with family and friends.
My interests include cooking, baking, reading the bible and learning more about the word of God, playing the keyboard and singing in my local church choir and dancing.
I look forward to a wonderful year at STTAPS.