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Message: Deputy Principal – Teaching and Learning
Dear Families,
We have been so fortunate in the past two weeks to introduce our students to the wonders of the physical sciences which will form a significant focus for student learning this term. A science inquiry approach will be used by teachers to also develop the student’s ability to question (hypothesise), plan, investigate, record, analyse, evaluate and communicate their findings.
Our Foundation to Year 2 students will focus on forces, motion and light as part of their curriculum understandings. In Years 3 and 4, learning will focus on forces and the way that heat is produced and can be transferred from one thing to another. In Years 5 and 6, students will be learning about the refraction, reflection and absorption of light and how electrical circuits can enable energy to be transferred. We are looking forward to sharing our students developing skills and abilities during Science Week ‘Glass – More than Meets the Eye’ which is coming up in Week 6 of this term.
Professional Learning – Mathematics -Tool Time
One professional learning focus for our staff centres on Tool Time as an integral part of each mathematics lesson. Tool Time is a short session at the beginning of daily mathematics lessons which supports the ongoing development of concept knowledge in place value as well as developing each student’s fluency, reasoning, understanding and problem-solving ability. Teachers plan for and then explicitly teach these skills over a number of days in the week until students have mastered the skill or concept for their level of understanding. Our Professional Learning Leader, Sarah Chappell and Bernadette Wheatly from DOSCEL will be collaborating with each planning team on the implementation of Tool Time from Foundation to Year 6. Each team will engage in a process of assessing, planning, teaching and then measuring the impact of their teaching on student learning.
Respectful Relationships
Recently communication was sent out to families highlighting the importance of safety when picking up and dropping off students to school. At times, our staff will need to re-direct families in order to ensure that everyone remains safe and the traffic continues to flow at the beginning and end of the day. When being asked to follow a certain pathway please do so calmly and respectfully. Offensive and disrespectful behaviour towards staff is not acceptable. If parents have concerns about directions being provided by staff, please make a time to speak with Kate or email: kdourley@cranbourneeast.catholic.edu.au
Continuity of learning due to illness
We continue to experience a higher than usual level of illness amongst our students and staff due to COVID, influenza and other illnesses circulating in the community at the moment. We continue to ask families not to send their children to school if they are unwell and to engage in ongoing RAT testing to reduce the likelihood of students coming to school with COVID or other communicable illnesses. If you require additional RAT testing kits please contact your child’s teacher.
This year, some schools have had to provide remote learning as an option for families when there has been a high number of illness amongst staff and replacement staff are not available.
We have determined that remote learning is not a viable option for our school because the circumstances that have supported this in the past are not currently in place for our families or in our community. Many parents are working outside of the home again and it is not possible to supervise children at home. Also, unlike a lock-down where teachers were well and working from home, teachers are absent, unwell and unable to work.
We have developed a contingency plan and will be ready to implement this should we have a high number of staff absence across most grade levels in the school and be unable to replace these staff.
Parents will be emailed to inform them that we have had to implement our Continuity of Learning Plan, providing as much notice as possible.
Our Plan
Firstly, staff at school each day will be reallocated to support the number of students present in each grade level. This will include stopping our specialist program for a period of time so these teachers can provide their support. If needed, classes will be combined within their level (up to 28 in a group) so that we can ensure there are enough teachers.
Core learning tasks will be taught between 8:45am and 1pm. Core learning includes English, Mathematics and Religious Education lessons.
At 1pm we will ask all families that have flexible working arrangements to collect their children from school.
Any children who need to remain at school after 1pm will be supervised but will engage in quiet, alternate activities for the remainder of the school day.
I would like to acknowledge and thank the staff of St Thomas the Apostle who continue to adapt and respond to meet the needs of our students each day. We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated, passionate and generous team of educators working together to enable learning and successful outcomes for every student.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend ahead,
Peta Overbury
Deputy Principal – Teaching and Learning
The Social Justice Student Leaders would like to bring to your attention an important event coming up, later this year…
Socktober
What is Socktober?
This October, the students of STAPS are going to learn about Socktober! Some of the students may have already heard of Socktober from the past years, and that is great. Now what is Socktober? Well, Socktober is about the passion of schools to take a step and emerge to take action against poverty by doing activities and participating in a fundraiser!
The Purpose of Socktober
For Socktober this year we are focusing on taking action against poverty through the sport, soccer. It encourages students to think about what they can do to help but also why they should help. Socktober should inspire others to share about why they should make a difference.
What We Need to Do
In 2022, we need to help Socktober raise money for the young generations of Ethiopia who are facing hunger and insecurity of food. We also need your help to fundraise money for the children in Ethiopia. To help this country please donate money to the website of Socktober.
More details will follow in our newsletters
First Communion 2022
The Parish have finished the Parent Formation phase of the program, with Tuesday night this week being the last of the two sessions. This weekend, families are coming to the second weekend of Commitment Masses. They formally begin the program by stating that they wish their child to undergo the preparation and celebration of the sacrament of Holy Communion. We pray for these students and their families as they begin their journey.
Grade 2 Scienceworks Excursion
On Wednesday 13th July all Year 2 students and their teachers travelled to Scienceworks.
The purpose of our excursion was to discover more about our learning in Inquiry this term, which is all about forces and motion.
We had the opportunity to enjoy some hands on experiences at Scienceworks and participated in a workshop that helped us learn more about forces and motion.
It was a long trip on the bus, but it was lots of fun!
Introudcing Mrs Karen Toledo
My name is Karen and I am a new member of the education support team. I am from Mexico and I moved to Australia 10 years ago. I have 2 daughters aged 3 and 7.
I speak English and Spanish and my hobbies include baking, cooking and travelling.
I love supporting the students and helping them to achieve their learning goals.
With the wet weather upon us and puddles galore, children might have minor accidents at school in which clothes might become wet or dirty.
It is always helpful for your child/ren to have a set of extra clothing at school in case of an accident. The spare clothes do not have to be a uniform set.
If soiled clothes are sent home, please remember to send a set of clean clothes the next day.