Week 7, Term 1, 2020

Thought for the week:

 Children don’t say, “I had a hard day. Can we talk?”

They say, “Will you play with me?”

Laurence Cohen  (Positive Parenting Solutions)

Dear Parents, Staff and Students,

Recently, I have been reading several articles about student motivation and behaviour.  Particularly focusing on positive education, how ending behaviour rewards (extrinsic prizes, awards etc) and instead focusing on student motivation and character is the way to helping students regulate their emotions. 

Handing out ‘champion cards’ and prizes from the prize box when students behave well seems like an effective strategy for encouraging civility.  Little prizes and public praise would seem to encourage honesty, generosity and other marks of good character, and for years schools and parents have relied on such rewards to elicit the behaviour they desire in their students and children.

Rewards can be seductive, according to Marvin Berkowitz, a professor of education at University of Missouri-St Louis and author of You Can’t Teach Through a Rat. They’re easy, they seem to work – particularly with the hard-to-reach children – and many teachers are taught according to the behaviourist model, which posits that people repeat conduct that’s reinforced and avoid what’s punished.  Berkowitz writes: We are breeding a new generation of kids who are well trained to be reward and recognition torpedoes.  Certainly, food for thought.

Daniel Pink author of the book: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us, identifies seven drawbacks to extrinsic rewards. These being, they cripple intrinsic motivation, limit performance, squash creativity, stifle good conduct, promote cheating, can become habit-forming, and spur a short-term mindset.  Giving prizes for routine and mindless tasks can be moderately effective.  He went on to write that offering rewards for those tasks that are “inherently interesting, creative, or noble…. Is a very dangerous game."

As a school this year, we are committed to working with staff around the proven approach of Positive Education.  Focusing on students’ strengths and supporting them to flourish in their social interactions and learning.  This will take some time to implement and bring change to the way we all interact with each other (staff to staff; staff to student, staff to parent, student to student, parent to parent, parent to staff).  Anne Wood-croft Brown (School Counsellor) and myself in the past two weeks have met with the teachers and school officers introducing the Positive Education approach.  Over this upcoming year we will work with staff on incorporating the Positive Education approach across the curriculum and in the daily life of our school.  We plan to then hold parent sessions to support parents as well in this area.  

LAWRENCE STREET PICK UP

Last week I met with Ms Sharon Collins regarding the traffic situation around our school at pick up times.  We discussed the possibility of creating a 'STOP, DROP and GO' zone utilising the boarding school driveway.  Over the next few weeks we will be consulting with Boarding school staff, Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office and Council Traffic control to find a safer solution for all students in this area. 

I have been asked to notify parents and students to not wait in the boarding school driveways or undercroft area after school.  This is due to boarding school staff trying to get students from the boarding school to sport and medical appointments.  Thank you for your support in keeping our students safe.

NEW PHONE SYSTEM

Recently the school has invested a considerable amount of money in a new phone system after our last phone system was failing quite oftern throughout Term 4.  I am pleased to announce that we have a new system installed.  This has resulted in a new phone number for our school.  

NEW SCHOOL PHONE NUMBER:  07 4637 1700

We have a diversion setup with the old number for the next 6 months.  However, I advise you to save the new number in your phone to avoid any issues. 

STAFF UPDATE

Best wishes Mrs Harkins on your long service leave for the remainder of the term. We hope you enjoy your time away. Mrs Kelly Maher will be taking Year 3H in Mrs Harkins' absence.  

Thank you for reading,

Madonna

Dear Parents and Carers,

SCHOOL/ PARISH MASS this Sunday: Once a term we have a 9am Sunday Mass that is designated as a combined school/ parish Mass. At this Mass, our choir leads the singing, there is Children's Liturgy for the "littlies" to attend during the readings, our older students are involved in the readings and other "jobs" and we finish with a shared morning tea afterwards.

Our Term One School/ Parish Mass is this coming Sunday, March 15 at 9am and we would love to have you join us. Fr Michael is saying this Mass so we are pretty much guaranteed to be having a cuppa by 9:50 or so. You should have a Caremonkey permission request to complete, just so we have a rough idea as to how many students are likely to attend Kids' Liturgy etc.

Hoping to see you at St Pat's on Sunday.

BRODRIBB Visit:

On Monday last week, Hayden, Jamilia, Lilly and Grace came with me to visit and share Mass with residents at Brodribb Aged Care. Fr Michael says Mass there and our Year 6s assist with the singing and the giving and collecting of hymn books etc. The residents are always very happy to have the "young faces" around. We will continue to do this throughout the year.

Year 5s are continuing their visits to SALEM Nursing Home throughout the term and will give us an update in next week's newsletter.

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM: About 46 boys and girls and their families have spent the last few weeks preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, with only about one week to go.

There are two sessions for Reconciliation, Friday March 20 at 6pm OR Saturday March 21 at 10:30am. Both sessions will be held at St Patrick's Cathedral. 

After that, we have a break until early next term, when we start preparation for Confirmation in Week 3. More information will be communicated closer to the start date.

Our LENTEN Journey:

5K have written their Lenten promises on a cross, while 1M have made a paper chain of theirs. 

The Year 6 students are working on 'Random acts of Kindness' and the importance of Integrity (Doing the right thing even when no-one is looking).  

5C is focusing on “Fifty Cent Friday”  and “Tuckshop Change” for collections for the Project Compassion Box. They have talked about  the Lenten Suggestions from Pope Francis. (giving up negativity, unkind words and being grateful were the ones that were the most popular).

Year 1s have been thinking about what they could do for someone else rather than just ‘give up’ something. For example what could students do to be more helpful or kind? Students are also encouraged to think about what they could do outside of school such as at home or when out with family or friends. How can they be more like Jesus?

How is your Lenten journey progressing? We will share some more insights into what is happening in our SSPS classrooms in the next newsletter.

YEAR 3 Prayer Gathering: On Tuesday, Year 3 students and parents, gathered with Fr Michael to reflect on what it means to be a good friend. Fr Michael reminded us, that sometimes we have to be the first one to extend a hand or to forgive. That is what being a good friend is.

Enjoy this beautiful Autumn weather,

Judy

NAPLAN 2020

NAPLAN has again been a topical issue in the news of late.  This has prompted me to share the parent information brochure for NAPLAN online schools.

Please follow this link:  https://www.nap.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/naplan-online-information-brochure-for-parents-and-carers.pdf?sfvrsn=23

If you don't get to read the whole brochure, please see the below section on how parents can help their children prepare for NAPLAN.  

How can I help my child prepare?
On its own, NAPLAN is not a test that can be studied for and students are not expected to do so.  Help your child prepare by reassuring them that NAPLAN is just one part of their school program, and by reminding them on the day to simply do their best.  ACARA does not recommend excessive preparation for NAPLAN or the use of services by coaching providers.  Ensuring students are familiar with using devices, typing on them and navigating through programs is a part of student learning and a requirement of the Australian Curriculum from the first year at school.  NAPLAN Online is not a test of keyboard skills. There are variations in how fast and well a student can type – just as there are variations in how fast and well a
student can write by hand. Year 3 students will complete the writing test on paper. Teachers will ensure students are familiar with the types of questions in the tests and will provide appropriate support and guidance.
See the type of questions and related functionalities available in the NAPLAN Online assessment at nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site 

NAPLAN will take place for the St Saviour's Year 3 and 5 students in May.  They will also be participating in a practice test prior to this.  

If you do have any questions, please feel free to send me an email - Sam.Hannant@twb.catholic.edu.au 

PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS

Parent Teacher Interviews, for all except for 3H, will take place in Week 9 of this term (beginning 23rd March).  3H have been during Week 7 as Mrs Harkins is on long service leave for the last three weeks of this term.

A message was sent via schoolzine this week advising parents that bookings are open.  The link again is https://sspstwb.schoolzineplus.com/view-session/8 

Please remember that these interviews are an important feedback opportunity for parents on their child's learning and you are encouraged to make a time to attend.

SWIMMING LESSONS

Swimming lessons for 2020 will take place next week (beginning 16 March).  Every student will have the opportunity to participate from Monday to Friday during this week.

The information for these lessons has been sent home via Caremonkey.  Please make sure you have given permission for your child to attend these lessons.

Students will need swimming togs, towel, thongs or similar to wear to and from the pool, goggles and a swimming bag for this week.  Glennie provide every student with a swimming cap.  

All students are able to wear their sport uniform for the whole week in week 8 for ease of changing.

UPCOMING 2020 Sport Dates

Prep - 8 year old Swimming Carnival - Wednesday 25 March: 1pm-2.30pm @ Glennie

P-6 Swimming Lessons - 16-20 March at Glennie Aquatic Centre

P-6 Cross Country - Thursday 2 April: 9am onwards on Primary School Oval

9-12 year olds 200m&800m Athletics 1/2 day at O'Quinn St Oval - 18 June: 9am -12pm

Prep - 6 Whole School Athletics Carnival - 19 June: All Day

At St Saviour’s we aim to create a safe and supportive school community for everyone. Friday 20th March is the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence. To bring light to this important issue, we have invited KidsHelpline @ School to speak with our  Prep to Year 4 students on March 24th about friendships and bullying. These are evidence-informed lessons that are educational and interactive in a fun, engaging environment. Our Year 5 & 6 students will also be completing a variety of activities hosted by the eSafety Commissioner about keeping safe online and respectful relationships.

Sometimes it can be difficult for parents or carers to know what to do when their child talks to them about bullying. You are an important part of our work to prevent bullying and to respond effectively if it happens. If you are looking for support for yourself to deal with a bullying situation, you will find ideas on the Bullying. No Way! website: https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/YourRole/Pages/For-Parents-and-carers.aspx  

Please contact the school if you would like to discuss any aspect of our approach to preventing bullying. Thanks for your support to make our school a great school for everyone.

Anne Woodcroft-Brown

School Counsellor

Darling Downs Swimming Carnival

On Wednesday the 4^th of February, ten students from St Saviour’s competed in the Darling Downs Swimming Carnival at Gatton Aquatic Centre. They competed against other zones to try and qualify for the Darling Downs Team and compete at the state championships which will be held from the 23^rd to 25^th of March. Emma Barram made it through to the next level and will be completing at the state championships. We wish her the best at this carnival.

Fitness Club

Don’t forget, fitness club runs every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:15am to 8am until Thursday 26th March 2020 for students in Years three to six. Please make sure your child is on time if they wish to attend, as the sessions start with stretching and a warmup which need to be completed before participating. If your child would like to attend could you, please log onto Care Monkey and sign the permission form. If you have any questions, please email myself via brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au.

Peak2Park

Peak2Park was on Sunday the 1^st of March. Students from all year levels attended the run/walk and had a fantastic time. Thank you to those families who got up early on their Sunday to represent St Saviour’s Primary School at such a great community event supporting some worthy causes. 

 Zone and Darling Downs Trials

All Zone and Darling Downs trials will be placed on SchoolZine. Please check SchoolZine regularly or set up notifications on your phone if you wish for your child to be eligible to trial for Zone and Darling Downs sporting teams as you will be required to obtain paperwork from myself. Any questions, please contact me at brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au.

Congratulations to the following students who were successful in their trials and will now represent Toowoomba in their sport at the regional trials.

• Carter Wicks (Softball)
• Evie King (Softball)
• Hunter Tate-Roche (NRL)
• James Currie (NRL)
• Grace Oughtred (Touch Football)
• Kalai Leifels (Touch Football)

Prep – 8-year-old Swimming Carnival

On Wednesday the 25^th of March the prep to 8-year-old swimming carnival will be held at Glennie Aquatics Centre. This carnival is designed so the younger students at St Saviour’s can have some fun in the pool at a less competitive level. Whist there will be some swimming events for those students who can swim, there will be kickboard, noodle and yoga mat races for all age groups. This carnival will follow on from your child’s swimming lessons in week 8. Please log onto CareMonkey and complete the permission form and nominations for your child/ren. Below are the events for each year level (time permitting) Any questions please email me at brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au.

Prep

• Kickboard Race (15m)
• Noodle Race (under arms) (15m)
• Yoga Mat Race (15m)
• Noodle Horse Race, Teacher Assist (15m)

Year One

• Kickboard Race (15m)
• Noodle Race (under arms) (15m)
• Yoga Mat Race (15m)
• Noodle Horse Race, Teacher Assist (15m)

Year Two

• Kickboard Race or Freestyle (15m)
• Kickboard Race (Lying on Back) (15m)
• Noodle Race (under arms) (15m)
• Yoga Mat Race (15m)

Year Three

• Kickboard Freestyle or Freestyle (25m)
• Kickboard Backstroke or Backstroke (25m)
• Noodle Race (under arms) (15m)
• Yoga Mat Race (15m)

Cross Country

The St Saviour’s annual Cross Country will be held on Thursday the 2^nd of April. A permission note will be sent via CareMonkey soon. Don’t forget to log onto CareMokey and fill out the permission form. Below are the distances and order for all age groups.

The order of events this year will be:

1. Boys and Girls born 2008 - 1 lap of oval, 3 laps of school, 1 lap of oval
2. Boys and Girls born 2009 - 1 lap of oval, 3 laps of school, 1 lap of oval
3. Boys and Girls born 2015 - 2 laps of oval
4. Boys and Girls born 2014 - 3 laps of oval
5. Boys and Girls born 2010 - 1 lap of oval, 2 laps of school, 1 lap of oval
6. Boys and Girls born 2011 - 1 lap of oval, 2 laps of school, 1 lap of oval
7. Boys and Girls born 2013 - 2 laps of oval, out of school and down to Ruthven Street, back up stairs near prep and finish on oval.
8. Boys and Girls born 2012 - 2 laps of oval, out of school and down to Ruthven Street, back up stairs near prep and finish on oval.

This order is so the older students, who are running the most distance will be running in the cooler part of the day.

Swimming Champs

Over the weekend of the 7th and 8th of March Mia Casagrande, Harper Eagleson, Jasper Eagleson and Emma Barram competed at the DDRSA, Darling Downs Regional Swimming Championships at Milne Bay Aquatics Centre. All students swam in many events with Harper receiving silver in 100m freestyle, silver in her 50m relay and a PB in 100m freestyle. Jasper received silver in 50m breaststroke and butterfly with a PB in 50m freestyle. Emma received gold in 100m butterfly, 100m backstroke, 50m backstroke, silver in 50m butterfly and bronze in her 50m relay. Mia got PBs in both 50m freestyle and backstroke. Congratulations on fantastic results. (photo attached)

Upcoming Events

• Fitness Club – 7:15am – 8:00am on Tuesday and Thursday till 26th March 2020.
• Orienteering (Afternoon Sport) – 3:15pm-4:15pm on Tuesday till 24th March 2020.
• P - 6 Swimming Lessons – 16th – 20th March 2020 at Glennie Aquatic Centre
• Prep - 8 year old Swimming Carnival - Wednesday 25th March 2020 (1pm-2.30pm at Glennie Aquatics Centre)
• P - 6 Cross Country - Thursday 2nd April 2020 (9am onwards on Primary School Oval)
• 9 - 12 year olds 200m and 800m Athletics (1/2 day at O'Quinn St Oval) – 18th  June 2020 (9am -12pm)
• Prep - 6 Whole School Athletics Carnival All Day) – 19th June 2020

Kind Regards

Brendan Luck

PE Teacher

International Read to Me Day

This world - wide event takes place next Thursday 19th March. Boost your child's literacy by reading to them each day but especially on this day when we recognise the importance of reading aloud.

Overdue Books

Under our new system, letters are sent home for parents to assist with the return of items when they are at least 1 week overdue. A second reminder follows 'within a month. Items still outstanding after these 2 reminders will be billed on the next round of school fees or as a separate invoice.

Thank you for your assistance to keep your student's borrowing current within the two week loan period. Extensions for items that students want to keep reading are available via a request at the circulation desk.

Anne Anderson

Teacher Librarian

WHAT IS THE NCCD?

The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) takes place every year.

The NCCD is a collection that counts:

• The number of school students receiving an adjustment or ‘help’ due to disability
• The level of adjustment they are receiving to access education on the same basis as other students.

Students are counted in the NCCD if they receive ongoing adjustments at school due to disability. This ‘help’ allows them to access education on the same basis as a child without disability. The NCCD uses the definition of disability in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Schools provide this information to education authorities.

WHY IS THIS DATA BEING COLLECTED?

All schools in Australia must collect information about students with disability.

The NCCD:

• Ensures that the information collected is transparent, consistent and reliable
• Provides better information that improves understanding of students with disability
• Allows parents, guardians, carers, teachers, principals, education authorities and government to better support students with disability.

WHO IS INCLUDED IN THE NCCD?

The definition of disability for the NCCD is based on the broad definition under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.

The following students are examples of those who may be included in the NCCD if they need monitoring and adjustments:

• students with learning difficulties (such as dyslexia)
• students with chronic health conditions (such as epilepsy or diabetes).

WHO COLLECTS INFORMATION FOR THE NCCD?

Schools identify which students will be counted in the NCCD. They base their decisions on the following:

• Adjustments provided for the student (after consultation with the student and/or their parents, guardians and carers)
• The school team’s observations and professional judgements
• Any medical or other professional diagnoses
• Other relevant information. School principals must ensure that information for the NCCD is accurate.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE NCCD FOR STUDENTS?

The information collected by the NCCD helps teachers, principals, education authorities and governments to better support students with disability at school. The NCCD encourages schools to review their learning and support systems and processes. This helps schools to continually improve education outcomes for all students.

WHEN DOES THE NCCD TAKE PLACE?

The NCCD takes place in August each year.

IS THE NCCD COMPULSORY?

Yes. All schools must collect and submit information each year for the NCCD. This is detailed in the Australian Education Regulation 2013. For more information, ask your school principal or the relevant education authority.

For further information see the Facts sheet provided with this newsletter.

Mrs Annette Murdoch

Learning Support Teacher

Term 1 School Fees:

Term 1 school fees are now overdue.  Thank you to those families who have finalised their Term 1 school fee account.  

Volunteer Register forms:

Please remember to send back your volunteer register forms as soon as possible.  It is a requirement that we keep a register of all the people who help in our school.  If you have misplaced these forms, please contact the office.

Coronavirus:

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, it is important to remember that effective hand and sneeze/cough hygiene is the best defence against viruses and can help prevent the spread of illness.

Lead by example and encourage your children to:

• wash their hands regularly with soap and water, before and after eating, and after going to the toilet
• use alcohol-based hand sanitiser if soap is not available
• cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of their elbow
• dispose of tissues in the bin immediately
• if they are unwell, stay at home and avoid contct with others such as touching, kissing or hugging.