Week 5, Term 1, 2021
Dear Parents, Staff and Students,
Welcome to mid-term of Term 1. At assembly this week, I commended our students on the pride they are taking in wearing their school uniforms, their behavioural interactions with each other in all learning environments and especially their attentiveness in being curious thinkers when learning. The energy and enthusiasm that flows throughout our school during the day is tremendous from both staff and students. It is a pleasure to walk throughout the classrooms and witness the great learning happening.
Carpark Safety:
Look out! Look out, there are children about!
Respect and care for safety outweighs convenience every time. We really need your help. The staff and I really love to welcome the children as they arrive at school and wish them a great afternoon as they go home. We love the smiles on their faces, their enthusiasm and the fact that they have arrived safely and leave safely. The traffic around St Saviour’s Primary School can be potentially dangerous and I am imploring every parent to drive in a manner that is protective of every child and member of the public. Convenience should not be more important than respect and care when driving around the school precinct.
Please obey the road rules as it has been reported by several concerned parents and our crossing supervisors that the following are occurring way too often and causing grave danger to our young children:
A few parents are parking in unmarked places such as on the footpath near the Cathedral Centre and then reversing towards children who are walking across the pedestrian crossing. This must stop before a child is hurt.
Parking in front of the fire hydrants in the Toowoomba Catholic Schools carpark is illegal. This area needs to remain free from cars parking.
Cars parking or pulling over to the side in the signed ‘No Standing” area at the pedestrian crossing.
The Cathedral Centre Carpark, Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office carpark and marked Lawrence St parking are all available for our families. We are all responsible for the safety of community, especially our children.
Your support in this matter is greatly appreciated.
SSPS Parents and Friends/ FACE
Last Tuesday 16th February the AGM was held in the school library. It was wonderful to see some new faces attending the meeting.
Following is my 2020 Principal Report for P & F for your interest:
AGM_Principal_report_for_P_F_2020.pdf
Congratulations to the following 2021 executive members:
President: Mrs Renee Campbell
Vice-President: Mrs Danielle Hart
Secretary: Mr Brendan McDonald
Treasurer: Mrs Christine Scott
Diocesan Representatives: Mr Terry Sanders and Mrs Shannon Zimmerle
We look forward to engaging parents in your child’s learning both in the classroom and playground.
Date for next meeting: 16 March 2021 (Week 8).
Meetings to be on the third Tuesday of every month at 6pm.
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend.
Madonna Sleba
Dear Parents and Carers,
The last couple of weeks have been very busy across all aspects of school life, but as we journey towards EASTER, the religious life of the school has come increasingly into focus. Students from Yrs 2-6 and staff gathered with Fr Michael in the Mercy Centre last Wednesday for our ASH WEDNESDAY liturgy and while ashes were not individually distributed, each class was given a jar of ash, a purple candle and a lenten prayer to place on their prayer table and use over the coming weeks. Fr Michael's message, which was also shared with Preps and Year Ones, was that these items are "reminders or notes" that help keep us on track in our preparation for the celebration to come.
Each class has also been given Project Compassion (CARITAS) resources and these will help focus our fundraising over the coming weeks. Parents and families are welcome to access/ share the Project Compassion resources as well. Please see link below.
The ILLUMINATE Religious Education Project will be led by Nicki Prentice and I who will be working with class teachers, supported by TCSO over the next two years. This will involve teachers revisiting, refining and renewing best teaching practice in the delivery of Religious Education. There will be a particular focus on scripture, where students are given the freedom and invitation to explore views and develop understanding.
It is hoped that by doing this, students (and teachers) will become more engaged in RE and come to see how it relates to them and their own lives. In the coming weeks we will be looking for some responses from parents to help ascertain parents' points of view and understandings in this area. We encourage open and honest feedback.
Year 3 identifying Super Heroes!!
Year 3 students took at tour of St Pat's Cathedral a couple of weeks ago, looking particularly at the statues within and around. Fr Tom then followed up with a visit and a chat with the students about the relevance of what they found. Some thoughts from the Year 3 students...
"It was helpful for me to understand why some people became saints and about their lifetime."
"It was interesting because I learnt heaps of things about the church. We learnt that our altar has a relic inside it."
"Father Tom is very smart!"
SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM:
Preparation for Reconciliation is well underway with nearly 40 students in total enrolled and sharing this important part of their faith journey with their families, supported by the St Pat's and SSPS communities. Cluster groups (Sundays and Thursdays) continue for the next two weeks, with the celebration of Reconcilation to take place on March 12 (6pm) and March 13 (9:30am).
Enjoy the rest of your week!
Judy
Dear Parents and Carers,
IGNITE LEARNING
In the newsletter in Week 1, I mentioned how excited the staff at St Saviour's Primary are at being part of the Ignite Learning Program for 2021 and beyond.
Below is a summary of that information:
The Ignite Learning Project is based on educational expert John Hattie’s Visible Learning work which includes the world’s largest collection of research on what actually works in improving student outcomes. It draws on the many texts that are continuously being published within the official Visible Learning Collection as well as a large range of other well-known educationalists from across the globe.
Why Ignite Learning at St Saviour’s Primary School
The St Saviour's Teaching Staff workshopped our 'why' for the Ignite Learning Project and below is the result:
‘To create an engaging and joyful learning culture, where students want to learn and know how to learn. Central to this is the St Saviour’s Primary Learner, who is self-directed, excited to take risks and is equipped with the skills and knowledge to be able to successfully navigate the complex world of their future.’
Further to this information is that the starting point for the Ignite Learning Project at St Saviour's Primary is to develop Learning Dispositions. These dispositions will create a common language and help learners engage in and relate to the learning process. This learning process can be at school, but it can also be during play at home, playing sport on the weekend or at any time when learning is taking place.
The staff at St Saviour's have been working hard to finalise our list of dispositions based on our perception of what students at St Saviour's need. However, parent voice is extremely important in this process and we would like to attain some feedback from parents. When you attend your parent teacher interview there will be a QR Code available which will take you to two questions (2-3 mins max) focused on your child's learning. Please take the time to complete this feedback as it will have a direct impact on the final dispositions.
PARENT/TEACHER INTERVIEWS
Parent/Teacher Interviews will be commencing shortly and are an important part of the learning process at St Saviour's Primary.
Mrs Melinda Harkins will begin her interviews in Week 7 (8 March onwards) and Ms Lisa Kynoch will be commencing after the holidays. All other teachers will either be commencing their interviews in Week 8 (15 March onwards) or 9 (22 March onwards) of this term.
Bookings will be taking place via the Schoolzine App and will be sent to parents in the next week.
RACE DAY
SAVE THE DATE - Saturday October 30
St Saviour's Primary and St Patrick's Cathedral will again be holding a Race Day on Saturday October 30 in the Marquee at Clifford Park Turf Club. This is also Victorian Derby Day and we will stick with the 'Black & White' theme for the day.
Please stay tuned for ticket sales and sponsorship opportunities in the coming weeks.
SWIMMING LESSONS
Swimming lessons for all students (P-6) will take place in Week 8 of this term at the Glennie Pool.
A permission note with further information will be sent home next week and will need to be returned to your child's classroom teacher.
Sam Hannant
APA
Dear Parents and Carers,
How to help your child when they are ‘stuck’ on a word – Early Years' Focus
It can be tricky to know how to support a child who gets ‘stuck’ on a word or phrase when reading. Quite often when we listen to children read, we are tempted to jump in and save them. When our children need our help, our instincts take over and we think the best way to support them is to do the work for them.
When reading, it is so important that we give our children opportunities to solve their own problems. When we do this, we foster independence. This leads to your child having much more success as a reader! We can still be their coaches on the sidelines – by encouraging them to use their strategies and asking targeted questions that help them become better readers! See some ideas below:
Questions you can ask:
How could you work this out?
What strategies could you try?
Is there anything around the word to help you?
Have you tried re-reading?
Have you seen this word before?
Did that sentence make sense?
Could you plug something in?
Could you take a guess?
Strategies to use:
Happy Reading!
Nicki Prentice
Queensland Schools Library Week
School Libraries Unlocking the Future
We celebrated our library during Week 4 by reflecting on how our use of the library opens or unlocks our future. Students also considered their reading future for the year ahead. Students' responses were shared, published and added to our display.
Here is a sample of what students had to say;
Reading about important topics can help us protect the environment, treat all living things well, change how we build things and lead to inventions.
I can add to my vocabulary and know the meaning of words and phrases
I can challenge myself to read more complex, meaningful stories
Using the library well builds responsibility
Reading takes my ideas to a new level by expanding my thinking and my imagination
I can brainstorm with my classmates and share new paths to take with my reading choices
Reading opens-up new possibilities and career ideas
See all the responses on the AccessIT homepage
Our Year 6 councillors checking out student responses to the questions
This quote from Australian author Tim Winton gives an adult take on this year's theme.
Our Digital Resources
Our library unlocks a world of stories, information and learning opportunities by providing access to age-appropriate online resources.
* Storybox library provides great Australian picture books narrated by well-known Australians
*Britannica School is a great reference tool for young readers when they have a burning question
*ABC Education provides information, current affairs, games and fun activities for primary aged students
Please access our school subscriptions and other recommended websites from home via the AccessIT homepage at https://au.accessit.online/STS02
1) Students sign in using the blue Single Sign on (SSO) button
2) Open the Online Resources dashboard and click through to the resource of your choice, username and passwords are provided.
QSLW Art Competition – Winning Entries
Thank you to all the wonderful artists who took the time to consider the theme and create a piece of art. All entries can be viewed outside the library. The two winning entries from Harry Weeden Year 2 and Annabel DeFreece Year 5 will go to the QLD School Library Association for the state judging.
Volunteers please
We have new classroom readers to cover!
Please consider volunteering to cover a few of these items at home. Instruction and support will be provided by library staff and as the old saying goes, many hands make light work.
I need to give a special shout-out to our long-term volunteer coverer, Mrs Merryl Nunn who always does an immaculate covering job and who never seems to tire of this task.
Thank you so much Merryl, you are amazing!
Central Zone Swimming Carnival
On Wednesday the 17th of February, sixteen students from St Saviour’s competed in the Central Zone Swimming Carnival at Glennie Aquatic Centre. These students are to be commended for their behaviour and the way they represented their school in swimming. They competed against other schools to try and qualify for the Darling Downs carnival which will be held in Gatton on the 3rd of March. Six out of the sixteen students made it through to the next level and will be competing, representing the Central Zone Team in Gatton. These students are listed below. Emma Barram set a new swimming record on the day for her age in 10-year-old girls 100m butterfly.
Students competing at the Darling Downs Trials:
- Mia Casagrande
- Lucy Hardy
- Taylor Wann
- Emma Barram
- Harper Eagleson
- James Currie
Fitness Club
Fitness club started up on the 9th of February with around 50 students attending. Students have been increasing their aerobic fitness through different running activities and exercises such as sit ups, push ups, squats and lunges. Thanks to Mrs Wagner, Mrs McHugh and Mr Hannant for your assistance with helping run the classes. Don’t forget, fitness club runs every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:15am to 8am. Fitness club is for students in year 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, they can get a permission form from the office. If you have any questions, please email Mr Luck via brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au.
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 me. Any questions, please contact me at brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au.
Prep – 8-year-old Swimming Carnival
On Tuesday the 30th 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. This carnival will follow on from your child’s swimming lessons. Any questions please email me at brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au.
Athletics Champ
Azariah Hart did a fantastic job at her Little Athletics meet in the under 11 age group receiving a 3rd in Javelin and a 3rd in Shotput. Azariah trains every week and has been particularly focused on these two disciplines. Awesome effort Azariah (picture below)
Hunter Robinson did exceptionally well competing for Toowoomba BMX Club in her BMX comps over the weekend. Hunter made the A final at Yandina placing 4th after placing 3rd and 4th in heats. Hunter also competed at Caboolture, making the B-final coming 3rd after coming 2nd and 3rd in her heats (picture below)
Upcoming Events (Term One)
- Fitness Club (7:15am – 8:00am) - Tuesday and Thursday from 9th February 2021 till 25th March 2021.
- P - 6 Swimming Lessons – 15th – 19th March 2021 at Glennie Aquatic Centre
- Junior Swimming Carnival – 30th March 2021(9am) at Glennie Aquatics Centre
- SSPS P - 6 Cross Country - Thursday 1st April 2021 (9am onwards on Primary School Oval)
Kind Regards
Brendan Luck
PE Teacher
Week 6 is Wellbeing Week at SSPS. We have a few fun initiatives happening throughout the week, including student-teacher handball games on Wednesday, healthy eating options in the tuckshop (thanks Mrs Biggar!), and a colourful wellbeing display will be added to our office hallway (thanks to Mrs King!). Ways in which you, as a family, can join Wellbeing Week at home will be shared with you via SchoolZine on Monday.
Students and Teachers are also continuing to deepen their understanding of Positive Education through weekly wellbeing lessons. The past 5 weeks, students across the school have been learning about what it means to ‘Flourish’. Flourishing refers to a combination of ‘feeling good and doing good’. As our Positive Education journey continues, students will start to learn specific skills that assist them to strengthen their relationships, build positive emotions, enhance personal resilience, promote mindfulness and encourage a healthy lifestyle. Keep an eye out on our new wellbeing display to see all of the amazing things our students are learning through Positive Education.
Anne Woodcroft-Brown
School Counsellor
Congratulations to our Weekly Award Winners for Week 4 and Week 5.
Term 1 School Fees:
Term 1 Fees have been emailed home last Friday. If you could please check your emails to make sure you have received your account. Due date for payment is Friday 19th March. Please contact the office if you have any questions.
Swimming Lessons:
Swimming lessons will commence in Week 8 for all grades from Prep - Year 6 at the Glennie Aquatic Centre. These lessons will be invoiced after swimming lessons are completed.
Medication at school:
Just a reminder that medication given at school must be labelled from a doctor or pharmacy. The office cannot administer unprescribed medication such as cough mixture or panadol. Parents are able to come to the school to administer medication if necessary.
Absentees:
Thank you to everyone who has been submitting student absence notifications via the SZAPP. This is the preferred way of communicating with the office if your child is unwell. Just a reminder to please submit any student absences by 9am each day.
Crossing Supervisors:
Please remember to be respectful when crossing at the crossings both in Perth an Lawrence Street. Our crossing supervisors are there to ensure that all our families cross safely when using the crossings. Please set good examples to our children at SSPS at all times.
Care Monkey:
Just a reminder to those families who used CAREMONKEY/OPEROO last year.
St Saviour's Primary no longer uses this platform for keeping your families details up to date. If your circumstances have changed or you have changed your details (address, phone etc) please contact the office to update. Caremonkey/Operoo will continue to send you notifications unless you unsubscribe to the APP. St Saviour's is transitioning over to a parent portal which will hopefully be available to all our families soon. Thankyou for your understanding.
To help celebrate Wellbeing Week, the Tuckshop will have a few special items for ordering next week.
Items available at 1st break
Fruit Kebabs - $1-00
Yoghurt Dipped Frozen Blueberries - $1-00
Raspberry and White Choc Chip Muffin - $1-30
Hummus, Vege Sticks, Cheese and Turkish Bread Snack Box - $3-00
Items available at 2nd break
Nut Free Chocolate Crackle Bliss Balls - 80c each
The frozen blueberries and raspberry muffins will also be available for 2nd break.
Don’t forget that Friday is Sushi day in the tuckshop, it is a very healthy option to choose for your lunch!!
Thank you to all those mums/grandmas who have volunteered so far this year, without your help our children wouldn’t have the variety to choose from.
Thanks to Ursula Nash, Richelle Jeffries,Gena Yazigi, Katie Boydpratt, Katherine Lucas, Clair Fletcher, Vicki Moore and June McNamarra.
There’s always room for new volunteers, so don’t be shy. Pop down and say Hi!
Regards,
Natasha Biggar
Tuckshop Convenor
