Week 5, Term 2, 2022
Why NAPLAN will help us to grow your child
At St Saviour’s Primary, we are determined to use educational data in meaningful ways; in ways that support student learning. Your willingness to support the program of NAPLAN testing is vital to its successful completion. Working together, we are best able to support and encourage the academic growth of the young children in our care.
NAPLAN might not matter – it’s what it measures that matters. NAPLAN is a measurement instrument. It is designed to measure students’ literacy and numeracy skills under controlled conditions. Let’s use the act of measuring one’s height as an analogy. We do not attempt to measure the person as they go about their daily activities, but instead place them in an artificial situation: shoes off, back to the wall, chin up, no slouching. The same is true of measurement in education. In reality, when we give a child a reading test, we know that he/she may never again encounter those particular reading passages or those particular questions. That is not the point. The reading passages we use and the questions we ask are merely opportunities to gather relevant observations about what is really of interest – the student’s underlying reading ability, which cannot be observed directly and must be inferred.
We use NAPLAN for comparison, not competition. NAPLAN shines a spotlight on school performance every year. Media commentary is often based on over-simplified comparisons of school averages (a statistic that is strongly correlated with students’ socioeconomic backgrounds). We conduct a careful examination of St Saviour’s Primary improvement against that of other schools so that we can better understand the value we add, reflected in the progress students make.
NAPLAN helps us teach in ways that are responsive to our students’ needs. NAPLAN provides schools with detailed data on the performance of their students; data that can be used to investigate classroom teaching strategies and the strength of school-wide programs. Our Middle Leader (Miss Prentice) has led groups of teachers in purposeful projects that have supported focused improvement in students’ reading and writing skills also working alongside teachers in class supporting literacy and numeracy. Our Learning Support Team (Mrs Murdoch, Mrs Smith, Miss Doljanin and Mrs Grundon) support those students who are progressing well beyond their peers and those needing additional support to meet learning targets, ensuring that curricular and co-curricular opportunities are responsive to their learning needs.
Staff Updates:
Welcome back to Mrs Anne Woodcroft-Brown (School Counsellor) after 12 months of leave. Anne’s contact hours have increased from 2.5 days to 3 days per week and she will be available for students and staff on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Parent Engagement Network -Information Evening
All parents are invited to attend an information evening about establishing our Parent Engagement Network (PEN) which will operate instead of a P & F and School Board. Earlier this term, I mentioned in the newsletter that I had met with the P & F executive and School Board members to inform them of the change to the Parent Engagement Network model for Catholic Schools. All members at the meeting were in agreeance of this network. It was decided that after the recent Leadership Forum where Toowoomba Catholic Schools launched the concept of PEN to all Principals, that we are now able to share the constitution and purpose of this new network. It is important to note the following from the PEN constitution: that the creation of a Parent Engagement Network has come about in response to requests to consider an alternative model to the School Board and Parents and Friends Association, acknowledging the changing nature of families and schools and evolving ways of working together. This Network continues to honour the place of parents and families in the life of our school through providing an effective avenue for parents and families to come together to be informed, consulted and learn in relation to school planning, policy, decision making and education programs and engage in activities, projects and events that build community.
I extend a warm invitation to all parents to attend a wine, beer and cheese night on 31st May, 5:30p.m. to hear more about the network and to have a tour of the new facilities. See details below. Please RSVP your attendance by Wednesday 25th May for catering purposes to ssps@twb.catholic.edu.au. Special thanks in advance to the P & F and School Board members for their organisation and support of this upcoming evening.
The PEN AGM will take place on Monday June 13th at 5:30p.m. in the school board room.
National Volunteer Week is a chance for all of us to celebrate and recognise the vital work of volunteers and to say thank you. Together, through volunteering, we are changing communities for the better. We are, Better Together.
We are very privileged here at St Saviour’s for all those volunteers who assist in classrooms, tuckshop, library, P & F, School Board, cultural and sporting events. The generosity of time, knowledge and skills is greatly appreciated by us all. Thank you.
Warm Regards
Madonna
Dear Parents and Carers,
While the weather has certainly been rather gloomy and testing the patience of many, over the last week or so there have been many instances where I have been very proud of our community, with "little rays of sunshine" brightening the day.
One example was last Friday when we had our Free Dress Day to raise funds for St Carthages in Lismore, which, as mentioned earlier was severely impacted by recent floods.
Thanks to the generosity of everyone who participated, we raised $570 from everyone's "gold coin" and then we had a couple of Yr 3 students who took it upon themselves to make and sell some things, raising $10. Then a group of Yr 6s (see photo below) got well into the spirit of things, made and sold biscuits, slices, loom bands and leather keychains and raised $115.
So, with St Pat's Parish matching our donation, I contacted the APRE at St Carthages to say that we were sending $ 1400! You can read his letter of reply below. A sincere thanks to EVERYONE who contributed!
Year 6 not only helping to Outreach to the Lismore community but also being wonderful Role-Models of Service and Compassion. Well done!!
Letter from APRE at St Carthages
Hi Judy, that's so generous of your community! What a wonderful gift of generosity and care.
Please pass on our sincere thanks for their efforts and assure them that the money raised will be spent on the needs of our younger students.
Please also pass on our thanks to Fr Michael for his generosity as well!
As I have been saying, the silver lining to all of our disheartening experiences has been the generosity and kindness of the many schools who have helped us in so many ways. We are truly humbled by how you have truly lived your school motto - to strive for goodness! Daniel Hatchman
Weekly Parish Mass: All Welcome!
Last week, for the first time, our Year 6 students joined parishioners for the 9am Tuesday Mass and shared their thoughts on "when they pray and what they pray for".
This last Tuesday, it was Year 5s' turn and "the parishioners commented that they thoroughly enjoyed having the Yr 5 students participate and that they were all incredible students! The students enjoyed Fr Michael's homily on sowing seeds - of kindness, love, acceptance, compassion."
Next Tuesday (May 24) the Year 3s will be attending the parish mass and then Year 2s the following week. We would love to have parents and grandparents join us for this very special half hour!
Sacramental Program: Tomorrow night, Bishop Robert will be confirming about 25 boys and girls, who along with their families have been preparing over the last few weeks. Please continue to keep these students and their families in your prayers as they continue their faith journey, with their 1st Eucharist taking place on June 11/12.
Thanks for reading and enjoy your weekend,
Judy
Dear Parent and Carers,
Nearly two weeks ago, several St Saviour's Primary Staff were fortunate to be given the opportunity to attend a conference by renowned educational expert James Nottingham. James has an extremely credible resume including 11 books about teaching, learning and leadership. He co-founded Challenging Learning in 2006 to share some of the best ways to strengthen learning in schools. He is perhaps most renowned for his work on the Learning Pit, which I will explore in a future newsletter.
Amongst many messages that our teaching staff took away from the day, perhaps the most important is the fact that 'Learning should be challenging and it should make you think .....hard!'
No longer do we expect students to get everything right the very first time. If they do, they probably already knew it. If that is the case, are they actually learning something new? Serious learning happens when learners have to 'struggle' with a new concept or skill.
To help put this into action, there are many challenges for us as educators and for parents as well. One simple way is to not only focus on achievement, but to also focus on improvement. Concentrating on improvment, charting the progress that each learner makes, can be much more motivating and can lead to accelerated learning. In sports and athletics, for example, everyone wants to win, but the way to get there is to focus on the continual improvement of your personal best.
If your child is 'struggling' with anything at home (learning or otherwise), do we as parents, tell them what to do or give them the answer? Or do we let them have a go (and potentially struggle), encourage and celebrate improvement, ask challenging questions and let them find the answers?
As previously mentioned, the St Saviour's Primary Learning Dispositions are certainly there to help you and your children along the way. Always remembering that one of our aims at St Saviour's is for our learners to 'Strive in Learning', but to also help create good people along the way.
Dear Parents and Guardians,
STEM News
'Drones, Machine Vision & AI' 8 Week STEM Program
Our 'Drones, Machine Vision & Artificial Intelligence' Program will inspire your child to learn how drones are used in the real-world hands-on through ag-tech innovations and applications! This will be an immersive 8 week afternoon program that will engage students through a number of drone pilot and programming challenges, as well as the opportunity to deep dive into machine vision and artificial intelligence to develop algorithms to solve real-world problems! Designed by engineers to inspire students towards exploring and innovating with cutting-edge technologies, this program is one not to miss for any tech-interested student!
Key Details:
- When: Mondays, Term 3 @ 3:10 - 4:10PM
- Dates: 25 Jul - 12 Sep (8 sessions)
- Where: St Saviours Primary
- Room: TBC
- Age: Grade 3 - 6 students
- Restrictions: Limited spaces available (be quick or miss out!)
- Cost: $20 per session (Total: $160 - currently discounted from $224!)
- Registration Portal: https://integratedstem.paperform.com
NAPLAN in Year 3 and 5
It has been affirming to see how the students in Year 3 and 5 have applied themselves in their NAPLAN tests over the past few weeks. When speaking with the classroom teachers, they commented on how their students showed great focus, managed their time well and when faced with a challenging question, persisted and used a number of strategies to help with their thinking.
Prior to the tests, I was working in all of the Year 3 and 5 classrooms. We discussed various strategies and collectively came up with some ideas on how to best approach a tricky question. Over several weeks, we focussed on spelling, grammar, punctuation and writing. We also worked together on the vocabulary of the test, so they were familiar with the language they’d find within the questions. Finally, we analysed writing samples that had been produced by children in past years, using the marking criteria so the students could gain clarity around how to be better writers.
I think what stood out to me most while I was working with the students was that even though we were learning skills that better prepared them for NAPLAN, we were actually learning important skills that will support them in learning well beyond a test at a certain point of time.
I’d like to thank the Year 3 and 5 teachers for warmly welcoming me into their classrooms. It has been an absolute delight working with my colleagues and watching the students grow in confidence in their ability to develop skills and strategies independently to be the best learners they can be. My hope is that what we’ve learnt together supports our students well beyond the NAPLAN tests
Enjoy your week!
Warm Regards
Nicki Prentice
Using our Library database from home
Our library database, AccessIt is web based and can be accessed from home using the following URL;
St Saviours Primary School Toowoomba (accessit.online)
Take a look at the information on Alison Lester and Gabrielle Wang on the AccessIT homepage, search for books to borrow and use Britannica Onlne, Clickview and Storybox Library via the Online Resources dashboard!
Our Library Displays
The CBCA Younger Reader notable books are on display and are available for borrowing
Alison Lester is our featured Australian author
Year 6 Helpers
Year 6 students are rostered each week to help in the library. They assist with book shelving and lunch-time activities across the term. Their help is a valuable contribution to the library service.
Lunch-time activities
Students enjoyed the library during lunch-time on Tuesday this week. Many students chose to draw and create, while others played games or read.
Happy Reading!
Anne Anderson
Teacher LIbrarian
St Saviour’s Primary School Athletics Carnival 2022
As you might be aware the 2022 Athletics Carnival will take place on Thursday the 16th and Friday 17th of June 2022. To streamline the carnival, I have made a few changes this year that I feel will make a positive impact for students. Please see information below.
Field Event Qualifying
All students in Year Three to Year Six will participate in Shotput, Discus, Long Jump and High Jump. Students will throw and jump to determine the top eight in each age group (boys and girls) who will compete at the school athletics carnival on the 17th of June. Qualifying will happen in PE lessons this year as I feel it will be a much more relaxed and fun experience for the students. Qualifying has been designed so all students get a chance to participate in each event in a fun environment regardless of ability. The top eight in each event (age group, boy and girl) then compete at the school carnival in a fun but more competitive level. It is important to note that whilst all students are not doing all events at the Athletics Carnival, all students have participated in an event during PE sessions which are a part of the Athletics Carnival and have gained points for their house in these sessions.
Thursday 16th of June 2022 (O’Quinn Street)
DATE:
16th of June 2022
TIME:
9am – 12pm (Transport Provided).
VENUE:
Glynis Nunn-Cearns Oval, 16 - 44 O’Quinn Street, Toowoomba.
EVENTS:
200m heats and 800m finals
WHO FOR:
Students in Year Three to Year Six
TRANSPORT:
The children will catch a bus from St Saviour’s Primary to Glynis Nunn-Cearns Oval at 8.40am and return to school after the carnival.
FOOD:
The children will need to bring their own morning tea, lunch, and water.
UNIFORM:
The children are welcome to dress up and can wear clothing of their house colour. Hair spray and zinc is also allowed. If your child/ren does not wish to wear their house colours, can they please attend in their sports uniform. Please ensure your child wears shoes suitable for running.
NOMINATIONS:
All students will run in 200m and 800m races.
Friday 17th of June 2022 (O’Quinn Street)
DATE:
17th June 2022
TIME:
8am – 12pm – Prep to Year Two (Students will need to be dropped off but transport provided back to school). A message will come out later in the term to confirm if your child will require the bus back to school so buses can be organised.
8am – 3pm – Year Three to Year Six (Students will need to be dropped off and picked up).
VENUE:
Glynis Nunn-Cearns Oval, 16 - 44 O’Quinn Street, Toowoomba.
EVENTS:
Shotput, Discus, High Jump, Long Jump, 60m, 80m and 100m Sprints, 200m Finals, Relays, Prep – Year 2 Rotations
WHO FOR:
Prep – Year Six Students
TRANSPORT:
Prep to Year Two (Students will need to be dropped off but transport provided back to school).
Year Three to Year Six (Students will need to be dropped off and picked up).
FOOD:
The children will need to bring their own morning tea, lunch, and water. There will also be a canteen operating on Friday the 17th of June 2022.
COVID-19:
We encourage as many parents as possible to come and support your child/ren at the St Saviour’s Primary Athletics Carnival. All spectators will need to adhere to social distancing at the event and are encouraged to maintain good hand hygiene.
COST:
This carnival and transport is all inclusive in your child/ren school fees.
UNIFORM:
The children are welcome to dress up and can wear clothing of their house colour. Hair spray and zinc is also allowed. If your child/ren does not wish to wear their house colours, can they please attend in their sports uniform. Please ensure your child wears shoes suitable for running.
NOMINATIONS:
All students will run in either a 60m, 80m or 100m race and year level relay. Students in Prep to Year Two will participate in modified athletics activities to gain points for their house. Students in Year Three to Year Six will also compete in 200m and 800m races. The qualifying eight from PE sessions will compete in shotput, discus, high jump and long jump.
PERMISSION:
Please fill out the permission for you child/ren via Sentral by Monday 13th of June 2022.
Discus Permission for Athletics Training and Event
During Term Two and Term Three I will be conducting Discus training in the lead up to St Saviour's Primary Athletics Carnival. As Discus is considered a HIGH risk activity, parent permission is needed for your child/ren to participate in training and the event at the School Athletics Carnival (if applicable). All training will be conducted by Mr Luck who is a qualified HPE teacher and an accredited athletics coach. Can you please fill out permission form on Sentral for your child to be able to receive training at school and complete in Discus at the St Saviour's Athletics Carnival? Please note that if no permission is received, then your child will not be able to participate.
School Sport
Chelsea Baker competed at Scott’s PGC interschool for equestrian over the weekend. Chelsea and her horse Sodi did a fantastic job taking out, Champion in the primary jumping. If Chelsea gets a clear round at regionals next week, she will be attending states. We are super proud of your efforts Chelsea and look forward to hearing about your success (Picture below).
Zone and Darling Downs Trials
All Zone and Darling Downs trials will be placed on Parent Portal. Please check Parent Portal 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. I am unable to nominate students after the closing date so please make sure you do keep an eye on Parent Portal. Any questions, please contact me at brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au.
Upcoming Events (Term Two)
- Athletics Carnival (Year Three – Year Six) Thursday, 16th June 2022
- Athletics Carnival (Prep – Year 6) Friday, 17th June 2022
Cheers
Brendan Luck
HPE Teacher
Congratulations to our Weekly Award Winners for Week 4 & 5
Reminders
Term 2 School Fees are due Friday 20 May.
Skool Dayz Uniform Shop:
Opening Hours -
Monday 2.30pm - 4.00pm
Friday 2.30pm - 4.00pm
All other times must be by appointment only.
Please contact Dan Eagleson 0481 318 398 to arrange a suitable time.
Prep 2023:
Reminder if you have a daughter or son that is eligible to start Prep next year, and you have not filled in your application please do so. We have limited spaces left for Prep.
Please click on the following link to submit an application.
https://enrol-ssp.twb.catholic.edu.au/enrolment-application/start
Late Arrivals:
Just a reminder that all late arrivals after 8.30am must be signed in at the office. Children will receive a late pass from the office staff before they are to go up to the classroom.
Parking in Lawrence Street:
It has come to our attention, that some parents are not parking safely or correctly in Lawrence Street of a morning and afternoon. If you are parking in the angled parks, please be mindful of other drivers beside you. Lawrence Street can be quite busy particularly at 3.00 pm and visibility can be limited particularly when reversing. Be respectul of other families who are trying to find parks at the same time. We have had incidents occuring where families are being blocked in from reversing.
Some points to remember:
- There is strictly no parking in the driveway of the Boarding School or the driveway exits or entry points to the Boarding School
- No parking at the back of the Mercy Centre - this is strictly for Adminstration, deliveries and disabled parking.
- No parking in the bus stops at any time throughout the day.
- No parking on the footpaths of residents in Perth Street.
Several of our students recently competed at the Toowoomba Eistedfodd.
Congratulations to Sia and Abby who were awarded 2nd place in the Year 5 and 6 Duologue section and to Alessandra in Year 4 who won 1st place for her solo Vocal.
Claire Wilson also received two Highly Commended places for Year 5-7 Muscial Vocal Solo Contemporary and Year 6 Musical Theatre Solo. We have such amazing talent here at St Saviour's Primary School - well done to everyone who participated in this year's Toowoomba Eistedfodd.
Class 101 - Introduction to Coding and Microbits!
When & Where:
Thursday Mornings 8am to 8:30am – Term 2, Weeks 6 to 10.
The micro:bit is a pocket-sized computer that is a great introduction to how software and hardware work together. It has an LED light display, buttons, sensors and many input/output features that you can program and physically interact with!
In our “SSPS STEM 101” class you will be able to gain a foundation in computational thinking though an introduction to block coding. We will then put our block coding skills to the test to program our micro:bits by making awesome games to challenge our friends with!
Class 101 – Introduction to Coding and micro:bits will be a four week, before school class, offered from 8am on Thursday Mornings. This class will be open to Year 4, Year 5, and Year 6 students. If you are interested, please add your name to the list outside the 5H Classroom! For more information, please see Ms Harlen or Ms Prentice!
Ms Prentice & Ms Harlen
Some photos from our Mother's Day gatherings in Year 6 and Prep from last Friday.
