Newsletter – Term 1 Week 5, 2023

February 22, 2023

FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL

St Joseph’s Learning Spaces

We often have people ask us how our rooms operate and why we do what we do. Over the term, I will share with you the reasons why we love our teaching and learning spaces and philosophy.

Reason Number One: Last week we shared the first reason: small group workshops allowing for target teaching according to need.

Reason Number Two: Our rooms enable students to move regularly. We know that students (and adults) need to move their body in order to help maintain attention and focus. This is known as self-regulation. The way we have set up our rooms with the varied learning spaces, workshops and furniture, allows for regular movement from workshop to workshop. This is like a brain break for the students and assists with their ability to transition from lesson to lesson and retain their focus and concentration.

Student Clubs

Starting this week, we are introducing student clubs. Students have been placed in clubs based on their preferences. On a Thursday afternoon, between 1:30 and 3:00, these clubs will operate. Students will swap to a different club for Semester two, therefore, allowing each student to experience two different clubs throughout the year. Below is a quick outline of the different clubs on offer.

• Junior Joeys: Students will learn about Mary MacKillop and plan activities for the school based on the teachings of Mary.
• Sustainability: Students will learn to care for our common home. They will be involved in activities including looking after our worm farm, compost bins, weeding and gardening, growing and caring for seedlings and plants with the vision of creating school gardens.
• Choir: Students will have the opportunity to learn a variety of songs which then can be performed at various school events.
• STEM: Students will collaborate to solve real-world problems through experimenting with a range of robotics and STEM equipment.
• Lego: Students will have the opportunity to be creative and bring their ideas to life through lego.
• Genius: Students will learn by actively engaging in real-word and personally meaningful projects and investigations.
• Indigenous Culture: Students will learn about the indigenous culture and participate in cultural activities. This club is open to all students.
• The Arts: Students will have the opportunity to try new skills in art, music, drama and dance.
• Intergenerational: Students will have the opportunity to engage with the elderly so both generations can learn from each other.

Our hope will be to hold some sort of showcase event towards the end of Semester One and Two, so that students can share what they have learnt during these clubs.

Access to School

We have had quite a few occasions this year where students have tried to leave the school grounds. As I’m sure you can appreciate, this is a serious safety issue, especially with such a busy road at the front of the school. In order to keep our students safely inside the school, all gates around the school have been padlocked. All gates at the back of the school will remain permanently locked. The gates at the front of the school will be unlocked in the morning when the first staff member arrives at school, relocked once the school day begins and unlocked again at approx 2:45 of an afternoon.

Parents are welcome to enter the school at any time of the day. When the gates are locked, all students and parents should enter the school through the office as per our normal procedures.

Of an afternoon, parents/caregivers are welcome to enter the school to collect their child. We just ask that adults don’t linger around outside classrooms, as this can be very distracting to the students.

There are plenty of tables around the school where parents and carers are able to sit and wait for their children to be released at 3pm. Please be aware, however, that at 3pm the MPA court area legally becomes an OSHC space and you will be asked to vacate this area. Prep and Year 1 students will continue to be walked up to the pick up area, as this is also done for the safety of these younger students.

Thanks for your understanding of this important safety precaution we have put in place.

Upcoming Events:

• Ash Wednesday: 22nd February
• Year 6 Camp Parent Information Evening: Rescheduled to Tuesday, 28th February
• Board Meeting: Wednesday, 1st March
• St Joseph’s Feast Day: Mass at 9am followed by Grandparent’s Day morning tea in the MPA. Drawing of the Year 6 Easter Raffle. 17th March
• NAPLAN: 15th March – 24th March
• Year 6 Camp: 27th March – 30th March

Regards,
Deanne Senini
Acting Principal