Newsletter Term 4, 2023. Week 2

Principal's Update

Welcome to Term 4 everyone! 

I am hoping you all had a restful holiday break and are ready for a busy and rewarding Term 4.  You will find some important dates below for your diaries plus you will receive a calendar for your reference also.  Please also have your compass close by for any changes. 

Important dates so far: 

October 

24th 6 pm PAG (Parent Advisory Group) meeting 

25th Sock it to Poverty fundraiser 

26th Kindergarten 2024 transition/orientation commences 8.45-10 am 

26th-27th Year 5 Camp Toukley 

November 

2nd Kindergarten 2024 transition/orientation 8.45-10am 

6th leadership speeches (TBC) 

8th Stage 3 touch football (TBC) 

9th Kindergarten 2024 transition/orientation 8.45-10 am 

16th Kindergarten 2024 transition/orientation 8.45-10 am 

17th Kindergarten 2024 Teddy Bears picnic transition 8.45-9.30 am 

18th Family Parish Mass 5 pm 

27th Start of Wellbeing Week/Big Beach Week 

29th Christmas carols. Food trucks 3.30. Carols start 5 pm 

30th Children’s University group graduation at Ourimbah 3.45 pm 

December 

1st Reports available on Compass 

4th Year 6 Farewell Mass 5.15 pm 

5th Year 6 Farewell Dinner – The Doylo Club 6 pm 

7th Year 6 Beach Fun Day 

8th whole School Thanksgiving Mass 9 am and End of Year Awards Years K-5 10.30 am 

15th Last Day for Students and Year 6 Clap Out! 

During the holidays Catholic Schools Broken Bay supported our business case of the need for new laptops.  I am happy to announce the arrival of enough laptops for our Year 5 and 6 students to have 1:1 laptops.  This will allow for our existing Chromebooks and iPads to be distributed to our other grades topping up their access to their existing devices. 

It is very encouraging to see so many students with Dojo awards!  Well done children.  Due to the enormity of the dojos accumulated, we are now giving our dojo awards in class as the children reach their targets instead of waiting for the Friday assembly.  This will allow for classes to manage their dojos. 

Parents are informed if their child needs to have some “reset” time in the reflection room during a lunch break.  If your child is in the reflection room,we do intend to follow up with a phone call or email with further details of the incident.  If your child refuses to attend their reflection time, they will miss their recess and lunch the following day. .

It was lovely celebrating our children’s Confirmation last weekend.  Please read Miss Foskett’s RE page in this newsletter for further information. 

Congratulations to both Rain R and Kai P who attended the Polding athletics carnival in Sydney last Friday, both with outstanding results.  Kai came equal 4th in the 12-13 years high jump and Rain came 1st in the 8-10 years long jump, 2nd in 10 years 100m, and 2nd in 8-10 years 200m.  The top 3 places are then selected in the Polding team and will compete again next week in Sydney, therefore congratulations to Rain R who has made the Polding team in her events above. 

Many years ago St Brendan’s moved away from holding our swimming carnival at the beginning of the year which makes it very hard to enter the swimming carnival schedule.  We have managed to book the Gosford swimming pool on Friday, February 2nd, 2024 for our annual swimming carnival.  We will then await confirmation from the Swansea pool for a 2025 date.  We will not hold a swimming carnival in December this year, instead, years 2-6 will attend early 2024.  If you can assist with helping on this day, would be much appreciated!  A letter will be sent home in December this year asking for helpers and sharing further information. 

Our PAG (parent advisory group) meeting is coming up on Tuesday, 24th October at 6 pm.  We will be revising our meeting guidelines and NORMS for all to acknowledge.  If you have any agenda items please email to Charlene.reid1@dbb.catholic.edu.au before Monday, 23rd October. 

2024 classes and staffing will be confirmed at a later date this year! However, I would like to welcome Paige Taylor to the SBLM staff as our school psychologist assisting our existing school counsellor, Tabea Keske.  Paige has already started supporting some children and families this term.  Welcome Paige! 

In 2024 we will also have a pastoral care worker starting.  This role is a very special role that will support children in social skills development, check in with families and children who need support, and be available to reach out and provide the information needed in our school community. 

St Brendan’s Has Got Talent is on again!  Well done to all the children who are getting involved on a Thursday lunch time and thank you to Mr Ward for sharing your time and enthusiasm in organising this special event! 

The Year 6 Market Day was a success last Friday!  The children organised their own market day stall full of games and lolly prizes.  Thank you to our generous school community for getting involved and buying coupons.  The sale of coupons will go toward the Year 6 farewell events!  

Next week our Year 5 students are off to Camp Toukley for their leadership camp!  I wish you all well, have fun and enjoy your leadership activities ready to return to school for their leadership applications to be returned and their speeches to become a year 6 leader in 2024! 

God Bless, 

Charlene Reid 

Principal  

Collaborative Coaching:

We are now in our fourth term of Collaborative Coaching where all grades are continuing to focus on building skill, knowledge, and understanding in the area of Numeracy (Multiplicative Thinking).  We have seen growth across all grades as we increase student knowledge and understanding, reduce vulnerabilities, and build teacher capacity. 

Today I would like to share data from Kindergarten, Year 1, and Year 2 from Term 3.  The data is not in alphabetical order for confidentiality.  Some students have greater growth at different times than others.  Where you see a missing data set, this is predominantly due to a child being absent and shows the importance of school attendance, learning everyday matters.  

Kindergarten

Year 1

Year 2

I have included below a range of suggestions from Mathematics Syllabus on ways Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 parents can support your child with their multiplicative thinking.  

KINDERGARTEN:  A GUIDE TO SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD IN MATHEMATICS (FORMING GROUPS)

• Teaching them to share cutlery for each place when setting the table.

• Sharing food items equally between siblings or family members by repeatedly giving each person one in the same order until there are no food items left. Discuss what happens if there is an odd number. 

• Identifying and discussing patterns in and around your home such as lounge or bed linen material colours or shapes. For example, blue square – yellow circle, blue square – yellow circle, blue square – yellow circle 

• Singing songs, creating dances, and reading books with repeating rhyming, or rhythmic numbers, such as There were 10 in the Bed .

• Noticing patterns in nature, for example, a beehive, or petals on a flower.

YEAR 1 & YEAR 2:  A GUIDE TO SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD IN MATHEMATICS (FORMING GROUPS)

Forming Groups in Year 1 and Year 2 Focuses on: 

• Using groups to solve multiplication problems or share to solve division problems. You can help your Year 1 and Year 2 child at home by: 

• Playing skip counting games or taking turns to count by 2s, 3s, 5s, and 10s 

• Using 5c, 10c, or $2 coins to skip count money 

• Drawing a skip-counting hopscotch path with chalk. Use the hopscotch path in reverse to skip count backward.

In our next newsletter, I will share with you data from Years 4 - 6.

What is on this term?

Lunchtime clubs this term include:

• St Brendan's Got Talent
• Drawing
• Choir

In addition to this, our Library is also open for two lunch times per week, Tuesday and Thursday.

Religious Education

Mission Mass

On Wednesday we hopped in Mrs Fletcher’s car with Miss Foskett and drove to Our Lady of The Rosary Cathedral to be part of the Mission Mass. It was a 1 hour drive to get there, so it was very long but we did get there, eventually. When we got there we had some of our recess, then went into the Cathedral, it was beautiful.  

During the mass, we learned many new hymns that we hope to share and teach to the students at our school. The theme of the Mass was "Hearts on Fire, Feet on the Move" Inspired by the Pope's message for World Mission Sunday, this year Catholic Mission is raising awareness of the life-giving work of lay and religious missionaries around the world.  One way we are raising awareness and money is through our Socktober event next week. On the way home we got some McDonalds. we made it back in time for lunch safe and sound.

- Keira, Sophia and Keeley 

Sock it to Poverty

Don't forget to bring in your old socks or rags into the school my Monday 23rd October.  We will be turning them into soccer balls on Wednesday

School Updates

SBLM FOCUS

Our SBLM focus for Weeks 1 and 2 was "Striving High"

Our SBLM focus for Weels 3 and 4 is "Be an Active Listener"

NSW Junior Chess League Expressions of Interest

Dear parents/caregivers,

We are currently seeking expressions of interest from students who would like to compete in the Primary Schools Chess Competition next month. It is run by the NSW Junior Chess League and attracts around 260 competitors each year. Please see the details on the flyer below and email daniel.murphy1@dbb.catholic.edu.au for further information or to register your child’s interest.

Kind regards,

Daniel Murphy

Getting Started with Social Media esafety webinar

Awards

Merit Awards

Dojo Awards

Community News

Are you a Self Manager?

The Uniting Northern Lakes Neighbourhood Centre is hosting a Free Self-Management Talk for people aged 50 and under who live with a Chronic Health Condition or have children with a Chronic Health Condition.

This will be held at the Centre at Lake Munmorah on Tuesday 24^th October from 10 am to 11 am.

Circle of Security

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group

Positive Parenting Program

Parent Well Being Session

Compass Calendar