Newsletter Term 2, 2024 Week 10

Principal's Update

Dear Parents and Carers, 

Welcome to Term 2, Week 10!  On behalf of our SBLM staff I would like to wish our children and families a lovely Winter holiday. 

Congratulations to our years 3 and 4 children who attended the Netball gala day last Friday.  I have had great feedback about the day and everyone following the SBLM expectations! Very pleasing way to finish off the term. 

Thursday we had our End of Term Reward day – the children embraced the drumming groups we engaged with on the day… each child had their own drum to play and they sounded amazing from Kindergarten to Year 6… just ask Tracey and our ladies in the canteen that day who got to listen to it all day! 

I would also like to share with you the exciting news of Mrs De Lemos’ baby boy has arrived – we welcome Marley Noel De Lemos! 

Congratulations to these children who are some of our candidates to celebrate their Sacrament of Confirmation very soon.  They were presented at our 5pm mass last Saturday evening at St Brendan’s. 

If you require any Summer uniforms please feel free to continue to order through Cowan & Lewis.  If they have stock available they will be able to process your orders.  If they are out of stock and it takes time (maybe up to 6 weeks) you may receive your items from the new uniform supplier in September. 

Our uniform survey has had a great response.  Thank you for taking the time to complete it this week.  I would like to share the following data with you.  I have had two uniform meetings, the uniform samples have been on display in our foyer and some lovely models have modelled at our Friday afternoon assemblies and others appear in our uniform survey photos.  I would love to make everyone happy, however, this is an impossible task so I am hoping the majority of our school community embraces the outcome.   

Now we have your feedback of your preferred new version of the girls' Summer uniform, please complete the updated survey which will be sent out tomorrow narrowing our preference - Please complete this further survey over the weekend so we can collate your feedback.

Any changes would be targeted toward our Kindergarten, 2025 families who have also had the opportunity to complete the same survey as above.  Current uniforms will be available for sale if stock allows.  We would gradually introduce the new stock in the coming years if that’s the case. 

Last newsletter I welcomed back some teaching staff.  We welcome back Mr Daniel Murphy to his class, Year 3 Red.  Thank you to Mrs Anderson and Mr Verma who taught Year 3 Red this term and supported their families during Mr Murphy’s paternity leave.   

I would also like to welcome back Mrs Tierney DesBrulais to her role as one of our Learning Support teachers.  During Mrs DesBrulais’ maternity leave, Mrs Allyse Cresta stepped into the role and has supported our families amazingly.  We thank Mrs Cresta for all you have done at St Brendan’s. 

Our amazing Learning Support Team will continue supporting all students & families across St Brendan's.  

We are excited to announce some changes to the Learning Support Team from Term 3 onwards:  

• Lauren Betts (Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday)- supporting Kindergarten and Year 1  

lauren.betts@dbb.catholic.edu.au  

• Tierney DesBrulais (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday)- supporting Years 3 and 4.  

tierney.desbrulais @dbb.catholic.edu.au  

• Belinda Brown (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday)- supporting Years 2, 5 and 6  

belinda.brown2@dbb.catholic.edu.au  

We have a pupil free day on 22nd July therefore our first day back in Term 3 is Tuesday, 23rd July.  The staff will be focusing on curriculum reform on the Monday. 

Mr Murphy has organised a chess competition on Thursday, 1 August.  Good luck to all children participating in this competition at St Brendan’s.  More information will be available early next term. 

Our school public speaking competition will be held on Wednesday, 7th August.  Children take part in classroom competitions and are selected to represent their grade on 7th August.  Please refer to Mrs Fletchers section in this newsletter for further information. 

ICAS assessments

ICAS assessments start next term please visit the ICAS website to register your child for any of the following assessments: Digital Technology, Writing, English, Science, Spelling Bee, Maths.  These are assessments from Year 2 onwards and are conducted supervised at school. 

Your school access code is: GPG579

Your parent page link is: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps

Upcoming events

I acknowledge NAIDOC week is in the school holidays and we will be working with our Aboriginal Learning support workers, Will and Lucas, to provide our children some wonderful experiences on our NAIDOC day celebration on Friday, 2nd August. 

Our Kindergarten, 2025 Story Times start next term every week on alternate Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8.45am in the year 5 collaboration space.  The first Story Time will be Tuesday, 23rd July. 

Week 1 next term we will be celebrating Book Week theme: Reading is Magic.  The book fair will be opened from Wednesday, 24th July, Thursday (Book parade day), Friday (Grandparents Day), Saturday (Family Mass) and Monday, 29th July.  Please see further communication regarding opening times on facebook/compass. 

We are bringing the Olympics to Lake Munmorah – SBLM Olympics Opening Ceremony will be Monday, 29th July – more information to come! 

Kindergarten 100 days of Kinder is on 31st July.  A great day to celebrate their first 100 days of Kindergarten and participate in many “100” activities throughout the day plus the Kindergarten are invited to dress up as “elderly 100 year old men and women” – we welcome grey hair, older style clothing, wigs, sometimes people have wrinkles drawn on them etc (clearly out of uniform for Kindergarten only). 

Sporting Achievements

Congratulations to our CCC Athletics athletes competing at Mingara on Friday 9th August.  Well done on your amazing efforts and good luck on the day!  

 Blake C and Jett O'M played for Broken bay last week in Forbes, it was a frosty start to the morning for the boys. 
 
Jett was able to make the probable’s vs Possibles game and then made the selection for the Polding team to compete in Wagga Wagga in August.  Congratulations Jett. 
 
Super proud of both the boys efforts and sportsmanship. 

These boys have just come back from Year 6 Canberra excursion where they both displayed amazing manners and SBLM expectations every day and every evening!  All round amazing individuals! 

We wanted to share the exciting news that Ollie and Noah have been chosen for the Central Coast Representative squad to compete in the NSW Rugby State Championships in July! The selection process was highly competitive, with many of their friends missing out on spots after three rigorous sessions.

Kiri competed at Liverpool Saturday morning in a higher division.

With only 5 weeks to upgrade her program with new skills she placed 4th - great effort on her part.

She has a nice break from comps now - next one isn’t until mid September. Well done!

We have new fencing/gates commencing in these upcoming holidays to ensure the safety of our school community. I feel this may cause some people to have to change their morning and afternoon parking arrangements however this is a Catholic Schools Broken Bay initiative to keep our school children safe away from traffic etc.  Hoping the works will be completed before we return in Term 3.  This will allow for our double gates to be open for access to the carpark.  We will have a pedestrian gate for children and families to walk through. Fencing will place a boundary from the ELC to the boundary fence.  There has been collaboration with our Early Learning Centre and Parish to identify safety concerns.  Please be patient and keep in mind this has been put in place to keep your children safe. 

We look forward to seeing you next term, on Tuesday 23rd July. 

God Bless, 

Charlene Reid 

Principal 

COLLABORATIVE COACHING

In term 2, St Brendan's continued our whole school focus on improving writing during Collaborative Coaching.  The graphs shared below, demonstrate the pre and post comparisons of student growth after a cycle of targeted instruction by the teacher.  

Kindergarten

We are excited to share with you some writing samples from Kindergarten Green, Kindergarten Red and K-1 Yellow that demonstrate student growth. Students have independently created texts, encoding the phonemes they hear in words: 

During the holidays you can continue to support your child in writing.  Ask them to draw a picture of something they have experienced and write a simple sentence.  Allow them to verbally construct the sentence, counting how many words are in the sentence on their fingers (this is a great planning process) and make sure it makes sense. Encourage them to write the sentence independently using their knowledge of sounds and tricky words to spell.  Review the sentence by reading it aloud and ensuring it begins with a capital letter, ends with a full stop, and makes sense. 

Year 1

This term, Year 1 have been focusing on writing simple and compound sentences correctly.  Within this focus they have also been teaching students how to enhance their writing using intentional word choices.

In the holidays, ask your child to write about an event or something they have done.  Allow them to verbally construct the sentence.  Once they know what they are going to write, encourage them to write the sentence independently using adjectives (describing words) for extra detail.  Once written, review the sentence with them by reading it aloud. Ensure it begins with a capital letter, ends with a full stop (or appropriate end mark e.g. !) and makes sense.

Example: We went to Luna Park and I rode on a large, red rollercoaster.

Year 2

Year 2 continued to develop their knowledge and skills in constructing simple and compound sentences, with a particular focus on adding more details by including adjectives.

Consistency is key!  It would be wonderful if students had the opportunity to write during the holidays.  Encourage your child to keep a journal about their holidays experiences, recording what they do each day. Allow them to verbally construct compound sentences.  Then, ask them to write their compound sentences independently, using adjectives (describing words) to add extra detail to nouns (people, places and things). Once written, check the sentences with your child by reading them aloud. Ensure each sentence begins with a capital letter, ends with a full stop and makes sense.   

For example:  Today we drove to the Reptile Park and I touched a scaly lizard.  The slithering snakes were a little scary and I was too scared to touch them.

Year 3

Year 3 have been learning to revise their writing by applying the SBLM Proofreading and Editing Codes. I have shared with you a copy of the St Brendan’s Proofreading and Editing Codes below. Their main focus, so far, has been to identify missing capital letters, spelling errors and punctuation omissions

Students took their writing from mundane and transformed it into writing using a strategy called Show, Don't Tell.  They used their imagination and their five senses to create pieces of writing that evoke the imagination of the reader!

To continue student learning across the holidays, we encourage you to sit with your child to write two sentences each day.  Check for punctuation, especially sentence endings.  A sentence ending could be a full stop (.), an exclamation mark (!) or a question mark (?).

First, ask your child to think about what they will write.  Allow them to share their sentences with you aloud so they naturally hear the end of one complete sentence and where the next one begins.  Next, tell them to write their sentences.  Once written, they will need to review their sentences and use the editing codes.  Discuss with them the word/s they identify as being spelt incorrectly and discuss spelling choices.

Year 4

This term, Year 4 have been learning about word classes; Common Nouns, Proper Nouns, Adjectives and Verbs. 

During the holidays, we encourage you to have conversations with your children about acting verbs and saying verbs.  Acting verbs involve actions such as swimming, running, writing, jumping etc. Saying verbs relate to any form of speech, for example, shouting, mumbling, singing. 

Year 5

One of the teaching and learning cycles for Year 5 in Collaborative Coaching this term related to their studied text types, Information Texts.  

Below are two examples of how students identified the parts of their paragraphs to ensure their topic sentence and linking sentences relate. 

Blue: Topic Sentence

Green: Facts

Yellow: Elaboration of facts

Pink: Linking sentence

Holiday Task: Think of a topic your child is interested in. Have them generate some facts related to that topic. Encourage them to write a paragraph elaborating on their facts, providing further details and explanations.  Use the examples above to guide the writing process.

Year 6

Year 6 have been learning how to use synonyms to enhance the sophistication of their vocabulary when writing. 

Above are two student writing samples generated from a lesson where they looked at vocabulary that could be used to enhance writing. The students first listened to an example the teacher had written and listed any words they heard and would like to use in their own writing. Students listed these words in the vocabulary column of the table. They were then given time to independently write their own response. 

Over the holidays, you can support your child in writing by helping them develop more sophisticated vocabulary.  When you engage in a sustained conversation with your child, make a point of acknowledging the more complex language they use.  Ask them if they know a different word that they could substitute for a given word (e.g. fight - conflict, fair - satisfactory).  Encourage them to use technical language. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Book Week 2024

BOOK WEEK

The theme of Book Week this year is Reading is Magic.  We will be celebrating Book Week in the first two weeks of Term 3.

Our annual Book Week Parade is on Thursday, 25 July at 8:45 am and we hope to see all children dressed up as their favourite characters. We will have a prize for the most creative costumes; one per grade. 

Students will be able to put together a wishlist to share with parents and carers.  Items can be purchased using eftpos or paid online at the Book Fair using a QR code.  Items can be purchased with cash; however we ask that you ensure your child has the correct money. 

Book Fair Open Times Week 1

24 July: 7:45 am – 8:10 am, recess, lunch, 2:30 pm – 3:15 pm

25 July: 7:45 am – 8:10 am, recess, lunch, 2:30 pm – 3:15 pm

26 July: 11:00 am – 11:30 pm (for infants and their grandparents) and 11:30 – 12:50 pm (for primary and their grandparents) and 2:30 pm – 3:15 pm

27 July: We will be opening the Book Stall on the evening of Saturday, 27 July 2024 from 3:30 pm – 4:45 pm, before our Family Mass at St Brendan’s where our Bishop, Anthony Randazzo will be Presiding with Father Tomy (Mass begins at 5:00 pm).

Book Fair Open Times Week 2

Monday, 29 July: 7:45 am – 8:10 am, recess, lunch, 2:30 pm – 3:15 pm

Please click the link below to view the books available at the book fair.

Grandparents Day

Please RSVP here: https://forms.office.com/r/LMAwmmrFg6

100 days of School - Kindergarten

Kindergarten students are invited to dress up as 100 year old people!

Religious Education

We are overwhelmed with gratitude for your incredible generosity during our Winter Appeal. Your contributions have made a significant impact, allowing us to donate over five carloads of clothes and blankets to those in need. Your support exemplifies the true spirit of community and compassion that we cherish so deeply.

Thank you for coming together to make this possible. Your kindness has not only provided warmth to many but also brought warmth to our hearts.

School Updates

Year 6 Canberra Camp

Students from our school have recently undertaken an education tour of the national capital. Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage, and democracy.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding to our school in the amount of $30 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.

Updates to Bus Timetables

Please see communication from Busways regarding revised operating times commencing Term 3 2024 which will affect some of our buses. 

Office reminder

Please update or add the school number to your phones, it helps our office staff in the even they need to contact you. (02) 7256 2127

CHESS TOURNAMENT

Please see the flyer below for information regarding the chess competition to be held at St Brendan’s next term. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to compete against other chess players from Central Coast primary schools.
If your child is interested, knows how to move each chess piece, and can complete a game independently, please email Mr Murphy at daniel.murphy1@dbb.catholic.edu.au to register their interest.
Please note that the number of teams we can enter is limited, and as such, preference will be given to students who participated in Chess Club last term.

Awards

SBLM AWARDS

Spirit of St Brendan's

Community News

GO4FUN

Go4Fun is a 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲, 10-week healthy lifestyle program for children between 7–13 years old to enjoy along with their families.

Group activities and games

Feel good about eating healthily

Reduce screen time and make new friends

Rewards and prizes for the kids

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧Positive health changes for the whole family

Term 3 programs will take place at:

The Entrance Community Centre, Wednesdays 4–6pm, starting 24th July

Gosford Olympic Pool, Thursdays 4–6pm from 25th July (Aboriginal program for everyone run by Bungree Aboriginal Association)

1st Woy Woy Sea Scouts, Mondays 4–6pm, starting 29th July

Go4Fun online

To find out more information or register, visit go4fun.com.au or call 1800 780 900. Places are limited, so get registering now!

Compass Calendar