Term 1 Week 2 Newsletter 2023

Dear Parents, Friends, Staff and Students of St Catherine’s,  

Welcome to the 2023 school year and our first newsletter for the year. A very warm welcome to our newest families joining the St Catherine's community. We look forward to getting to know you and your child and working together to help them grow and flourish as capable and confident young people. It has been a fantastic start to the year with students getting to know their teachers and classmates during these first two weeks of term.  

Throughout the holiday break we undertook several maintenance items at the school, including new carpet in the classrooms in our main building as well as some painting work at the front of the school. It is great to have these works completed and the buildings and grounds are looking fantastic. We turn our attention now to the repair and upgrade of our outdoor play equipment which we anticipate will take place in March. 

This year we welcome the following new staff to the St Catherine's community: 

• Jessica Barolo - Reception teacher 
• Ashley Bell - Year 4 teacher (Term 1) 
• Susan Lindholm - Year 4/5 teacher (part-time) 
• Laura O'Connell - Year 6 teacher 
• Nikki Snell - Speech Pathologist (Fridays) 
• Rachel Vince - Occupational Therapist (Thursdays) 
• Tanya Verrall - Curriculum ESO  

COVID-19 Protocols 

• COVID-19 continues to affect the community and we all have a part to play in keeping our school community safe and minimising the disruption to learning that can occur when illness circulates at school.  
• Students/staff who are unwell should stay home if they have cold or flu-like symptoms and get tested for COVID-19.  
• If students/staff have COVID-19, please advise the school as soon as possible, and stay at home until all acute symptoms (runny nose, sore throat, cough and fever) have cleared. 

R-4 Water Safety Program  

It has been an exciting week for our Reception to Year 4 students who have participated in Water Safety lessons at the Woodside pool each afternoon. The children have thoroughly enjoyed their time at the pool and we were blessed with good weather each day.  Thank you to all the parent volunteers who were able to assist throughout the week. 

1/2F Liturgy 

Well done to all the students in Miss Foote's class who hosted the first liturgy of the year on Tuesday this week. The theme of their liturgy focused on welcome and community and Fr Fred spoke about how we can learn from the example of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in how we love and care for each other. A great message to start the year with. 

Parish and School Picnic 

As a Catholic school, we have a strong connection with our local Adelaide Hills Catholic Parish. Fr Fred Farrugia, the Parish Priest, visits our school weekly to celebrate Liturgies and Masses with the students. On Sunday 26th February, we are holding our first Parish School event for the year. The Parish School Picnic is held at the Oakbank Racecourse from 10am and is a wonderful opportunity for families to gather, meet new people and enjoy a range of activities. We look forward to seeing you there. 

Parent Teacher Learning Conversations 

Next week, Parent Teacher Learning conversations will take place across the week from Monday 13th to Friday 17th February. I am pleased to say that these meetings will take place face to face and this is an important opportunity for you to meet your child's teachers, discuss their character strengths, how they have settled into the year and what goals and aspirations you have for their learning this year. Parents should have received information about how to make a booking via Skoolbag last week. For any queries, please contact Cathy Fischle: cfischle@stcaths.catholic.edu.au  

School Board  

St Catherine's has a School Board consisting of the Parish Priest and Parish representative, School Staff and parents of the school. The School Board lies at the heart of a Christian community where all share in rights, dignities and responsibilities. The Board works towards this vision of community, striving to build a place where all people feel supported and valued.  The School Board meets twice each term and members hold their position for two years. In 2022 we have four vacant parent positions on the Board.  If you are interested in joining the School Board, please contact Sam Ellul (sellul@stcaths.catholic.edu.au) for a nomination form. Nominations are due by Friday 23rd February with elections to be held at the AGM on Tuesday 28th February. 

P&F 

We are very fortunate to have a very active Parents and Friends team at St Catherine's, creating and coordinating various activities throughout the school year to build our school community. Our Monday Tuck and Friday Lunch very much depend on the support of our parent volunteers. I encourage you to consider being involved in what ever capacity you have, be it baking or donating goods, acting as the P&F class rep and so. Please take a moment to review the P&F Term 1 flyer which has everything you need to know about the work of the P&F HERE

2023 Learn to Play After School Sports Program Reception to Year 2 

This year, children in Reception to Year 2 have the opportunity to participate in various after school 'Learn to Play' sports. There is a different sport focus each term. See details HERE

Further information regarding cost and times will be shared via Skoolbag throughout the year. For any questions about the program please contact Steven DeGiovanniello (PE teacher): sdegiovanniello@stcaths.catholic.edu.au  

2023 Instrumental Program 

If your child is interested in learning a musical instrument, details of the tutors who come to St Catherine's is available on our website HERE. For any queries, please contact Kathryn Thomson (Performing Arts teacher): kthomson@stcaths.catholic.edu.au  

Term 1 Calendar 

Our calendar of events for Term 1 was sent to all families via Skoolbag last week. If you have any queries about particular events, please contact Cathy Fischle: cfischle@stcaths.catholic.edu.au 

Warm regards, 

John Low
Principal
Together in Faith, Learning and Community 

Upcoming Events 

• Monday 13th to Friday 17th February: Parent Teacher Learning Conversations 
• Sunday 26th February: Parish School Picnic at Oakbank Racecourse 
• Tuesday 21st February: Shrove Tuesday 
• Wednesday 22nd February: Ash Wednesday 
• Friday 24th February: 2CF Assembly 
• Tuesday 28th February: AGM 

We gladly welcome our students, families and staff back to the 2023 school year. It is with great joy that we have started the year in what feels like more normality. It is hard to believe that this time last year we had a combination of online learning and face to face teaching due to the covid restrictions being managed across South Australia. The potential of what 2023 brings is indeed an exciting prospect. 

Staff Commissioning Mass 

Ahead of students returning to school, our staff gathered with those from St Joseph’s School, Murray Bridge and St Francis de Sales College to officially commission our school communities. Each year, these three schools share in what is known as the Commissioning Mass, taking turns to host each one. This year St Catherine’s School was pleased to host at our school site with Fr Fred officiating our shared Mass. Our Siena Hall was transformed into a sacred space and staff worked together to prepare a beautiful morning tea. 

The opportunity we have to come together collectively is an important part of celebrating our faith tradition and the responsibility bestowed upon those of us who work within Catholic Schools. It is through this Commissioning Mass that we renew our commitment to this vocation, and to our work within schools and parishes. The year the occasion also fell on the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, and the readings of the day were used to draw out attention to our ability to trust in God’s plan, and plant the seeds of faith wherever we go, as we never know just how greater impact we may have. 

Through Father Fred sharing with us his own reflections about the impact that education has had on his life, we could clearly see the responsibility that we have as educators and the importance of ensuring that genuine connection to faith is not overshadowed by only teaching about faith rituals. We were challenged to consider how we make sure we do not miss opportunities to help young people find a connection with God through the shared experiences we provide to those in our care.  

There is no doubt that a celebration such as this is a key part of our staff formation and spiritually nourishes us ahead of the school year. Thank you to Fr Fred for leading us in this celebration and to the many hands that worked together in preparing for the occasion.  

Tabernacle 

Recently we were thrilled to receive a hand made tabernacle which has been beautifully crafted by John Leeton. This piece is a beautiful addition to our school Prayer Room and will help in appropriately housing communion between Masses. It is our pleasure to have such a piece and we are truly thankful to John for his handy work in creating the tabernacle. 

Sacramental Program 2023 

Students who are in Year 4 or higher are welcome to join the 2023 Sacramental Program which will prepare them for the sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Communion. This year the format of the program is different with the preparation workshops being held on three Saturday afternoons. While many registrations have already been received, if there are any other students wishing to participate, they are encouraged to make contact with Krystina Dawe (kdawe@stcaths.catholic.edu.au) as soon as possible. Registration forms are also available at the front office. 

Family Gardening Club 

After the success of last years Family Gardening Group, there will again be an opportunity for families to join in this initiative. Currently we are blessed with fine weather which will help make gardening more enjoyable so if you are interested in join, please feel most welcome, and I look forward to seeing you there. 

Kind Regards,  

Krystina Dawe 
Assistant Principal, Religious Identity and Mission 

6.00 PM Tuesday February 28 2023 in the Treehouse

To register your attendance please complete the Parent Attendance
Registration Form available on the school website :
https://www.stcaths.catholic.edu.au/community/parent-attendance-registration-form
ALL WELCOME

RB

Welcome to our newest students at St Catherine’s – Reception RB! We have been very busy this week, getting used to our new space, new faces and wondering what school is all about!

We have been exploring different Character Strengths, our feelings and how we can look after each other, our school and ourselves.

Here are some pictures of our first week together!

R/1BP

In R/1BP we have welcomed our new friends into our classroom.

We have explored our new learning spaces and created a classroom community where everyone feels connected, respected and valued. These photos are some of the highlights from the beginning of our year together. 

1/2F

Welcome to our wonderful Year 1 and 2 children to the 2023 school year. The children have enjoyed settling back into the school routine and have loved seeing their friends daily. We are very lucky to be surrounded by the natural environment at St Catherine’s. The children utilised our outdoor spaces and created nature names out of natural materials.

We have been exploring character strengths and how we all possess different strengths. We focused on the character strength of gratitude where the children made an artwork on what they are grateful for.

2CF

We are off to a great start in 2CF! Here is a snapshot of some wellbeing activities that children have been involved in recently:  

We spoke about what it means to be a Catholic school and we also spoke about our Dominican tradition at St Catherine's. In addition to this, we discussed how much God loves us and that all children are unique and a gift from God. We then needed to complete this sentence: "The best part of me is …… "  

• Bodhi - "The best part of me is my hands so I can hug my Mum." 
• Abby - "The best part of me is my mouth so I can taste food."  
• Ned - "The best part of me is my eyes to see my Mum and Dad." 
• Indi - "The best part of me is my heart so that I have my feelings."  

Following on with our theme of being unique and different, we also read a picture book called "The World Needs Who You Were Made To Be" by Joanna Gaines and we linked this to our work on Character Strengths. The book celebrates how creativity and acceptance can come together to create a bright and beautiful adventure. It follows a group of children as they each build their very own hot air balloons. Here we are in our own hot air balloons with our signature strength (that we identified ourselves) written on the basket.

6O

Thank you to Lucas and Jamie who have been taking care of the fish this year. They feed the gudgeon fish bloodworms, Oscar pellets, check the temperature, record the pH level and clean the filters. 

We are pleased to introduce Nickki and Rachel who have joined our Staff this year. Here is some information about them:

My name is Nikki and I am a speech pathologist with 5 years of experience working across several schools and preschools in the Department for Education. This has given me experience supporting children with diverse needs including speech, language, literacy and communication needs in the classroom setting. I have a particular interest in working with classroom teachers and implementing oral language groups. On the weekends I enjoy hiking and spending time in nature. I am really looking forward to building connections with students, staff, and families across the school community. 

My name is Rachel and I am an Occupational Therapist who has experience working with children within the home, school and clinic settings. My role has included working with children to address developmental delays, sensory processing challenges, regulation difficulties and other challenges that impact on the child's ability to participate fully in their lives. When I am not at work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and four daughters, coffees with friends, going for walks and reading a good book with a hot cup of tea! I am excited to be joining your community and working with the incredible teachers and staff to support your child's learning. 

New Australian Curriculum -Version 9  

This year the teaching staff at St Catherine's School have started to plan teaching and learning  programs, including assessments, to implement the newly release Australian Curriculum Version 9.0.  

The latest Australian Curriculum Review made improvements to the Foundation to Year 10 curriculum by refining, realigning and decluttering the content. The Australian Curriculum, Version 9.0, is a more stripped-back and teachable curriculum that identifies the essential content our children should learn. 

Overall, there’s a reduction in content, as well as better alignment between achievement standards and content descriptions, and improved links between learning areas and both the general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities. Some of the major changes that applies to our R-6 curriculum include;  

• the removal and reduction of content so the curriculum can be taught with depth and rigour, including a 21% reduction in the number of content descriptions, which describe what is to be taught and what students are expected to learn 
• a stronger focus on phonics in English 
• a stronger focus on students mastering the essential mathematical facts, skills, concepts and processes, and being introduced to these at the right time 
• making clear what mathematical computations need to be done without a calculator, reinforcing the importance of achieving proficiency in foundational skills 
• a revision of the sequencing of content in Mathematics; in particular, telling time, introduction of fractions, recall of multiplication facts (“times tables’) and solving equations 
• lifting standards for Mathematics in Year 1 in relation to addition and subtraction, with additional content setting expectations about recall and proficiency with multiplication facts, beginning in Year 2 
• deepening students’ understanding of First Nations Australian histories and cultures, the impact on - and perspectives of - First Nations Australians of the arrival of British settlers as well as their contribution to the building of modern Australia 
• addition of privacy and security in the Digital Technologies curriculum 
• strengthening the focus on students being physically active and increased content with a focus on activity in natural and outdoor settings. 
• strengthening the Foundation year by identifying the essential content to teach in the first year of school across all 8 learning areas. 

Source: https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/  

This term when you receive the term overview for your child's class you will notice that the content now matches version 9 of the Australian Curriculum, with information included about not only the content being taught but also the skills that assist in transferring this knowledge into a range of processes, creating a deeper level or transfer learning. 

Surface Learning  
“Surface learning does not mean superficial learning. Rather, surface learning is a time when students initially are exposed to concepts, skills and strategies. Surface learning is critical because it provides a foundation on which to build as students are asked to think more deeply” (Hattie, Fisher, & Frey, 2017). 

Deep Learning  
“We define deep learning as a period when students consolidate their understanding and apply and extend some surface learning knowledge to support deeper conceptual understanding…We think of this as a ‘sweet spot’ that will often take up more instructional time, but can be accomplished only when students have the requisite knowledge to go deeper” (Hattie, Fisher, & Frey, 2017). 

Transfer Learning  
“Transfer learning is the point at which students take their consolidated knowledge and skills and apply what they know to new scenarios and different contexts. It is also a time when students are able to think metacognitively, reflecting on their own learning and understanding” (Hattie, Fisher, & Frey, 2017). 

SeeSaw  

This year we will continue to use SeeSaw as a tool for communication across our R-6 communities. SeeSaw helps continue to build connections between school and home as it shares a child's individual school portfolio with their parents. As students become familiar with the tools within this platform they are able to independently upload and share their work and achievement with their family.  

You may already be familiar with SeeSaw and if you have already connected to this in previous years you will continue to be able to log in through the same method. For those who are new to our school, information will be sent home via classroom teachers to help connect you with your child's portfolio.  

CyberSafe Families 

With the return of the school year, our attention has again returned to the use of Information and Communication Technologies and how best to use these as a tool for learning. While the devices can be a means of adding enrichment to learning, the reality is that being a safe digital citizen requires a range of learning and building of strategies to help navigate the different dynamics of online platforms . Our commitment to students and families is to engage with external agencies such as Cybersafe Families to help educate both students and families about potential issues they may face and how they can manage these situations. Our year 5 and 6 students students again attended a student session which looked at how to conduct themselves appropriately online, cyberbullying, online gaming, how to identify unsafe situations and where to seek help. Parents were also invited to attend a parent sessions which provided a wealth of knowledge about popular online platforms, how to set up various security settings, managing online bullying and a range of other key topics.  

Work within this area will continue throughout the school year with class teachers across reception to year 6 also reinforce key messages and reviewing strategies to help empower students as they spend time using digital technologies. We know the value that ICT can bring to learning both at school and at home, however staying in touch with current information remains extremely important if we are to equip our students adequately to become responsible digital citizens. 

https://cybersafefamilies.com.au/ 

National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 

This year students in Year 3 and Year 5 will undertake the yearly NAPLAN assessment in March with the official testing window beginning on March 15th. NAPLAN includes four different tests including writing, reading, conventions of grammar, and numeracy. Families have received information regarding the privacy procedures in place however further information regarding the NAPLAN assessment can also be found within the flyer found HERE. 

Kind Regards,  

Narelle Brine and Krystina Dawe 
Leaders of Learning – Curriculum and Assessment  

Dear Families,  

As we begin the new school year, I extend a warm welcome to what I am sure will be yet another busy and exciting year at St Catherine's School. I hope all families enjoyed the quieter pace of the recent holiday break and found some time for relaxation, recharging, connection and fun!  

Wellbeing Weeks - Setting up for Success 

As you may be aware, the first two weeks of each school year are essentially devoted to wellbeing at St Catherine's. It's a beautiful and unique time of the year where curriculum is not the focus, and rather it's the relationships, team building and the development of a sense of belonging in a new classroom dynamic and environment which is prioritised.  

Teachers are skilled at cultivating a positive classroom culture through taking the time to build a cohesion between students and also formulating that powerful teacher / student connection early on. This ultimately sets them and their students up for success in 2023. Placing an emphasis on this is vital, as is encouraging as much student involvement and voice as possible, ensuring that they feel safe, valued and supported in their learning and within their classroom throughout the year.  

Educator Wellbeing with Madhavi Nawana Parker 

In Week 0 before school resumed, our staff were so very fortunate to spend a day with Madhavi Nawana Parker, director of Positive Minds Australia. Madhavi is one of Australia's leading experts on Wellbeing and Resilience who brings over 25 years of experience and evidence based approaches to her work as an author, coach, public speaker, regular podcaster and radio guest. The focus of our day was on Educator Wellbeing.  

This was a special day because it was a day focused on ourselves. As educators, it is in our nature to go above and beyond for our students and while we wouldn't have it any other way, sometimes our wellbeing can be impacted or challenged if we are not careful. Madhavi provided us with a toolbox of preventative and responsive strategies to help us all look after our wellbeing so that we can continue to be dedicated in supporting our students.  

In the afternoon, we tried something different and we had such a fun Kung Fu session with Nick Bennett, who also works for Positive Minds Australia. There was so much laughter and team building going on in Siena Hall in that afternoon! Overall, we all came away from the day thinking about what a wonderful start this was to our 2023 school year at St Catherine's.  

We will continue the work that Madhavi started on this day as a staff throughout the year, building on what we learned using Madhavi's book on Educator Wellbeing as a reference point.  

Positive Education Parent Homework 

To kickstart our year regarding Positive Education, you will have recently been notified on SkoolBag of some special  ‘Parent Homework’ that we would like for you to undertake in preparation for our upcoming Learning Conversations in Week 3. You are asked to come prepared for your meeting, ready to discuss how you view your child in relation to their Character Strengths. It would be wonderful if you could also bring in a photo of your child engaging in a signature strength for your classroom teacher which will be used to create a whole school display of our ‘Image of the child' in the Treehouse.  

Action for Happiness - Friendly February  

We all want to feel connected and supported – and for a good reason! It’s a known fact that the quality of our relationships is the best predictor of lifelong wellbeing. Super important!  

The friendly February calendar is full of actions to give your relationships a real boost! 

Should you want to know more about Friendly February, check out the link below.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygn3NyeuA_I 

I hope this month’s calendar encourages you to increase the number of tiny micro moments with those that you know and also with those that perhaps you don’t know, or don’t know very well. Being friendly / kind towards others throughout the day can make a huge difference to their wellbeing, and ours too!  

Mission Australia Partnership 2023 

Last year, Catholic Education South Australia teamed up in a collaborative partnership with Mission Australia to provide information around how Mission Australia could potentially support families in Catholic school communities. There are many ways that Mission Australia can assist students with additional needs and their families to gain access to and engage with relevant supports and services, including the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).  

Following the success of our partnership with Mission Australia last year, we will continue to host Jacqui Hamilton for one morning each Term from 9am – 11am. This time is for Jacqui to meet with families 1:1 and provide a personalised service. The dates that Jacqui will be visiting St Catherine’s are below:  

• Thursday 16th March 
• Thursday 15th June 
• Thursday 7th September  
• Thursday 30th November 

A SkoolBag reminder will go out to all families two weeks before each visit, reminding interested parents to communicate their intention to meet with Jacqui through filling out the Parent Attendance Registration form on our school website.  

Reception Speech Screening 

We are so fortunate this year to welcome Nikki Snell and Rachel Vince as new staff members at St Catherine's in 2023. Nikki is a Speech Pathologist and Rachel is an Occupational Therapist. Both Nikki and Rachel will be working in classrooms among teachers and students to strengthen our learning programs with their unique skill sets.  

Part of the work that Nikki will be undertaking this term will be to screen our new Reception students and all other children who are new to the school in the Early Years for their speech and language skills. More information about the Speech Screening process is available on SkoolBag, including the permission form which is required for students to be able to participate. I highly encourage you to take up this opportunity, because the insight it provides into a child's speech and language development is so beneficial for the successful planning of their ongoing education. If parents have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.  

Mark Le Messurier - Our children are under construction 

An interesting read from Mark Le Messurier which recently appeared in the summer edition of the Kiddo Magazine. To read the whole magazine, go to kiddomag.com.au 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!  

Warm Regards,  

Kerry Cornelius 
Leader of Learning (R-6) – Wellbeing and Inclusion  
kcornelius@stcaths.catholic.edu.au