Term 3 Week 6 2023
From the Principal
Dear Families,
This week our school completed Validation, an external review of our school and the last stage of the school renewal process. The external Validation panel spent the day meeting the Leadership Team, staff, parents and students to hear about the wonderful things that happen in our school community and the direction we would like to take over the next five years. Our review was very successful and the panel endorsed the intentions we have outlined. We will now finalise our School Renewal Plan and communicate this to the school community. Work has already begun on some of these goals and we look forward to sharing this progress with families. A very big thank you to members of our School Board and parents from our F.A.C.E group for giving us some of their time to meet with the Validation panel. I am grateful for the support and input of the whole school community throughout this process.
Last Friday some of our students participated in the District Athletics Carnival. A huge thank you to Cate Eathorne for coordinating our team as well as Anna Lynch, Renee Corradi, Kaylaha Malaponte and Lauren Roncato who helped on the day. Congratulations to Zola, Sari, Nate, Cara, Talea, Charlotte and Bonnie who were selected in the Burdekin Team to go to NQ Trials. We are still awaiting the 12 years nominations for NQ Trials as we have to wait for the high school carnival. A huge congratulations to our Age Champions, Nate, Asha and Bonnie.
Today is The National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence. This day aims to raise awareness about the issue of bullying and violence in schools and communities and provides an opportunity for schools, students, teachers, parents and the broader community to come together and take a stand against bullying and violence. The focus of the National Day of Action is on promoting positive behaviors, respectful relationships, and effective strategies to prevent and address bullying and violence. There are some great resources and fact sheets for families on the Bullying. No Way! Website
The national definition of bullying for Australian schools says:
Bullying is an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power, or perceived power, over one or more persons who feel unable to stop it from happening.
Bullying can happen in person or online, via various digital platforms and devices and it can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert). Bullying behaviour is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time (for example, through sharing of digital records).
Bullying of any form or for any reason can have immediate, medium and long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders. Single incidents and conflict or fights between equals, whether in person or online, are not defined as bullying.
Behaviours that do not constitute bullying include:
- mutual arguments and disagreements (where there is no power imbalance)
- not liking someone or a single act of social rejection
- one-off acts of meanness or spite
- isolated incidents of aggression, intimidation or violence.
However, these conflicts still need to be addressed and resolved.
Likewise not all online issues are bullying. (Online bullying is sometimes referred to as cyberbullying and refers to bullying that is carried out through information and communication technologies.)
Taken from the Bullying No Way Website
At St Francis, we take conflicts between students very seriously and always follow up on incidents in the playground and work as a team to put support systems into place for our students. This week our classes have participated in activities in their classroom around National Day of Action. Pastoral Care weeks where our students engage in Circle Time are another way that we work towards developing an inclusive and flourishing learning environment as Circle Time:
- Provides a whole school approach to wellbeing
- Promotes positive behaviour and relationships
- Builds resilience
- Provides a framework for developing social emotional competencies
- Emphasises strengths and solutions
If you ever have any concerns about your child, please contact your classroom teacher in the first instance.
Next Friday we will be participating in Day for Laurie. All students are invited to wear red and black for Laurie's Love and bring along a gold coin donation.
In order to get ready for our building refurbishment we will be holding a Working Bee on Saturday 26th August. We would greatly appreciate any assistance that you can offer on this day. Please see the flyer below for more information.
Have a wonderful week.
Take care and God Bless
Amanda
Parent Teacher Interviews for Term 3 are now open on Compass. To book your interview time, please log into the Compass Portal.
Term 3 is well on its way, and as such, Father's Day is fast approaching! This year we will be running our Father's Day Stall on Wednesday 30th August 2023.
If anyone is able to help out with the stall on the day, any time you can give would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance,The Father's Day Committee
Religious Life of the School
Kerygma
I spent the first two days of this week in Townsville attending an APRE professional development. We spoke about ‘Kerygma’. Kerygma is a Greek word which means “proclamation”. In the Christian context, it focuses on the proclamation of the Gospel; Jesus life, death, and resurrection.
The kerygma is important to Catholics because it encapsulates the essence of their faith, guides their relationship with God and others, and propels them to live out their Christian calling in the world.
When was the last time you reflected on the Gospel or your relationship with God?
Save The Date
24th August, Class Mass for Years 3 and 4, 9am
27th August, School Youth Mass, 5:30pm
31st August, Class Mass for Years 1, 2 and 5, 9am
We pray …
Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before him with a joyful song
Know that the Lord is God:
He made us, his we are
His people, the flock he tends
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
His courts with praise;
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen
God bless
Nicole
Learning Corner
Progress NOT Perfection
This was a message that was repeated many times during a webinar I recently watched on children’s writing. BUT! It actually applies to all learning.
Progress means that students are meeting learning goals. In class, we must ensure that each child has a goal that is achievable. This way of planning and teaching is referred to as differentiation.
Progress is about moving forward, while perfection is about identifying the flaws. For some students and parents, perfection means completing work correctly the first time, every time and presenting all work flawlessly.
Progress is about the positives, while perfection is interested in the negatives.
To emphasise student progress in the classroom, we may involve children in the conversation on how we can make a sentence more interesting. We may highlight the section of a word that is spelt correctly and ask what choices they can make to write the word accurately. We encourage students to consider options to complete a task or solve a problem. When the focus is on perfection rather than progress, children develop a fear that their work will not be good enough, and they become hesitant learners.
Winston Churchill said, “Perfection is the enemy of progress.”
In the classroom, we see some children hesitant to engage in learning activities. Their reason is often; ‘I don’t know what to do’ or ‘I don’t know how to do this’. Additionally, we see students with a heavy focus on presentation rather than the task, and therefore only a small section of the practice required to consolidate learning is completed.
Learning is about attempting all tasks, trial and error, making and learning from mistakes. We provide children with the opportunity to learn at a pace they can sustain and make visible progress. It is about giving children the time to reach the expectations of excellence in learning.
You can have a powerful impact on your child’s learning success by acknowledging and praising the progress they are making.
If you have any questions or feedback on progress, not perfection, please share them with me.
Rita Cranitch
Learning and Teaching Adviser
Inclusive Practices Teacher
Guidance Counsellor
In this edition of SchoolTV - NEURODIVERSITY
Neurodiversity emphasises the natural variation in how an individual's brain functions and how they perceive and interact with the world, leading to diverse ways of learning and communicating. While most young people are neurotypical, some exhibit variations in brain development, such as ADHD, autism or dyslexia, making them neurodivergent.
Embracing neurodiversity involves accepting, celebrating, and supporting neurodivergent children and adolescents without attempting to change or treat their differences. Using respectful language, challenging unhelpful attitudes, avoiding assumptions, and actively promoting inclusivity can help embrace neurodiversity effectively.
Acknowledging the unique ways neurodiverse young people do things and then adapting tasks and activities to ensure their full participation will encourage them to develop strategies that feel natural to them. It will help improve their mental health, wellbeing and sense of self. By recognising and nurturing their strengths, parents and caregivers can contribute to building an inclusive and compassionate society where all young people can thrive.
Learning more about neurodiversity, equips caregivers with insights into effective communication techniques, educational strategies, and parenting approaches tailored to the specific needs of their neurodivergent child.
We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school guidance counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.
Here is the link to the Neurodiversity edition of SchoolTV
https://sfatsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/neurodiversity
Tuckshop
Tuckshop Special
To be order by Tuesday 29 August
Thursday 31 August (Week 8) - Ravioli - with / without cheese - $6
Order: Bag or online
Class in the Spotlight - Specialist
In The Arts, students have been looking various styles of dance, in particular, dance styles of varying decades. From Jailhouse Rock, the hand-jive, disco and social dances, all students have been engaged in varying dance activities in the classroom. We have even had a little go at being ballet dances and going over our positions. Term 3 continues to see us move and have a go of different dance styles.
This term in PE students have been working on their flexibility, strength and balance in our Gymnastics Unit. After learning and practicing a range of basic gymnastics skills involving balances, travels, jumps and rotations, students created a movement sequence involving a set number of steps according to their year level. This week all classes watched on as their peers performed their rehearsed routine. I have seen huge improvements in students’ flexibility and balance and it has been great to see all students from Prep to Year 6 engage and have fun throughout the unit.
The Arts
PE
Community
