Newsletter Term 2 Week 6 (Wednesday 5th June 2024)

Our Front Page with Year 4

This term as part of our History unit, Stage 2 have been exploring and researching some of the Kyogle community groups that have not only changed over time, but who have also had a positive impact on our local area. Last week, we got to talk to one of our local St Brigid’s heroes, Mrs Watts, who not only looks after all of our ICT issues, but who has served in the Kyogle SES over the past 20 years. 

Before the visit, the Stage 2 students wrote a variety of inquiry questions to ask Mrs Watts about the challenges she has faced in the SES over time and how some of our recent weather events have led to a change into how the SES operate in our local community.

Thank you Mrs Watts for your service and for all you have done for our local community.

Our Gospel Reflection

In the section of the Gospel that we hear this Sunday, Jesus calls his Twelve Apostles and he casts out the devil for the very first time. It is told within the context of conflict with his family.

Families are places of beginnings. Within our family, we first learn what it means to be part of a community. We share a closeness and experience mutual understanding and support. We learn how to love one another, how to ask for and receive forgiveness, and how to apply all these lessons to the world outside our homes.

As you gather as a family, talk about what makes your family special. Share some of the lessons you have learned together about love, forgiveness, and understanding. Then read Sunday’s Gospel, Mark 3:20–35. Jesus wants us to understand that by doing God’s will, we are part of a bigger family. Choosing to follow Jesus, being his disciple, means we must treat one another with kindness and mercy. We must become a family. Conclude by asking God to bless your family and to help you do God’s will by seeing all his people with the same kind of love and compassion. Pray together theprayer that Jesus taught us "Our Father......"

From Our Principal

Over the the past couple of weeks it has been wonderful to welcome 2 new families to St Brigid's. First of all we give a warm welcome to Braithen (Year 5) and Sebastian (Year 1) Hayes. Next we extend this warm welcome to Jovi (Year 5) and Jiana (Year 2) James. It is wonderful to have Braithen, Sebastian, Jovi, Jiana and their respective families as a part of our St Brigid's community.

Appointment of Acting Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

Following the advertising and interview process I am very pleased to announce that Annika Dicker has been appointed as Acting Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching for the period that Mrs Walters will be Acting Principal - Monday 24th June up to and including Tuesday 13th August.

Annika has been teaching for 13 years across the K-6 areas and is currently teaching Kindergarten at St Ambrose Primary School, Pottsville a position she has had since 2021. Other aspects of Annika's experience include:-

• completing some casual work at St Brigid's back in 2020.
• previous appointments have been at Blayney, Canowindra, Lithgow and Kelso.
• completing a teaching stint in London.
• currently enrolled to complete her Masters of Education.
• having held previous Leadership roles of ICT Coordinator, Leader of Pedagogy and Sports Co-ordinator.
• being the current Polding Manager for both Athletics and Hockey. Annika has held these positions since 2017

We very much look forward to having Annika working in our school with our students and staff in a couple of weeks.

St Brigid's School Review

During Week 8 of this term, our school will be having our three-yearly school review. This is a positive and affirming process for our school and will help to shape the agenda for our next 3 Year Strategic Plan from 2025-2027. This is a process which all schools in the Diocese undertake as a part of their registration process to provide a quality education following all National, State and Diocesan guidelines. The review will be chaired by Dr Graeme Hall and he will be supported by Jenny Triglone (DLCSL School Improvement Lead) and Daniel Gubby (Principal, St Francis Xavier Primary School, Ballina). We are very fortunate to have Dr Hall chairing our School Review as he is a very experienced educator having worked as Principal in a number of schools in Queensland and more recently was Manager of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). The School Review for St Brigid's will take place on Wednesday 19th, Thursday 20th and Friday 21st of June.

We would love some parents who are able to meet with reviewers to discuss how our school is progressing. Parents will meet with the three reviewers in small groups on Wednesday, June 19, from approximately 2:45pm - 3:10pm. To indicate your availability to take part please fill out this form to register.  Your voice will help us to shape the future directions of our school. 

2025 Kindergarten Enrolments

Enrolments for any class for 2025 are currently being finalised. Please, if you know of anyone intending to join the St Brigid's community for 2025, ask them to get enrolment applications in now! Applications for Kindergarten in 2025 are due in by Thursday the 4th of July. If you are intending on enrolling your child into Kindergarten next year or know of someone who is intending or would like to, please ensure that applications are lodged by the end of this term. All applications are completed online and can be accessed through the St Brigid's Primary School website.

Our staffing allocation will be based on our enrolments at Census. This occurs at the beginning of August. Please do not hesitate to contact myself if you have any questions or would like to inquire about enrolling here at St Brigid's for 2025 or even sooner.

Tell Them From Me

Many thanks to all families who participated in the recent Tell Them From Me survey that our school participated in earlier this term. Although the parent returns of surveys haven't been as high as in previous years it still gives us a very good base from which to act upon the feedback. I will be presenting the survey results at our next meeting of the School Community Forum next Tuesday the 11th of June at 3:30pm in the School Library. All families are most welcome to attend and a reminder that there will be activities for your children whilst the meeting takes place.

Semester One Reports and Three Way Conferences

Semester One reports will be distributed via COMPASS on Monday 1st of July. Our Three Way Conferences involving parents, student and class teacher will take place early next term. In the coming weeks, more information will be provided about how to book for these conferences.

Tony

Assistant Principal News - Teaching and Learning

What is Reading Fluency?

Fluency is reading expressively with accuracy and at a good pace. It is one of the key components of learning to read. It is the progression from developing automatic word recognition skills to comprehension.

Fluency is made up of three core components:

1. Accuracy -  is the reading of words correctly.
2. Rate -  is the speed of word identification. It is usually recorded as words read per minute.
3. Prosody is the sound of the reading. This can be explained as the expression used when reading.

How to Practice Reading Fluency at Home?

Building fluency takes a lot of practice! Keep a collection of books that your child can read quickly and easily. Encourage your child to reread favourite books over and over again. With each reading, you may notice your child reading a bit easier, a bit faster, and with a more confidence and expression.

Vanessa Walters                                                                                                                                                                                        AP Teaching and Learning

Assistant Principal News- Mission

Didjeribone Performance 

On Wednesday, 12th June at 12.00 pm we welcome Tjupurru to our school. With his quirky laid back style, Tjupurru quickly has his audience greeting him and responding to his questions in the language of his ancestors the Djabera Djabera people from the Kimberly region of WA.
With numerous opportunities for both individuals on stage and whole audience participation, Didjeribone is a uniquely Australian music experience accompanied by both personal and ancestral stories.
Using the didjeribone, face bass and cutting edge music production equipment, music is played, recorded then instantly played back on a loop to form a backing track. The process is repeated with loop track after loop track being added creating a rich, deep, multi-layered sound-scape. It’s then that the true magic happens as from the didjeribone the haunting wind, howling dingoes and humorous kookaburras populate this genuinely Australian piece of music.

Everyone is welcome to come along to this wonderful performance. Please join us in the Parish Hall. 

Kelli-Ann Shedden                                                                                                                                                                                      AP Mission 

From the Wellbeing Team

 How to be a super model

You may not think of yourself as a super model (or live by the edict of not getting out of bed for less than $10,000 a day!) but rest assured that if there are kids in your house, you are definitely a role model with the potential to be a super model.

Parents and carers know that children are a lot like little human sponges – soaking up and then mimicking adult actions and behaviours from when they are mere babes in arms. 

Social Learning Theory refers to how human beings learn by watching others. A famous psychological experiment involving a doll call Bobo revealed that children who watched an adult treat Bobo with aggression then became aggressive with the doll. And vice versa – children who watched adults treat the doll kindly, treated Bobo with kindness.

This propensity to observe adults with an eagle-eye, and continue to model themselves on the big people in their lives, carries on throughout childhood and well into the teenage years.

So how can we be not just role models but super models?

Be mindful that they’re watching and learning

Just by being aware that everything you do and say is likely to be copied or mimicked by your kids will help you to be the best version of yourself that you can.

Act how you tell your child to act

Try to behave consistently with what you expect of your child. They will definitely notice when you don’t! 

Take responsibility for your actions

Don’t be afraid to own up to your mistakes and be prepared to do things differently next time. This means not blaming others for everything that goes wrong and taking charge of trying to make things turn out differently next time.

Be kind and treat others with respect

Be kind to others and yourself, and treat everyone with respect. This is just as important if you disagree or need to address a difficult situation or topic.

Focus on solving problems in a calm and effective way

If getting angry and upset is your go-to for solving problems, don’t be surprised if your children approach life’s difficulties in this way too. Instead, try to focus on approaching problems or conflicts in a calm and thoughtful manner. 

Wellbeing Team

Walking Pneumonia

We want to inform you about an increase in Mycoplasma pneumoniae, commonly known as "walking pneumonia," in the community. This mild, but contagious respiratory illness primarily affects school-aged children and can spread easily.

Symptoms include a persistent cough, sore throat, headache, and fatigue. If your child exhibits these symptoms, please consult your healthcare provider. To prevent the spread, remind your children to wash their hands frequently, cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing, and avoid sharing utensils or drinks.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school healthy!

School Community Forum

Under 10's Soccer

The Under 10s soccer team recently traveled to Casino to compete in the local gala day. Nearly the entire team was made up of St Brigid's students, with just one exception. They played with great determination and proudly earned medallions for their efforts. Well done, Kyogle! Go St Brigid's!

Stars of the Week

One of our school goals this year is to have an average weekly attendace of 90% and above. The class with the best average each week receives the  “Stars of the Week” trophy and certificate to display in their classroom.

For term 2 week 4 the class with the best average attendance was Kinder with 93.13% and the whole school average was 89.61%. 

Remember our whole school goal is 90%. The whole school average weekly attendance for last term is as follows:

Week 1: 86.06% - Yr 4  (91.14%), Year 5 (89.76%), Kinder (87.55%) 

Week2: 86.06% - Yr 6  (94.62%), Year 4 (92.17%), Year 3 (92.05%) 

Week3: 87.88% - Yr4  (91.6%), Year 2 (91.18%), Year 3 (90%) 

Week4: 88.46% - Yr3  (94.5%), Year 6 (93.31%), Year 4 (92.14%) 

Week5: 89.61% - Kinder  (93.13%), Year 6 (92.75%), Year 1 (91.36%) 

It is essential that every student is at school every day as attendance matters to support your child's learning.

Attendance Matters

Absences add up. 

5 days absent per term means that your child misses 10% of their learning.

The impact of school absences, even seemingly small ones, can accumulate and affect a child's learning significantly. 

The cumulative effect of absences over time can lead to gaps in knowledge and understanding. 

Consistent attendance is vital for academic success, as each day in school provides valuable learning opportunities.

If your child is expressing reluctance to go to school regularly, it's essential to address the issue promptly. 

Watch My child refuses to go to school, what can I do? for some simple strategies – Problem solve, Validate and Hope.

Student Awards Week 5

Congratulations to the following students who have shown tremendous effort and were presented with their awards at our assembly.

• Kindergarten - David, Oscar, Callie
• Year 1 - Brodie, Eli
• Year 2 -  Jia, Eliza
• Year 3 - Emma, Raz
• Year 4 - Chance, Lola
• Year 5 - Charli, Jovi
• Year 6 - Yari, Ruby 
• Principal Awards - Elosie, Ruby, Brooklyn, Tahnesha, Belle, Hannah 

Term 2 Week 6 Focus:

Positive Behaviour 4 Learning (PB4L)   

•  I know the rules of the games I play and I’m a good sport.                          

MJR Weekly Focus:

• A positive attitude (don’t be a moaner and a groaner) 

Happy Birthday to You

Sending warm wishes to all the children who celebrated their birthdays in the coming week. May your special day be filled with joy and memorable moments! 

Upcoming Dates Term 2

Week 6

• Fri 7th - NORPA production for Stage 3 
• Sun 9th - 10th Sunday Ordinary Time 

Week 7

• Mon 10th - Public Holiday - King's Birthday
• Tues 11th - School Community Forum 3.30pm, Library  All  welcome. 
• Wed 12th - Dijeribone School Performance 12pm in Hall, All welcome.  
  
• Sun 16th - 11th Sunday Ordinary Time 

Week 8

• Wed 19th - School Review 
• Thurs 20th - School Review 
• Fri 21st - School Review 
• Sun 23rd - Family Parsih Mass 

Week 9

• Thus 27th June - Year 5 Showcase 2.15pm All welcome  (please not change of date)

Community News