Newsletter Term 1 Week 5 (Wednesday 28th February 2024)

Our Front Page with Year 1

During a recent mathematics lesson, Year 1 students were able to use their critical thinking skills to draw a variety of 3-D shapes and communicate which one had the most internal volume. 

From Our Principal

Pupil Free Day

A reminder to all families that this Friday the 1st of March is a Pupil Free Day for our school community. All of our staff will be joining with the staff of Our Lady Help of Christians, South Lismore to work with the recently retired Executive Director of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Sydney, Dr Dan White OAM. He has served on many Educational Authorities and in 2022 was the recipient of an Order of Australia medal for his services to education. We are very much looking forward to working with Dr Dan and how his work can support the learning of our students.

It is important to know that as we will be having this Professional Learning at Alstonville, there will be no-one at school on Friday. 

Parent Consent and Student Digital Technologies User Agreement

At St Brigid's, we use a variety of digital technologies to promote engagement and creativity across the learning areas. The attached Parental Consent and Student Digital Technology User Agreement provides our families and students with the processes in place to build responsible digital citizens and also helps create an understanding of the expectations when using digital technology throughout the school year. This is a new process initiated by the Catholic Schools Office. The Parent Consent and User Agreement will need to be signed each year by families.

This form was sent out to all families last Friday and we are extremely appreciative of the families that have completed this form. Please take the time to read through the Digital Technologies User Agreement with your child via the link below:-

Parent Consent and Student Digital Technologies User Agreement

Our School Community Forum AGM

Our School Community Forum AGM will be held on Tuesday 12th March at 6pm in the School Library. You are all invited to come along whilst your children are enjoying the School Disco in the Parish Hall. The 2024 Executive positions are all vacant and will need to be filled. This is due to our School Community Forum adopting the new Constitution which takes effect from the next meeting.  A nomination form is attached to this newsletter. 

The St Brigid's School Community Forum is a very important group that addresses a broad range of issues. You can join the Executive of the Forum as a great way to involve yourself in the community, to act in the best interests of your children and to look for creative ways to fund school projects that will benefit all of our children. The Forum conduct 2 meetings a term and assist with functions throughout the year.

Our Forum is a great group of parents who love supporting our school community, and we welcome new parents to join us.  We would be pleased to show you how fulfilling, it is.

The positions that are up for election this year are:

1. Chairperson

2. Assistant Chairperson

3. Secretary 

4. Assistant Secretary 

5. Treasurer 

6. Assistant Treasurer 

In addition to these Executive positions we are looking for keen and enthusiastic people willing to give time to support our other teams of the Forum:- Fundraising Team, Class Parents Co-ordinator, Parent Assembly Representatives, Uniform Shop Co-ordinators. Working together as a team is a far more beneficial and easier way to co-ordinate services and events. 

We are looking forward to a positive year ahead and to working with you in your child’s educational journey. A nomination form is attached and hard copies are also available from the School Office. 

Nomination Form 

Parent / Teacher Interviews

As outlined in the Term Calendar, our Term 1 Parent and Teacher Interviews will take place on Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 20th of March. These interviews are an integral form of school and home working together, to ensure the success of every learner here at St Brigid's. Further information including an online booking form will be sent out in next week's newsletter.

Have a wonderful week ahead,

Tony

Assistant Principal News - Teaching and Learning

WHAT HAPPENS IN ENGLISH?

Within the English block of a morning from K-6, we have two components, A & B. Component A is the first half of our English.  In the K-3 classrooms, we use the InitiaLit program for whole-class literacy instruction. InitiaLit is an evidence-based whole-class literacy program that provides all children with the essential core knowledge and strong foundations to become successful readers and writers. 

Component A in years 4-6 focuses on foundational literacy skills. Three focus areas that are explicitly covered are Reading Fluency, Spelling and Handwriting. The following three areas have been explained in more detail below.

The component B across K-Year 6 is our English program which focuses on the concepts within English and students using their Literacy skills to read, write and communicate.

Reading Fluency: Students aim to sustain independent reading with accuracy, automaticity, rate and expression. Some specific skills include:

• Accurate word reading, at a pace appropriate for text and purpose.
• Maintain stamina when reading extended texts.
• Adjust voice, tone, volume and pitch reflected by the punctuation in a text, to enhance reading fluency and support comprehension.
• Reflect on how adjusting reading rate and expression supports comprehension and can engage an audience.

Spelling: Students aim to select, apply and describe appropriate strategies when spelling in a range of contexts. Some specific skills include:

• Knowledge of phonological, orthographic (common letter patterns and rules) and morphological generalisations (the use of words and their parts).
• Segment multisyllabic words into syllables and phonemes.
• Proofread, identify and correct misspellings when creating written texts.
• Explain and use spelling conventions.

Handwriting and Digital Transcription: Students aim to sustain a legible, fluent and automatic handwriting style. They will also learn to use digital technologies to create texts. Some specific skills include: 

• Sustain the NSW Foundation Style cursive to facilitate fluency and legibility.
• Adjust handwriting style to suit writing purpose.
• Join letters using consistent size and spacing to develop fluency.
• Navigate the keyboard with efficiency and accuracy when typing words, numerals, punctuation and other symbols.
• Select and insert visual, print and audio elements into texts.

Vanessa Walters                                                                                                                                                                                      Assistant Principal, Teaching and Learning. 

Assistant Principal News- Mission

PARISH FAMILY MASS:                                                                                                         It was wonderful to see so many families at our Parish Family Mass last Sunday. The children had excellent questions during Children’s Liturgy and the singing was beautiful! Our next whole school Parish Family Mass is on the 24th March- Palm Sunday. As a part of this mass we will present the Year Four Holy Communion candidates to the parish. If your child is making this sacrament and you are unable to attend mass at 9.00 am on 24.03.24, please make contact with the school. 

INCITARE:                                                                                                                                                                               Tahnesha, Yari and Eloise had a wonderful day at the Year 6 Diocesan retreat- 'Incitare’. They have had the spirit stirred up and will be able to assist in delivering this retreat to all Year 6 students back at St Brigid’s. 

EASTER RAFFLE:                                                                                                                                                                                        We are once again holding a giant Easter raffle to raise funds for Project Compassion during Lent. Students can bring in an item to donate towards the raffle, a small egg, bunny or anything Easter related is appreciated. We hope to have HEAPS of prizes for students. Tickets will be on sale from next week; $1 each or 3 for $2. Thank you for your support. 

Kelli-Ann Shedden                                                                                                                                                                     Assistant Principal, Mission. 

Our Deepest Sympathies

On behalf of our whole school community, we extend our deepest sympathies to Zac and Hannah Royal and their family on the tragic passing of Mila. Please know that you are all in our thoughts and prayers at this time. May she rest in peace.

Ready 4 Learning

Is your child ready to take their first steps into the exciting world of education? Registration for our Ready 4 Learning program, designed specifically for little ones starting school in 2025, is now open!

Don't miss this chance to provide your child with a solid foundation for a lifetime of learning. Click the link below to register!

Register Here

Join us as we ignite a love for learning and prepare your child for a bright future ahead.                                        Act fast – spaces are filling up quickly! 🌟📝

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.

Last week the class with the best average attendance was Year 3 with 94.05% The great thing is that we had 5 classes all over the 90% mark and the whole school average was 92%. Keep up the great work everyone and thanks so much to families for the way in which you are encouraging your children to attend school.

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

Week 2: 91.1% - Kindergarten (98.3%), Year 3 (96.4%), Year 1 (94.5%) 

Week 3: 89.7% - Year 6 (95.5%), Year 1 (93.3%), Year 4 (92.9%) 

Week 4: 92% - Year 3 (94.05%), Year 6 (93.4%), Year 2 (93.1%) 4- 92.66%

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

Attendance Matters

Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school and themselves. Ensuring that students arrive at school on time every day is crucial for their academic success and wellbeing. Parents play a crucial role in instilling the importance of punctuality in their children. Here are some strategies for parents to make getting students to school on time every day a top priority:

• Establish a Consistent Routine. Set a daily routine that includes specific times for waking up, getting ready, having breakfast, and leaving for school. Consistency helps children develop good habits.
• Model Punctuality. Children often learn by example. Demonstrate the importance of punctuality by being on time for family events, appointments, and other commitments. 
• Limit or Have No Screen Time in the Morning. Minimise distractions such as excessive screen time in the morning. This helps your child stay focused on getting ready for school without unnecessary delays.

From the Wellbeing Team

Teaching Children to Tune into their Body Signals

Posing a simple question can help the children in our lives develop a better understanding of their emotional responses. 

The next time your young person is upset, try asking them: “Where do you feel this in your body?”

By cultivating a sense of bodily awareness – aka interoception- in children, we are helping them to be more attuned to their physical and emotional needs.

For example, sensations such as a racing heart, jittery legs or butterflies in the tummy provide very important clues to the emotions we may be experiencing.

By drawing attention to these sensations, and exploring what emotions they may represent, we can help children develop a better understanding of their emotions, how to express what is wrong, and how to self-regulate or ask for help.

The Wellbeing Team

School Disco

Exciting news everyone! Our school disco is coming up for students, promising a night of music and fun. At the same time, our School Community Forum meeting for parents & carers will be held complete with drinks and nibbles. We are also calling all Year 6 parents as we need volunteers to help with the BBQ on the night as this event is a Yr 6 camp fundraiser. If you are able to help please let Miss Macdonald know. 

Let's make these events memorable and successful together!

A School Disco Event will come out next week via Compass to allow ordering and payment. 

School Community Forum News

Please see attached the minutes for meeting help on the 20th February. MINUTES

The next meeting will be our AGM on Tuesday 12th March

Regards

Claire Knight

Chairperson

Class Parents

Huge thanks to those who have volunteered. We still need more class parents to bring fun and energy to our school. Join us in organising exciting events and fostering connections among families. Contact your child's teacher or Mrs. Kelly to sign up. Let's make 2024 memorable together!

Kindergarten:  Krystal White & Kimberley Langley

Year 1: Belinda Grieve & Ashling Aherne 

Year 2: ___________ & _____________

Year 3: Natasha Allen & Stacey Newman

Year 4: ___________ & _____________

Year 5: ___________ & _____________

Year 6: ___________ & _____________

Student Awards Week 2

Congratulations to the following students who have shown tremendous effort and were presented with their awards at our assembly last Friday afternoon:

Kindergarten - Kendall H, Delilah A, Isaac R  

Year 1 - Layla O, Annabel P

Year 2 - Liam B, Harlow S

Year 3 - Ryder N, Angus W

Year 4 - Chance F, Danny K, Nerdia P

Year 5 - Isaac B, Peyton B

Year 6 - Ruby W, Scartell C

Principal Award -  Djalai C, Ella G

MJR Awards

MJR Weekly Focus Term 1 Week 3 & 4: Bucket fillers!                      Congratulations to the following students who were nominate to recieve MJR Awards for being Bucket Fillers and treating others as Jesus taught us. 

 Oscar W                               Logan A                              Jahlissa M                           Brooklyn S                         Eloise S                              Byron CK                                           Hamish L                            Hamish W                         Adam B 

MJR Weekly Focus Term 1 Week 5 & 6: Be a giver not a taker.                                                                                        "Let's learn from Jesus and be like him by giving instead of just taking. Jesus showed us how to be kind and share with others. When we give, we make people happy and make the world a better place. So, let's be like Jesus and be givers! When we give, we spread love and joy everywhere we go."

Positive Behaviour 4 Learning (PB4L)

Term 1 Week 4 and 5 Focus: I use people’s names when I speak to them because Jesus knows each and everyone of us. 

Happy Birthday to You

Wishing the following children all the very best for their special day this coming week.

Upcoming Dates

March

1st  - Pupil Free Day - Staff Development 

4th - First Communion Parent Information Meeting 

8th - Dio Winter sports Trials - Grafton 

10th - 4th Sunday Lent 

12th - Disco and School Community Forum AGM

Community News

Trinity Catholic College Open Night