Term 1, Week 4 - 16th February, 2023

From the Principal

Dear families,

It's the end of Week 4 and it's almost hard to believe we are about to enter Week 5 of the first term!

Firstly, it is wonderful to announce that we have appointed a teacher to the 2/3/4 classroom. Miss Darcy Barnes has been teaching for four years prior to her appointment at St Maria Goretti. She loved the community feel of our small school and is very excited to join us. Darcy will begin in the 2/3/4 classroom on Monday. I am positive you will all help me to make her feel very welcome. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching in the 2/3/4 classroom for the last four weeks, and I know Mrs Twidale has as well. 

Berry Street Education Model 

Last year, some of our staff attended the Berry Street Education Model 4-day training in Toowoomba. We are planning to 'roll out' some of the trauma informed practices and strategies throughout the year.

The first practice that we have implemented school-wide are our 'Morning Meetings'.  Each morning, every class at St Maria Goretti follows the following sequence to set the tone for the day. 

Routines create predictability for the day. Participating in a circle routine in the morning promotes positive connections between students and peers, as well as students and staff. This routine helps to create a sense of safety and belonging that can support student engagement, build wellbeing and create positive classroom communities. Students experience positive emotions that prime them for open, flexible and engaged thinking.

The Berry Street Education Model's approach to circle time includes intentional strategies for cultivating positive emotions and includes six steps:

Greetings Greetings involve coming together as a group - students can sit or stand in a circle shape. The teacher should greet each student individually and by name, then encourage the students to greet each other. Students are encouraged to use each other's names, maintain good eye contact and possibly give each other a high five, fist bump or special handshake.

Values It is important to connect student to the school values (The 5Cs) everyday. It helps students to feel connected to the school and fosters a sense of belonging. The values could be spoken or used in a chant.

Questions you could consider are:

• What are the values we would like to display in our classroom today?

• What are the positive values to make us have a great day/week?

Expectations The teacher should share the key expectations for positive behaviour for the day. Explore what these expectations look like and sound like. The expectations can be linked back to the school values.

Questions you could consider are:

• Which/how will you demonstrate the school values today?

• What can we expect today?

Announcements This is an opportunity for the teacher to share any class news or announcements. You can acknowledge birthdays, accomplishments or let students know about any upcoming events. You could also share anything important in history that may have occurred on this day.

Questions you could consider are:

• Put your hand up if you have a great announcement for today

• What is happening today?

Positive Primer Emotions play a vital role in how we learn. Research has found that the experience of positive emotions enhance creativity and flexibility and are associated with other long-term benefits such as better social skills, kindness to others, constructive relationships, stronger immune systems and a higher likelihood of finding satisfying and meaningful work later in life. Positive emotions can broaden thought-action repertories, build resilience and resources and undo the biological effect of negative emotions (Brunzell et al., 2019, BSEM, Domain 4: Engagement).

"Your classroom is open for learning when students experience positive emotions that prime them to think creatively and collaboratively" (Brunzell et al., 2019, BSEM, Domain 4: Engagement, p .44).

Positive primers are activities that prime students' brains for engaged, creative and flexible thinking. Starting a lesson or school day with a positive primer invests in student connection, collaboration and enjoyment.

What Went Well (www) This is a reflection strategy that teachers can use to help students recognise the positive aspects of a lesson, time frame or day. It allows teachers to emphasise and encourage positive behaviours for the learning students have shown.

Everyone experiences a negativity bias and it is important that we not only have positive experiences but also reflect on and engage with those experiences.

This strategy is helpful to complete independent of the circle. It can be used at the end of each lesson, session or day. It is also helpful to educate families about this strategy so they can also begin using it at home.

Student Protection Contacts

School Student Protection Contacts (SSPCs) are nominated by the school principal and are endorsed in consultation with the Manager: Professional Standards and the Student Protection Officer. In conjunction with the principal, SSPCs will

• assist students, parents/care providers and those working in the school when concerns or disclosures of abuse, harm or inappropriate behaviour towards students are brought to their notice. Where required, this assistance may include a discussion of the concerns or disclosures, advice regarding appropriate resources and people to consult with, assistance to access relevant documents and forms, and assistance to complete forms
• ensure that all persons working within the school know how to access the Student Protection 
Processes and Guidelines and Diocesan reporting requirements, including the specific forms and 
documentation to be completed
• assist the principal to ensure support is provided for all involved when abuse, harm or inappropriate behaviour towards students is alleged or disclosed
• where appropriate, assist the principal to deliver student protection annual refresher training and training during staff meetings
• attend training provided by the Student Protection Officer and other professional development 
opportunities in the area of student protection as required
• ensure that the school has sufficient School Student Protection posters displayed in prominent 
locations around the school, the posters are up to date, and that students are aware of the location of the posters
• ensure that students, staff and parents are aware of the names of the SSPCs in the school and their role
• support the principles of privacy and confidentiality, and high-quality record keeping
• at the direction of the principal, SSPCs may be asked assist with the Visibility Audit each semester in conjunction with the school’s allocated Work Health and Safety Coordinator or other appropriate staff members.

Our Student Protection Contacts are Mrs Casey Robinson, Mrs Naomi Smith and Mr Paul Fomiatti.

I will be away next week at the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Leadership Forum. Mrs Kara Locke from TCSO will be deputising in my absence. 

I wish you all a wonderful weekend. 

Yours in education,

Casey Robinson

Principal

"I can never think of God but as one of such tenderness that cannot be cast off." (Mary MacKillop 1890)

Life and Learning in the Library

Queensland School Library Week 

School Library Week is being celebrated around Queensland from 13th – 17th February with the theme,  School Libraries Devoted To You.  

• We will challenge students to share what this means to them as learners. 
• Students have been invited to illustrate the theme for a chance to enter the State run competition organised by the Queensland Schools Library Association. See following details or online at https://www.qsla.org.au/qslw  
• Watch out for the students' art work on display in the indercover area.

Queensland School Library Week 2023 - Competition  

The primary competition has two categories, Prep - Year 2 and Year 3 - Year 6.   

Prep - Year 2:  What do you love about your school library? Draw or paint a picture to illustrate this.  Your picture should be on an A4 sheet.  Add a caption if you like. 

Year 3 - Year 6:  Take a photo or produce an artwork inspired by the theme: School Libraries Devoted to You.  

One entry for each category will be chosen for the State Competition. 

Winners will each receive a $50 book voucher and their school will receive a $100 book voucher. Schools will be notified of winning students’ names via email. 

  Entries can be left with Library staff on or before Thursday 23rd February. All entries will be displayed in the library. 

Library Lessons - Week 2 and 3

Class library time has focused on ways we choose, borrow and read our free choice reading material. Students have time to browse the collections to find books they would like to borrow. Those students who still have books at home use this time to enjoy a book or read independently. We always make time to read 2 picture books with the Prep and Year 1 students!

Year 2 - 6 students have reflected on their interests and strengths as learners and readers and recorded their thoughts with images and words. I have started to read a short novel to each class for the last 10 mins of the lesson and this is proving popular. Please take some time across your week to read aloud to your children, they love it whatever their age! 

Board games were popular during lunch play time 

Happy Reading

Anne Anderson

TeacherLibrarian

Curriculum News - NAPLAN 2023

NAPLAN 2023 Timetable

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a point in time assessment of literacy and numeracy skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life.

Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in the annual NAPLAN tests in writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

St Maria Goretti will be participating in NAPLAN Online between the 15^th and the 21^st of March.

Please see our NAPLAN Online schedule for Year 3 and Year 5 below.

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs Robinson at the school on 4652 1109.

2/3/4 Class News

In Maths, we have been doing weekly '3 Act Tasks'. 

A 3 Act Task is a whole-group mathematics task consisting of three distinct parts: an engaging and perplexing Act One, an information and solution seeking Act Two, and a solution discussion and solution revealing Act Three. 

ACT 1: Engage and Perplex

• In Act 1, the teacher sharing with students an image, video, or other situation that is engaging and perplexing.
• Students discuss what they notice and wonder. They generate question to ask about the situation.
• Students decide on a question to answer and make estimates about the likely solution.

ACT 2: Seek Information and Solutions

• In Act 2, students work on finding solutions to their problems. 
• They use information they have and ask for more information as needed.
• The teacher supplies more information as requested by students.
• They may adjust their question as they work.

​ACT 3: Reveal, Discuss, Extend!

• In Act 3, students share their work, their thinking, and their solutions.
• There is a reveal by the teacher of a solution, and the discussion that ensues may take many directions:
• Students might compare their solutions to each others and to the reveal.
• Students might compare their solutions to their estimates and discuss the comparison.
• Students might discuss the assumptions that were made in the work.
• Students might think of other questions they could pursue next
• The teacher helps students connect their work to the core math of the task.

- Mrs Casey Robinson

Data Collection Notice

Students of the Week - Week 3

Students of the Week - Week 4

Sight Word Certificates

Happy Birthday!

Parent Partnership Forum

Notices

Our Lady of the Southern Cross Parish - Mass Times

Friday 17th February - 9:30am SMG Year 6 Commissioning Mass

Sunday 19th February - 9am Lay Lead Liturgy

Sunday 26th February - 9am Mass

Sunday 5th March - 9am Lay Lead Liturgy