Excellence, Relationships, Service
A Child Safe School
NEWSLETTER -
No.8
Term 1 Week 9
DISCOVERY LEARNING COMMUNITY
The Discovery Learning
community continued to
focus on our major target
“To share what it means to
belong through sharing our
feelings and emotions.” We
engaged in knee to knee
conversations, small group
workshops and a whole group project that allowed us
to share how we were feeling and to be of service to
others by recognising their feelings and helping
where appropriate.
March 30, 2017
Mathematical experiences
We recognized that pattern
could be made with shape,
colour, objects, even on a
dinner table. Our place settings
were a repeated pattern with
the cutlery and crockery. We
used our growing knowledge of
counting and collections to
group the crockery and cutlery
together in preparation for our
dinner party and to ensure we
had enough places set for all of
our guests. Victorian Curriculum Mathematics, Level
Foundation: I can recognise, name and sequence
numbers initially up to 10 and beyond. I can create and
continue patterns with objects and drawings.
Language Experiences
Discovery participated in
guided reading workshops
where we developed our
reading strategies such as
tracking the words with
our fingers, using the
pictures to help us and use
the initial sound if we were unsure. We worked
together to practise our handwriting in order to do
invitations, place cards and a menu for our class
dinner. Victorian Curriculum English, Level Foundation: I
can recognise the most common sound that each letter
represents.
I can recognise all lower and uppercase
letters. I can understand that texts can take many forms.
Projects
We have finished the term with
a great sense of pride and a big
dump
of
the
chemical
dopamine. We finished our
feelings book and published it
for the class to read. It was a
challenge and we now know
that when something is a
challenge it means our brain is
growing and making stronger
connections.
Victorian Curriculum Science,
Level
Foundation:
I
can
understand that things grow and
change.
The Dinner Party
We
planned,
shopped,
chopped and cooked a threecourse meal to share and
enjoy with each other. We
focused on creating a menu
that used produce that we
could grow in our gardens at
school. We developed a
menu that described our food
as ‘yumminess that pops in
your mouth’.
Victorian Curriculum Personal & Social Capability, Level
Foundation: Name and practise basic skills required to
work collaboratively with peers.
I improved in three of my sports, they were long jump,
triple jump and discus. I threw my discus 18 metres
and by base line was 17.3 metres. – Innocent
I improved in all of my events. In shotput I improved
by 9 centimetres in discus, 4.20 metres in triple jump
58 centimetres and in long jump I improved by 35
centimetres. –Tom
I surpassed most of my targets by using the right
skills, practising and getting kind, helpful and specific
feedback. - Dakota
Foreign Correspondence
We are very excited to be
corresponding with a
beautiful rural school from
France called Vescany.
We have written them an
email explaining who we
are and information about
St. James’. We are looking forward to writing back
and forth to the school throughout the year. This is a
picture of their school, it is an old castle.
Victorian Curriculum Health & Physical Education, Level
Five: I can explore ways in which people can connect with
other members of their community through participating in
physical activities in natural settings and built
environments.
Reconciliation
Congratulations to our students who celebrated their
Sacrament of Reconciliation last week.
Margret, Allarah,
Josephina, Sior,
Jacob,
Kurt,
Rylee, Ellen
Health & Wellbeing Day
Thank you to all parents, carers, grandparents and
families who came along to our Health and Wellbeing
Day last Thursday. It was a fantastic day and it was
wonderful to see the children enjoying their
workshops and supporting their friends and
classmates in the sporting activities in the afternoon.
Afterwards, students reflected on the improvement
they made between their baseline (initial distance)
and their Health and Wellbeing Day distance. These
are some of their thoughts:
I was proud of my shot put because every other year
I got the same distance but I got much further this
year. – Bianca
FUTSAL GRANDFINAL
Congratulations to the u9 boys who played in their
futsal grand final last weekend. After being put up to
a higher grade at the start of season, these boys
displayed determination, resilience and teamwork to
5 - 3 win over a much bigger side. Well done to
everyone involved!
I was proud of my discus score, I got almost three
metres more. – Roy
I was proud of my 50 metre sprints and my long jump
because in my long jump I improved by 0.35 metres
and in the sprints I ran faster - Alex S
I was proud of long jump because I made a big
difference (0.7 metres) to before. – Akuir
HAPPY BIRTHDAY:
Paul Armeni
Mitchell Hazlett
Jarvis Cartledge
April 13
April 15
April 16
IT’S A BOY!
Congratulations to Driss and his wife Jo on the safe
arrival of their baby boy, Zakaria. We wish you
every happiness at this special time!
Term two important information
ANZAC Day will be commemorated here at St.
James’ on Monday, April 24 at 12:30pm. We warmly
invite you to attend this liturgy, which will be led by
Connecting Learning Community.
Student Led Conferences will be held on Monday,
May 1, Tuesday, May 2 and Wednesday May 3. This
is a valuable and important opportunity for your child
to share his or her learning targets and goals with
you. There will be signup sheets in each Learning
Community from the beginning of Term 2. Please
add your names to a time that is convenient to you.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Professional Learning and Development Days for
Term 2 are Friday, May 5 and Friday June 23. There
will be NO school for students on those days. Staff
will be involved in better understanding learning with
research findings leading to improved student
learning outcomes. Due to the short Term1 we did
not take the allocated Professional Learning Day so
this needs to be made up during Term 2. Thank you
for your understanding with this.
Save the date of our very special Mother’s Day
celebrations to be held here at school on Friday, May
12 at 12:30pm. All mothers, grandmothers and
special women in our lives are invited to join us. A
special invitation will be sent home early next term.
Keep an eye out for Excursions for Term 2 that are
highlighted on the term planner. Any additional, local
excursions will be added to the upcoming
Excursions/Activities section of our newsletter, giving
you at least 2 weeks prior notice. These will include
any sports clinics and interschool sports.
Students are expected to wear full winter uniform
next term however whilst we are still experiencing
some warmer days, it is acceptable for students to
still wear their summer uniform. We ask that by the
start of May, all students are wearing their winter
uniform every day. The uniform shop will be open
the first two Thursdays of the term should you need
to purchase any winter uniform items.
UPCOMING EXCURSIONS/ACTIVITIES
Badminton Clinic - Leadership
On Monday, April 24 students from Leadership will
travel to the Badminton stadium in Wendouree to
participate in a Badminton clinic. Students will be
travelling to and from the clinic by bus departing at
10am and will be returning to school at
approximately 12pm. All Leadership students will
need to wear their sports uniform on this day.
Badminton Clinic - Connecting
On Thursday, April 27 students from Connecting will
travel to the Badminton stadium in Wendouree to
participate in a Badminton clinic. Students will be
travelling to and from the clinic by bus departing at
9:00am (sharp) and will be returning to school at
approximately 11am. All Connecting students will
need to wear their sports uniform on this day.
Discovery Melbourne Museum Excursion
In Term 2, Discovery will be participating in our first
big excursion. We will be visiting the Melbourne
Museum on Thursday, April 27 to build upon our
learning about bugs and our relationship with them.
Students will travel by bus, leaving St. James’ at
9:15am and will return to school between 3:30pm –
4:00pm.
We ask any parents interested in
volunteering on the day to let the Discovery team
know.
You will need a current Working with
Children's Check.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Tuesday, April 18
Monday, May 1Wednesday, May 3
TERM 2
COMMENCES
Stations of the Cross
9:15am
Anzac Day Ceremony
10:30am
Eucharist Parent
Enrolment
Discovery –Melbourne
Museum Excursion
Student Led
Conferences
Friday, May 12
Mothers’ Day Liturgy
Monday, April 24
Wednesday, April 26
Thursday, April 27
PARENTS/CARERS END OF TERM LUNCH!
Before we pick up our children tomorrow (2:30pm),
join us for lunch (or a coffee) at the Royal Mail Hotel
from 12:30 pm. All welcome to attend including preschoolers. It is a great opportunity to meet other
parents over a relaxed lunch! Please contact Andrea
on 04009 381 807 or Shae on 0408 545 893 for more
information or to rsvp.
SCHOOL “COOK IN”
Our community team has organised a ‘Cook In’ from
9-11am on Wednesday, April 26. All ingredients
needed have been pre-purchased for the morning.
Prepared meals will go towards our families in times
of adversity. If you are able to help out in the morning
please give Jo Gallagher a call on. 0432 993 021.
UNIFORM SHOP
The Uniform Shop will open on Thursdays on a
fortnightly basis, 3pm–4pm. The shop will be open on
next on Thursday April 21 and April 27.
Thank you for reading this newsletter, we hope you
have a restful holidays and Easter and look forward
to seeing you all in Term 2.