Term 1 Week 6 Newsletter 2024

Dear Parents, Friends, Staff and Students of St Catherine’s,  

They say that time flies when you are having fun and here we are already half way through Term 1! The past few weeks have seen students settle well into their class routines and it is always a joy visiting classrooms and seeing happy, smiling faces engaged in learning.  

This week our year 6 students have been on their camp to Kangaroo Island and have had a fantastic time. They will return this afternoon and we look forward to hearing more about their trip in the coming week.   

Season of Lent 

Throughout the season of Lent we take time to reflect on our lives as we journey to Easter. In a recent Southern Cross Publication, Archbishop Patrick O'Regan writes of the spiritual journey of Lent with the destination being Easter. I invite you to take a moment to read this article here:  

https://thesoutherncross.org.au/opinion/2024/03/01/lent-a-journey-to-easter/ 

School Captains 

At the start of the year our Year 6 students went through a nomination process to be considered for one of the four school captain positions available as part of the leadership program at St Catherine's. Congratulations to Zara, Jack, Sylvie and Xavier who have been appointed as our School Captains for 2024. Mrs Dawe and I have met with the captains and they have started to put together a plan to support Project Compassion through this time of Lent. We look forward to seeing these students develop their leadership capabilities throughout the year. 

SRC and ECO students 

Congratulations to the following students who have been nominated as SRC and ECO members for this Semester. 

We have already discussed the role of being a student representative and how each member is responsible for sharing information from their classmates. At our recent meeting, the SRC members shared information from their class under the four broad categories of Positives and Celebrations, Questions, Ideas and Issues. This information helps the students discuss ways to make our school a happy and safe place. 

Our ECO reps have started their time together with some preparation in the garden in readiness for their future activities together. 

Forest Friends Playgroup 

Each Monday, we hold our Forest Friends Playgroup from 9.00-10.30am with children from birth to school age joining in a variety of activities, including nature play, crafts, singing, sensory play and storytime. If you know of anyone who may be interested in coming along, please let them know about this opportunity. Further information is available on our school website: https://www.stcaths.catholic.edu.au/enrolment/forest-friends-playgroup 

Annual General Meeting  

The School Board held the AGM on Tuesday 20th February. The AGM provides an opportunity each year for our community to hear about and reflect on our achievements from the previous year. The 2023 AGM report along with the 2023 School Performance Report is available on the school website: https://www.stcaths.catholic.edu.au/our-school/current-policies-reports-and-guidelines 

Growing with Gratitude Workshops 

Last week, we were fortunate to have Ash Manuel from the Growing with Gratitude school wellbeing program visit our school and work with each of the classes. A parent workshop was then held after school engaging parents and their children in a variety of activities designed to promote a sense of gratitude and support health and wellbeing. Thank you to all the families who were able to come along to this event. Thank you also to the Burton Foundation who donated this experience to our school. 

Holiday Nature Play Event 

Following the success of our holiday nature play event held last year, we are planning on holding another nature play morning in the April holiday break on Wednesday 24th April, 9.30-11.30am The event is aimed at welcoming children aged 3-5 years old to experience our wonderful outdoor learning environment with their parents, friends or relatives. It would be wonderful if our existing St Catherine’s families could share this information with their networks - friends, colleagues, neighbours, and so on, so that we can welcome a good number of participants for this event. Further information will be shared in the coming weeks. 

Have a great long weekend. 

Warm regards, 

John 
Together in Faith, Learning and Community 

 Lenten Season 

As we enter the season of Lent, we embark on a journey of reflection, repentance, and spiritual growth in preparation for the joyous celebration of Easter. This journey begins with Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent in the Christian calendar. Lent is a period of 40 days (not counting Sundays) leading up to Easter Sunday. It mirrors the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness, facing temptation and preparing for his ministry. During Lent, we are called to reflect on our own lives, and draw closer to God through prayer, fasting, and acts of service. 

There are many ways families can observe Lent together: 

• Attend a church service together as a family. 
• Set aside time for family prayer and reflection, perhaps by reading a Lenten prayer or Scripture passages together. 
• Encourage children to give up a favourite treat or activity for Lent as a way of practicing self-discipline and focusing on what truly matters. 
• Engage in acts of kindness and service as a family, such as volunteering at a local charity or helping a neighbour in need. 

Our main fundraising this term is to support Caritas and their Lenten Project Compassion appeal. You are welcome to use this collection box to make donations and then at the end of Lent, it can be sent back to school where funds will be sent to Caritas Australia. We are always thrilled by the generosity of our families during Lent and know that money raised goes a long way to support those communities who are in great need. 

As we continue to journey through the sacred season of Lent, let us embrace the opportunity for renewal and transformation in our lives and in our families. May this time of reflection deepen our faith and draw us closer to the love and grace of God. 

Sacramental Program  

The 2024 Sacramental Program starts with the Ritual of Remembering Baptism on Sunday 10th March (10.30am) and the first workshop taking place on Saturday 25th March. Both of these events will be held in Bridgewater, at St Matthew’s Church. If you have a child in years 4-6 who might be interested in participating, it is not too late for them to join the program for this year. Registration forms can be collected from the front office. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to either myself or the Parish office. 

Kitchen Garden 

Our Kitchen Garden Program is in full swing and it has been exciting to see the students engaging with a wide variety of learning activities. What has become evident is that the impact and potential of this program is far greater than what we first expected. Some of the obvious outcomes are around an understanding of food and the production and preparation process, but there are also significant benefits to the personal and physical capabilities. It has been exciting to see students engaging with each other, sharing their own prior experiences of cooking and demonstrating their levels of self awareness. The hands on experiences are also a great opportunity for hand-eye coordination and fine motor development. With the development of such a wide variety of cooking technologies, it is exciting to go back to basics and use our hands to undertake tasks such as mixing with a wooden spoon and kneading dough by hand. While at times messy, the smiles and discussions have shown us just how powerful these experiences are. Then of course there is the excitement of setting up a shared dining area and engaging in a meal time together, talking about the food and the experience of preparing that meal together. Thank you to the parents who have been able to support us in this journey so far. Please also feel free to enjoy sharing in these recipes too. 

Family Gardening Group 

This year we will again have our Wednesday morning Family Gardening group. This has been a wonderful way to help stay on top of some of the gardening tasks, as well as to start of our day engaging with nature. It is always a busy time with the children excited to help tend to the chickens and greet the many mini beasts we find within the gardens. Of course the extra set of hands from the adults has been very much appreciated. Please feel most welcome to join us for these occasions. The sessions starts from 8.00am on Wednesday mornings (weather permitting) and students can then head up to class at 8.45am. Please enter via the OSHC gate and make your way to the school veggie garden. I do have a variety of tools available but of course you are always welcome to bring along your own set of gloves if you prefer. Good footwear is recommended especially when we start to get some rain. If I do need to cancel the session this is communicated via seesaw so please make sure you have set up your notifications on the app. I hope that you and your child may be able to join us at some stage. 

Thank you 

We have been thrilled to have our school chickens return to us and residing in their newly renovated chicken coop. Last year a group of parents started the renovations however the task turned out to require more time than what one working bee could offer. Over the summer break we had one of our extraordinary parents continue to undertake this task and as a result Cluckingham Palace is back in great shape and better than ever. With the addition of reinforced concrete flooring and the replacement of rotten wood, our chickens are now in a secure environment which will also help keep their feet dry when we enter the winter months. I cannot thank our team of parents enough for their generosity of time and skill. We are very blessed to have people such as these within our school community. On behalf of the students, staff and chickens, I would like to say thank you. 

Warm regards, 

Krystina Dawe, 
Assistant Principal, Religious Identity and Mission 
kdawe@stcaths.catholic.edu.au

In week 5 the whole school were lucky enough to have a session with Ash from Growing with Gratitude.

The 3/4 and the 5/6 classes spent time learning about different ways we can improve our attitude to life!

We learnt a range of strategies including becoming ‘wellbeing warriors’ and how important it is to do ‘random acts of kindness’. We got to practice the strategies via games including one using blindfolds plus gratitude monopoly!

Our class have been busy working in our Kitchen Garden program. Students have been involved in preparing the school garden beds and planting corn. We enjoyed preparing food in our kitchen garden room and made yummy apple pie and potato pizzas using our school grown produce. 

Students in Reception and Year 1 have been conducting science experiments to observe changes in the natural world. We used a globe and a flashlight to model how day and night occur, and then researched about nocturnal animals in the Adelaide Hills. Recently we conducted an experiment to observe changes while growing crystals. It was very exciting to note the changes that occurred each day through our time lapse video. 

In Art lessons we explored how artists use lines in artworks to create motion and details. We have created our own artwork and displayed them for others to view in the library corridor. 

Mrs Narelle Brine

In 4/5B, we have been learning about suspense narrative writing. We have been learning about text structure and language features that help build tension and suspense.

We have boxed up our modelled text, created a story map and used ‘short bust writing’ opportunities to sharpen our language features and follow the suspense toolkit. We can now use these to lift our writing to the next level! Student toolkit examples include:

• All of a sudden, I was on the floor. The laughter of my fake friends was drowned out​ by my thoughts. - Showing the character’s feelings by reactions / Using dramatic connectives
• The same thing kept echoing in my thoughts, "Why did I do this?" - Reveal the character’s thoughts
• He was shaking like a soldier waiting to go off to war. - Similes / Creating a picture in the reader’s mind
• The sounds of laughter filled the midnight air. - Make the setting the subject of sentences.

We can’t wait to publish our final narratives!

Short Burst Writing, Story Map & Box It Up Examples:

“The path seemed to go on forever. The wind howled and the bushes rustled. My footsteps stained the path as I kept walking. It was dark. It seemed as if there were red eyes surrounding me, like someone or something was following me.” - Mia

“Whoosh the horrible straight, narrow gravel path seamed to go on forever. Willing Thomas to push on. Would he ever see blue sky's again or would he meet his fate here in this terrible grey mist. Would he ever feel destiny again.” - Aliyah

“The mist got thicker until Thomas couldn’t see where he was going. The snake hissed, the trees were talking, and Thomas held his arms tight.” - Holly“The mist got thicker until Thomas couldn’t see where he was going. The snake hissed, the trees were talking, and Thomas held his arms tight.” - Holly

SAPSASA Hills Swimming Carnival – Courier Cup

Congratulations to the six students that competed at the Swimming carnival on Thursday 29th February at Mt Barker Pool. Unfortunately, three students were absent due to illness but the students that did compete were fantastic!

On the day St Catherine’s finished a very respectable 4th out of 12 schools.

The students competed in a variety of events including Freestyle, Backstroke, Breastroke and Butterfly. Our school also competed in BOTH relay events finishing 2nd in the open Medley Relay (Hills District), quite an amazing performance considering we had a year 4, two year 5’s and one year 6 in the event.

Some commendable results on the day included:

• Holly Year 4: 1st – Butterfly (across both districts)
• Alex Year 5: 5th Backstroke – 3rd in Hills District
• Xavier Year 6: 7th Backstroke – 3rd in Hills District
• Kiyan Year 5: 14th Freestyle – 8th Hills District
• Charlie Year 5: 12th Backstroke – 7th Hills District
• Alex Year 5: 5th Breastroke – 3rd Hills District
• Xavier Year 6: 4th Breatsroke – 3rd Hills
• Holly Year 4: 2nd Breastroke – 2nd Hills District
• Freestyle Relay: Holly, Charlie, Kiyan, Alex – 3rd position – 6th overall
• Medley Relay: Holly (backstoke), Charlie (freestyle), Xavier (breastroke), Alex (butterfly): 2nd position – 6th overall

CSMF 

An amazing group of 25 students have chosen to join choir this year. The choir director, Denise Rothall, visited last week and was very impressed with the amount of songs the students have learned in a very short space of time.

2/3F

The Year 2/3 students have been learning the recorder in music lessons. Having already mastered Hot Cross Buns we have moved onto Clair de Lune. 

RB

This week the reception students undertook some imaginative dress up play in drama. There was a lot of giggles and fun had by all as they turned themselves into a range of different characters.

Kathryn Thomson
Performing Arts Teacher

Welcome to 2024!

If you haven't met me already, my name is Lucia. My husband Ben and I have 3 children who attend St Catherine's. James in Year 5, Mary in Year 4 and Jack in Year 1.

I have taken on the role of P&F Coordinator this year.

I will be asking for your help this year - but not in the typical sense - we have a Small School with a BIG heart..."help" can be whatever suits your family...

Donating some fruit boxes for sports day, or helping Lyndall in the tuckshop on a Monday, or helping sign in/out children at the school disco (just to name a few ).

If you haven't already, see Sam in the Front Office to organise your volunteering paperwork.

Have a lovely weekend,

Lucia

InitiaLit in R-2 classes  

Our new phonics program InitiaLit is well underway in the Reception, Year 1 and  Year 2 classrooms. InitiaLit is a comprehensive and evidence-based phonics program designed to support teachers in teaching foundational literacy skills to young learners. The program is structured around systematic and explicit phonics instruction, which is recognised as a critical component of early reading success. It follows a structured scope and sequence, gradually introducing phonemes (individual sounds) and graphemes (the corresponding written symbols) in a logical and sequential manner. This approach helps students build phonemic awareness, phonics skills, and decoding strategies necessary for proficient reading and writing. Each phonics session begins with a review followed by a systematic introduction of phonics concepts and sounds.  

A snapshot from this week: 

Miss Barolo has been working with the Reception students on syllable segmentation and rhyming words. 

Mrs Brine has been working with the Year 1 students on digraphs and segmenting words into sound boxes. 

Miss Coates is working with the Year 2 students on alternative digraphs and trigraphs.  

NAPLAN  

• As we approach the NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) testing period, it's natural for both children and parents to feel a mix of emotions. NAPLAN provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in literacy and numeracy, but for some it may also be a source of stress. 
• As parents, there are several ways you can support your child during this time: 
• Encourage a Positive Attitude: Remind your child that NAPLAN is just one way to measure their progress. Encourage them to do their best, but also reassure them that their worth is not determined by their test results. 
• Maintain a Healthy Routine: Adequate sleep, nutritious meals, and regular exercise are crucial during the testing period. A healthy lifestyle can positively impact your child's concentration and overall wellbeing. 
• Practice Relaxation Techniques: Teach your child simple relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or mindfulness. These can help them manage test anxiety and stay calm during the tests. 
• Review Practice Questions Together: Familiarize yourself with the types of questions in the NAPLAN tests and go through practice questions with your child. This can help them feel more confident and prepared. 
• Be Supportive and Understanding: Understand that your child may feel anxious or stressed about NAPLAN. Be patient, listen to their concerns, and offer words of encouragement. 
• Celebrate Effort, Not Just Results: Regardless of the outcome, praise your child for their effort and hard work. Celebrate their achievements, big or small. 

Remember, NAPLAN is just one part of your child's educational journey. Your support, encouragement, and understanding are invaluable in helping them navigate this period successfully. 

Please note the following dates as these will be when we are scheduled to undertake each of the NAPLAN assessments. 

• Wednesday 13th March - Writing 
• Friday 15th March - Reading 
• Monday 18th March - Conventions of Language 
• Wednesday 20th March - Mathematics 

Premiers Reading Challenge 

It's that exciting time of the year again where we embark on a literary adventure like no other - the Premier's Reading Challenge! As we kick off this year's challenge, we invite every student to immerse themselves in the magical world of books, where imagination knows no bounds and learning becomes an exhilarating journey. 

The Premier's Reading Challenge is not just about completing a list of books; it's about igniting a passion for reading that will last a lifetime. With a vast array of captivating stories, fascinating facts, and enriching experiences waiting to be discovered, this challenge opens doors to new worlds, broadens perspectives, and nurtures creativity. 

Students are challenged to read 12 age appropriate books from now until Week 7 in Term 3. Students will receive an award later in the year. 

Our R-2 classes will complete the challenge with their classroom teacher as they visit the Treehouse library each week.  

Year 3-6 students who wish to participate in the challenge will collect a sheet from their class teacher, or download the form from the website.  

Once the forms are complete they can be returned to their class teacher or Cathy Fischle in the Treehouse library. 

Happy Reading! 

Children's University 

We are excited to once again participate in the Children's University program. Students in Years 3, 4 and 5 will be able to participate, building upon their hours which were achieved in 2023, or starting off as a new participant.   

This year the registration process is slightly different and parents are asked to use the QR code to register their child. You will need to complete the registration form then make the appropriate payment directly to the school through Qkr. This has been set up and is ready for use. 

The annual fee for 2024 remains the same and is $38.50 (inc GST) per member.  A Passport is included in a member’s first year only with any replacement Passport incurring a fee of $7.70 (inc GST). 

If you have any questions regarding the above, please do not hesitate to contact Krystina Dawe. 

Scholastic Book Club 

We will continue to offer families the opportunity to purchase reading materials through Scholastic Book Club. Across the year there are multiple opportunities for purchasing, with students bringing home a catalogue twice a term. Already a number of families have taken advantage of this, and one of the benefits for the school is that with every purchase made, rewards are earned for our school.   

Narelle Brine and Krystina Dawe 
Leaders of Learning – Curriculum and Assessment

PBIS 

On Thursday the 22nd of March, the PBIS leadership team consisting of Hailey Wariach, Andrea Williams, Bianca Foote and Genevieve Jong went to our first training day with Catholic Education in collaboration with Rypple Education. We learnt about the benefits of implementing PBIS and how to do this cohesively as a whole school approach. We had time to organise our journey and plan our next steps. 

Please click the link below to help guide us on our PBIS journey and provide some feedback about what values you would like to see instilled in your child.  

Microsoft Forms

Catholic School Parents South Australia 

The CSPSA are hosting an event, 'Middle to High School Cool', with Madhavi Narwana Parker, Director of Positive Minds Australia. 

No matter what we say to young people about not caring about what others think, this is the age where they care the most. During this period of psychological change and growth, pre-teens and teenagers want to fit in. This workshop will help you understand what’s going through their minds, how to help, and the importance of staying connected. 

This practical workshop will give you an insight into the minds of this age group, how best to respond to their social and emotional needs to prepare them for the next stage of their education. The event will have online and in person attendance options. 

Please register here. 

Inclusion 

Intervention Programs 

Our intervention programs kicked off last week led by our amazing team of ESOs. 

MiniLit 

The wonderful Katie K and Pat will continue to run our small group literacy intervention, MiniLit. MiniLit is a structured, evidence-based program specifically designed to help struggling readers improve their reading abilities. It focuses on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills, all of which are crucial components of literacy development. By participating in MiniLit, children will receive targeted instruction and support tailored to their individual needs, helping them to become more confident and proficient readers. 

MacqLit 

MacqLit is a program that supports students Year 3 and up who have been identified as requiring some extra support with literacy skills. Literacy testing has been carried out in the first few weeks of school, to identify where your child requires intervention. 

Zones of Regulation 

This year we have introduced a social and emotional intervention program, the Zones of Regulation. The Zones of Regulation is a specific curriculum that is used in small groups to help students to understand, engage and identify their feelings and emotions in a more specific and in depth setting so that they will find it easier to regulate and have better emotional control. Our every talented ESO, Hailey Wariach, will be seeing the implementation of this over the year. 

Responsive Numeracy Intervention 

This year we will also be focusing on some numeracy intervention using the expertise of Kelly-Ann. Responsive numeracy intervention offers tailored support, including small group instruction and one-on-one tutoring, to address students' mathematical challenges promptly. This approach boosts foundational skills, confidence, and positive attitudes toward math, leading to improved academic performance. 

If you have any questions about our intervention programs at St Catherines, please don't hesitate to get in touch; gjong@stcaths.catholic.edu.au 

Genevieve Jong 
Leader of Learning – Wellbeing and Inclusion