St Joseph's Primary School South Grafton eNewsletter

From our Leadership

Welcome

Dear St Joseph's Community,

The Easter Season

Whilst we have eaten all our Easter chocolates our school continues to celebrate the Easter season. The following two Sundays we celebrate Mary [Jesus’ mother] ascension into heaven and The Catholic Church’s beginning - Pentecost.

Mother's Day Liturgy

Thank you to everyone who was able to join us last Friday for a special liturgy and morning tea, as we celebrated all those in our school community who mother.

What is our goal?

Our 2023 school improvement plan has a focus on the learning and teaching of writing. Our goal is to ensure that all students are achieving the writing expectations for their grade level.

An update on our progress

We have Learning Intentions and Success Criteria displayed in each classroom for writing. Learning intentions are informed by curriculum documents and focus on knowledge, understanding or skills. This indicates what students are expected to know and be able to do for their grade level. Success criteria states what students have to demonstrate to show they understand and have achieved the learning intention.

An example of a learning intention with related success criteria is demonstrated below from one of the walls of our classrooms.

We have also created a whole school data wall for writing. This wall has a photo of every child in our school and it tracks their growth in writing and their expected benchmark level. Teachers and leaders use this wall to make detailed plans for the next learning steps for each child.

The wall is only visible to staff and is in a confidential space in our school. Many learning conversations with teachers occur in front of this wall as a way to alter our teaching to help students progress in writing.

Teaching and Learning

Below are our learning intentions, which are syllabus outcomes that are deconstructed with the students in child-friendly language for understanding.

The success criteria is co-constructed with students and added to as new learning and skills are taught throughout the learning cycle by deconstructing and annotating examples that have been modelled or co-created with students.

Each list of success criteria has a ranging ability level of skills, ensuring that all students have a goal they are working towards with their teacher over the next cycle of learning.

Our Learning Intentions and Success Criteria across the stages for the next learning cycle:

K-2 New English Syllabus: Supporting your K-2 child at school with Vocabulary

As you can see in the table below showing the organisation of the outcomes of the new K-2 English syllabus, the Vocabulary outcome falls under both:

Understanding Texts
Creating Texts

Vocabulary focuses on developing the knowledge of words, their meaning and how they are used and understood while speaking, listening, reading and writing.

As our School Improvement Plan is focused on the learning and teaching of creating written texts which falls under creating texts, increasing Vocabulary knowledge is a fundamental building block to improve students' growth in writing.

Here are a few ways you can assist your child with their Vocabulary knowledge at home:

Wear Yellow Day - National Reconciliation Week

Does your child have something yellow in their wardrobe?

On Monday, 29 May is the day they can wear it to school. The reason why we wear yellow is because yellow is the centre of the Aboriginal flag - the sun, the giver of energy and life. Yellow is also fresh, energetic and hopeful.

To celebrate Reconciliation Week we will have an assembly, children can wear yellow and there will be yellow cupcakes and brownies to purchase for 50c each.

All money raised will go towards buying resources for our ATSI culture awareness lessons.

Principal-Danny Rankin

Assistant Principal-Anne Forwell

Leader of Learning - Brooke Donoghue

Thumbs up

In this section of our newsletter we congratulate students of St Joseph's who have represented our community beyond the city limits.

We congratulate Bath-Sheba, Vashti & Esther on their outstanding recent acheivements in dancing.

At the Grafton Eisteddfod Esther won 1st place for her solo dance. Sheba won the Fryers Scholarship for most outstanding 11 years and under. Vashti and Sheba won their troupe age at the lower river eisteddfod. Sheba and Vashti again won age troupe. Sheba's solo performance won 1st place, 2nd place demi character and 3rd place classical ballet, impro classical. Sheba also won several dances at Macksville which qualified her two entries into the Australian Nationals on the Gold Coast in January 2024.

Sheba, Vashti and Esther are off to Los Angeles in December to dance in the Christmas Gala Disneyland Parade and the Disneyland Christmas Concert, along with their team mates from the Clarence River Dance Academy.

We also congratulate Jhett and Nate who recently travelled to Port Macquarie for the Ironkid's Triathlon. Well done!

Sport Coordinator - Caitlin Crispin

Key Sporting Dates for Term 2

Wednesday, 7 June - School Athletics Carnival, Barnier Park Junction Hill
Thursday, 29 June - Clarence Zone Carnival, Coffs Harbour

Please keep an eye out on Compass for a note about the School Athletics Carnival in the coming weeks.

Gumbaynggirr Language - Liz Hegedus

Ginnagay Ngujawiny -Hello You Mob,

Over the next 3 weeks I will be sharing lots of information in regards to Reconciliation Week, Mabo Day and Wear It Yellow - Childrens Ground Day.

Reconciliation Week takes place from 27 May to 3 June. These two dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey - the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision.

Reconciliation Week is the result of the 1967 referendum where Australians voted to count Aboriginal people in the National Census and allow the Commonwealth Government to make decisions respecting Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders. National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

1967 Referendum

On 27 May, 1967 Australians voted in favour of changes to the Australian Constitution to improve the services available to Indigenous Australians. The changes focused on two sections of the Constitution, which discriminated against Aborigines. The Australian Constitution can only be altered by referendum. In a referendum, all Australians of voting age vote yes or no for the proposed changes. To succeed, a majority of voters nationwide and a majority of States (four out of six) must approve the changes.

Changes to the constitution that enabled change for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders were:

1. A change to the Federal Law in regards to protection of all Australians. Under the current law Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders did not have these protection laws or any access to federally funded services like social security and education.

2. The second section prevented Aborigines from being included in the national census. This effectively made Australia's Aboriginal population invisible, the government only provided funding for the country's non-indigenous population. This meant that states could offer very limited services to Indigenous communities.

What were the protection laws about?

The law of Australia comprises many levels of codified and uncodified forms of law. These laws cover human rights, family, health, legal, environmental, migration, property etc.

Section 51 of the Australian Constitute was: the federal government made laws for anyone in Australia, except it's Aboriginal population. This classified the Aborigines as not being recognised. The constitution completely ignored the presence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples prior to European settlement and treated them as non existent humans. It is time for the Australian Constitution to reflect the Australian identity and recognise our Indigenous history.

What is census?

A census is an official survey of the population of a country that is carried out in order to find out how many people live there and to obtain details such as people's ages and occupation.

Why weren't the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders included?

The six Australian colonies became a Federation in 1901, section 127 of the constitution excluded Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people from the census. This was the situation until the referendum of 1979 when an overwhelming majority of Australians voted to include Aboriginal people in the census of their own country. The referendum finally recognised Aboriginal people as citizens in their own land.

Since the European invasion until very recently, government policy relating to Aboriginal people has been designed and implemented by non-Aboriginal people. Therefore the Indigenous population have had to fight very hard to improve every aspect of their lives just to live in their own country.

To achieve reconciliation, we need to develop strong relationships built on trust and respect, and that are free of racism. Most Australians believe the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians is important and that culteral diversity makes us stronger.

Recognising the effects colonisation has had on Aboriginal people shows a spirit of goodwill, mutual respect and recognition. That is all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are asking, recognition of events of their past.

Darrundang Ngiinda - Thankyou Miss Liz Hegedus IEW Indigenous Educational Worker

School Notes

CANTEEN

Our Canteen is in urgent need of volunteers to assist on Friday's. Please contact the School Office on 6642 2899 if you are available.

FAMILY CONNECT 

A Message from Skye Pullen our Family Connect Worker
As your school’s Family Connect worker, I am here to support families to access the
services they might need to help their family thrive. I can assist families in a wide range of
areas including NDIS, housing, counselling, parenting programs, supporting parents of
children with anxiety through the Cool Kids program, family violence and addiction services
and many other services that families may need from time to time.

I have a background in social work and teaching and have worked extensively in health and
community projects. I am a qualified practitioner in many parenting programs including 1,2,3
Magic and Tuning into Kids.

I care deeply about promoting family wellbeing and can help families access a wide range of
support services and I encourage any of our parents/carers to make contact with me if they
would like more information about the help and support I can provide.

Skye Pullen 0417004779 or skye.pullen@socialfutures.org.au

Sth_Grafton_Family_Connect_A4_poster.pdf

SCHOOL FEES

Thank you to those families who have made the change from Direct Debit to BPay for fee payments. BPay is the preferred payment method for school fees. Scheduled payments can also be set up using BPay, the Biller Code and your personal reference number can be found on your Fee Statement.

Paying through BPay ensures that your payment goes directly to your account. Any enquireies please contact the School Office.

ABSENCES

Only full day absences are to be entered into Compass, for partial absences - arriving late or leaving early please phone the School Office to notify.

Change to afternoon travel arrangements may be emailed to the school if before 12.00pm sjpgraf@lism.catholic.edu.au After 12.00pm please phone the School Office with any changes.

REMINDER

Parents & Caregivers are reminded when dropping off or picking students up, the Staff Carpark is not a designated zone. Exception if you require use of a disabled parking space.

Please note the speed limit coming into this carpark at other times is 10 klms. Please be mindful of the school speed zones.

Scholastic_National_Simultaneous_Storytime.htm

Why wearing both straps of your backpack is a good idea:

Backpacks are designed to be worn on both shoulders as this evenly distributes their weight.

When you wear just one strap, your body naturally hikes the shoulder carrying the strap to keep the bag from falling off. This awkward posture can lead to shoulder pain, as well as neck and back pain.

The altered centre of gravity also increases the risk of falls, and of unintentionally bumping into others.

Being aware of this, and ensuring our kids get into the habit of wearing both straps of their backpacks when at school, will instil important habits now, before they enter high school and their bags get even heavier.

Things to look out for in a decent bag is wide padded straps that do not cut into the shoulders. A lightweight backpack, and one that has multiple pockets, to help distribute the weight evenly.

Help make the culture at St Joseph’s one that supports balanced posture, pain-free backs and healthy habits. Lets teach our kids why wearing both straps of their backpacks is a good idea, and lead by example 😊

Many thanks in advance, Dr. Zialina Earth Bach ClinSc, MastOst. (and most importantly, mum)

https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/backpack.html

https://backpacksrock.com/effects-of-carrying-heavy-backpacks-on-one-shoulder/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/child-and-teen-health/bad-backs-and-backpacks

Seasons_for_Growth.pdf

Cool_Kids_Anxiety_Program.pdf

MCC_Save_the_Dates_for_2023.pdf