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Congratulations
COVID UPDATE
After yesterday's press briefing by the Premier, things are not much clearer about when we can expect to have children back in the classrooms. And whilst there are still regular exposures in our community we need to adhere to the "stay at home" orders. This means that unless you are an essential worker, your children should be learning from home.
I can understand and hear the frustration some parents are experiencing as their children begin to tire of learning at home and not seeing their friends etc, but its important for the whole community that we continue to stay at home to reach targets set by the NSW Health. With only 1 week before holidays, don't be tempted to push your children too hard. It's best to maintain a loving and caring home for your children to thrive.
RUOK?
It seems a strange question to ask during this time, but it is one that we should be asking quite a bit. COVID has put all of us under a lot of stress. Families are doing it very tough mentally, socially, financially, and more. Yesterday was meant to be a day we ask those around us "Are you OK?" Please check in with your friends and relatives and make sure they are OK. Oh!! and don't forget to ask them again tomorrow as well -- and maybe the day after that too :)
CHILD PROTECTION WEEK
This week has been Child Protection Week. It is a time when we focus how children can be made to fell safe at home, school and and anywhere they interact with others, including on-line.
One strategy for children to realise who they can trust, is to nominate 5 persons from whom they might seek advice. Get them to outline their hands and list their trusted adults and stick it on their wall.
PERPETUAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
One of the saddest periods in our Diocesan story is the terrible abuse suffered by children at the hands of the people trusted by their families. As part of the healing process for these children and their families the Bishop has instigated a special memorial to recognise the hurt and encourage healing. The Diocesan Perpetual Day of Remembrance is recognised on September 15 and will be the focus of this week's Masses. You might like to use this prayer in your quiet time next week.
Lord Jesus,
May we welcome the kingdom of God
anew into our hearts and lives,
embracing discipleship and openness to others.
You call us to walk with integrity in the service of others.
May our service be filled with kindness,
and respect for all God’s people,
giving special protection to children and the vulnerable.
May we seek the truth,
Listen to those wounded by abuse,
and choose to act with compassion and justice.
Give us the strength,
to serve humbly and faithfully,
and to love one another
as we are so loved by You. Amen
If you are wondering why all the lights are on at school on Wednesday night, it is meant to be a sign of support for the victims and their families on this Perpetual Day of Remembrance.
TELL THEM FROM ME
Around this time last year, parents, children and staff were invited to participate in a Diocesan wide survey about their experiences with the children's schools. The feedback provided a good base line to compare how thoughts have changed in the year since. Early next term parents and children will be offered the opportunity to express their views once again to assist in planning how we move forward.
During the early weeks of Term 4, students from Years 4 to Year 6 will be given the opportunity and time to participate in this survey during regular school hours. Students who agree to complete the survey will be given a random username and password to access and complete the survey online. Students’ names cannot be linked to their responses which allows it to be completely anonymous. Results will show all student scores combined together – it is not possible to single out individual students in the results.
The survey takes approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. The survey measures include such topics as emotional and social well-being, physical health, and behaviours and attitudes linked to student success.
Participation in the survey is entirely voluntary. Your child will not take part if either you or your child do not wish to. If, during the survey, your child is uncomfortable answering any question, they should leave it blank and move on to the next one. Your child can stop the survey at any time.
If you do not want your child to take part in the survey, please complete the attached form and return it to school by Friday 17 September. If you would like more information, please contact the school via email at: admin@shortland.catholic.edu.au
This refers only to children in Year 4-6
Normally this survey would take place at school, but due to our COVID situation other arrangements to complete the survey might need to be arranged. More information about any changes will be forwarded to parents when they come to hand.
Parents will receive an email early next week explaining how they can participate also in this opportunity to provide feedback.
REMINDER: PUPIL FREE DAY
Don't forget that MONDAY next week, 13 September is a PUPIL FREE DAY. That means that no children should be at school and no-one has to do any school work at home. The teachers will be participating in a WRITING In-Service via ZOOM and will not be onsite.
NAPLAN Results
The results from this year's Yr 3 & 5 NAPLAN are available and the children's report will be available from Tuesday next week. They may be picked up if your child has a work pack for next week otherwise they will be posted to parents at the end of next week. If you do not receive them during the holidays, please contact the office.
2022 School Fee Information Form
Please find attached your 2022 School Fee Information Form. Could you please fill in the attached form and return to school no later then the 30th November, 2021. This form helps the school prepare the correct school fees for next year. Your nominated person responsible for school fees is the name that is currently on your fee statement nows.
You can fill in the form online through your compass notification and return by email or you can print the form out and return to school next time you are collecting work, or place in the school letterbox.
Please note this form does need to be filled in even if
- You do not have a sibling at our school
- If your an only child
- Must be filled out and even if you have already filled it in at a high school.
This form helps the school prepare the correct school fees for next year so please ensure nominated person responsible for school fees.
FEE ACCOUNTS
Parents will soon be receiving a reminder about fees for Term 3. These are automatically generated the by new financial system and should be seen as a progress report on your accounts only.
During these current COVID conditions, we understand that there may be families that are doing it very tough at the moment. We want you to understand that support for families in financial difficulties is available and they should not stress with this notice and may reach out for any concessions that might be available. Those that are able should continue with their payment plans to finalise their accounts by the 30th November 2021.
YEAR 1
Wow! There has been so much asked of the Year 1 children and their families over this time that we have been in lockdown. It has been challenging for the children to adapt to new ways of learning and to be missing out on the socialisation that being at school together brings. But Mrs Noble and Mrs Hingston could not be prouder of the work that the Year 1 children have produced, and the commitment that they continue to show to their online learning.
Over the last weeks the Year 1 children have worked on various spelling activities and skills. They have viewed a wide variety of stories online and responded through descriptive sentences, pictures and recordings of their understandings. In Maths the children have completed interactive activities to cover the teaching and learning of concepts including fractions, multiplication and division, time, volume and 3D shapes.
We've also enjoyed providing opportunities for the Year 1 children to record themselves sharing 'News' and uploading their videos to the class blog for the whole class to view and comment on, ask questions etc.
Perhaps the highlight of this week was a Virtual Excursion to Space, where the children could view inside the International Space Station to where the astronauts eat and sleep. Did you know that the International Space Station actually passed over Newcastle and the Hunter Region this week? We had some eager stargazers in our class who were going to look out for it on Wed night at 7.04pm!
Thank you Year 1 Families, for the monumental effort that you have put into making sure that your children are engaged with their learning at home. Enjoy a very well-deserved holiday together, and we are so looking forward to welcoming the children back to school. We miss you, Year 1!
Year 2
I would like to begin by saying how proud I am of Year 2 on how well they have taken up home learning. I would like to thank their parents for the wonderful support and help they have given the children so far. We are trying to stick to our normal routine which has been challenging at times. The children have the opportunity two times a week to see their peers via zoom. We have continued our focus on writing speeches which the children present on our Thursday Zoom session. Our focus over the last few weeks in writing has been to have a stimulus picture with the introduction written then the children have had to complete the narrative. I have shared one of these tasks with you today. This week we took the children on a virtual excursion to SeaWorld Orlando where the children could ride the rollercoaster. We connected this to their geography unit where they have been learning all about the different continents. Keep working hard Year 2 and stay safe.
By Pippa
Because their neighbours might of bean awake. They might of bean awake because the house might of bean noisy and woke them up and there neighbours herd it and went outside and saw the house moving away slowly.
By Kasey
They were feeling good that they have moved. They were worried that they were causing more trouble in the town. They put their house on wheels so they could move their house too. They didn't want to leave the house behind. They were going far away to another town.
By Max
Then they traveled as far as they could they saw a kangaroo. In the forest and they arrived at the beach, so they were driving on the sand to the other beach then there was a creepy man staring at them he teleported to the top of the house the went as fast as it can go the creepy man flew off the top of the house. Then suddenly a volcano erupted they quickly went off the beach then they were safe after all.
By Jesse C
Someone did see them leave and they weren’t happy. They yelled out “Where do you think you are going”? The Jackson family were driving into a dangerous area. The police yelled out “don’t go there” because there was a wolf, the police were worried. The Jackson family stopped. The Jackson family went out of the car because they needed to talk to the police. The police said why are you going there?
The Jackson family did not know they could not go that way, the police told them to go another way and off they went.
By Luka
They shouldn’t leave the house because someone broke into their little house and they lost all their belongings. They were on the streets and tried to save up money so they can buy a house. A few years later they bought a new house and from the bottem of their heart they will not leave their house in the middle of the night.
By Gabi
and it was a bad idea to travel around the world. They were very tired and they needed to go find food too but they couldn’t find any food luckily somebody found them. He gave them some food and he also showed them were they can find some food and they they got saved safe and sound.
By Jesse M
The engine of the house was loud and it woke up the dogs, and the dogs got angry and barked. This then woke the owners of the dogs up and they came out. The owners thought they were thieves disguising a house and making it a car and they call the police. The police came. The dog owners told the police what they saw. The police said they would get on to the problem and they set out to find the house on wheels.
The Jackson family heard the sirens and thought they were breaking the law so they stopped and waited for the police to get to their front door. When the police came to the front door, Mrs Jackson opened the door and she said to the police “would you like to come in?” The policeman came inside and he said to the Jacksons, “why did you disguise your house and why are you sneaking away at midnight?” Mr Jackson said, “We are just moving away because of all the trouble.” The policeman asked what sought of trouble is there and Mrs Jackson answered, “the troubles are that the things we planned to do, nothing seemed to go as well as we thought and that’s why we are moving somewhere to start again.”
The policeman told the family that he was sorry for accusing them for being thieves. And the Jacksons accepted the policeman’s apology. So the policeman left them in peace and they kept looking for a new place to live.
Once they found where to put their house a few weeks later on a little block of land by the river they took their wheels off and had no more problems anymore.
By Grace
But their neighbour May was up and noticed the Jackson family packing up everything. May was curious as to why they were packing everything up in the middle of the night, she couldn’t see very well as it was quite dark and the streetlight was faintly flickering.
As the Jackson family drove off May could see something stuck on her fence, it looked like a piece of paper. May went to see what it was it was an envelope addressed to her. May opened the letter which read
Dear May
Mum and Dad said we need to leave town because of all the trouble we have made. We are very sorry we didn’t mean to cause trouble and we know now we shouldn’t have filled everyone’s mailboxes with sand. We are very, very sorry and we will miss you so much.
Please say sorry to everyone for us. We will miss everyone in Goose Farm. Goose farm will always be special to us.
Love Katie and Lily Jackson xx
May feels sad at the thought of the Jackson family not being over the road from her or even in Goose Farm. May knows everything can be fixed when you are sorry, everyone can be forgiven.
May phones Matilda the town Grocer and tells her of this terrible situation. Between May and Matilda, they rally the town’s folk of Goose Farm together who cut the Jackson family off at the bridge that leads out of town. They are all yelling and shouting. Matilda and May say loudly we got Katie and Lily’s letter. Mum and Dad look at Katie and Lily puzzled?. They tell the Jackson family they don’t need to leave town because everyone can be forgiven because that’s what we do in Goose Farm. The Jackson family were so happy as they really didn’t want to leave Goose Farm just yet. Everyone was cheering and hugging each other.
By Sienna.
Year 3
Well, here we are. It’s Week 9 and we are still in lockdown. I’m sure no one would have predicted how the last 5 weeks have played out.
Still, the children have been wonderful the way they have kept up with their learning tasks during this time and I want to say a big THANK YOU and CONGRATULATIONS to them for their wonderful efforts and perseverance.
We have covered several topics in Maths over the past 5 weeks – Problem Solving, Number and Algebra, Multiplication and Division, 3D, Position, and Fractions.
In English, the children have worked on narrative writing and reading comprehensions. They have completed simile and metaphor work, and consolidated their understanding of nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs.
In Geography, the children have learnt a little about the climate zones of Australia, have been introduced to temperature and rainfall graphs and charts, and have looked at and written about similarities and differences between two places in Australia – Cairns and Thredbo.
They have completed some craft activities – sketched and drawn 3D shapes, made popsicle people, and made a rainbow serpent from a paper plate.
As well as this, the children have also completed some PDH and Religion tasks.
In all of this, I would like to thank the parents, grandparents and older siblings for the help and support given to the children, not only in keeping them on task, but also helping with Zooms and passwords. It hasn’t been easy, and I appreciate all your efforts and support.
We are almost at the finish line for Term 3, and I am sure you are all ready for some down time – with no Zooms!
I hope you all have a restful and happy holiday. Stay well and take care.
Miss Morris
Year 4
What a crazy Term 3 it has been!
We started off the term so well and were enjoying lots of learning in Year 4.
Then, Lockdown happened ….. and here we are 5 weeks later, still doing Home Learning.
I would like to say a very BIG THANK YOU to my Year 4 students, for the effort they have made during this time.
Your participation in Zooms and the tasks you have sent to me have shown the great work you are doing.
It has been great that we can all see one another in our Zooms, even though it’s not like being at school.
I have seen some wonderful Narrative Writing, including a much improved effort with description, structure and punctuation. There has been great work in Maths with Symmetry, Multiplication (including mastering the Area Model), and also in Measuring Temperature. I have really enjoyed listening to you sharing your individual speeches for Religion, about the ways you use your gifts and talents to serve others. Your responses to, and effort with, the Geography tasks show your interest in learning about our world and its environments. I look forward to seeing your poster for your My Kitchen Rules task next week, promoting a healthy, balanced diet. The Art sketches involving the techniques of hatching and crosshatching are wonderful! Many of you have done so well with your Studyladder tasks over the last five weeks, too. Thank you again, Year 4, for all your work!
A HUGE THANK YOU to Mums, Dads, Grandparents and other family members who have provided so much support and assistance.
I know it has not been easy for you, but I believe your children have benefited greatly from this time spent working with you at home.
I appreciate all your efforts and your feedback.
The end of term is almost here and I am sure you will all be ready for some rest from school tasks.
Make sure you take the time to unwind and have some time out.
Stay safe and stay well, Everyone!
Below are some thoughts about Lockdown and Learning from Home from some of our class.
I feel like I’m at school because I imagine I am there with my friends when I’m doing my work. The work we do is like the work we do at school, so it feels the same.
INDIGO
I have fun learning from home because if I finish my work I sometimes get to go for a surf!
HARRISON
It is hard because I miss my friends but it is good because I am with my family.
SUMMER F
Learning at Home is interesting because I start my work at 9 o’clock like at school. When I join a Zoom, I join 5 minutes early and keep working until the Zoom starts.
FREYA
Lockdown is fun because I get to spend more time with my parents and pets and my grandparents.
GEMMA
I have found that it is fun for me to be able to do some running in my backyard and play on my trampoline for Sport on Tuesdays,
SUMMER P
I think it is interesting that I actually get my work done a lot quicker at home but I miss school a lot. I love doing Zooms!
DEEGAN
Year 5/6
Two of the characters in our book, Hitler’s Daughter, are Heidi, who is Hitler’s daughter, and Fraulein Gelber, one of the many people who look after Heidi.
A recent task was to choose to be one of these, or yourself, and think deeply about the characters and how they have changed over time.
The students had to think about three things that Heidi, Fraulein Gelber or they used to think about the character of Hitler, also known as Duffi, Heidi’s dad. The following are some of the responses to this task.
Written by Julian from his own perspective on Heidi:
- I used to think she was a little girl being protected by her father, isolated from the world.
- I used to think she was a ghost, lurking in the shadows, from where no one could see her true self.
- I used to think she would never find out why she actually had such a good life and why others didn't.
- But now I wonder if she has figured out who her father really is.
Written by Georgina from Heidi’s point of view:
- I used to think that Duffi had everyone on his side.
- I used to think that Duffi wanted to see Fraulein Gelber as well as me.
- I used to think that the Jews were bad and Duffi was good.
- But now I wonder why the Jews are in camps and why the war is happening.
Written by Caleb from Fraulein Gelber’s point of view:
- I used to think he was a great.
- I used to think he was kind.
- I used to think I couldn’t stop working for him.
- But now I wonder, is he all that? Or is he manipulative?
Written by Elsie from Fraulein Gelber’s point of view:
- I used to think Hitler was great.
- I used to think he could save us all.
- I used to think he was helpful.
- But now I wonder, will my brother survive?
Written by Isla from Heidi’s point of view:
- I used to think Duffi was a great dad who brought me things.
- I used to think Duffi loved me.
- I used to think I was on the good side.
- But now I wonder if he actually likes and loves me and if I am actually on the good side.
Written by El from Fraulein Gelber’s point of view :
- I used to think Duffi was a caring dad.
- I used to think Duffi left multiple gifts for Heidi.
- I used to think Duffi left letters and talked to Heidi constantly.
- But now I wonder, does Duffi really care about his daughter?
Written by Lily from Heidi’s point of view:
- I used to think he was a good man.
- I used to think he was a good leader.
- I used to think he loved me.
- But now I wonder if he is who he says he is.
Miss Payton and I are so incredibly proud of our students who have continued to work hard throughout this time. Despite not being at school, they have continued to be punctual, prepared, involved and motivated. We are also incredibly thankful to all those in the ‘background’ who are assisting with everything that is required to keep them going.
Here are some great links for information to use to keep your chuldren safe. What APPS are your children using?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUAdQeIbnCw
And some great links about keeping your children safe.
We would like to wish the following children a Happy Birthday for August & September
| Kindergarten | Malachi K, Tui T |
| Year 1 | Andre C, Khal D, Erleen S, Levi A |
| Year 2 | Jesse M, Jesse C |
| Year 3 | Indi P, Tobias I, Maddison H, Joseph B |
| Year 4 | Thomas E, Chase B, Mark M |
| Year 5/6 | Lily W, Finlay T |
Congratulations and we hope you had a happy day
You will be able to access the school newsletter here and notifications will come through Schoolzine. Please DO NOT use the old SkoolBag App. It is no longer used for communications of notifications and messages..
Go to this link to download the Schoolzine App:
ST NICHOLAS OOSH VACATION PROGRAM
St Nicholas OOSH have released their Spring vacation care programs for those families requiring care these upcoming Sept-Oct school holidays.
To view their programs and to make a booking, head to stnicholasoosh.org.au/vacation-care
Check out this link for more info on St Nicholas OOSH.
How to enrol for our OOSH Services: