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SIP Focus for 2023
Every year the staff collaborate in developing a Strategic Plan that will guide our effort for the following years. It is not always set in stone so that response can be made as needs arise.
One of our focus areas in our School Improvement Plan is Reading and inparticular - COMPREHENSION. Throughout this year teachers will participate in Professional Learning around the teaching of reading and how to help their students to become skilful readers.
With the help of our P&F, last year the school was able to purchase decodable readers. I would like to share the following article about the tope five reasons you should use decodable texts.
In summary:
- Decodable text forces readers to practice their decoding skills.
- It helps strengthen orthographic memory.
- Children learn to apply their knowledge of explicitly taught phonics skills or spelling concepts.
- Good decodable texts follow a systematic progression and won’t teach specific phonics skills or spelling concepts in a disjointed manner.
- Decodable texts are a big step toward fluent independent reading.
The P&F have also committed a significant amount of funds in the past for MiniLit in the infants and more readers for the middle school. We look forward to successful readers developing their skills.
5 Important Questions to ask your child/ren
When my children were little, and even now that they are not, it is often difficult to get any sort of detail from them about their day with the way we usually phrase our questions. The usual “How was your day?” is met with a monosyllabic response or a shrug of the shoulders. “What did you do today?” receives the same or similar response. This often ends in multiple more questions being asked, with not much more information being divulged.
So, how do we find out more without asking more? One suggestion is to try these questions instead. Have your child focus on just one aspect/subject. It may feel really ‘clunky’ and awkward at first, and your child may not have detailed answers at first, but it will become more natural over time.
- What did you learn about today?
- How did you do?
- What did you do (or would you do) if you didn’t understand?
- How can you improve on your learning?
- What are you most proud of?
(Lyn Sharratt, 2019, Clarity: What Matters Most in Learning, Teaching and Leading, p65)
I would love to get some feedback as to how these questions were received by your child and what their responses were.
NAPLAN
The children in Year 3 & 5 will be participating in the annual NAPLAN Assessments in March this year (changed from May). The tests will be conducted over a number of days between 15 & 27 March. It is important that your child is at school for these tests as valuable data can be gleaned from the results. The tests are done online and a timetable is being drawn up for your child's participation. It is not meant to be a stressful time for the children and does not let knowledge and skills that they not learnt.
INFORMATION SESSIONS
Thanks to all the parents that were able to get to our class information sessions this week. The teachers were very happy to spend some time with you. If you have any issues with which you wish to follow up or would like some clarification, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher
CHURCH CARPARK
Whilst it is great to be able to catch up with friends and others after school, please be mindful of where your children are. The church car park and surrounds are not a playground. Please be mindful of the neighbours’ gardens and respect the surround of the car park as well. We have had issues with things being moved from the gardens to play with and damaged and not returned. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
PRINCIPAL LEAVE
For those who know me well, would know I am a bit of a pilgrim in my life’s journey. And the call for pilgrimage is strong again. To ease the nagging I will be taking Sabbatical Leave next term to complete a pilgrimage called the Camino de Santiago de Compostella. This will be an 800km walk across northern Spain from a village in the Pyrenees to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostella where the remains of St Matthew (one of the Apostles) are said to be interred.
It will take 40days after which I will be taking Long Service Leave for the remainder of the term.
What are the benefits?
When leading a school, the principal is seen as a leader of wide experience and wisdom. The leadership of the principal is continually evolving and being reshaped by the experiences encountered throughout their professional, personal and spiritual lives. The mission of the Church is a key to how that experience can be shaped. Spiritual renewal gives leaders new purpose, renewed energy and a deeper understanding of God and the love for the faith community.
The Epistle of James written by the James the Greater (Apostle of Christ) calls men (and women) to show patience, perseverance during trials and temptations and encourages his readers to live consistently with what they have learned in Christ. The Camino de Santiago is a veneration of this message in a physical, spiritual and emotion context.
It is within this context, that the Camino de Santiago, the Pilgrimage of St James, could enhance my growth as a Principal and provide valuable insight to the Mission of the Church which we deliver in our schools and community.
OUR NEW VISION AND MISSION
During the later part of 2021 and all of 2022, the staff worked on an update to our Vision and Mission statements to more closely align our goal (vision) with how we will achieve this (mission). We looked closely at the two intersecting charisms (ways of living the Gospel) of the Josephites and the Dominicans, as they both had and have prominence in the development of Our Lady of Victories.
At the heart of the Dominican charism is the purposeful and dynamic search for TRUTH (Veritas). The search for truth leads us to a personal encounter with God who is our centre. It drives us to inspire our students to be aware of wonder and awe, of beauty and joy, recognising the innate dignity and creativity of each person. The Josephite charism is based upon Mary MacKillop’s core belief of “Never see a need without doing something about it”. Mary MacKillop was selfless, and spread a spirituality based on her ‘gritty determination’, her love and concern for others, and her dedication to making a difference. Together, our search for truth and wanting to help each other forms the core of what strive for at OLV.
After much discussion, PD, and deep thinking, we have developed a simple, but strong vision, and ways we can live this. It has since been developed into signage that will soon be displayed in multiple locations around the school. Further discussion on the development and embedding of our Vision and Mission statement will be presented at the next P&F meeting.
Last week, we introduced the students to our Vision and Mission statement in the form of an award. Each fortnight, at our assembly, the teachers will find a student, or group of students, who are actively living our Vision and Mission through their actions. Awards will have the reason on them and these can be seen in the awards section of the newsletter.
Week 4 V&M Award WinnersOur V&M statements also link with our PBL (Positive Behaviours for Learning) focus of I AM SAFE, I AM A LEARNER and I AM RESPONSIBLE in that the same sort of caring, community minded actions are encouraged through this initiative as well. It will be unpacked over time with the students so they know HOW to live our V&M.
We have a beautiful community at OLV and this will serve to ensure that we instil lifelong values that will benefit our community for years to come, and other communities into which our students enter, after they leave us.
Pancake Day
Tuesday was Pancake Day. Our children had lots of fun and had very full bellys. We raised $276.55. All money raised will go towards Caritas.
| Kinder |
Kai P - for being able to count to 10. Hayden M - for being able to create a pattern changing one attribute each move. Max F - for his good rhyming skills. Benjamin Z - for contributing well to class discussions. |
| Year 1 |
Alexis G - for always trying your best and participating in class! Cooper G - for always listening and participating in class and being a great role model for the class! Micko A - for demonstrating resilience in class and participating more in class discussions! Isabelle M - for using a growth mindset and being more resilient during sport! |
| Year 2 |
Ruby H – deep thinking and justifying her thoughts of the social hierarchy in The Good Samaritan. Kaidence G – excellent sounding out of words when reading and spelling. Ruby B – her great predictions in reading. Christopher H – excellent effort when working with collections of 10. |
| Year 3 |
Chase S - for being a keen and enthusiastic member of our class. Paige W - for working hard to effectively manage her time and completetasks in a timely manner. Van K -for being a helpful member of our class. Levi A -for understanding that hard work leads to success and taking ownership of his learning. |
| Year 4 |
Grace G - for high quality work and great listening skills at all times. Gabbi K -for an amazing persuasive text on having a Polar Bear instead of an Anaconda asa pet. Jesse M - for always giving his best in everything he does and asks for help when needed. Isabella T - for making a determined effort to improve her work and achieving this goal. |
| Year 5 |
BenT -for working well in groups and partner activities. Indi P - for being a kind and respectful member of Stage 3! Michelle A - for always displaying a positive, can-do attitude towards her learning. Charlie F - for trying his very best and giving all tasks a go! Keep it up! |
| Year 6 |
Harper S – for excellent sharing during writing lessons Mark M – for great focus and commitment to his writing Max G – for setting a great example in class and on the playground Miles A – for always showing initiative with his leaning |
| V & M Awards |
Kindergarten: Aubrey B for contributing well to class discussions. Year 1: Theo B for being respectful to others and always having a joke to share on the playground Year 2: Eleanor T – being considerate of all in the classroom. Year 3: Alierah M for being kindand sensitiveto her classmates. Year 4: John H for demonstrating Christian Values and being like Jesus in everything he does at OLV. Year 5: Leisha K for helping others with kindness and respect! Year 6: Alek S for always offering to help his peers in any way possible |
| Leader Awards |
Sadie S – for being a kind and welcoming friend to all her peers Meti S – for being a kind and helpful friend on the playground and in class |
| Lexia Awards |
|
We would like to wish the following children a Happy Birthday.
| Kindergarten | William H, William F, Max F |
| Year 1 | Zephyr K |
| Year 2 | |
| Year 3 | Thea W |
| Year 4 | |
| Year 5/6 |
Congratulations and we hope you had a happy day
ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
We will be conducting our Athletics Carnival this term. We are booked into the Fearnley Dawes Athletics Track on Tuesday 21 March. The children will have the opportunity to use the skills they are developing in their sport classes for Long Jump, sprints and longer distance events. Nominations for the events will be called for in the very near future.
SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY
We will be conducting our Cross Country Trials at school on Thursday 30 March from 10am. It’s always a fun day and whilst not compulsory, we encourage your child to have a go – whether it be running or walking. Kinder -Yr 2 will run a 1km course, 8-10yo will compete in a 2km event and 11 & 12 year olds will compete over 3 kms. Children who run under the qualifying times will be invited to represent the school at the Diocesan event early next term. Qualifying times are 8-10yo run 2km in 11mins and 11 & 12yo run 3km in 16mins.
FUTURE SOCCEROOS?
We had four children trial for the Regional Soccer team this week. Well done to Gemma, Charlie, Maxwell and Clayton, who represented the school at the recent trials. All performed admirably, especially Gemma and Charlie who were selected to represent the North Region in the Diocesan Trials to be held later this month.
REGIONAL SWIMMING
MOVE OVER SMITHY
Do we have a replacement for Steve Smith or Pat Cummins in our midst? Harrison recently travelled to Lismore to represent the Diocese at the Polding cricket trials. He impressed the selectors but narrowly missing out on selection for the Polding Team. Better luck next year Harrison. We are proud of your efforts.
NEXT MEETING
Our Association will be meetng on Monday next week (27 February) at 7pm in the library. All are invited to come along and be part of the conversations and decision making.
Next Month's meeting on March 27 will also incorporate our Annual General Meeting.
CANTEEN
Thanks to the mums that helped out last week. The children were very excited. The VICTORY CAFE will be open again on Monday. The QKR App may be used to order if you wish. Online orders will close at 8:30am on Monday morning so they can be processed. Cash and written orders can still be made in the usual manner. Please contact Mrs Fry in the school office if you need some advice in accessing the APP.
ST NICHOLAS OOSH Services
How to enrol for our OOSH Services:
You will be able to access the school newsletter here, special dates notifications and other messages from time to time.
Go to this link to download the Schoolzine App: