Term 4, Week 7 - 17th November, 2022

From the Principal

Dear families,

Welcome to Week 7 and our last newsletter for the 2022 school year!

We still have many exciting events to look forward to including our Whole School Camp to the Gold Coast, Graduation Mass, and Awards Night. 

Students are very busy finalising their assessment items for the term. From Book Reviews to Science Investigations, I  am pleased to witness our students showing commitment to their learning.

At St Maria Goretti, we know that learning is our business!

Staffing 2023

As you are already aware, I was successful in my application for additional funding from Toowoomba Catholic Schools for a third classroom teacher. This means, we will have a P/1, 2/3/4, and 5/6 classroom in 2023. We are currently in the process of ensuring all classrooms are equipped with new learning materials, and technology to cater for our growing school. If we are able to continue our positive school enrolment growth, we will be able to continue with three classrooms into the future.

Miss Madison Spencer, our new P/1 teacher, visited today to meet the students.

The position for the 2/3/4 teacher has been advertised on SEEK, social media and internally with Toowoomba Catholic Schools. I will continue to keep our community updated throughout the recruitment process. I am sure that we will find a suitable teacher for the position. In the Pupil Free Days leading up to the start of school, we will hold a 'Meet & Greet' where the 2-4 students can meet their new teacher. 

Next year, the school will be funding a teacher to visit us fortnightly (on a Wednesday) to teach German to our students. Ms Ina Winter is an experienced teacher from St Mary’s Goondiwindi. We are very excited to offer this opportunity to our students.

Benefits of multi-age classrooms

After attending a small school as a student, teaching P/1/2/3, and now being a Principal of a school with composite or multi-age classrooms, I have been lucky to experience the many positives of these classrooms structures.

Research, which has been mostly conducted in primary schools, suggests there is no difference between composite and straight grade classrooms in terms of academic performance. However, benefits relating to student independence, responsibility and study habits have been highlighted. For example, younger children within a multi-age class generally aspire to emulate older children in their work, and older children enjoy leadership and mentoring opportunities that lift their self-esteem. Multi-age classrooms are more flexible; allow children to work at their own pace; offer a wider range of friendship opportunities; and encourage more co-operation and tolerance.

In a multi-age class, students are able to be delivered a more personalised curriculum. If they're performing well in their age-group cohort, they'll be able to be natually enriched as they're exposed to the next year curriculum in their classroom. If they're struggling with their age-group standards, they'll be given the opporunity to fill in gaps and to revisit some of the content and processes from the previous year.

Pupil Free Days 2023

The school office will be open from Tuesday the 17^th of January 2023 as our staff will be completing professional development days before students return. These days will consist of an induction of our new teaching staff, mandatory training, English planning, and Religious Education PD.

The uniform shop will be open during this week if you would like to purchase any new uniform items. 

School Camp - school supervision arrangements 

While students are on camp from the 23rd to the 25th of November, the school will be open for students to attend school for supervision. Miss Elizabeth Key, our school officers, and Mrs Mead will all be at school. Students will be marked as absence if they are not attending school camp and not attending school. Please let the office know if you do not intend to send your child to school on these days. 

Semester 2 Report cards

Report cards will be sent home on the last day of term. If your child is not attending on the last day of school, these will be posted to you over the holidays. 

Other

The school budget for 2023 is still being finalized, larger items that we are planning for in 2023 include concreting in the Big Shed, updating the playground (with support from the PPF), new technology for the classrooms (including some new laptops for students), and salary/wages for school officers.

I wish everyone a very happy and holy Christmas. 

Yours in education,

Casey Robinson

Principal

"Let us try to keep God with us by charity in thought, word and act." (Mary MacKillop 1890)

Library News

                Year 6 students sharing their book recommendation last week.

           We enjoyed hearing from other students today.

Year 3 - 6 Inquiry Work

Inspired by the award winning book "Iceberg" students posed questions about Antarctica based on their curiosity for this continent. Today, they shared the information they located to answer their particular year level question. Facts from reliable sources were collated and applied to anwer the following questions;

Year 3 - What food and water sources are there for animals in Antarctica? Give an example of a food chain.

Year 4 - What threats exist in Antartica from oil spills and other human activity?

Year 5 - What changes happen in Antarctica across the seasons of the year?

Year 6 - How does climate change threaten life on Antarctica?

Summer Holiday Borrowing Next Week 

Summer holidays are almost here. Please encourage your students to return their library loans, all due Friday 18th so they can borrow a fresh supply of books on Monday 28th to have at home over the long break ahead. Students will need their library bags and a safe place at home to keep their loans together.  I hope you as parents and caregivers have some time to relax with a book too in the coming weeks. 

Using Online Resources over the Holidays 

Access the library database at https://au.accessit.online/STM33/#!dashboard 

Students sign in under the Guest dropdown by clicking the blue single sign on (SSO) button 

Select Online Resources under Dashboards  

The log in details for Clickview (educational video, G and PG movies and TV), Storybox Library (Australian children’s literature read aloud), Wheelers e-Platform (e-books) and Britannica Online are provided in this section.  

PLEASE NOTE: Once students are signed in, they can select borrowing details under their name to see their loans and loans history. 

 Thanks Parents and Family Members 

A key function of our library is to enable and encourage free choice reading. Thank you for supporting our work by continuing the effort at home so children are reading something they enjoy each day. 

Happy Reading this Summer! 

Anne Anderson  

Teacher Librarian 

Students of the Week - Week 6

Students of the Week - Week 7

Sight Word Certificates

Mathletics Certificates

Farm Safety Calendar winner

Each year our students have the opportunity to enter the Queensland Farm Safety competition. Kelly Ostwald from Queensland Workplace Health and Safety attended our assembly this morning to present certificates to all students who entered the competition. This year Isabelle Sheridan is one of 12 students from Queensland to be selected to have their artwork featured in the Farm Safety calendar for 2023. Isabelle was presented with a certificate and a gift card for $250. The school also received $500 prize money.

Parent Partnership Forum

Notices

Our Lady of the Southern Cross Parish - Mass Times

Sunday 20th November - 9am Lay Lead Liturgy

Sunday 27th November - 9am Mass

Monday 28th November - 9:30am SMG Year 6 Graduation Mass

Sunday 4th December - 9am Lay Lead Liturgy