Term 1, Week 8 - 14th March, 2024

From the Principal

Dear parents and carers,

Valuing Our People

In 2024, our Annual Action Plan prioritises 'Valuing Our People' and engaging our parents and carers in the importance of valuing the education of their children. 

Term 1 has presented many opportunities for us to share, educate and engage parents in their child's learning journey and the life of the school.

Parent Info Sessions

We have recently been offering some parent information sessions for the parents of children in the lower years to assist them with supporting their child at home. Thank you to the parents that came to the sight word session earlier this week. I am glad to hear that your feedback from the session was positive. Our next parent info session is on Monday the 18th of March at 3:15pm in the school library where we will be guiding you through how to support your child with their home reading.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Our parent teacher interviews begin next week. Thank you for booking a time to meet with your child's teacher. If you haven't yet done so - please use the Sentral for Parents app to make your booking. 

These interviews are short meetings – about 15 minutes – between you and your child’s teacher. Every parent is invited to attend two interviews a year.

Parent teacher interviews give you an opportunity to:

• learn more about your child’s academic, emotional and social development
• meet and get to know your child’s teachers
• help your child’s teachers understand more about your child
• make plans with the teacher about how you can both support your child
• build a relationship with your child’s school.

Parent Engagement Network

St Maria Goretti is committed to promoting and nurturing active partnerships with families and the wider community so that all have authentic opportunities to participate in the life and activities of the school. Student learning is enriched through positive and reciprocal partnerships with parents.

Our first PEN meeting for the year is on the 20th of March at 3:30pm in the school library. We need new people to get on board and get involved and we invite all parents and carers to come along to our first meeting to see what the PEN is all about.

Work of the PEN includes, but is not limited to the following - 

• Parenting: Support the home environment and strengthen families so as to support students at school.
• Communicating: Create effective modes of school-to-home and home-to-school communications regarding school programs and child progress.
• Volunteering: Recruit parents to support school endeavors.
• Learning at Home: Share information regarding ideas for learning at home, as well what is going on in the classroom to support family-school alignment regarding educational endeavors.
• Decision Making: Empower parents to share their ideas, and involve them in school decision-making.
• Collaborating with Community: Identify and integrate resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and development.

I strongly encourage you to come along and get involved. You will get the opportunity to meet and work with people who are passionate about our school and want to make a difference. 

Whole School Assemblies

Thank you to all the parents, friends, grandparents and community members for your support of our weekly assemblies. It is fantastic to see so many people attending our assemblies to support the achievements of all of our students.

From the APRE

Fourth Week of Lent

In the fourth week of Lent, the Project Compassion story features Memory.

Memory is 26 years old and lives in rural Malawi. As the eldest child in a low-income farming family, Memory had to take on many household chores and farming activities to support her parents. They struggled to pay for Memory’s school fees and school supplies, and Memory often had to walk to school barefooted. 

With the support of Caritas Australia and its partner the Catholic Development Commission in Malawi (CADECOM), Memory was able to enrol at a technical college where she learnt technical skills in carpentry. She undertook a three-year carpentry course, with CADECOM supporting part of her tuition and boarding fees.

Memory became the first female carpenter from her village. Today, she works as a carpenter at one of Malawi’s largest hydroelectric power stations. With the income from her job, she can provide financial support to her family and inspire other young women in her community so that they may have the opportunity to succeed in a male-dominated industry.

▶️ Watch Memory’s story here: www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/memory-story-video

🙌 Support Project Compassion today: www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion

Upcoming Dates

18th & 19th March - NAPLAN Online (Year 3 & 5)

18th March - St Patrick's Day - Wear Green & Bring a Gold Coin for Project Compassion

18th March - Parent Info Session - Helping your child with their decodable readers at home - 3:15pm in the library

20th March - Parent Engagement Network AGM  - 3:30pm in the library

21st March - P/1 Easter Bonnet Parade on Assembly - 9:00am

21st March - Harmony Day - Wear Orange (no donation today)

22nd March - 9:30am Opening & Year 6 Leadership Commissioning Mass

25th March - 2:30pm Holy Week Liturgy at the church

26th March - 1:30pm Coin Line Challenge & Sponge the Teacher for Project Compassion

27th March - Excursion to the Empire Theatre & the Cobb+Co Museum in Toowoomba

28th March - Last day of Term 1, Cross Country at Yelarbon State School

Yours in education,

Casey Robinson

Principal

LIFE IN THE LIBRARY

Students are delivering their book wraps and enjoying the books of Bob Graham as we continue our author study. Year 5 and 6 students are learning to use 3 evaluation questions when locating information online; 1) Can I read and understand this information? 2) Is this information relevant to my task? 3) Can I trust this information?

Only 1 more borrowing session left before the term holiday so please support your students to have their loans returned and their library bags with them on Thursday 21st March so they can have books at home over the holidays!

Week 7

Happy Reading

Anne Anderson

Teacher Librarian

Term 1 Tuition Fees are now overdue

Students of the Week - Week 7 & 8

Sight Word Awards

Happy Birthday!

Reflective Roo Award

Parent Engagement Network (PEN)

Term 2 Dates

Strategic Plan 2023-2026

Notices