Dear Parents and Carers,

As you are aware, the school renewal and improvement process took place in Term 2.  We have now received the final report and I do encourage you to read this report on the following link:

This was an extremely positive process for the school as it affirmed that our key strategic priorities are in line with the thoughts of the community.  The report also provided feedback for the future based on the survey results and parent, staff and student voice.  Please see below some of the key feedback that was also shared with the parents who attended the most recent Parent Engagement Network Meeting.  The first four dot points include overarching positive feedback, followed by recommendations under the headings of Teaching and Learning, Being Distinctively Catholic, Staying on Mission and Collective Efficacy.

The recommendations provided below will feed into our next stategic plan that is currently being developed.

Staffing News

As previously mentioned, Mrs Annette Murdoch has recently moved into the Toowoomba Catholic Schools' Office as Acting Education Officer: Inclusion.  I wish to announce that Miss Lisa Kynoch has applied for and has been successful in obtaining the role of Learning Support Teacher at St Saviour's Primary until the end of this year. 

During this time, Mrs Cate Bell will be the teacher of the 3K class.  Cate is well known to all students at St Saviour's, in particular the 3K class who she taught in the first four weeks of this term.

 

Please join me in congratulating Lisa and welcoming Cate to St Saviour's Primary again.  

Dear Parents and Carers

This week I attended two Professional development days which focused on presenting meaningful and engaging Student Retreats. It highlighted the need for students to be presented with frequent and purposeful encounters with God. Our core purpose at SSPS is to teach students the Catholic faith traditions and rituals by allowing them the opportunities to learn about concepts, listen and share stories, and take part in rituals which allow them to experience quiet moments that draw them closer to a God who loves them unconditionally.

Please join us this Sunday for our School/Parish Family Mass – Sunday August 27^th at 9am St Patrick’s Cathedral. All welcome!

Date claimer! Mercy Day, Grandparent’s morning & Open classroom

Week 10 – Thursday 14^th September. Below is an outline of the morning. We look forward to celebrating the special Grandparents in our community.

8.30am Students in classes

9.30am Whole school Mass at The Cathedral – All welcome!

10.30am Morning tea on the oval with students sitting in sports houses. Grandparents and their grandchildren are invited to eat Morning Tea together in the Mercy Centre, boulder area or end of library.

11.15am Middle session spent with visitors and Grandparents in classrooms with students showing their learning with a STEM focus

12.30pm Goodbye and thankyou to our special visitors.

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Ann-Maree

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thanks for all the photos of shared reading at home. We’d love to hear any feedback about how you found the shift from homework to reading at home for Week 7! Keep the photos coming too, so wonderful to see reading and learning extending into your homes!

At SSPS, we believe that reading is the gateway to a world of knowledge, imagination, and endless possibilities. We want to emphasize the tremendous importance of reading with your children and nurturing their love for books from a young age.

Building Strong Foundations:

Reading with your child is not just about teaching them to recognize words; it's about building a strong foundation for their cognitive and emotional development. Studies have shown that children who are read to regularly tend to have better language skills, enhanced concentration, and improved empathy.

Imagination and Creativity:

When you read together, you embark on adventures, explore new worlds, and meet fascinating characters. These experiences ignite your child's imagination and creativity. They learn to visualize stories in their minds, which is a skill that will serve them well throughout their lives.

Enhancing Vocabulary:

Reading exposes children to a rich vocabulary that goes beyond everyday conversation. It helps them acquire new words, grasp complex concepts, and express themselves more eloquently. A strong vocabulary is a key asset in academic and personal success. 

Bonding Time:

Reading with your child is a precious bonding experience. It's a time for closeness, cuddles, and shared wonder. This special time together not only strengthens your emotional connection but also builds positive associations with reading.

Encouraging Lifelong Learning:

When children see their parents enjoying books and discussing them, they are more likely to view reading as a lifelong pleasure rather than a chore. Your enthusiasm for reading is contagious, and it sets an example for your child to follow. 

Preparing for Academic Success:

Strong reading skills are fundamental for success in school. Children who read regularly tend to perform better academically, not only in language arts but also in other subjects that require strong comprehension skills.

In conclusion, reading with your child is not just a daily routine; it's an investment in their future. It opens doors to knowledge, fosters creativity, and strengthens your relationship. So, pick up a book, snuggle in, and let the magic of reading transform your child's world.

Let's embark on this literary journey together and watch our young readers blossom into confident, empathetic, and intellectually curious individuals.

Happy reading!

Warm Regards

Nicarla Prentice

Acting APA

Dear Parents and Carers, 

This term our students have been presenting our Learner Qualities at Assembly each week.  It has been wonderful to see the diverse way our Learner Qualities are being embedded across our school. 

A reminder you can use our Learner Qualities at home as well.  Here are a few ideas: 

• If your child has to solve a challenging Maths problem - encourage them to be determined. They might need to attempt the task a few times before they get the right answer. 
• If your child asks an interesting question you could encourage curiosity by researching the answer together. eg. Why don't emu's fly? 
• Use 'Be a Thinker' when your child is stuck on reading a tricky word - what strategies could you try? eg. Stretchy Snake.

Thanks for reading, 

Bec Thomas 

NEXT WEEK - WE BEGIN OUR TRANSITION PROGRAM FOR PREP 2024

Pupil Free Day (CTJ):

Congratulations to our Weekly Award Winners

Week 6 & Week 7

OUR BOOK WEEK CELEBRATIONS 

We celebrate the joy of reading together at home, NO normal homework just reading with our family, so great! Thanks for sharing your photos so we can join in your joy!! 

We celebrate creativity and the thoughtful student reflections around reading with the fabulous class pots decorating the entrance and library space. 

We celebrate beautiful Australian books with the book Council winners which are on display in the library. We will continue to celebrate these books in the coming weeks.

We continue to celebrate student reading by adding something colourful to our reading vines on the library windows when we observe great reading choices and behaviours. 

Our big week of celebrating books will end with the highlight tomorrow morning, our READ, GROW, INSPIRE costume parade! Everyone is welcome at the Mercy Centre, the staff will kick off the parade at 8.50am. 

I wish to acknowledge and thank Andrea Nunn and her friends for the 600 beautiful bookmarks they have made and donated so everyone will receive a unique bookmark on Friday after our parade. This is a massive effort and a real gift of time and energy from Andrea and her helpers and we appreciate it very much. 

Year 5 and 6 students were encouraged to create a book trailer this term on any book in our collection. A book trailer tells a little about a book and tries to make the viewer excited to read the book. Emily Ray and Willa Schuh were the only students who completed a trailer, so I wish to acknowledge their persistence and effort. They chose the Non-Fiction book, Deep which was announced as the winning book in the information category! They also did a great job promoting the library for Book Week, so well done girls.  

Our Displays

WAY TOO COOL!

This performance by Perform Educational on Wednesday 30th August will weave a story from 3 of the short-listed books to share some important messages. We are working with these books in library lessons to understand their themes and we are excited to see how they come together in the performance. Links to the song lyrics, dance tutorial, puzzles and activities from the creators can be found on our AccessIT Homepage.

Procedure for Long Term Overdue Library Loans 

Please note that reminder emails are automatically generated when items are 2 and 4 weeks overdue BUT no payment for the replacement of these items is needed until families receive a separate invoice. These invoices are usually sent after the loan has been outstanding for 10 weeks. 

Wishing your family a joyful time reading together!

Anne Anderson

Teacher Librarian

Parents and carers have a vital role in helping children to develop and understand their feelings and behaviours.  Social and emotional skills develop over time and different children develop them at different rates.  While students learn skills for social and emotional wellbeing at school, children initially learn relationship skills and a sense of self from their early interactions with parents and carers. These foundational skills are essential to development and support a sense of wellbeing, as well as accomplishment.  Children need help from parents and caregivers to learn how to manage their feelings and learn what is appropriate behaviour for certain situations. They also need help to learn how to be social and develop friendships with others.  Below are some strategies to help guide you to build these skills at home.  

• Teach relaxation skills (e.g. slow breathing, shake off angry feelings)  
• Teach productive ways to express emotions (e.g. drawing, playing with playdough, listening to music)    
• Encourage activities to increase positive feelings (e.g. exercise, positive social experiences, good sleeping and eating habits)  
• Spend quality time together talking and having fun through play  

• Support your child to understand facial expressions and body language  
• Name feelings by encouraging children to use words to say what they feel and need  
• Teach self-control and to be flexible, in their responses to situations   

If you would like more ideas or support to adopt these strategies at home, please don’t hesitate to contact me at anne.woodcroft-brown@twb.catholic.edu.au. Alternatively, for further information and resources you can also visit:  

Social Emotional Development (Beyondblue.org.au)  

Helping kids identify and empress feelings (Kidshelpline.com.au)  

Social emotional development for pre-schoolers (education.vic.gov.au)  

SSPS Wellbeing Hub 

As a school, we look forward to continuing the conversation about happiness and student wellbeing during Week 9 as we celebrate Wellbeing Week.  

Anne Woodcroft-Brown

School Counsellor

Thursday lunch times at SSPS in our Wellbeing Room includes activites for all our children to enjoy.  Last week our children loved doing "Cosmic Yoga" - photos attached.  

This week we will be doing all things LEGO! Our Wellbeing Room is a great alternative from playing outside and we encourage as many children to visit and be part of the fun.  

Plastic Free Lunch

Thank you to our school community for supporting "Plastic Free Lunch" last Thursday.  This initiative was bought about from 3 of our Year Three students, Tia, Nina and Samantha who presented Mr Hannant with a signed petition from students and teachers proposing we all have a "plastic free" lunch to help save the planet. 

Darling Downs Athletics Carnival

On Tuesday, August 15, St Saviour’s students represented the Central Zone Team at the Darling Downs Carnival. They did extremely well with six students making the Darling Downs Team who will now compete at the State Championships. Emily Carrigan broke the record for 10 Year Shotput throwing 10.14m. The following students made the Darling Downs Team.

• Samuel Abot (100m, 200m)
• Joseph Black (800m, Long Jump)
• Emily Carrigan (Shot Put, Discus)
• Liam McHugh (Discus)
• Ava Orr (Discus)
• Rose Stead (800m, 1500m)

Congratulations to everyone on a fantastic carnival (picture below).

School Sport

Congratulations to Mia Aylward who travelled to Cairns last week to represent the Darling Downs in soccer. Mia had an awesome experience playing some quality football. Great work Mia (picture below)

Weekly Sport Stars

Mia Casagrande competed at the Queensland States Short Course Championships last week where she qualified to compete in the 11 years girls 50 Freestyle and 50 Backstroke. She did extremely well, getting PB’s in both events. Mia you are a superstar (pictures below).

Zone and Darling Downs Trials

All Zone and Darling Downs trials will be placed on Parent Portal. Please check Parent Portal regularly or set up notifications on your phone if you wish for your child to be eligible to trial for Zone and Darling Downs sporting teams as you will be required to obtain paperwork from myself. I am unable to nominate students after the closing date so please make sure you do keep an eye on Parent Portal. Any questions, please contact me at brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au.

Upcoming Events (Term Three)

• Catholic Touch Football Gala Day (Year 4) – 12/09/2023 9am-2:30pm

Cheers 

Brendan Luck

HPE Teacher

brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au