Dear St Joseph’s Families,

It’s hard to believe we are at the halfway mark of the Term, but what a great start to the new school year. The students have settled into the routine exceptionally well.

The great start has a lot to do with you, the parents. It is obvious you have made sure your children are well prepared for school each day and speak positively to them about the many exciting things that they can experience and the importance of a quality education. This gives kids a head start. When leaving home with a positive mindset about learning it goes a long way to ensuring they have a top day at school.

The teachers and support staff also deserve recognition. Their efforts in preparing learning experiences, a welcoming and caring environment and willingness to offer extra-curricula opportunities, provide a structure for maintaining a supportive school culture.

A large part of the work we are doing is developing the mindsets of your children towards helping them understand that ‘smart’ is not something you are, it’s something you become.

Carol Dweck’s research into ‘Growth Mindsets’ reveals how the use of language when encouraging children can have a large impact on their attitudes to learning. When we praise intelligence and ability, we are assuming a giftedness through natural talent, taking away from our children the idea that with effort, we can push through struggles and achieve at high levels.

‘High performing’ students with fixed mindsets do well in the early years of schooling, only to struggle and avoid work as it gets harder. These students avoid taking risks and stop asking questions in class for fear of being discovered to be not the ‘smart person’ their parents and teachers have told them they are. They will stay with what is easy and perhaps make excuses for not achieving. They lack resilience when faced with challenges.

So how can a parent develop a growth mindset in children? Here are two simple ideas to get started:

1. Praise effort, strategy and action - not results - This type of encouragement, helps children develop the belief that success has more to do with what they do, rather than born gifts or talents. 

2. Give honest feedback - Honest feedback about their performance not only helps them improve, but also promotes a growth mindset. Sometimes we avoid giving feedback to protect a child’s self-esteem. However, by being sensitive to how we provide feedback, ensures that our children are not negatively affected. For example, focusing on two or three things your child did well before giving constructive feedback; that is, feedback that will help them improve.

Last week we celebrated Ash Wednesday and the beginning of our Lenten Period.    Lent, is a season of fasting and prayer where we prepare for the resurrection of Jesus and is one of the most popular and important holy days in the liturgical calendar. Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday, and is chiefly observed by Catholics, although many other Christians observe it too. Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. It includes the wearing of ashes on the head, symbolizing the dust from which God made us, the dust to which we will return. 

Lent is a time to prepare for the coming of Christ at Easter. We can do this by reflecting on how we can be better people who give more of ourselves to our families, our communities and God. By making space for these important other’s in our lives, we’re really making space for the risen Jesus. How can we use Lent as a time of reflection and prayer and open our hearts to listen to what God wants of us?

For me the challenge I will be trying to take up this lent is to pray more, reach out to others, and to find some quiet time every day to reflect and listen with the heart.

God Bless,

Megan

IMPORTANT NEWS FROM THE PRINCIPAL

TERM DATES 2021

Term 1 Wednesday 27^th January to Thursday 1^st April 2021

Term 2 Tuesday 20^th April to Friday 25^th June 2021

Term 3 Tuesday 13th^th July to Friday 17^th September 2021

Term 4 Tuesday 5^th October and ends Friday 26^th November 2021

Please note that term 2, 3 and 4 start on a Tuesday. The first day of term 2 and 3 are taken as the nominated travel days as outlined under the Catholic Enterprise Agreement and the first day of term 4 is the Queen’s Birthday public holiday.

Academic success and wellbeing for all students at St Joseph’s

At the heart of our vision and mission at St Joseph’s is the school community working together to ensure academic success and wellbeing for all our students.

Our curriculum and learning support team have been working with class teachers to collect and analyse class data for discussion about the needs of the students within every classes. Further assessments are currently being undertaken to pinpoint students’ strengths and growth areas for targeted teaching and support. 

Each year we follow The Response to Intervention Model. This is a three-tiered model for targeted learning and intervention. Amanda Rowe, Kelly Bienvenu, Mel Turner and the School Officers will provide support across all three tiers – within the classroom, small groups and individuals. 

Tier 1 : Classroom Support 

The majority of students (80%) succeed in the regular classroom with assistance from the class teacher and school officer. Class teachers use data (assessment results) to monitor student progress and make adjustments according to these results. Teachers record modifications and adjustments being made. Teachers will continually communicate learning goals with students and parents throughout the year.  

Tier 2: Small Group Support 

There will be a small percentage of students (15%) who require additional support to achieve at the expected level. Amanda Rowe, Melanie Turner and Kelly Bienevu work alongside teachers and parents to identify these students and to provide intensive, short-term, targeted support. This support is in addition to classroom support provided by the class teacher and school officer. 

Tier 3: Individual Support 

A very small number of students (5%) require a high degree of support and a team approach from a number of specialists. These students often require an individual intervention plan or program.

Students move between the three tiers according to their progress, consequently, progress needs to be carefully monitored. This model is not only relevant to academic tasks (literacy and numeracy). It is equally applicable to behaviour, social skills, speech and occupational therapy and counselling services. Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns. 

Cross Country/General Fitness Training

The St Joseph’s Parish School Cross Country Carnival will be held in the first week of Term Two on Friday 23rd April.  In preparation for this event, we will be running our annual cross country training program from next week. These sessions will be offered on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7.30am until 8.00am.

Training starts next Tuesday 2nd March 2021, 7.30am.  Students are to arrive at school wearing  casual shorts, shirts and shoes (due to the wet weather it is advised that they do not wear their school shoes). Teachers will supervise students during warming up, running around the the oval and warming down. Students will then change into their school uniforms and wait in the entrance area until 8:15am.

Due to Covid restrictions only parents of students Prep - Year 1 are able to remain on the school grounds.

Stop, Drop & Go

To assist the teachers on duty at the stop, drop and go zones, it would be appreciated if you could display your family name either on the visor or dashboard of your car. Not all teachers recognize parent/grandparent faces or the make of vehicle. Having the kids ready on the footpath greatly improves the efficiency of these zones.  

Safety in this area is paramount so please be patient, do not pull out and go around other vehicles. If your child is not out when you are in the line we may ask you to go around again so that we can keep the flow and prevent frustration for others. If you have an urgent engagement to attend please park and collect your child from pick up area.