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Dear St Joseph’s families,
It was with much excitement that we welcomed our Years 2-6 students back to school today.
With the return of our students, our goal for the next 5 weeks will be to use every moment that we have in the school day to provide good learning and teaching opportunities. There will be very few interruptions during this time due to current restrictions with the cancellations of events which would normally occur at this time of the year. While there may not be these events, which many of our students enjoy, we will be keeping a "learning is fun" element in our work with students.
While it is a return to some form of normality for our students, we remind parents that we still have a way to go in terms of managing COVID-19. It is extremely important to ensure that children who are unwell do not attend school. Where students present as unwell, parents will be asked to collect their child from school. School Assemblies, Masses/Liturgies, School Sport and Excursions/Camps will continue to be put on hold pending further relaxations of social distancing requirements moving forward.
One of the great attributes of St Joseph’s, is the sense of togetherness and community we share. This is obvious each morning and afternoon where traditionally we would see parents socialising with each other and the school staff. While this is something we have always encouraged, we do ask parents to be extremely mindful and adhere to social distancing requirements. Students will continue to be instructed on good hygiene practices and the regular sanitisation of high-touch surfaces around the school will continue.
Thank you again for your understanding and continued support of these practices in keeping our children and staff safe and well during this time. For greater details around precautions we have in place, please see our school COVID-19 Response Plan which is attached to this newsletter.
Please note that with the return of all students, our teachers focus will switch from a remote learning model to a face-to-face classroom learning model. We understand and respect that some families may decide to continue keeping their child/ren home from school due to concerns regarding COVID-19, in this case, parents are reminded that the responsibility for the supervision and continuity of learning will rest with parents.
In normal circumstances, report cards would be available to families at the end of this term. However, under the current circumstances this has been delayed. Semester 1 report cards will now be available at the end of Week One term 3. These reports have been adjusted and will provide an on-balance judgement about the quality of student learning. They are indicative and will reflect reduced assessment information. Our Prep-6 students receive gradings for English, Mathematics, Religion, H&PE and Science. The assessment and reporting of other Key Learning Areas will be moved to Semester Two. A decision was made to continue with our normal 5-point grading system to maintain consistency and avoid confusion. There will be a comment section which will include a subject specific comment and a general statement. Attendance will not be reported.
I cannot thank the teachers and support staff enough for their efforts in providing quality home learning experiences and I commend them on their ongoing online support they have provided for students and their families. It has been most rewarding to receive praise from parents. We know it has been a challenge for many of you and it has been a trying time for all, but knowing that you are genuinely grateful for what teachers and support staff have done during this time of isolation makes all the hard work worthwhile.
Signing In
For the safety and wellbeing of all students, a friendly reminder that it is mandatory for all students who arrive late to school, after 8:40am to sign in at the office upon arrival. Similarly, students who need to be collected from school earlier than 3:00 p.m., are required to be signed out by their parent or carer. Your co-operation with this process will be greatly appreciated.
Before and After School Routines
Please remember that our before and after school routines have changed to ensure social distancing and hygiene is maintained.
Each morning all students are to be dropped off at the carpark and are to make their own way, onto the school premises. A teacher will be on duty from 8:15AM each morning on the covered sitting area. On arrival at school, students are to sit with their bags till 8:25am when students will then be directed to their classrooms. There will be no play before school. P-2 will be participating in a Perceptual Motor Program and Y 3-6 will participate in free choice activities till 8:40am when formal learning begins.
After school, students will be picked up from the front of the school. Parents/carers are to stay in their cars and the students will come to you. We ask that you avoid coming onto the school premises unless it is essential.
ZOOM Assembly
One of our practices we have really missed is our school assemblies where we have been able to congratulate and celebrate our student’s achievements (Student of the Week), their positive behaviours and birthdays. Just to have everyone all together reinforces the sense of community that is united in its purpose.
As a compromise, we have decided to try a ZOOM assembly on Friday. Our focus will be on welcoming back our students and reminding them of hygiene practices and some rules they may have forgotten in their time away. Once we iron out the bugs we will post Assemblies via parent email. We will keep you informed of when we have this ready.
Library Borrowing
There are a few changes to how we do things in the Library this term. To help us out can we ask that you please:
- place ALL returns in the returns bin (not on the library counter) for cleaning and sanitising,
- leave your library bag outside, and
- ensure you always have clean hands
Days for Borrowing:
- Prep - Wednesday
- Year 1 - Tuesday
- Year 2 - Friday
- Year 3 - Thursday
- Year 4 -Wednesday
- Year 5 -Thursday
- Year 6 - Tuesday
National Simultaneous Storytime
This Wednesday 27th May at 11am our school will be participating in National Simultaneous Storytime. The book we are sharing this year is called Whitney & Britney Chicken Divas by Lucinda Gifford. We will join over 1 million students in Australia to share this story about Whitney and Britney, two gorgeous chooks, fluffy and silky, with stunning good looks.
Uniforms
As we transition back to school, we expect all students to be back wearing the correct uniform and present according to our usual expectations. It is a sign of unity and belonging for students and should always be worn with pride. Students are expected to present in a complete uniform, being neat and well-groomed in their appearance. Please check the uniforms expectations outline below.
Tuckshop
Tuckshop as per normal from today. Please order through flexi-schools.
Annette’s cooking lessons have been so popular that we will put in a link to a new lesson each newsletter.
Social Emotional Learning
This term we begin implementing our new social emotional learning program called Second Step. Watch the webinar below to learn more about how Second Step improves social and academic outcomes in schools.
Second Step Weekly Message
This month, our schoolwide theme is our school as a welcoming place where every student feels like he or she belongs. In our morning announcements and school assembly, we’ll be reminding students to welcome others and act and speak in safe, respectful, and responsible ways. In addition we’ll be reminding students of our school rules. Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Resilient, Be Ready for Learning.
We’ll also begin teaching the Second Step program, which includes lessons that support these behaviors.
Support your child at home in welcoming others and acting and speaking in safe, respectful, and responsible ways. Please tell your child’s teacher if you have questions about specific ways you can help your child with these behaviors at home.
PB4L
We are committed to continually improving whole-school behaviour in order to provide positive learning environments and wellbeing for all students. We have been transitioning from our previous behaviour approach to a Postive Behaviour for Learning School (PB4L). The PB4L PPRoch is about people, practices and processes.
As we return to school in a face to face mode it is the perfect opportunity to revisit our school expected behaviours, our school wide matrix of expected behaviours, definitions and procedures for acknowledging positive behaviours as well as outling procecess for dealing with inappropriate behaviours.
Our PB4L Team have been working hard to update documentation and has been constantly reviewing and implementing processes across the school. They have now completed our St Joseph’s Weipa PB4l and our team will email all parents our PB4L program in its entirety before our next newsletter.
God Bless,
Megan
“For us, Country is a word for all the values, places, resources, stories and cultural obligations associated with
that area and its features. It describes the entirety of our ancestral domains.” Professor Mick Dodson
This Week Let us include in our prayers…..
- We pray that we will work collaboratively with others for the good of all.
- We pray that we understand that we are invited into God’s work.
- We pray that we remember that you are always with us.
- Students and families as they prepare to return to learning at schools in Queensland. We give thanks to resilient and patient parents, creative and kind educators and courageous and caring students.
This week let’s explore why is Country so important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples?
“Our country is like our garden – we need to look after it. There are trees, birds, waterways, fish, mammals and reptiles, and they are all important. We keep country healthy and country keeps us healthy.” Dhimurru Senior Ranger Fiona Yupunu Marika
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander society is interconnected with land, sea and Country. Identity, cultural practices, social systems, traditions and concepts of spirituality are all drawn from, and depend upon, connection to Country. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are uniquely affected by accelerating climate change and it is with increasing urgency that we must consider connection to Country.
In 2017 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people came together at Uluru, from all points of the Southern Sky, to make a statement that we know as the Uluru Statement of the Heart. This statement reminds all Australians that “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tribes were the first sovereign Nations of the Australian continent and its adjacent islands, and possessed it under our own laws and customs.” These laws and customs include an unbroken connection to country, seas and skies.
National Reconciliation Week
At its heart, reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples, for the benefit of all Australians.
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) started as the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation in 1993 (the International Year of the World’s Indigenous Peoples) and was supported by Australia’s major faith communities. In 1996, the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation launched Australia’s first NRW. In 2000, Reconciliation Australia was established to continue to provide national leadership on reconciliation. In the same year, approximately 300,000 people walked across Sydney Harbour Bridge as part of NRW, to show their support for reconciliation.
Today, NRW is celebrated by businesses, schools and early learning services, organisations, and individuals Australia-wide. Hundreds of NRW events are held each year.
This week students will be engaging in some simple lessons to develop their understanding of the importance of Reconciliation in our country and the important part we all collectively play in building relationships with communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories and cultures.
There are Five Dimensions of Reconciliation (from What is Reconciliation?)
- Race Relations: All Australians understand and value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous cultures, rights and experiences, which results in stronger relationships based on trust and respect and that are free of racism.
- Equality and Equity: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples participate equally in a range of life opportunities and the unique rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are recognised and upheld.
- Institutional Integrity: The active support of reconciliation by the nation’s political, business and community structures.
- Unity: An Australian society that values and recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and heritage as a proud part of a shared national identity.
- Historical Acceptance: All Australians understand and accept the wrongs of the past and their impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Australia makes amends for past policies and practices ensures these wrongs are never repeated.
Perhaps this week at home you could listen to the song “Rise Up” by Andra Day and sing along at home or in the car and join in sending a message of hope and unity. In this together good news story saw members of Gondwana Choirs, including the Indigenous Children’s Choir and the Sydney Children’s Choir, virtually collaborate with choirs internationally (the Boston Children’s Chorus, the Denver Children’s Choir, the Children’s Chorus of Washington DC and the Cincinnati Boychoir) this represents an innovative example of how to bring students and children together even while distanced from physical classrooms and communities of practice. Why not join in?
May St Joseph smile on you,
Meg Newell
