St Anthony's School Term 2 Week 10 2022
Principal's News
Welcome to our last St Anthony’s newsletter for Term 2. It definitely has been an interesting, exhausting yet productive term. We have certainly been hit with a significant number of students and some staff who have been unwell and I think every term I say hopefully we’ll return well after the holidays. I’m not sure this will ever be our reality but we’ll remain positive and keep soldiering on and doing our very best to keep well!
The halfway point of our school year has arrived and I just cannot believe that we will soon be turning towards the latter half of 2022 and thinking about moving on again into a new year. You would have all received an electronic survey this week regarding your intentions for next year. This assists us with our early planning of class structures for 2023.
I would like to wish all St Anthony’s students and families a wonderful and refreshing mid-year break and look forward to seeing everyone return safely, ready to hit the ground running on Tuesday, 12th July.
It would be wonderful to see all students arrive each day next term on time. I don’t push many bandwagons but attendance and arrival on time are certainly 2 of my passions (and frustrations).
I know how frustrating it is for teachers when they begin the teaching and learning in their classrooms at 8.40 which they have to, in order to cover everything, but on any given day there could be 5 students who straggle in between 8.40 and 9.15.
Each day we usually run out of late passes in the office. So if you are a family who is habitually late for school, please endeavor to arrive on time next term. It is all part of being organised and it sets a good tone for the day and allows students to be prepared and settled.
As always, the school holidays provide a valuable opportunity to get much needed work and maintenance done around the place without the presence of little people. These holidays we are replacing the carpet in some of our downstairs classrooms and installing our 9 new CCTV security cameras.
Semester One Report Cards
While tedious and time consuming, I must say one of the many things I enjoy about my job is proofing report cards. Crazy I know!!! But I can be in and out of classrooms and often access our whole school data but nothing gives me a better snapshot of a child and their strengths and challenges than a report card.
In particular, I am most interested in the marks given for effort, the number of days absent and the social learnings which give a picture of the child’s commitment to learning because with effort, regular attendance and a commitment to learning all children can overcome learning challenges and improve their grades.
A child who receives an excellent or commendable for effort tells me that that child is putting 100% effort into his/her learning and with effort comes results!
Report Cards for Semester One have been uploaded to the Portal. These are a reflection of learning that has occurred in Term 1 and Term 2 and report student achievement for the first half of the year.
Just a reminder that teachers and parents must work together to encourage students to continue to be motivated to always be the best that they can be. This is about celebrating successes and communicating expectations for personal growth. It is important that we do not compare our students to another student or siblings, rather, acknowledge their personal growth in their own learning journey.
Dress and Appearance
The school uniform is important to us and there is a need for it to be worn well. It is a symbol of who we are as a school and of the values we hold dear. For students, we ask that they respect the uniform, wear it correctly and with pride. We ask for the cooperation of all families in this endeavour.
Now the cooler weather is upon us, a timely reminder that ONLY the St Anthony’s formal jumper is to be worn with the formal uniform on Monday, Tuesday and Friday and the sports jacket is worn with the sports uniform on Wednesday and Thursday. There appear to be a number of non- school jumpers creeping in so please make a plan over the holidays to purchase a new jumper/jacket if required. Mrs Doherty is currently opening our second hand clothing pool every Friday morning from 8.15am in the art room. Please be sure to name all uniform items and instil in your children the importance of taking care of their belongings.
Thanks Mr Tattam
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ory for organising both the senior and junior athletics carnivals this year and providing many weeks of training for students prior to these carnivals. There is a lot of behind the scenes organising and many factors and variables to consider in order for such events to run smoothly. Thanks Ory!
Until next term…….God Bless!
Louise
APRE News.....
As the term comes to a close it is timely to consider our growth from the beginning of the year to now for all members of the St Anthony’s community. We are all learners in our community, staff and students alike and each semester we go on a journey of discovery and growth. The term reports reveal how students are progressing against the Achievement Standard for that year level and learning area. All student reports can be found on the portal. They tell a story of a child’s academic journey so far this year. As mentioned in the last newsletter, a grade of C denotes that the student has demonstrated they are meeting the expectations of the curriculum for that year level and learning area.
The report card reflects a teacher’s consideration of a student’s learning; however, it does not always capture a child’s voice in terms of what was significant learning for them. It doesn’t reveal all the little things that have been impactful to a student’s overall personal development. It will not always reveal how the students have been following the St Anthony’s Way ‘love of others’ pathway by being kind, fair, respectful, inclusive and honest, yet these behaviours are just as significant in a child’s personal journey.
Taking time to reflect with students on their accomplishments in conversation, is an important step in developing their sense as a ‘learner’, regardless of where they sit within the spectrum of achievement. Knowing that learning does not happen ‘to them’ but ‘with them’ and ‘through them’ is an important idea to develop. Not all students may achieve a grade that they may strive for, however there is no limit to the curiosity, persistence, and engagement they can demonstrate when striving to achieve.
Middle Leader
Mini Vinnies Winter Appeal Fundraiser
Thank you to all the students and their families who supported the St Vincent De Paul Winter Appeal. Popcorn Mondays and Pyjama Day on Tuesday has raised much needed funds for the appeal. The donations of much needed warm clothes and blankets is also very much appreciated. This action of justice to empathise, care and reach out towards those less fortunate than ourselves is a lived demonstration of following the St Anthony’s Way.
St Anthony’s Day Award Recipients
Congratulations to all our St Anthony’s Day award recipients below. These people of action, live out Jesus’ message, walking in St Anthony’s footsteps.
Kobe, Greta, Amarni, Caiden, Gracie-Kate, Josephine, Evie, Brooklyn, Leonardo, Chloe ( Summer-Rayne absent)
Holiday Blessings
Best wishes to all students and their families for a safe and relaxing break from school. Hopefully the break will give us all a chance to recharge and refresh before we do it all again in Semester Two!
Prep SR & TF
Here we are at the end of Term 2 and Semester 1. Congratulations to all the Preppies on all their hard work and their commitment to their learning. We have developed our confidence and aren’t afraid to give learning challenges a go and keep on trying until we achieve success. We celebrated School Officers Day last week and thank every one of our School Officers for their hard work and support. The children had a great time examining some different sea creatures with Ocean Life Education visiting us to end our Under the Sea learning. Thank you all who participated in Pyjama Day with funds raised going towards helping people in need. Have a great holiday and we look forward to seeing you all for the beginning of Semester 2.
Siobhan.Rush@twb.catholic.edu.au
Tracey.Francis@twb.catholic.edu.au
Yr 1 ED & Yr 1 KS
A fun two weeks of learning in Year 1.
Pirate Day, technology lessons, Athletics Carnival, St. Anthony's Day and learning through play!
Have a wonderful break.
Kathy, Emma and Jo
Emma.Daniells@twb.catholic.edu.au
Kathleen.Spencer@twb.catholic.edu.au
Yr 2 BH
Last week we said goodbye to Anaya. Anaya has been a great friend and classmate to us and we will miss her. We wish her and her family all the best in their move to Warwick.
Last Friday our class presented a prayer assembly to the school. The theme of the assembly was “Gratitude”. We have a lot to be grateful for in our lives and our prayers tried to reflect this. All the children made up their own prayers and read them beautifully! I was so very proud!
Have a wonderful break from school! KEEP READING!
Mrs Hair
“To everything there is a season: a time for every purpose under Heaven” -Ecclesiastes3:1
Barbara.Hair@twb.catholic.edu.au
Yr 2/3 VN
I cannot quite believe it is the end of the term already! In reflection of the term, there are many positives to come out of it. I believe that our Math learning is a highlight. Students are demonstrating strong learning practices and our results are reflective of this. We run these sessions with support of Mrs Doherty and we have broken the class in to two groups and Mr Tattam or Ms Nauschutz and Mrs Doherty have different learning goals. For example, this term I focused on time and Mrs Doherty number patterns. By dividing the class in two allowed us to teach 12 or so kids at a time and focus our teaching to where these groups were at. We were able to extend and support extremely effectively. I look forward to more highlights next term.
Yr 3 RM
After a very busy term, it is now time for a well earned break! We have continued with our learning in all subjects. In Maths we have revisited fractions, subtraction with regrouping and adding money. In English we have looked at the parts of a sentence. In HASS we have continued to use our detective skills to analyse sources from the past to help us learn about how places change over time. In Health, we have discussed how our words and actions affect others.
Yr 4/5 PK
We made it through Term 2! It has been a very busy term and we have certainly learnt so much. We congratulate the students in our class who we very brave and participated in the St Anthony’s Day Speaking Competition. Well done to Puondak, Flo, Olivia and Jayda. A huge congratulations to Flo, who took out first place. Another big congratulations goes to Josie, who received the St Anthony’s Day Award. I wish everyone a very happy and safe break. Take the time to spend quality moments with family, rest, recuperate, enjoy a slower pace and of course, stay warm! See you in Term 3!
Mrs Kingsford & 4/5.
Peta.Kingsford@twb.catholic.edu.au
Yr 5/6 TN
It only seems like a few weeks ago we were setting our classroom expectations and beginning our school year! But here we are… at the end of Semester 1. We have had a very busy semester with lots of different projects and assignments, both the Year 5 and 6 students have been on an excursion to Brisbane and the Year 5 students even held their own election where Bailey became our new Prime Minister.
Next term is already shaping up to be busy with lots of different events and experiences for us all to share. I do hope that you all have a wonderful holiday with your families and take some time to relax.
Until next term, keep safe.
Mrs Terri-An Nolan
Terri-An.Nolan@twb.catholic.edu.au
Yammer Group
WOW we are half way through the 2022 school year and how much fun we have had so far in Yammer Group.
Term 3 is very quickly filling my calendar with lots of different activities for the Yammer Group.
- We will be celebrating NAIDOC Week together as a school.
- We have an excursion organised.
- Vocabulary Group will continue.
- 715 Health Checks by Goolburri Health are happening.
And so much more!
A few weeks ago I put through four applications for four of our students to be a part of the Indigenous Reading Program for 2022. Yesterday we received some very exciting news that all four applications have been successful. I can’t wait to share more about this program with you next term.
I hope you all have something wonderful planned for the break and including lots of relaxation!
Until next term,
Mrs Terri-An Nolan
Year 6 Excursion
Last week the Year 6 students set off on an excursion to Brisbane. After our early morning bus trip, we visited Queensland Parliament House. The students were given a guided tour and taught lots about the history of the building and some of the daily happenings of Parliament House. As last Friday was not a sitting day, the students were allowed into the Lower House room and sat in the seats of our current members of Parliament. Here the students participated in a mock debate about whether Year 6 and 7 students of Queensland should have one hour of homework every night.
After leaving Parliament House we walked across the Good Will Bridge, where we had a terrific view up and down the Brisbane River.
After picking a spot in the South Bank parklands we had subway for lunch and sang a very loud Happy Birthday to Mrs Winters and Sadie.
Our next stop was the Queensland Museum and then the very fun SparksLab – Science Centre. The students had a wonderful afternoon experiment, asking questions and testing their knowledge.
It was a wonderful day and a great way to wrap up both our HASS and Science Units for Semester 1.
Mrs Terri-An Nolan & Mrs Leigh Winters
Performing Arts
SING OUT
I would like to congratulate our amazing St Anthony’s Choir for the great day spent at SingOut on the 13th June. It was a simply wonderful experience. The children were an absolute credit to our school.
They listened, they learned, they laughed and they sang! Being part of a choir of 500 people is a wonderful experience for anyone. I loved it!
I am also very grateful for the support of the school community who handled some confusing messages from me with grace and kindness. I really appreciated your support in helping the students take part in this great activity.
‘CALAMITY JAMES’ – SENIOR MUSICAL
Thank you to everyone for finding the little extra bits and pieces to finish off your costumes. We are starting to look amazing.
A direct email has been sent to students involved in the musical to inform them of the extra rehearsal planned between 8.30 and 1.00 on Monday 11th July - the Pupil Free Day at the start of next term. Bring along some morning tea and a drink bottle! This will be a full dress rehearsal. We will have our final rehearsal on Wednesday 13th July and will perform for the whole school on Thursday during school time, and an audience of family and friends can enjoy our performance on Thursday 14th July at 6pm. Thank you for your support! Tickets are on sale now!
Back to school: Separation Anxiety
Girl Guides
GIRL GUIDES - JOIN NOW – for GIRLS and WOMEN
After experiencing the restrictions the Covid 19 pandemic has placed on our lives FUN & FRIENDSHIP between girls without competition is what Girl Guides has to offer.
Programs are decided on by the girls so can be varied each term but incorporate the four elements of Girl Guides – Physical, People, Practical, Self.
Leaders are volunteers who gain qualifications through training by Girl Guides Qld.
Girl Guides is a uniformed organisation which creates a sense of unity and to identify them as Girl Guides in the community. Members need to make the Guide Promise and strive to follow the Guide Laws. Girl Guides Australia is part of the largest volunteer organisation for girls and young women in the world with over 10 million members in 150 countries who all celebrated 100 years of Girl Guides in 2010.
Kanyana HARRISTOWN Girl Guides has two units meeting weekly during school terms.. There is a Brownie Guide unit for girls aged 5 – 11 years on a Monday night 5.45 – 7.45pm and a Guide unit for girls ages 11 – 16 years on Wednesdays 5.30 – 7.30pm.
Contact Desley Hodge 0413 609 100 for any information on Kanyana Harristown Girl Guides or any other units in our Region and if you are interested in being a Girl Guide Leader to have your own Fun & Friendship while being of service to the girls in your community.
Commonwealth School Data Collection Notice
St Anthony's Outside School Hours Care
Our Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) services provide the opportunity for children to grow and develop their social skills in a leisure based environment nurtured by our Catholic ethos.
The services offer a combination of before school, after school, Pupil Free days and vacation care led by a team of qualified educators. Our educators work with all children to create fun and recreational experiences so that a child’s wellbeing, learning and personal development are a priority. The services provide a variety of indoor and outdoor activities to support the diverse interests of all children.
St Anthony's OSHC Toowoomba
Phone: 0458 937 154 or 0458 897 293
Email: ANTcare@tckc.qld.edu.au
