St Anthony's School Term 3 Week 10 2022
Principal's News
I know this sounds like an old cliché! But my goodness – time does fly. I cannot believe we are at the end of Term 3. What an action-packed term we have had and Term 4 will be just as fast paced with lots of learning and end of year activities to squeeze into 9 weeks.
The staff have done an amazing job this term, juggling student absences while also managing their own illnesses. I think we are all ready for a well deserved break from the routines and busyness of life.
If your child will not be attending St Anthony’s in 2023, please let the office know by the first day of Term 4 or a term’s fees will be incurred. This is vital information as we are now in the process of placing students in classes for next year.
I would like to say a huge thank you to all of our families who supported recent events such as our Dad’s and Kids Night, Father’s Day Stall, our swimming block, St Anthony’s Has Talent and The Colour Fun Run. It was wonderful to see so many families coming to school to enjoy these events.
Parent-Teacher Interviews
After school was abuzz last week with many parents attending Parent / Teacher Interviews. This is such a valuable and vital process and I thank those parents who attended.
Parents want what is best for their child and teachers want what is best for their students. That's why Parent/Teacher collaboration is so important. By working together, parents and teachers can provide the best learning environment, both at home and at school, for students.
One of the first things to keep in mind is that school situations can affect home life and vice-versa. If a child doesn't eat breakfast or sleep well, this can affect productivity at school. If a child feels that they don't have any friends at school this can spill over into their lives at home. By opening up the lines of communication, parents and teachers can address these types of issues together.
This was our first occasion of running the interviews with all teachers in one location and in one afternoon block. From all accounts, it was well received by parents and teachers and we plan to continue with this format. We welcome any feedback that parents have regarding this. All information regarding bookings was on the Sentral Portal – our one stop shop for communication!
2023 Class Allocations
Here at St Anthony’s we follow a procedure for the allocation of students into classes each year. The construction of class groupings is a collaborative process that involves input from students, parents, class teachers, specialist staff and the Leadership Team. We seek to ensure the process is fair and just and it is our intention to develop class groupings in a way that best meets the educational needs and interests of all students.
We consider numerous factors and variables when forming class groupings and these include:
- Academic abilities
- Student Behaviour
- Social, Emotional Factors
- Factors arising out of Student Support Team Meetings
- Gender balance
- Balancing overall needs of the class
- Reasonable requests made to the principal
If you have a sound educational reason for a particular placement that you feel should be considered during the class placements process, I invite you to forward this consideration to myself via email or in writing to louise.pfingst@twb.catholic.edu.au and mark the correspondence Attention Principal – Class Lists 2023. Please note that we will not accept any requests for a particular teacher as all teachers in our community are proficient at differentiating the curriculum, recognising a variety of learning styles and building strong relationships with students. All requests must be made by Friday 14th October.
Despite the very involved process of developing final class lists, it is impossible given the number of potential combinations, to arrive at classes which will be most preferred by every student or parent. It is also impossible and professionally inappropriate, due to privacy, for parents to be consulted during this process. It is important that all parties appreciate the multiple factors which influence the final groupings and have trust in our ability to make good decisions for the benefit of all students.
We are unsure yet of our definite class compositions for 2023 but will inform our school community once these are finalised. This will not be until next term.
Notification of 2023 individual class allocations will come out via the Sentral Portal towards the end of Term 4.
Out of respect to a child’s current teacher and the procedure for establishing class configurations, if after publication there is an issue of significant concern, parents should contact the school office to speak with myself who gives final approval to each class. Class teachers should not be approached regarding requests, concerns or grievances. This puts them in an uncomfortable and professionally inappropriate position.
Thank you for your support as we move into the process of class list development.
Term 4 Reminders
Just a reminder that Term 4 commences on Tuesday, 4th October. Students are expected to be in Full Summer Uniform with Correct Socks and PLAIN BLACK shoes.
Mrs Doherty provides a tremendous service to our school by selling second hand uniforms. This is open most Friday mornings and you can certainly pick up a bargain!
Terre at St Ursula’s Uniform Shop also stocks second hand uniforms and new uniforms that are in plentiful supply. It is an expectation at St Anthony’s that students are wearing the correct uniform. (see page 6 for opening times)
The Importance of Slowing Down for Children- Weekends and Holidays
As we come close to school holidays, Michael Grose (parenting expert) writes about how to take this opportunity to slow down the pace of busy family life and the benefits this has for our children and family unit.
Please read below:
Sigh!”
I just put my head out the window and heard a collective sigh of relief from parents around the country as the majority of Australian states begin their school holidays next week.
Most families I meet are fast-paced.
Kid's highly-scheduled lives mean that family routines are hooked into children’s weekly activity schedules.
And their activity levels are massive. Before school, after school and weekend activities are now commonplace for children.
Nothing wrong with that in the short-term, but kids need to slow down for the sake of their well-being and also to maximise learning.
Families need to slow down on a regular basis so people can get to know each other, and so people don't feel so stressed.
Slow Sundays, slow long weekends and slow holidays help take the stress away and give families the chance to get to know each other and even give members the chance to like each other again.
Understanding why, knowing when and working out how to slow things down is part of the art of parenting. That brings me to holidays.
School holidays are the time to break routine and slow things down. It’s hard if you work but even then the change of pace is to be enjoyed and valued. You’ll have your own version of slow!
Still expect kids to help at home. It may take longer than usual.
Resist being their home entertainment machines when they get bored. They do need to keep themselves amused. Busy kids sometimes lack the capacity to entertain themselves. Boredom stimulates their capacity to self-occupy.
There's a lot to be said for slow!
Enjoy the change of parenting pace.
Michael Grose
Until next term…….God Bless
Louise
APRE News.....
St Anthony’s Way: Love of Others
As the end of term approaches it is a useful time to reflect upon how we have travelled the St Anthony’s Way this term along the ‘love of others’ pathway. Our touchstones of be kind, be fair, be inclusive, be honest and be respectful help to guide us along the pathway. As I look around our student community this morning while on playground duty, I was struck with how well our students use these touchstones in their everyday school life. This morning I witnessed a large group of boys in the middle of the playground playing soccer together. These boys ranged in age from Year 1 through to Year 6, yet all were welcome in the game. The usual disagreements ensured, yet they managed to navigate any issue without using their hands or verbally attacking each other. As injuries occurred (as they always do in a spirited game of soccer) I watched as a Year 4 boy who has only been living in Australia and at our school for one term check on a Year Two child who was hit hard with the ball and went down. I also watched as Year 6 boys shared the ball around to all involved. A proud goalie this morning was a Year One girl who passionately strived to defend the balls being kicked by the bigger children, yet she was accepted, just like the others. To the side were a group of Year 6 girls holding hands and talking to Year One students. I noticed the Year 3 sibling walking his Preppie brother down to his bag and playing with him in the Prep playground. A welcome face in the playground was the Year one student’s father who kicks a footy often in the mornings with some lower schoolboys, a great role model and calming presence for students as he encourages them quietly, effortlessly sharing the ball around. I also observed the generous efforts of the staff in the tuck shop serving breaky club to any student who patiently lined up. We are walking the St Anthony’s way and loving others.
The Toowoomba Catholic Schools Catholic Identity Position Paper states clearly that our school communities are “welcoming and inclusive communities where the dignity of each person is reverenced and a spirit of hospitality extended to diverse student groups and highly qualified, principled educators irrespective of race, religion, ethnicity, gender or physical ability.” It is through our relationships with each other that we witness to Christ’s mission. We see the face of Jesus in each other and use our hands to do his work.
Blessed Holiday
I hope all students have a restful holiday and families get a chance to spend some quality time together over the school holidays. Whether you have a great holiday planned or a restful break at home, I pray you get a chance to reconnect with the people, places and activities that bring light into your life. Stay safe!
Middle Leader
Online Safety
This term I have been exploring with Year 4/5, 5/6 and 6 how to be a good digital citizen. It has been an interesting conversation when we discuss the types of online communication students participate in, what apps they are using to do so and how much they know about protecting their personal safety in these online environments. In this day and age our children are growing up in a very different world to what many of us grew up in. With the development of the online space and online social interaction they are navigating a world that may be very foreign for parents. It is apparent that issues that once may have only been a concern for teenage children are seeping into the primary sphere. If you are looking for some advice and support around this issue as a parent, the eSafety Commission is Australia’s Independent Regulator for online Safety. It is a website with a wealth of information concerning Online Safety for all. Below are some resources you may find useful.
As the holiday approaches and children may be spending more time on devices than normal, it may be a great time to check in with your child around their digital footprint and the controls that you may have set around time limits and protecting their privacy.
Prep SR & TF
Welcome to the last week of Term 3!
This term has flown by! We had our ‘St Anthony’s Talent Show’ on Wednesday and the children’s dance performance was spectacular! A big thank you to Miss Ang who was our AMAZING Choreographer.
The children have been making great progress in their reading over the term. Please remember to keep practising sight words and reading over the holidays so your child can continue to blossom.
Thank you for your continued support this term. We hope you have a fantastic spring holiday and enjoy Toowoomba in its magnificent beauty.
Yr 1 ED & Yr 1 KS
What a very busy end of term we have had in Year One.
Last week we celebrated with a "Bear Day" to wrap up our unit of work investigating the series of books "The Very Cranky Bear." We had fun but also saw the students create some great writing pieces,
This week has been lots of fun with swimming, talent show and Colour Fun Run. What a way to end a very productive term.
We hope everyone can have some time out over the break and come back ready and refreshed. Safe holidays, Emma and Kathy
Yr 2 BH
And so we come to the end of another action packed term! This week would have to have been it’s craziest week! We survived and all thoroughly deserve a break and a rest. HOWEVER….
KEEP READING! I cannot stress this enough! At this early stage of development having a two week break from reading can set your child back by double that!! Just 10 minutes a day will keep their skills honed, ready to leap back into it next term.
Have a wonderful holiday, whether you are going away or just sleeping in!
See you on the other side,
Mrs Hair
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.” - George R.R. Martin
Yr 2/3 VN
Welcome to our final edition of Term 3’s Newsletter. We have been very busy in 2/3VN the past 2 weeks. We have been consolidating our understanding of money; counting collections of money and giving change. In Science we have continued to explore the Sun, Moon and Earth and how it impacts day and night, the seasons and shadows. We also went out on an excursion to The Lighthouse Toowoomba. Students participated in a writing program as part of the Botanicals Gallery. Students explored the gallery and found a painting or image that connected to them or a memory they had. They then recreated the image with their own interpretation and used that as a stimulus for a writing piece. It was an extremely well received experience from the students. I was also extremely proud of the way they represented our class and our school.
Yr 3 RM
The last few weeks have been quite busy with finishing assessments. In English and HASS we have written information reports. In Maths we have continued to work on our problem solving skills, particularly using the FISH strategy. In Religion we have written prayers. Have a great holiday!
Yr 4/5 PK
Another very big and exciting term; filled with learning, fun and good memories, is over! Students have worked very hard to finalise and manage many assessment items over the last few weeks. This week has seen us complete our swimming block. Students have shown some fantastic skills, significant development and increased confidence across the week. I’m so proud of each student. I hope all students enjoy their holiday. Be sure to rest and recuperate ready for a very fast paced Term 4 ahead.
Until Next Term,
4/5PK.
Yr 5/6 TN
Can you believe that we have 9 more school weeks left of 2022? I know I can’t!
Thank you for all your understanding and kind words last week when I needed to cancel our parent teacher interviews. Please know that over the holidays I will send an email to all those that were booked in to reschedule. Hopefully after the holidays I will have my voice back 😊
This week I have been listening to Year 6 HASS presentations, reading information reports, sifting through action plans to deal with floods and bush fires and grading science projects. And I can honestly say that I am blown away! We have some very creative students within 5/6TN. While reading and marking these projects it is giving me some crazy ideas of what we can do next term.
So please take these holidays to rest and recharge and I look forward to seeing everyone ready to begin Term 4.
Mrs Terri-An Nolan
Yamma Group
Yamma group has finished the term in a big way! Today we are attending our excursion to Ngutana-Lui Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Cultural Studies Centre. Here we are learning how to throw boomerangs, playing traditional games, creating art pieces and hearing all about bush food and medicine. Our afternoon session will be about Torres Strait Island Culture and we will be finishing the day whole day off with songs and dancing!
A large number of our students over the past few weeks have also completed their 715 Health Check with Goolburri Health. We are very thankful for this partnership and looking forward to offering this service again next year.
Until next term, enjoy your holidays with your families.
Mrs Terri-An Nolan
Jen Fenn - Guidance Counsellor
St Ursula's Retail Shop
Shop Hours for the September break as follows.
WEEK 1:
OPEN: MONDAY 19TH, TUESDAY 20TH & WEDNESDAY 21ST
Normal trading hours
CLOSED: THURSDAY 22ND FRIDAY 23RD
WEEK 2:
CLOSED: MONDAY 26TH, TUESDAY 27TH & WEDNESDAY 28TH
OPEN: THURSDAY 29TH & FRIDAY 30TH
Normal trading hours
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
