St Anthony's School Term 3 Week 6 2023

Principal's Report

Welcome to our Week 6 newsletter!

I think we would all agree that engagement is a vital part of the learning process for every one of us, no matter what our age. From a teaching perspective, we view engagement as central to learning for all children and in all areas of the curriculum. When children are really engaged in learning, they show concentration, persistence and eagerness in their inquiry. They have a positive attitude towards the tasks they are working on and, importantly, they expect to succeed. 

 For some time now at St Anthony’s we have been implementing a language of “learning dispositions” or the touch stones of our St Anthony’s Way as we refer to them, as a means of building optimum levels of engagement for our students. These touchstones are enduring habits of mind and action that encourage learners to respond to experiences in particular ways. These are closely linked to our attitudes and feelings about ourselves and our views about the different identities or possible selves that we can be and become.

So in essence, a touch stone is a quality that, with practice, becomes engrained as a personal trait, and gives us the tools we need to become lifelong learners. By supporting our children in developing these touchstones early in life, we are setting them on the path to learning success. 

 The touchstones of our St Anthony’s Way are:

Love of Learning                                         Love of Others

*Be Engaged                                               *Be Respectful

*Be Proud                                                    *Be Fair

*Be Persistent                                             *Be Kind

*Be a Communicator                                *Be Honest 

*Be Curious                                                  *Be Inclusive

Another of our school wide programs is ‘You Can Do It’ which has a focus on developing confidence, resilience, organization and persistence.  A program that beautifully compliments our St Anthony’s Way.  I was in one of our prep classroom's on Monday as the teacher was conducting a lesson around persistence and the link to confidence. It was warming to witness these students at such a young age explore persistence and give examples of their own experience where they’ve been persistent, such as tying shoelaces, cutting tricky shapes or riding a bike and how the more you do something challenging the more confident you become. 

Here at St Anthony’s, we encourage our learners to be confident.  Confident learners ask questions; they are open to different perspectives, and willing to try new ideas and resources. As adults, we support our children from a very early age in learning to listen and to cooperate with others, and we continue to scaffold this behaviour throughout their schooling.  When children have these skills, they are willing to listen to other people’s ideas and explanations, and are more capable of solving problems collaboratively, negotiating and working towards shared goals. When children are confident they have awareness of others and of their relationships with others, and can reflect on their own learning. The specific language we are using with our students as a means of fostering a culture of learning confidence is as follows:  

 Confident learners: 

• Have the courage to take risks
• Exhibit a strong sense of self belief
• See mistakes as learning opportunities
• Welcome and respond positively to feedback
• Can talk about their learning and have a go

 Exhibiting these learning behaviours is by no means easy for everyone, but if we talk about the importance of confidence and make it a part of our everyday language, it will soon become our “normal”. Through this process, we can enable all our students to expect nothing less than a confident spirit when approaching all learning tasks and opportunities. 

Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER)

 Our Year 6 students have recently undertaken an educational tour of the national capital. Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government contributes funding of $135 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion. This amount was incorrectly stated in the previous newsletter.

Swimming Lessons

A reminder that swimming lessons for all classes will commence Monday 11th September and continue through to Friday 15th September (last week of this term). All lessons are conducted by qualified instructors and all children will be transported to and from the Glennie Pool by bus. All costs involved are covered through the Activities Levy in the school fees.

Please note that swimming is part of the Physical Education Curriculum and therefore all children are expected to attend these lessons.

Students will need:

• swim bag (plastic shopping bag is fine)
• togs/bathers (no two piece togs)
• towel
• footwear to wear to and from the pool
• goggles (optional)

Swimming caps are provided by the pool.

If there is a legitimate reason your child is not participating in the swimming block, please email the reason in writing to louise.pfingst@twb.catholic.edu.au prior to the swimming block.

Prep Enrolments for 2024

We are currently accepting applications for Prep enrolments for the 2024 school year and places are filling fast. It is vital that all families considering a placement for their child in Prep for 2024 contact the school office ASAP to complete the enrolment process.

 Each Prep child and his/her family (2024) must have participated in the enrolment process:

 Completion and return of the Application for Enrolment

 Interview with the Principal

 Received an offer of a placement

 Accepted the offer of placement

 (where possible) Participate in designated transition program for 2024 Prep children

Each family’s support of this process is greatly appreciated. If members of our school community are aware of other families seeking enrolment at St Anthony’s School, please encourage them to make contact with the school office for an enrolment package.

Student Protection Contacts

The safety and wellbeing of our students here at St Anthony’s is a high priority.  As with all non-state schools, we have nominated School Student Protection Contacts, who are staff members that students can raise concerns of abuse, harm or inappropriate behaviour.

Here at St Anthony’s, our School Student Protection Contacts are:

• Louise Pfingst
• Katie Hauser
• Leigh Winters
• Christopher Byrne

All school staff regularly receive training and information to be able to respond to student protection issues.

Father’s Day

Father’s Day is on Sunday, 3rd September. Our Parent Partnership Forum have organised a Father’s Day Stall here at school with a range of very cool items for Dad at the bargain price of $5.00 each. The stall will operate on Thursday, 31^st August.

We are also going to hold our annual Dads and Kids Night on Thursday, 31^st August, from 5.30 – 7.00pm.  Further details regarding this event will be on the Sentral Portal in the coming days as well as on the poster and link under Parenting Support and Information below.

Until next newsletter…….God Bless!

Louise

The newsletter will be an e newsletter emailed to parents on a Thursday every fortnight. Community and parent notices can still be included in the newsletter by emailing the item to the school stanthonys@twb.catholic.edu.au.

Middle Leader/APRE

This week I was fortunate enough to be in a classroom when a Zones of Regulation lesson was being conducted.  The Zones of Regulation is a program that looks at ways to teach students how to identify and express their own feelings to develop the skills to regulate their behaviour.  The teacher was delivering a lesson around the ‘size of problems’ that students may face during a school day. Students were able to list several ‘problems’ going on for them, such as friendship issues, not getting to be a goalie in the soccer game, losing a personal item, not being chosen for a job and only wanting to be partners with certain students. 

For the average 10- and 11-year-old, these problems are very real. These are more than likely the types of problems students may come home discussing with parents.  During the lesson the teacher asked the students to reflect upon the ‘size’ of each problem, using a scale for comparison.  The ‘big’ problems were listed as ones that have life changing consequences in a real sense, for example your house burning down.  Through the process of the lesson students were encouraged to develop ‘perspective’ around their problems to help them find appropriate ways to react to problems that matched their size.  Effectively asking the question does the reaction to the problem match the size of the problem?

This is not a question to dismiss their problem, rather to help them respond in a way that enables them to deal with it effectively. The lesson is an excellent way to examine a student’s reactions to problems. Everyone will have a reaction in some way when faced with a problem, how we deal with it is often where difficulties can arise, not just for children. Children are always observing the adults around them and will take cues from them as to how to react in problematic situations.  As adults we have a responsibility to model healthy and productive ways of dealing with ups and downs.  Responding in a calm way, acknowledging feelings, and discussing possible solutions to problems can support a child to develop their resilience and problem-solving skills.  This is always easier said than done as it doesn’t acknowledge the other pressures we may be feeling as adults, however it is a worthy pursuit for long term positive outcomes for children. Maybe you could try using the language of ‘size of the problem’ with your child at home?

Which Mary is Which?

Over the last two weeks we have acknowledged and reflected upon two women named Mary.  Children can often get confused by the ‘Marys’ that are spoken of within the Catholic church. They may have the same name; however, they are different people who lived in very different times yet have significance to the story of Jesus.  We discussed Saint Mary of the Cross Mackillop last newsletter and told of her inspiring legacy of Catholic Education in Australia.  As a saint within the Catholic Church, she is a figure to be looked upon as a guiding light in the way she lived her life inspired by Jesus and his mission.

This week was the feast day of Mary the mother of Jesus and her Assumption into heaven.  Mary Jesus’ mother has a very important place within the Catholic faith and obviously to the life of Jesus.  Mary trusted in God and his plan for her.  She was brave, devoted, selfless, and giving.  Mary said yes to God’s plan and her life became sacred and blessed.  I wonder what God’s plan for us is and what we say could say yes to in our life.  Walking the St Anthony’s Way, we are encouraged to follow the ‘love of others’ pathway.  To be kind, fair, inclusive, respectful, and honest is one way to be open to God’s plan for us.

Prep White & Prep Blue

Welcome to week 6! 

The children have been working hard this week as we begin assessing students on their rhyming, identifying, and creating a rhyme. In Science we have been exploring waterproof materials and have ‘designed a raincoat for teddy’ for children to display their understanding of waterproof materials. In HASS we have explored features of a map, creating a map for the children’s story ‘We're going on a bear hunt'.

Thank you for assisting your child in wearing their pyjamas to school. We have a busy few weeks left of term. In week 8 we will be celebrating Book Week with children dressing up as a character from their favourite book on Wednesday the 30^th of August. Friday the 1^st of September will be a pupil free day. In week 10 children will attend swimming lessons. The children will need swimmers/trunks (no two piece togs), a towel, sandals to wear to and from swimming lessons and goggles (optional). Children will be supplied with a swimming cap. 

Yr 1 Blue

Year 1 Blue

Book Week is Week 8 (28 Aug -1 Sept) with the annual Book Fair and Dress Up Day on Wednesday (30Aug) when children may dress themselves as their favourite book character. This is a four-day school week, Friday (1 Sept) is a pupil-free day.

In Spelling/Phonics, the class is learning to use the ‘er’ sound and the ‘ed’ word-ending. The children are using ‘er’ to change an action word (e.g., teach) into a naming word (e.g., teacher) and using ‘ed’ as a word ending. The class is developing the skill to classify words as nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

While in Math, students are learning to write numbers in words with the use of classroom charts to help them spell the words correctly, and problem solving with the use of addition and subtraction strategies. Number facts this week is to master doubles to twenty.

During HASS lessons the class has studied the features of places and classified them as natural or built. While in Science, the learning focus was identifying changing sky features (e.g., sun, moon, day/night, pathway of the sun, phases of the moon). In the coming weeks, Year 1B will integrate HASS and Science, switching our focus to daily and seasonal weather patterns.

Year 1 White

Well, we’re in Week 6, over the halfway mark for the term. Coming up in Week 8 we have Book Week, and in Week 10 we have a swimming block. We also have a Father’s Day Stall and Games Evening at the beginning of September as well. More information will be sent out closer to the time for these events.

We have a new process in the classroom where each day we have a ‘teacher assistant’ chosen. This ‘teacher assistant’ helps each day by doing any tasks that need to be done such as going to the office or helping a fellow student within the classroom. The students are taking this responsibility with pride and eagerness.

Our Cranky Bear stories are a big hit with the students. With the way the stories are written, the students are often joining in with telling the stories as it is read. We have continued looking at nouns, verbs and adjectives within the stories as well.

In handwriting, the students have been creating their stories based on a prompt. Our prompts have been coming from the story of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” with the students extending their sentences with different verbs, nouns and adjectives.

Friendly reminders: library books are to be returned on Thursdays, ready for borrowing on Friday. Sports Uniforms are to be worn on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Year 1 White Teacher

Jacque Houghton

Yr 2 White

Welcome to week 7! Year 2 have been hard at work trying persuasive texts – some students think books are better than movies, others think movies are definitely the way to go! It is fantastic seeing the great language choices the students are making.

In maths we are still investigating numbers and getting really good at working out tricky multistep sums. In Science, we are full swing ahead looking at different forces. The class enjoyed going into the playground to find out which types of forces they could find.

Yr 2/3 Blue

Greetings from 2/3 Blue!  The last few weeks have seen an absolute explosion of writing in our room.  I can’t tell you how proud I am of the effort the children are putting into their writing tasks.  Some of our reluctant writers have written pages of interesting stories and recounts and I am just amazed.  Keep it up kids… I’m soooo  proud!!

We have also been working on time in Maths.  This has been a very tricky concept for us to grasp.  Telling the time to the minute (Yr 3) and 5 minutes(Yr 2) are going quite well but quarter “to” and quarter “past” is really causing havoc for some of our group.  If you have the opportunity to practice reading the time with your child it would be a great help ..... especially the “quarter” times.  We will obviously keep working on it at school - but extra at home will really help as well. 

Please remember Library books on Mondays and Book week is coming up - please DO NOT purchase special costumes… the children can be creative and decorate old clothes or cardboard boxes etc for their costumes - it is one day and it does not need to be an expensive occasion.

Take care

Kathy Spencer

Yr 3 Gold

In Maths we have started learning about algorithms, identifying where these are used in our daily life and identifying the steps needed to complete a task.

In English we have started to turn dot points into sentences and paragraphs, in the lead up to creating an information text.

In Religion, we are busily creating our dioramas of our chosen part of the Jacob and Esau story, which we will share with others when they are complete to demonstrate our understanding of the story.

Yr 4/5 White

Yr 4/5 Blue

What would it be like to be the Prime Minister of our class? What would the role require? Why would you be a Prime Minister and not a President? How would you convince someone to vote for you? These are things that 4/5 Blue are starting to think about as they will be putting the knowledge we have learnt during HASS (Civics and Citizenship) this term into practice with the skills from English (Persuasive Texts).

The students have also been putting their shape knowledge to the test by creating their own nets to create 3D shapes. We have learnt the importance of having our sizing correct, otherwise the shapes don’t come together. We are now exploring all things “time.” I encourage you all to talk about time with your children, not just asking what the time is, but how long until something will happen or how long since?

This week we have welcomed Miss Jacinta Rixon back as a Pre-Service teacher. This is Miss Rixon’s final practicum, and she has been very busy planning some truly exciting learning experiences for our classroom.

Until next time!

Mrs Terri-An Nolan

Terri-An.Nolan@twb.catholic.edu.au

4/5 Gold

Next time you go shopping, ask your child to help with calculating the cost of your items – a skill we’ve been mastering in maths! We’ve put our knowledge of financial planning into practice as we undertook investigations asking us to either design a mini golf hole or plan a day at an amusement park.   

All students are able to access Mathletics at home if they feel like a bit of maths practice – they just need to remember their login details. 

We’ve been working on writing a convincing persuasive argument in English, while also spending time enhancing our reading, spelling and grammar skills. In science, we have moved our focus from Earth’s changing surface to Earth’s place in the solar system, while our HASS emphasis continues to be an exploration of democracy and voting in Australia.   

Yr 6 Blue

As the days fly by, we're thrilled to share some of the incredible experiences and learning opportunities that have been taking place in our classroom.

Welcoming Mrs. Peters: We're excited to introduce our practical experience student, Mrs. Peters, who has been an incredible addition to our classroom. Her enthusiasm and dedication have been very positive. Mrs. Peters has been working closely with our students, bringing fresh ideas and perspectives to our learning environment. We're enjoying her presence and the valuable insights she has to offer.

St. Joseph's School Musical: We're thrilled to be attending the St. Joseph's School musical on Thursday. This promises to be a captivating performance that will surely leave us all in awe. It's a fantastic opportunity for our students to experience the magic of the arts and perhaps take away some tips as we prepare for our own musical.

Mastering Debating Techniques: In our English lessons, we've been honing our debating skills. Learning how to present our ideas effectively, build strong arguments, and respectfully counter opposing viewpoints has been an empowering experience. We can hardly wait to put these skills into action as we gear up for exciting debates in teams.

Diving into Fractions in Maths: Fractions can be a tricky concept, but we've been fearlessly diving into this mathematical realm. Our math lessons have been full of activities and collaborative problem-solving that make fractions not just understandable but also enjoyable. The challenges are certainly real, but we're embracing them with enthusiasm.

Science Exploration: Mouldy Bread Investigation: Our science explorations have led us to an intriguing and somewhat unusual investigation - studying mouldy bread. Working in teams, we've been observing and documenting the growth of mould on bread slices. This investigation has not only been tons of fun but has also taught us about teamwork, observation, and the scientific method.

Team Spirit in Friday School Sport: Friday afternoons have become the highlight of our week thanks to School Sport. Our soccer games have been filled with laughter, teamwork, and friendly competition. It's a fantastic way for us to unwind, stay active, and reinforce the importance of sportsmanship.

As we journey through these exciting experiences and challenges, we want to extend our gratitude to all the parents and guardians for your unwavering support. Your encouragement and involvement make our learning adventure even more enriching.

Until next time,

Mrs Kingsford, Mrs Peters & Year 6.

HPE

Central Zone Athletics

It is with great joy and pride that I give congratulations to Ayuel, Oliver, Archie, Eric, Caleb, Callum, Alex, Vann, Penny, Emily, Ashlyn, Isabella, Phoebe, and Lauren for their remarkable achievements at the Central Zone Athletics Trials. These students set an inspiring example for all of us.

I would like to give a special mention to Eric for making the 100m and 200m final, and Caleb and Isabella for making the 100m final. I applaud you all for this incredible achievement.

I would also like to acknowledge Archie, Ayuel, and Penny for earning their spots in the Central Zone team. Archie won the 10-year-old boys multi event, Ayuel placed second in the 800m, and Penny won her 80m final, placed second in the 200m final and won long jump. Making it onto a representative team is no small feat. I am incredibly proud of these students and I have no doubt that they will make St Anthony’s proud too.

Friday School Sport

The boys' soccer team dominated with a 3-0 win, showcasing their teamwork and skill against Concordia. Meanwhile, the girls' team fought hard securing a 1-1 draw. Mrs Kingsford and I are proud of you all as you continue to develop and improve your skills each week.

Library News

Book week is almost upon us. Next week (Week 7) is the “Which adult, Which book?” competition to launch the festivities in place of the reader’s cup. This competition is open to all students. The winners will be announced in week 8.

Week 8 is THE week. Monday is the beginning of the book fair, with students making their wish lists during class time. Book purchases will start from 3 to 4pm on Monday. Wednesday is dress up day, the parade with the announcement of the competition winners, and a special performance in the hall for all grades. The week will finish with 2 more days of book fair. You will have the option of paying cash or card for this year. You can find the Book week schedule below.

Yamma Group

Last week I was fortunate enough to attend the 2023 Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Education Conference in Brisbane. This amazing and jam packed three days were inspiring, overwhelming, and full of learning.

Below is a snapshot of my time. I am still working through my notes (there are a lot) and have begun reading some recommended texts from keynote speakers and other attendees of the conference.

I have come away with some wonderful ideas for our community and have a new wealth of knowledge and information to share with our teaching staff of how to embed the indigenous perspectives within our curriculum. I promise that I will continue to share some of this with you all over the coming weeks.

715 Health Checks

Goolburri will be coming to St Anthony’s next Thursday (24 August) to complete the 715 Health checks for our First Nations students. If you haven’t returned your paperwork yet, please do so that we can orgainse an appointment for your child.

Until next time!

Mrs Terri-An Nolan

Terri-An.Nolan@twb.catholic.edu.au

St Anthony's Uniform Shop

The uniform shop is located at St Anthony's, near the school office. 

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 12:30pm

Wednesday 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Friday 11:30am - 3:30pm

Parenting Support and Information

https://forms.office.com/r/r0PwGJcDfB - Please complete the online form to attend the Father's Day Dads and Kids night!

Parentline

Parenting can be tough. But you don’t have to do it alone. When things
become challenging, it’s important to know that you can always talk to
someone about what’s going on.

If you’re a parent, carer or family member living in Queensland or the Northern
Territory, you can call Parentline from 8am – 10pm seven days a week, for the
cost of a local phone call.

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