Week 7, Term 1 - 2024
Welcome
Dear St James Community,
During the past week students in Years 3 & 5 have participated in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), which is a standardised testing initiative designed to assess and track the academic progress of students in key areas such as literacy and numeracy.
NAPLAN aims to provide valuable insights into student's educational development, helping educators tailor their teaching strategies to address specific learning needs. Annually, the school receives information that helps us identify areas of strength and opportunities for further development. Our 2023 NAPLAN results were very strong locally and nationally; we are indeed proud of this and of the students' efforts in 2024.
Playground enhancements
Our nature play area is having a makeover in the coming weeks, with earthworks starting recently. This area will become home to the new "St James Tiny Town", which includes the addition of 4 new cubbies [a cafe, hospital, police station & supermarket] and a musical theatre stage. This imaginary play space will be a wonderful addition to the myriad of options available for our students. We sincerely thank Mrs. Kim Banko [Wood Technology Teacher] and the Yr 11 [2023] and Yr 12 [2024] woodwork students from St Joseph's College who have created and built these cubbies as part of their project learning. A tremendous effort and partnership!
My New Gallery
3-Way Conferences
We thank parents, students & teachers for engaging in the recent 3-Way Conferences. Our 3-Way Conferences in Terms 1, 2, 3, & 4 give students and families significant opportunities to reflect upon achievements and set new aspirations for future learning. This, along with the two formal A-E reports, social & emotional tracking, and celebration of learning events, creates a cyclic package of communication about student learning and well-being with the child at the centre of the conversation.
An element of the cycle is the completion of the Termly Insights report that gets attached to each Formal A-E report at the end of Term 2 and Term 4. Parents are encouraged to complete the parent comment section on the Insights template, which is an opportunity to celebrate, praise, and challenge your child. Please complete this via the Compass Portal (Reports - Insights - Term 1).
Term 1 Learning Conferences
Cross Country
The School Country will be held on Friday, March 22nd (information below). Students are welcome and encouraged to wear house colours to school on this day and either participate in the full cross country (with the potential for going further to the zone event) or the shorter fun run course. Parents and friends are welcome to attend and watch the activities.
2024 Enrolments
Enrolments for Kindergarten 2025 are now open via the online enrolment portal on the school's website; enrolments close on Friday, April 5th.
School Improvement Goals: Fortnightly update
Short Term Goals
Our recent short-term goal was 'All families will engage in the Week 6 learning conferences to celebrate glows and co-create student goals so that all can achieve success.' We had 93% of families attend the Term 1 conference; we thank them and our teachers for engaging in this connecting activity.
Our new short-term goal is "Families will complete the parent feedback from the learning conferences, using the insights template."
Long Term Goals
One of the longer-term goals is building authentic partnerships with families that enhance connections with school and home. Our recent Learning Conferences and the associated engagement data are wonderful examples of this goal in action.
Upcoming Events - Term 1
Please note the upcoming events scheduled.
Please note the following events/dates scheduled for the remainder of Term 1.
- March 22nd: Cross Country
- March 28th: Holy Week Liturgy & Easter Raffle
- March 29th: Good Friday Public Holiday
- April 1st: Easter Monday Public Holiday
- April 3rd: School Photos
- April 12th: Whole School Retreat [Yandihndi]
Thumbs-up
- Everyone for engaging in the 3-Way Conferences.
- The tremendous support in our community for our Project Compassion appeal and the assistance offered to others.
- The Valin De Sadaba and Henze families for caring for our chickens over the past two weekends.
- Kim Banko and the College students for creating our wonderful Tiny Towns.
To conclude
St Joseph’s Feast Day (March 19th) is an annual observance of the Catholic Church that is popular in Australia and is especially important to us because our Parish holds a special observance of St Joseph. This week we pray that St Joseph, who protected and cared for the Holy Family will kindly keep us all united in the love of Christ.
Like Joseph who supported Mary and baby Jesus, we too are working towards helping and supporting those in need in our local and global community through our Project Compassion appeal. To date, our almsgiving has raised $629.15, which will be used to support the less fortunate. We sincerely thank everyone for their generosity, care, and compassion.
St. Joseph, watch over us and care for us just as you cared for the child Jesus; and by your help, may we come to know your Son, and so grow in strength and wisdom and the favour of God. Amen.
With blessings,
Nic.
Good attendance in primary school will be a skill that will help them succeed in high school.
Good attendance in primary school is a fundamental building block for academic success and overall wellbeing, and it sets the stage for success in high school and beyond. Primary school is the foundational stage of a child's education. Regular attendance ensures that children build a solid understanding of fundamental concepts and skills that serve as the basis for more advanced learning in high school.
By recognising the long-term benefits and reinforcing the importance of regular school attendance in primary years, students are better equipped to succeed in high school and beyond. Attending school regularly instils a sense of responsibility and work ethic in students and participating actively in class are essential components of success.
Express Learning for Busy Families
esafety provides free webinars for parents/ carers. If you can’t make any live webinars there recorded webinars that you can access for free.
Explore the esafety video series about supporting children and young people to deal with online safety issues.
BOOK CLUB 2024 - ISSUE 2
Book Club brochures have gone home with your child this week. All orders are on-line only and close on 28th March 2024.
