St Anne's Newsletter - Term 2, Week 10 - 27th June, 2023 St anne's primary school, cnr curlew cres & lowry street, north albury - phone: 0260251281 - email: sana-info@ww.catholic.edu.au - Website : WEB.SANAWW.CATHOLIC.EDU.AU

Principal's Message

Here we are at the end of Term Two so quickly.

This week we are conducting our Parent/Teacher Interviews. I hope you will be able to attend and gain an update on your child’s progress. Apologies as a couple of teachers have had to change times etc due to reasons out of our control. However they will make themselves available to meet with you, as we see these meetings as important.

Student Reports were made available on Compass last Friday. If you have any questions please speak to your child’s teacher at the Parent/Teacher meeting.

Last Friday we celebrated Confirmation with Bishop Mark Edwards. Thanks to all who have kept our students in your prayers. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the evening.

Thank you for your support during a busy term that has also included many not feeling well and the ongoing challenge this brings to learning.

We had Danny Malone (Performance leader) and Anita Stibbard (Learning and Teaching) from CEDWW, visit our classrooms last week. Here is some feedback from them and their visit.

Good morning Bede,

Thank you for the opportunity for Anita and I to view the learning and teaching happening across your classrooms during the System Performance Visit on Tuesday. Although we gave some feedback on the day, I share the following dot points below as a summary of insights following our Learning Walks and Talks on that day.

• Classrooms that were welcoming with a sense of calm and where strong relationships were evident, all contributed to learning environments that were conducive to strong levels of engagement and learning.
• Explicit teaching was a feature across many classrooms.
• Formal and informal feedback to students was experienced. In one of the Kinder rooms, it was affirming to hear teacher feedback to students that specifically referenced the LI & SC.
• The significant growth in student’s writing capacity across the year as evidenced in student’s work displayed in the Year 2 classrooms.
• Teacher talk was concise and targeted.
• It was really affirming to hear students as young as those in Kinder using the appropriate formal language in the vocabulary and writing processes eg graphenes, digraphs etc
• A strong emphasis on vocabulary building to enhance writing activities.
• Reading lessons had a clear focus on developing strategies. Reading groups were also witnessed in several classrooms with strong engagement in the different groupings.
• The seating and classroom set up allow for collaboration amongst students.
• The effective use of individual whiteboards and learning partners to provide students with an opportunity for all to contribute as well an easy check in or support individual learning.
• Although we only experienced a small number of Maths lessons, we witnessed hands-on activities, the practising of concepts and deeper questioning by teachers to encourage students to articulate their learning.
• Collaborative planning amongst grade cohorts was obvious which also ensures consistency of learning across the grades but also provides for individual teaching styles to be maintained.
• We experienced one Religious Education lesson in Year 5 classrooms where students were totally engaged in the “unpacking” of a scripture passage and were then to design their own We-video to evidence their learning.
• The use of the “Reading for Fluency” initiative in Year 6 incorporates a number of elements including developing vocabulary, word origins and the various components of fluency.
• The use of “See-saw” as a communication tool to display student learning to families.
• Committed Teachers and Teacher Assistants who have developed strong rapport and respect with students.
• The effective use of chromebooks as a learning tool in classrooms.
• We applaud the preparedness of the Year 6 and Year 2 teachers and students to trial student led parent/ teacher interviews.
• Prayer tables were evident in classrooms as well

Regards,

Danny Malone,

School Operations and Performance Lead.

I believe that there has been some concern or discussions in regard to the possibility of a change in the wearing of our school uniform.

Following representations from a number of parents earlier in Term Two regarding the uniform worn at St Anne’s, some informal discussion were held about this at the conclusion of the previous (May) School Advisory Council. Whilst a number of possibilities were discussed in general terms, we want to reassure the school community that no decisions have been made about school uniform as we recognise that uniforms mean different things to different people and that we understand and respect the validity of these various views.

No decisions whatsoever have been made about school uniforms however we believe it is timely to understand the role of uniforms at St Anne’s into the future.

In essence, we want to ensure that the uniform students wear to St Anne’s is fit for purpose, and the purposes of the uniform are varied and important– to assist students to learn, play and represent the school in the best possible light. As professional educators, we also want to ensure that our school practices are reflective of the evidence and research about what we know about how and what students learn in 2023 and into the future. In this regard uniform is like other areas of our practice that from time to time are reviewed as a school community that is committed to enacting contemporary and evidenced based practices.

The student and parent voices are both central to any future planning in this regard and we will ensure that this process takes on board the range of views about uniforms as well as ensures parents have a long time frame for planning, purchasing and getting good value from the school uniform, whatever this might be. Like we do with our students, we will start this process with ‘why?’

Basically, it was discussed at our Parent Council the possibility of the Sports Uniform being worn more often which has been brought forward to us by a number of families. This has been discussed only and our parent council will organise a suitable process to involve opportunities for discussion, feedback and involvement of our school community in the decision process. We know uniforms can be a sensitive area, but we have always involved our school community and make the best possible decisions in the best interest of students and families.

I hope everyone gets a great break and has lots of fun.

Take care and hopefully keep well,

Keep Smiling, Bede.

Key Dates

• Tuesday 27th & Wednesday 28th June - Parent Teacher Conferences (bookings via Compass app)
• Thursday 29th June - Kinder 2024 'Enrolment Agreement' forms due
• Friday 30th June - Last day of Term 2
• Friday 30th June - Canteen 'Burger Day'
• Friday 30th June - Uniform Shop Closed
• Monday 17th July - First day of Term 3
• Monday 17th - Friday 21st July - NAIDOC week celebrations
• Friday 21st July - Grandparent's Day
• Tuesday 25th July - Choral Verse Speaking Yr 2 & 3
• Monday 21st - Friday 25th August - Book Week
• Wed 6th & Thurs 7th September - Matilda Jnr Matinee and night performances
• Friday 22nd September - Last Day of Term 3
• Monday 9th October - First Day of Term 4
• Friday 13th October - Country Fair
• Friday 15th December - Last Day of 2023 School Year

NSW Health Covid Advice

Compass Attendance

A reminder that all students who arrive at school after the morning bell at 8.55am, must be accompanied by an adult into our office to sign in on our Compass kiosk. This is a legal requirement and students may not sign themselves in. You will now be asked to provide a reason for the late arrival.

If you are picking up your child during the school day, for any reason eg. medical appointment or early departure, please send a written note in with your child to their teacher with all relevant details. Compass can not be used to notify teachers of early pickups. Compass is only to notify the school of full day absences. If you arrive at school to collect a child without prior notification, please allow extra time to locate your child on the school grounds, especially during break times and when at music, science or sport.

Parents/carers are required to submit an attendance note for any full day absences of their child from school. This can be done in the Compass App or in the Compass portal online. Please ensure you provide all the relevant details for why your child/children are not at school, as any notes added without a comment or details will be recorded as an unjustified absence. Please see the relevant link below for guidance on how to record an absence on the Compass App.

When families take students out of school during the school term for holidays, there are strict legal requirements that need to be met. If a student is going to be absent for up to 9 days, no formal application is required and parents may enter the absence on Compass under the 'Travel' option. If the absence is for 10 days or more, an application is required to be completed by parents prior to travel and approval will be required by the Principal or officials from CEDWW. If the leave is 21 days or more, parents are required to provide an educational plan to the school for approval. Extended leave forms are available from the school office.

Bus Pass applications

Bus Pass applications for travel between home and school, can be made via this link

Past Newsletters

• Term 1 Week 2
• Term 1 Week 3
• Term 1 Week 4
• Term 1 Week 5
• Term 1 Week 6
• Term 1 Week 7
• Term 1 Week 8
• Term 1 Week 9
• Term 1 Week 10
• Term 1 Week 11
• Term 2 Week 1
• Term 2 Week 2
• Term 2 Week 3
• Term 2 Week 4
• Term 2 Week 5
• Term 2 Week 6
• Term 2 Week 7
• Term 2 Week 8
• Term 2 Week 9