Category: Primary

This week I have been meeting with teachers to check in on how the year has begun and how our students are settling back into the routine of school life. It has been a great opportunity to hear about some early successes in the year, and the positive way students are adapting to their new classrooms and teachers. One thing I discovered, is that many teachers have already met, or are scheduled to meet, with a large number of families over the coming weeks. This is such a pleasing thing to see, as parent engagement in the learning process is so important in supporting a successful year for our students. The Australian government has a site called Learning Potential that provides information on how families can engage in their child’s learning across all ages, through games, and everyday activities such as cooking or walking the dog. I would encourage all families to have a read of its content and see if any of their tips could be useful in your homes too.

Swimming Carnival

Today’s Faction Swimming Carnival was a great success enjoyed by all. Students took part in their races with great enthusiasm, and it was great to see so many excellent displays of not only sports ability, but more importantly, sportsmanship too. While all students did a great job on the day taking part and listening to their teachers, I would especially like to highlight the efforts of our student leaders and the Year 6 cohort for the positive way they led their factions throughout the day. We are also very grateful to those families who were able to attend and follow the COVID guidelines in place to keep our event as safe as possible.

A big congratulations goes to Knox faction who were our shield winners on the day. They proved themselves the dominant force in the pool, while Brigid faction were great in taking out the Spirit Award. To see all the fantastic photos from the day please click here. I would like to thank our amazing Physical Education Teacher, Mrs Tasha Richards, for all of her efforts in the lead up to the carnival. There were many late nights and early mornings spent putting this day together for us all and we are so grateful to have her as part of our staff.

Our Age Champions and Runner-ups will be presented with their awards at next Friday’s Assembly and published in the next edition of the newsletter.

Parent Information Evening 

I would like to thank all of the parents who attended our Parent Information Evening last week. It was so pleasing to see so many families in attendance and I think it says a lot about the commitment families at our school have to the learning of their children. The Parent Information Evening is of course about disseminating information relevant to each year level, but more importantly, it is about creating a relationship between parents and teachers so that they may work in partnership to create the best experiences for children. It is important that families know they can reach out to their child’s teacher at any time throughout the year, as we are here to help and support however we can.

Carpark

Last week, I shared some information with families via SeeSaw around the proper use of the drive through lanes in our carpark. It is important that families understand this is a shared space between many students and parents and above all, we need to keep our students safe. I would like to thank the many parents of our community who continue to exercise safe, responsible driving practices when in this area and who also display great patience when collecting their children. These parents really do help make our school a nicer place to be. There are teachers on duty until 3.30pm each afternoon, so if you want to skip the rush, you are also welcome to wait until then to collect your children.

Homework Club & Coder Dojo

A reminder to all families that Homework Club and Coder Dojo clubs are up and running for the term. The Homework Club runs each Monday afternoon from 3.30pm – 4.30pm under the guidance of teachers who are there to support students in completing their homework. For many students, this can be a good opportunity to get a head start on their homework for the week, in a space that is conducive to good learning and free of distractions. All students are welcome to attend throughout the year.

Coder Dojo runs on a Tuesday afternoon from 3.30pm – 4.30pm and is a joint venture with some of our Marcellin students and teachers. It is an opportunity for students to explore their curiosity and develop their coding skills through a set program for our young coders, with more independent options for our senior coders. Again, all students are welcome to attend.

CyberHound

With the beginning of the school year commencing, students will soon be using their iPads in class and at home to complete their learning. The school uses a tool called CyberHound in order to help keep students safe while in school. It acts as a filter for inappropriate content and shares a report with school leaders each day to let us know if there has been any searches for inappropriate topics. I would encourage all families to discuss with their children the things they consider appropriate for both school and home, relevant to their age. It is also a good idea to chat with kids about what to do if they come across something inappropriate online and who they should tell. Sometimes, having these small but important conversations can help prepare students for any situations that may one day occur.

Newman Parents – ySafe Cyber Safety Education Session

Newman College is looking forward to welcoming Australia’s leading provider of cyber safety education, ySafe to Newman Parents this term. This practical, strategy-rich session will cover the most important points that all families need to know regarding online safety, covering key information about social media and gaming, screen time recommendations and step-by-step instructions on how to set up a cyber safe home for kids of all ages.

When: Monday 22 March 2021, 7.00pm

Where: Newman College, Marist Auditorium

To register for this free session please click here.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Today’s Faction Swimming Carnival was a great success enjoyed by all. Students took part in their races with great enthusiasm, and it was great to see so many excellent displays of not only sports ability, but more importantly, sportsmanship too. While all students did a great job on the day taking part and listening to their teachers, we would especially like to highlight the efforts of our student leaders and the Year 6 cohort for the positive way they led their factions throughout the day. We are also very grateful to those families who were able to attend and follow the COVID guidelines in place to keep our event as safe as possible.

A big congratulations goes to Knox faction who were our Shield winners on the day. They proved themselves the dominant force in the pool, while Brigid faction were great in taking out the Spirit Award.

Thank you to Mrs. Tasha Richards, Physical Education Teacher for all of her efforts in the lead up to the carnival. There were many late nights and early mornings spent putting this day together for us all and we are so grateful to have her as part of our staff.

Our record breakers, Age Champions and Runner-ups will be presented with their awards at next Friday’s Assembly and published in the next edition of the newsletter.

After last week’s ‘false start’ to begin the year, it has been wonderful to welcome all of our students and families back to school, especially those who are new to our community. I am very pleased with the start students have made in their classrooms, and already we are seeing some fine examples of student excellence, both in work habits, and in how students are conducting themselves in the playground.

If I could sum up my hopes and aspirations for our campus in one word for 2021 it would be community. The Marist theme for 2021, ‘Breathe: The Spirit of Life (Rm 8:2) encourages us to pause after what has been an eventful twelve months and take stock of that which is most important in our lives. This year, I hope students come to appreciate the wonderful people in their lives; their friends, their teachers, and most importantly, their families. I hope that they can see the wonderful community that they are a part of, and the role they have to play in contributing to this. Each day, students at the Lavalla campus will gather as a community. It is our chance to set the tone for the day, encourage a reflective thought, or acknowledge the many examples of excellence we see in our community each day. I hope this year that all students can come to understand what it means to be a student at Newman College. I hope that they are able to see that they are an important and valuable member of our community, and that they have an important role to play in the success of our campus. We look forward to supporting and celebrating our students in their journey this year.

Year 6 Student Leaders

On Wednesday at the High Achievers Assembly this week, we commissioned our new student leaders for 2021. The standard of applications to the leadership program for this year was very high, and we are delighted to acknowledge those students who were successfully nominated by their peers to take on this responsibility. One of the many nuances of leadership students have come to understand though, is that leadership is not about wearing a badge; it is about setting a good example for others and doing the small things well. We look forward to the journey ahead of us with our new student leaders at the helm.

Congratulations to Isabella Crisona, Michael Ng, Brayden Lim, Anabel Raguseo, Tahlia Thayer, Xavier Dunstan, Nikita Aylmore, Benji Thompson, Jaspar Martin-Booth, Benji Davies, Aaron Stannard, and Madelyn Bertolini. You can watch the commissioning of our 2021 student leaders here.

Parking 

As many families can appreciate, our carpark is always a very busy and hectic place, especially at the beginning of the year as new families and students get used to the drop-off and pick-up procedures. Parents are reminded to take it easy in the carpark, and be considerate of those around us. Students should only be entering vehicles at the designated areas, and only ever cross as the designated crossings. Parents are also reminded that there are teachers on duty until 3.30pm each afternoon, so if you want to miss the traffic and collect your child at 3.25pm you are more than welcome.

Homework Club & Coder Dojo

Homework will commence next week Monday 15 February. Homework Club takes place each Monday from 3.30pm to 4.30pm in the library. This is a great opportunity for students to get a head start on their homework for the week under the supervision and assistance of some of our teachers.

Coder Dojo will also recommence this term, though it will start on Tuesday 23 February. Coder Dojo occurs every Tuesday afternoon and is an opportunity for students to be involved in computer coding, and take part in other IT related activities. Students need to bring their iPad, and will be under the direction of staff at all times.

Both the Homework Club and Coder Dojo are open to all of our students. If you wish to attend, you just need to let your child’s teacher know.

Term 1 Swimming 

Swimming for Term One has commenced, with our Year 4 students hitting the pool for the first time this week during Phys Ed. All students will be taking part in the Swimming Trials next Thursday 18 February in preparation for the Swimming Carnival which is on Friday 26 February.

More information around the requirements for swimming will be shared by Mrs Richards via the class SeeSaw pages, but generally, students will need to remember to bring bathers, rashie, towel, and goggles to take part. If you have any questions about the swimming program for this term, please see your class teacher.

Learning Hub Tour

Earlier this week, our Year 6 students took a tour of the new Saint John Henry Newman Learning Hub. The Hub is available to use for all students across Year 3-6, and families will have the opportunity to inspect the space on the same evening as the Parent Teacher Information sessions. It is an incredible learning space that really needs to be seen in person to be appreciated. Our students certainly thought so too.

“It was so big and fancy, but it also felt very calming and inspiring. The library was amazing and there were so many books. We are looking forward to going again.”-  Fletcher Bell (6 Blue)

Food Allergy Reminder

The beginning of the school year is always a good time to remind families that there are a number of students at our school who have food allergies, some of which are life threatening. We please ask families to consider the foods their child brings to school, and to avoid nut products in lunchboxes. It is our job as a community to support all of our students and to keep them safe. If you have any questions about how student allergies are managed in the school please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher.