Newsletter No. 15 | Term 2 Week 6 | Thursday 2nd June 2022
Prayer
Lord,
Open up our hearts so that we may hear the message you teach of a world in which the wrongs of the past are recognised - a world in which a reconciled people walk and talk together sharing stories; a world in which all burn with the desire to have your peace and justice reign.
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen
Principal's Message
Dear Families and Friends,
I hope you have all managed to stay warm this week. On Wednesday we had electrical problems at school which meant no heating in most rooms and no kettle until about 12.30. It is at times like this that you realise how much we take the simple things in life for granted. Mind you, it didn’t worry the kids too much. They are a tough lot!
SCHOOL CONCERT
Please note the following details for next week’s school concert.
Date: Wednesday 8th June
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: Red Rock Gallery 'Carolyn Theatre'
Tickets: $10 Each
With the Theatre only seating 80 people numbers have been tight, and we appreciate families prompt booking of tickets to help us manage this.
If you have grandparents, relatives or family friends that did not get a ticket to our night time show, we are opening our morning dress rehersal as a second day time show. This is happening on Wednesday 8th June from 9.30am until 10.20am, also at the Carolyn Theatre. The cost of this show will be a gold coin donation at the door upon arrival. If you are planning to attend this session please let Gracesyn know so we can keep track of numbers and ensure we don't exceed capacity.
COSTUMES:
Prep - Grade 2: Black leggings or pants / Black T Shirt
Girls are welcome to wear a coloured Tutu but this is not essential. We are happy for them to express their individuality with a bit of colour. The school will provide fluoro ribbon to tie around their wrists etc.
Grade 3 - Grade 6: Jeans / White T Shirt
Students are invited to wear a baseball cap backwards on their head if they would like. Again, the school will provide fluoro ribbon to tie around their wrists etc.
Raffle: We will be running a raffle on the night. There will be a family dinner voucher up for grabs, with a bag of potatoes for second prize. Raffle tickets $5 each.
LITTLE LEARNERS
Last Friday was our first day for Little Learners. We started off the day feeding the calves with the Year 5/6s, visited the chooks and guinea pigs, and later went into the Prep/1 room to test if the eggs in the incubator were fertile. After that we took part in various activities in the Library.
Thank you to Miss Whytcross and Miss Kluver for including the little Learners in their learning activities. I would also like to thank our students who made them so welcome. One of the parents who stayed was so impressed by how welcoming and inclusive the children were. Well done everyone!
Tomorrow, Friday, 3rd June, will be the second day of our three week Little Learners program. The session will run from 9am -10.30.
A reminder that the program is for children 3-4 years of age. If you know anyone who may like to bring their child along, they are more than welcome.
RECONCILIATION WEEK
This week we recognised Reconciliation Week.
Monday was the official Reconciliation Day.
First observed in 2018, it celebrates Aboriginal Australian culture and promotes cultural exchange and understanding.
On Monday, we welcomed to St. Brendan's, two young men, Brent and Judas from Daly River NT. Brent and Judas shared dance and music from their culture and also answered questions about their lives in Daly River.
Charlie was also fortunate to meet Dr. Miriam Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann, Senior Australian of the year 2021. We feel blessed to have had this opportunity, it was a really valuable learning experience for us all.
YEAR 5/6 INTER-SCHOOL SPORTS
This Friday 3rd June, the Year 5/6 students will be participating in Netball and Football Lightning Premierships. Our footballers, we will be combining with Colac West and the games will be played at Colac Central. Netball will be played at the Eastern Reserve courts in Colac.
It will be quite cold so pack coats and warm clothing, maybe even a warm blanket.
All parents are welcome to come along to support the children.
YEAR 5/6 CAMP
The Year 5/6s will be heading off to their Melbourne Camp on Wednesday 15th June and returning on Friday 17th June.
Notes have been sent home but if you have any further questions please call the school.
Some upcoming dates to remember: Our Bush Excursion happening on Wednesday 22nd June. More details to come. Learning Conversations are happening on Tuesday 21st June from 1-4pm and Friday 24th June from 9am - 2pm. These will be available for booking via PAM, details and instructions to follow.
We look forward to seeing you at the Concert on Wednesday. It should be fun!
Leanne Eastman
PRINCIPAL
principal@sbcoragulac.catholic.edu.au
Student News
An update from our Leadership Groups:
HAPPY HELPERS
On Thursday 2nd June we are running a game of Capture the Flag at lunchtime. All students are invited to play. It will be a great chance to get to know each other and it will be lots of fun!
Levi, Lindon, Cassie, Davina, Jimmy and Tilly
EARTH HEROES
On Wednesday 8th June while we are walking back to school after the dress rehearsal for the school concert, we will be leading the way and picking up rubbish alongside the road. Feel free to join us and pick some rubbish up as well.
Jasmine, Maverick, Abbey, Annabelle and Tallow
SOCIAL SUNSHINE CREATORS
On Friday 24th June we are having a dress up day to raise money for the Red Cross. The theme is ‘Dress up as what you want to be when you grow up’. It will be a gold coin donation. We look forward to seeing all of your costumes!
Lexie, Joe, Ayla, Audrey and Indi
Art News
Students have been busy painting our shelter shed with images of native flora and fauna. They have all done such a fantastic job with this and the shed is looking much brighter already, even though they are still adding some finishing touches!
Catholic Culture
On Monday after school, our staff went to ‘an audience’ with Miriam Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann. Dr Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann is a teacher, artist and respected elder. She has dedicated her life to giving Aboriginal children the skills to navigate Western and traditional culture. Miriam was the Senior Australian of the year in 2021 and is the grandmother of Brent and Judas who came to our school on Monday morning.
Miriam was baptised a Catholic when she was 15 years old and along with her Aboriginal culture, her faith is an important part of her life. When asked how she combines the two, she answered that God is in the land and nature and it is easy to see where He fits as part of her dreaming.
In regards to problems facing First Nation Australians, Miriam was quoted recently saying: “Today, I see my people caught in what I feel is a terrible whirlwind, tossed and trapped in a circle of confusion, frustration, often despair, unable to escape. I myself have been thrown about by that whirlwind. I have felt the confusion, the fear, the helplessness. Yet, in some strange and wonderful way, God is by degrees and ever so gently, lifting me out of the whirlwind.”
It is a beautiful way to describe how God is there when we need him, guiding and helping us all to look forward with a sense of hope.
Prep/1 Classroom News
We have had a truly wonderful start to the week in Prep/1. On Monday morning we were greeted by the sound of chirping baby chickens. Our eggs have started hatching and we currently have two chicks in the classroom. Abbey has investigated the remaining eggs in the incubator and believes that we have many more chicks to come. The children have enjoyed observing, holding and caring for them. It is also lovely to hear them chirping away in the background when we are working.
CONCERT: Concert practice is well underway. Students are preparing for their performance next week by learning three incredible dances. There are some keen movers and groovers among the Prep/1’s.
LITERACY: The Preps are working on the letters k,l,r,u and their corresponding sounds. The Grade 1’s are learning about the sound /ay/ like in play. New decodable readers have been sent home. Please read these each night with your child.
MATHS: We have started our learning cycle on multiplication and division. This week, students have been learning how to make equal groups, and share items evenly among several groups.
RELIGION: We have continued considering scripture this week. We read Corinthians 13:4-8, “Love is patient, love is kind..” We then reflected on what this means and discussed times in our own lives when we’ve had to be patient.
INTEGRATED CURRICULUM: Students have nearly completed their virtual worlds using CoSpaces. They’ve been introduced to coding and be able to write some code to make a character respond to a click.
HOME PROJECTS: Congratulations to the following students who completed their 'Let Grow Project' this week
Isabella Coates made breakfast toast for Aden, Ayla-Maree and her best friend Mia. She toasted the bread, spread on the toppings and served the toast all by herself. Well done Issy!
Keep up the reading at home!
Allira Kluver
akluver@sbcoragulac.catholic.edu.au
2/3/4 Classroom News
Welcome to Week 6!
Time is just whizzing by and our concert is next week! Our class have been excited and engaged in learning their dances and can’t wait to be participating in the school concert next Wednesday. I have seen some great moves and look forward to seeing all the dances put together.
This week in Literacy we have been exploring pronouns. Pronouns are words used instead of nouns(a person, place, thing or idea) – eg. him, her, I, me, you, he, she, herself, it, they, someone, everybody etc..
For Writing the children are exploring Information Reports and will be researching an animal of their choice.
Spelling tests will be administered this week and new words given out on Monday.
The spelling focus for Year 2 is ‘i-e ’ words - wide, bike, time, mine, wise, inside, slide, hike, pipe and spike.
The Year 3’s focus is ‘s/es’(plurals) - boats, chairs, books, teams, prizes, bikes, beaches, lunches, foxes, buses.
The Year 4’s focus is ‘es’(plurals) - teaches, coaches, wishes, hisses, brushes, crashes, classes, dresses, preaches, crushes.
Our EPIC reading total is at 800 books. A massive effort 2/3/4’s!
In R.E. we had been reflecting on the following questions: What makes me feel loved?
How do I show others love? Why is it important for people to feel loved?
Here are a few responses to ‘What makes me feel loved?’
Claire – When others be kind and caring to me.
Eden – My friends and family.
Charlie – My family.
Jordy – My Mum and Dad.
Matilda – When my Mum and Dad make me food.
In Maths we have completed our Pre-Test for Multiplication and Division and completed several times tables tests. The purpose of the times tables test is to identify where the students are at now, and hopefully their finish time and accuracy will improve over the coming weeks. We are also learning about rows, columns and arrays.
Homework this week is revising times tables and this will be the focus for the rest of the term to
support our learning in Multiplication/Division.
Reading at home is part of the homework expectations for our school. I know a lot of students are reading but are not getting it signed in their diaries. Please sign the diaries when your child has read their books so I can keep track of the nights read. We are keeping a reading log for the class and the children get to tick it off when their diary is signed.
The Star of the Week award goes to Grace Bayne. Congratulations on your excellent work and effort!
Cheers,
Mandy Sutherland
msutherland@sbcoragulac.catholic.edu.au
5/6 Classroom News
Welcome to Week 6 of Term 2! Wow this term is flying by! Melbourne camp is coming up fast, we have some very excited students who are counting down the days!
This Friday the 5/6‘s are going into Colac to compete in the Interschool sports. Girls will be playing netball and boys will be playing football. It has been great to see all students displaying a positive attitude and having a go during our practices over the past week. It’s going to be a fantastic day!
COWS CREATE CAREERS: This week is our second week taking care of Bright and Future. Both calves have been gaining some weight and have been enjoying lots of pats and runs around school at lunch time. We are certainly going to miss them when they leave!
If anyone has any small toy farm animals that we could use for our projects that would be fantastic!
MATHS: This week we finished off our Fractions, Decimals and Percentages unit. We learnt how to calculate discounts of 10%, 20%, 25% and 50% off sale items.
RELIGION: This week we have been learning about the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We have also reflected on some inspirational quotes from Mother Teresa; ‘Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier’ and ‘God doesn’t require us to succeed, he only requires that you try’.
HOMEWORK: Homework is due this Friday 3rd June.
I hope you all have a great week, please don’t hesitate to email me if you have any questions or concerns.
Tahlia Whytcross
twhytcross@sbcoragulac.catholic.edu.au
Birthday Corner
We would like to wish a very big Happy Birthday to everyone who has or will celebrated their special day this week! Including:
15th May - Ayla-Maree Saunders (11)
4th June - Luca Lettieri (6)
4th June - Archie Robb (9)
4th June - Jerry Robb (9)
Important Dates
JUNE
3rd - Little Learners Program (Session 2)
8th - School Concert
10th - Little Learners Program (Session 3)
13th - Public Holiday - NO SCHOOL
15th until 17th - Year 5/6 Melbourne Urban Camp
21st - Learning Conversations: 2 - 4.30
22nd - Whole School Bush Excursion
24th - Learning Conversations
24th - Last Day of Term 2 - ‘Dress up as what you want to be when you grow up’
'I CAN!' ONLINE
We offer Autistic-led online group mentoring programs for 8 – 22-year-old Autistic people. Our program builds confidence and social connection in a safe, positive environment. Autistic young people are able to be themselves, share their interests and common experiences with peers and benefit from I CAN Mentors as role models. With over 350 participants each cycle we are proving our program is affective. *All I CAN Mentors and staff have completed our child protection training and hold current Working With Children Checks or Blue Cards.
I CAN Network- New Online Holiday Program - Now Open!
Dates: Monday 4th July - Friday 8th July
Time: 5:00pm - 6.10pm (70 minute sessions)
Cost: $285
Groups:
Minecraft 8-22 years
Animals & The Natural World 8-22 years
Fashion, Design & Make-Up 8-22 years
Jurassic Park 8-22 years
Heartstopper 13-22 years (Books & TV show)
To express your interest click on the button below:
Acknowledgement of Country
At St. Brendan’s Primary School we pay our respects to the traditional owners of the land, the Gulidjan people and pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.
We will respect the land, animals and waterways, from the roots of the earth to the tops of the trees. Through the example of our first Australians, we understand that if we look after the country, then the country will look after us.
About Us
School Vision: 'For you I have a destiny and a hope.'
PARISH PRIEST: Fr Michael O’Toole PRINCIPAL: Mrs Leanne Eastman
SAC CHAIRPERSON: Ms Gayle McNabb CHILD SAFETY OFFICER: Mrs Leanne Eastman