Newsletter No. 4 | Term 1 Week 4 | Thursday 23rd February 2023

Prayer

Lord, 

Bless us during this season of spiritual renewal.

Fill our minds and hearts with love, that we may be a sign of Jesus to all those living in our midst.

AMEN

Principal's Message

Dear Families and Friends,

This week marks two significant days in our Catholic liturgical calendar. Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.

These days signify the beginning of the Lenten season; 40 days leading to Easter where we are encouraged to reflect, serve and pray. During Lent at St Brendan’s our students will be given opportunities to think about what it is they can do to serve others.

Traditionally, we think of Lent as a time of fasting, however, it is also a time to focus on the opportunities we have to support others in our lives. I encourage you during this time to talk to your child/ren about the opportunities they have to support those around them, “For it is in giving that we receive.” St. Francis of Assisi.

The children have taken home a chart with 40 suggested ideas for making an extra special effort in Lent. This should help to get the conversation started. 

Warm Regards,

Leanne Eastman
principal@sbcoragulac.catholic.edu.au

PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT - IMPORTANT: CHANGE OF DATE

Wednesday 1st March 2023

The children love it when their parents come into school. It is an opportunity for them to show off the school, their classroom, teachers and classmates to their parents. 

This is not only good for the children’s wellbeing, it also helps to create real partnerships in learning between home and school. We hope to see you there. 

The format of the night will be as follows:

5.00pm: Students and parents participating in activities in the classrooms

5.30pm: Parent Information session in the Hall (Students play outside, supervised by a Staff member while the session is running)

6.15pm: Pizza dinner ($10 per family)

Please respond to the invitation on PAM before Monday 27th February.

ARE YOU KEEN TO HELP AT SCHOOL?

If you would like to help out in any way, there are many options available... Reading, cooking, gardening, maintenance & art classes, just to name a few.

Please Note: All volunteers in the school must hold a valid Working With Children Check.

BREAKING NEWS!

I am really pleased to announce that the school is in the final stages of purchasing a 12 seater bus. The bus will arrive in approximately two weeks time. At this stage, the bus will be used to bring children in from Colac, with the prospect of increasing enrolments in the future. It will also be used to take small groups of children on excursions to school sports etc. We feel that it will also provide increased opportunities  for children to  be out and about in the community.

Last night I met with the Advisory Council to seek their thoughts and advice and I am pleased to say that they were all in favour of us going ahead with the proposal.

We are very excited to be able to purchase a bus for our school and look forward to the increased opportunities it will bring for our students. If you have any questions or would like further information, please see me or a member of the Advisory Council.

LEARNING THROUGH PLAY

On Wednesday I took the children for their STEM classes. To begin the lesson, the children were each given a card with a different occupation and they were asked to give a positive and negative for each occupation. One of the occupations was a principal. According to a Yr 1 student the positive was that you get to boss people around, I am not so sure about that! For the occupation of a teacher, a Year 5 student said that a positive is that teachers get to learn stuff. I loved that this child understood that teachers are learners, not just teachers.

On Monday, the class teachers went to St. James in Sebastopol to learn more about ‘Learning Through Play’. They all found the day to be extremely worthwhile and thought provoking, and shared some of the following learnings from the day:

• Play should not be an ‘add-on.’ It’s an essential part of learning for all children and should be prioritised in the school day.
• Play ticks all the boxes for deep learning to occur: it’s enjoyable, engaging, self-initiated, creative, social.
• It is the best way for children to experience agency and make choices. This allows them to feel safe and empowered.
• Children develop so many skills through play.

It is important to note that learning through play does not always mean simply playing. Cognitive play is planned for and directed to achieve outcomes that promote many skills, including problem-solving, communication and thinking skills.

MAINTENANCE

There has been a fair bit of work done around the school this week and consequently, the school is looking fantastic. The works have included:

• New netball poles / nets and paddings installed. The old netball pole was not centred so it has now been moved to the correct spot.
• Corrugated animal paintings that were on the fence at the front of the school have now been added to the sandpit area, giving the cream fence a real lift.
• The bus signs which have been loose for some time have now been cemented in so they no longer move.

Feel free to pop in and look around at any time. 

GARDENING

Our gardener, Joel, spent a day weeding and tidying up the gardens. He is doing an amazing job. 

Some of you may remember the fruit trees being planted before my time. I have watched them grow and flourish over the last three years. The children enjoy checking if the fruit is ripe, and if so, having an extra piece of fruit, straight from the tree.

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MENTAL HEALTH IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

This year the government is rolling out its Mental Health in Primary Schools Initiative. I am currently undertaking extensive training in this area, to lead this initiative within our school. The goal of the project is to build the capacity of Victorian Primary Schools to support the mental health and wellbeing of their students.

Did You Know?

We know that over 8 percent of children aged 4-11 years have a diagnosed mental health disorder, and 20 percent of children experience mental health difficulties that inhibit their daily functioning. Mental health and wellbeing in primary school aged children is particularly complex, as it can be difficult to differentiate behaviours and emotions that are developmentally appropriate from those that require additional support. For those that do require additional support, it can be difficult for teachers and parents to understand how and where to access help.

The Resilience Project is an important preventative measure we have taken to develop positive mental health in our students. The feedback on the program so far from staff and students has been extremely positive. 

 I will share more information with you on the Mental Health in Primary Schools project as the course progresses. Please come in and see me if you have any concerns for your child. 

THE SCIENCE OF READING

This week our session focused on the basic linguistic concepts that strengthen initial reading instruction and support. We also touched  briefly on the history of English and factors that make our language the rich and quirky system that it is today.

We discussed how English is a melting pot of many languages including: 

English is not always easy for people to learn and understand. Check out some of the idiosyncrasies of our language:

SWIMMING

A reminder that there is no swimming this week. The remaining swimming sessions are:

• 3rd March 
• 10th March
• 17th March

LIBRARY

A reminder that Library day happens each Thursday, giving students time with their class to browse the school library and the opportunity to borrow books of their own choice, to take home and read with their families.

Students can borrow up to three books per week and will need to remember to return them the following week in order to borrow a different selection of books. Please bring a library bag from home if you have one.

LUNCH ORDERS

The shop has drawn up a revised  lunch order menu with a few healthier options. The new options can be found on the new order form below. Along with the new healthier options, we have also omitted some of the previous menu items including fried foods. This decision has been made to adhere to a healthier eating policy for our school.

If you have any questions about the options, please see me as the school has made the final decision on the menu. 

KANA

The annual Colac KANA Festival will be held on Saturday 18th March. The theme of the day is CIRCUS. We are hoping to enter a float in the parade which will require a truck. We will also be calling on families to take part in the parade with us. The children love being part of it. 

It should be lots of fun so start digging out those old circus costumes. You know how we love to dress up at St. Brendan’s!

WANTED: Do you know anyone who may be able to lend us a truck for the day? It needs to be big enough to hold 20-30 children and some hay bales for them to sit on.

If you can help out with hay bales or the truck please call the office.

'THE SHOP' ARTS SCHOLARSHIPS

Red Rock Regional Theatre and Gallery together with 'The Shop' in Cororooke are offering student vouchers of up to $300 to school children from the district for purchase of musial instruments, lessons in music, the arts, art materials or other forms of cultural activities.

The proceeds from 'The Shop' are used to support the program and they are looking for applicants now! To apply simply complete the below form and email it to lyn.heppner@gmail.com , a hard copy of the form has also been sent home with students today.

FRIDAY NIGHT NETBALL

Students from Grades 2 -6 (must be turning 8 this year) are eligible to play netball for St Brendan's in the Colac and District Netball Association, otherwise known as 'Friday Night Netball'. Friday night netball is played at the Eastern Reserve in Colac and commences in Term 2.

In order to enter a team in the competition we require a parent volunteer to act as netball coordinator. If you are interested in taking on this position please contact Gracesyn.

Catholic Culture

A REFLECTION ON LENT

Lent is not only, or even mostly, about giving up things. It invites many other kinds of giving. Like Ramadan for Muslims, Lent is also a time for simple giving. It encourages us to give food to the poor through Project Compassion. It invites us to provide more time for our family than we usually do and to give space to prayer. It also allows us to notice the world around us and to respond to it. We notice homeless people in the streets, the colour and texture of gardens, and the feelings there to see on faces in the street.

We may also find opportunity at Lent for giving in. Normally, of course, our business at Lent is about not giving in: we count it a lapse if we give in to the allure of the chocolate or other things we have given up. But we may sometimes become aware of a little voice inviting us to let go of a resentment we have nurtured for many years. Ordinarily, we would resist the voice that urges generosity. This Lent let us decide to give in to it.

PROJECT COMPASSION - ICY POLE FUNDRAISER

As part of our fundraising for Project Compassion this Lent, the school justice group will be selling icy poles each Friday at lunchtime. This funsraiser will be running for the rest of Term 1.

Icy poles are 50 cents each and only one can be purchased per person on each day. 

40 DEEDS FOR 40 DAYS IN LENT

What is 40 Deeds in 40 Days?

In the catholic tradition to prepare for Easter we begin the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Traditionally, Lent was a time for fasting (going without certain foods), almsgiving (donating money and/or goods) and Prayer.  40 Deeds in 40 Days is a modern take on this tradition. We try to challenge ourselves and our students to undertake a deed each day which will help us to be more aware of ourselves, how we treat others and how we treat our world, it also highlights how blessed we are in our lives.  Each 'deed' will be done at school (well, teachers will endeavour to do this!) however it would be fantastic if it could also be done (when and where possible) as a family at home as well.  

Students have already taken their 40 deeds in 40 days posters home, but a link to the PDF version can be found below:

Parent & Community Book Club

We have had a fantastic response from the community for our new St Brendan's Book Club, however we would love for more parents to join us and get on board!

This week we are excited to announce our first read... 'I'll Leave You With This' by Kylie Ladd. The Colac Library has 6 copies of the book on order and due to arrive any day, however they did mention they have already been heavily reserved so get in quick if you want to try your luck there. Alternitively the book can be purchased here for just $16: https://www.target.com.au/p/i-ll-leave-you-with-this-kylie-ladd/67726479 .

About the book: The O’Shea sisters couldn’t be more different. Allison, an obstetrician, has always put others before herself and is torn between her job and young family. Prizewinning film director Bridie hasn’t had work in over a decade, though her actor husband is on the brink of stardom. Clare, desperate for a baby, is bereft when her wife leaves her after their latest IVF failure. And Emma, the youngest, has turned to God to fill the aching loneliness in her life.

When their only brother Daniel is killed the four women drift even further apart… Then, on the third anniversary of Daniel's death, Clare proposes an idea: they should trace the many recipients saved by his donated organs. Perhaps their brother's gift of life can bring them back together again?

Book Club Night: Our first Book Club night will be held on Monday 3rd April at 7.30pm in the St Brendan's Hall. We hope to see lots of faces there to chat about the book and catch up over nibbles and drinks.

It's definitly not too late to join in, if you would like to jump on the bandwagon please let Gracesyn know so we can add your name to the list and keep track of numbers. We cannot wait to see you there!

Prep/1 Classroom News

Another busy week is on us! On Monday, the classroom teachers were lucky enough to visit St.James’ Primary School in Sebastopol and learn about their play-based curriculum. It was an incredible opportunity to learn about the importance of play in developing oral language, story-telling and creative thinking. We can’t wait to put some of our learning into practise in the classrooms. 

Thanks to Kate Parker who took the class while I was away. Kate is our Sport teacher so she was able to do some extra Sports Day practise with the students. 

SPORTS DAY: Our annual Sports Day is on Wednesday 15th March. Students will participate in a range of activities including: high jump, long jump, shot put and running races. On this day, your child is invited to wear the colours of their team (red, blue or yellow). Families are also invited to come along and watch their child. It's usually a fun and exciting day!

LITERACY: In writing this week, students read and explored the story, “Stellarphant.” They investigated the ways in which Stella showed persistence. 

• Grade 1’s are working on the sound /ay/ like in play. There are 4 common spellings: <ea> <ai> <ay> and <a-e>

• Preps are working on the letters n, o & p. They are learning the most common sounds that these letters represent and reading 3 letter words containing them

MATHS: There has been some really incredible display of mathematical thinking this week. One of our favourite games has been “Get Out of My House.” In this way, students are required to determine the number before and the number after a given number. They then use analytical thinking to decide where the best place to put their counter is. I’ve never heard so much joyous laughter during a Maths lesson! Perhaps ask your child to show you how to play at home. (If you want to see this game in action, scan the QR code below and watch for yourself.)

RELIGION: This week we have been learning about Ash Wednesday and the meaning behind this sacred day. We also attended Mass on Wednesday. Sheets have been sent home with suggested activities for each day of the Lenten period.

INTEGRATED CURRICULUM: Our unit on Community is well underway. Students have been invited to do an oral presentation about their family. On Tuesday, we were delighted to learn about lawn bowls from Emily. This hobby is a special one in the Laird family - lots of Emily’s family members play and Emily is beginning to learn herself from her coach, Rhys. 

When your child decides on their own topic, feel free to contact me and organise a date for their presentation. It can be done Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays. We have until the end of Term 1 to present them all.

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

Allira Kluver
akluver@sbcoragulac.catholic.edu.au

2/3/4 Classroom News

Hi everybody! Our visit to St James was excellent and it was great to listen to Professor Louise Paatsch explain the benefits of play- based curriculum.

I received a lovely surprise on my return to school. Our prayer table was ablaze with colour! Sophie and Matilda had very generously brought along an array of stunning dahlias to show and share with us. They really are a superb flower. Thank-you girls for brightening up our table.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: This week we have been discussing Lent and the events associated. We enjoyed pancakes to celebrate Shrove Tuesday and participated in a lovely Ash Wednesday Mass with Father Michael and the community. The Year 4 boys – Archie, Aden, Jackson and Jerry – did an excellent job and read beautifully. Super effort boys!

LITERACY: This week we have continued on with narrative writing. We are also revising what nouns and verbs are and identifying them in sentences. The class listened to the story of Little Hotchpotch and created their own creature comprising of different animal parts. Their creations are excellent!

NUMERACY: In Maths we are still investigating Place Value. The Year 2’s are identifying and ordering numbers up to 1,000; the Year 3’s are identifying and ordering numbers up to 10,000; and the Year 4’s are identifying and ordering numbers up to 100,000.

INTEGRATED CURRICULUM: In I.C. the children created a model of a ship with chalk outside. The boat was 32 metres long by 8 metres wide. This is an example of what the convicts were transported in. They discussed the problems related to these living conditions. We also discussed the reasons why there was overcrowding in England at that time in history.

THE RESILIENCE PROJET: This week we introduced Emotional Literacy. The students were given the opportunity to identify and describe different emotions. They also linked different colours to emotions of their choice.

Homework has been sent home with an activity related to our Maths concept of Place Value. Homework is due back by Monday.

The Star of the Week award goes to Aden Coates. Congratulations on your excellent effort!

If you have any questions or queries please feel free to contact me by email.

Mandy Sutherland
msutherland@sbcoragulac.catholic.edu.au

4/5/6 Classroom News

Welcome to Week 4 of Term 1!

HOMEWORK: A reminder that homework is due back on Friday 24th February.

SPELLING: In Spelling we have been working on common homophones. We have also been building words that have the quadgraph /augh/. For example, daughter, caught and distraught.

MATHS: This week in Maths students have been working on rounding numbers. Year 4 students have been rounding numbers to the nearest 10 and 100, Year 5 students have been rounding numbers to the nearest 100 and 1,000 and Year 6 students have been rounding numbers to the nearest 1,000 and 10,000.

WRITING: This week we have been working on our narratives. Students have been creating a main character for their story and have been planning their narratives.

RELIGION: This week in Religion we have been learning about and completing activities focused on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.

INTEGRATED CURRICULUM: In Integrated Curriculum this week we have been learning about the 3 levels of government and their leaders. Students have been discussing the issues that Federal, State and Local governments deal with.

THE RESILIENCE PROJECT: This week in our Resilience Project session we focused on Mindfulness. Students created their own definition of mindfulness and tried a new way to practice mindfulness called a ‘Body Scan’.

Have a great week and please don’t hesitate to email me if you have any questions or concerns.

Tahlia Whytcross
twhytcross@sbcoragulac.catholic.edu.au

Birthday Corner

Wishing a very big Happy Birthday to everyone who has celebrated their special day this week! Especially...

21st February   -   Sofia Gray (7)

21st February   -   Harriet Rock (9)

Important Dates

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: Mark Robb          CHILD SAFETY OFFICER: Mrs Leanne Eastman