Week 10

We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we gather today -

The Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Information in this Week's Newsletter

Prayer

Important Dates - Events for Term 2

News from our Principal

Second hand uniform shop

Teaching and Learning

Learning Showcase - Grade Prep

Community News and Announcements

Awards

Prayer

In the lead up to the Feast Day of St Thomas More, we stop to think about the qualities he demonstrated and model he set us. St Thomas More was many things to many people. Husband, father, advisor, intellect. He was loyal to those around him, but above all loyal to his beliefs. One quality Thomas was well known for was his humour.

Pope Francis is a great admirer of St Thomas. He says,

‘A bit of good humour is very good for us! It will do us much good to pray St Thomas More’s prayer frequently. I pray it every day, and it helps me.’

Prayer for Good Humor from St Thomas More

Grant me, O Lord, good digestion, and also something to digest.

Grant me a healthy body, and the necessary good humor to maintain it.

Grant me a simple soul that knows to treasure all that is good

and that doesn’t frighten easily at the sight of evil,

but rather finds the means to put things back in their place.

Give me a soul that knows not boredom, grumblings, sighs and laments,

nor excess of stress, because of that obstructing thing called “I.”

Grant me, O Lord, a sense of good humor.

Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke to discover in life a bit of joy,

and to be able to share it with others.

Important Dates - Events for Term 2

Click this link to subscribe directly to our STM Public Events Google Calendar for web or Android users.
Click this link to subscribe if you are an iPhone user.

JUNE

Friday 21st - St Thomas More Feast day Mass @10am please see poster below
Monday 24th - Whole school Pyjama day - St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal (Donated items to be taken into the classrooms)
Tuesday 25th - Learning Conversations for Semester 1 school reports from 3.30pm (by appointment only)
Wednesday 26th - Learning Conversations for Semester 1 school reports from 3.30pm (by appointment only)
Friday 28th - Last day term 2 2024 - 12.00pm finish; Canteen closed; Casual Clothes Day - gold coin donation to St Vincent De Paul

TERM 3

JULY

Monday 15th - First day back Term 3
Tuesday 16th - More Learning Tuesday sessions commence (2025 Prep Enrolments)
Friday 19th - More Learning Friday sessions commence (2025 Prep Enrolments)
Friday 19th - Assembly on-line (see info below for fornightly link)
Monday 22nd - Australian Dental Health visits during this week
Friday 26th - Grandparent morning (Info will be sent out shortly from Clara RE Leader)

AUGUST

Monday 19th - Book Week
Friday 23rd - Book Week Parade
Monday 26th - Father's Day Breakfast
Thursday 29th - Father's Day Stall

SEPTEMBER

Monday 02nd - Swimming Program commences this week (more info will follow in term 3)
Thursday 19th - Arts Festival evening (more info will follow in term 3)
Friday 20th - Last day term 3

**'Public Events' are listed on our website under 'News and Events', the link being; https://www.stmhadfield.catholic.edu.au/news-events

On the bottom right hand side there is a blue box with a + symbol. If you have a google account, you can link the 'Public Events' calendar to your own personal Google calendar and keep up to date with the most current events and times.

Please don't hesitate to contact the office if you have any questions.

News from our Principal

Dear Families,

As we approach the end of this term, I wanted to share some important updates and exciting news about our school's progress and plans.

First and foremost, I am pleased that our long-awaited refurbishment project will begin at the start of Term 3. This initiative is a significant step towards enhancing our school's facilities and creating a more conducive learning environment for our students.

You will notice some changes around the school as builders will be onsite working diligently to bring our plans to life. We understand that construction activities can be disruptive, and we are making every effort to minimise any inconvenience to our school community. Our primary goal is to ensure that the learning experience for our students remains as smooth and uninterrupted as possible.

Currently, we are busy with the task of relocating classes to accommodate the builders and allow them to carry out their work efficiently. This is a complex process, but our staff is dedicated to ensuring a seamless transition for all.

Please see below an image that shows where our learning spaces will become Term 3.

Please note that the Year 1 classes will be using the hall during Terms 3 and 4. Specifically, classes 1NK and 1RH will be utilising the front section of the hall. Although we have managed to divide the hall for these classes, 1NK and 1RH will need to share part of the space. As a result, the hall will serve as a flexible learning area for the Year 1 students.

We appreciate your patience and understanding during this period of change and improvement.

Term 3 Assemblies
As the School Hall space will now be occupied by the Year 1 level, our assembly gatherings will change to online (Google Meet - link below) in Term 3.

Assemblies will run from your child's learning space with the purpose of acknowledging students (awards). Those who received an award will be able to gather together on the stage for a picture. There may be a time later in Term 3 where we will be able to have our assemblies from the stage located in the Quadrangle - this will be weather dependent.
Online assembly link for parents: meet.google.com/btp-pmaf-ynk

David Hurn Long Service Leave
I will be taking LSL from Monday June 24 until Monday July 22 inclusive as I need to travel overseas with my wife (who is working in London) and children. Two weeks of this trip will land in the school holidays. Whilst I am away Melanie Langtry will be Acting Principal with the support of the Leadership Team.

OSHClub Relocation
Due to the relocation of classes, OSHClub will be moved to the school library starting from week 11 (beginning Monday, June 24). Access to OSHClub will remain unchanged, and further details will be communicated to families soon.

Learning Conversations and Semester 1 Reports:
An email was sent on Monday, June 10, with details on booking learning conversations, which can be held either face-to-face or online, based on your preference. More information is provided below by Sonia Mazzei, our Acting Learning and Teaching Leader. To access your child's report on Monday, please follow the instructions in this letter.

To ensure timely adherence to schedules, please be prompt for your appointments. Learning Conversations will be held on:

Tuesday, June 25 from 3.30pm
Wednesday, June 26 from 3.30pm

Please use the following link and event code to book your appointment with your child's teacher: School Interviews Booking Link Event code: y5fp5

On a final note, next Friday is the last day of Term 2. The children will finish at 12.00pm and will be able to wear casual clothes on this day. We will continue with our traditional gold coin donation initiative via CDFPay . We met with our SAT (School Action Team) Leaders to discuss where the money raised could be donated. Through discussions the SAT Leaders have decided that the money raised will be donated to St Vincents de Paul to continue to support their Winter Appeal.

Warm regards,
David Hurn

Second hand uniform shop

The second hand uniform shop will be back next term with a date to be advised.

Last week was a great success and since then we have received many emails from families who wish to donate unused quality items to our shop.

With this said, once items are received we will then create a list of what's available for sale and share this list with you next term.

Thank you for your contributions in advance and for supporting our school community.

Teaching and Learning

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

We are pleased to invite you to book a 10-minute parent teacher interview to discuss your child's achievements and goals for Semester 1. These interviews will be conducted either face-to-face or online, depending on your preference. Please follow the steps sent out by Mary via email to book your interviews. To ensure that teachers can adhere to their schedules, we kindly ask that you be prompt for your appointments. Additionally, please ensure you have read your child's school report prior to the meeting, as this will be a valuable time to address any questions or concerns. Please follow the steps in this letter to access your child's Semester 1 Report.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. We look forward to seeing you.

Please see below for the Term 2 Overviews.

Sonia Mazzei
Acting Learning and Teaching Leader

Learning Showcase - Grade Prep

This term, the Grade Prep students have been learning about and identifying the features of our local community. They've recognised the people who work and help make our community function, and discovered why we have and need special people and places.

Here is a gallery of some work that the Grade Prep students created with their Year 6 buddies. The students were challenged to choose a significant person in the community and design a poster online about that person's occupation.

Wellbeing News

I hope you are enjoying TRP parent portal that was sent to you via email. Incase you missed the email here is the link: https://theresilienceproject.com.au/at-home/parents-2023/

Listen to the Podcast where Dr Em brings some brilliant insights to The Imperfects as they discuss harmony in relationships, and how sometimes compromising our needs to keep the peace can lead to more issues. This is just as relevant for the parent-child dynamic, and highlights the importance of mindfulness or taking time out to look after yourself first to be able to show up better for the kids.

Activity: Take this moment to reflect on what personal needs or desires you have put on hold with the mindset “the kids come first”. As discussed in this video, putting your needs first can actually put you in a better position to then be there for your family without resentment. Think of some tasks or activities that you’d like to do for you, and schedule them in your calendar as a non-negotiable 20 minutes or 1 hour for yourself.

English

Phonological Awareness

This week, we emphasise the vital phonological awareness skill of identifying and working with syllables. Syllables are the building blocks of words, and recognising them helps children improve their reading and spelling abilities. A syllable is a unit of sound that typically contains a vowel sound. For example, the word 'elephant' has three syllables: el-e-phant. The word 'cat' has one syllable.

Encouraging your child to tap or chop out the syllables in words, break down their favourite words into syllables, or even play games that involve syllable counting can make learning fun and engaging. Developing strong syllable awareness will support their overall literacy development and pave the way for successful reading skills.

Author's Corner

Our year 6 classes have been crafting persuasive essays as part of their inquiry unit on Sustainability. Each student chose a topic related to sustainability that captured their interest, conducted thorough research, and used persuasive techniques to engage their audience effectively.

Below are extracts from three samples of writing.

Please CLICK HERE to read their full essays.

‘A bright future depends on banning plastic’

by Alyssa

It is a massive issue that there is way too much plastic in our ocean. At current rates, the world produces around 350 million tonnes of plastic waste each year! We must reduce the plastic in our ocean because, unfortunately with the way everything is going, the ocean is slowly becoming our rubbish bin. Can you believe that this is what the world has come to? Frequently, our marina bay sea life is getting tangled in our rubbish that has been thrown in the ocean, and our sea life is getting extinct bit by bit. Don't you want to live a happy long life? Disastrously, plastic affects our lungs and can cause major cancer and many alternative forceful diseases! We need to act immediately!

Managing Food Waste

by Luca

Imagine a world where the world was in shambles because of your selfless action of throwing out your food? I firmly believe food waste must be illegal around the entire globe and we must stop throwing out food. The first point I would like to declare is that we must stop wasting fruits and vegetables because of our shameless actions. They are the most thrown out food. We also must agree that countries are the cause of food waste and how they are not being sustainable about disposing of food. Undoubtedly , this dangerous food waste is wrecking our beautiful environment when we throw out our food and destroying greenhouse gases. I can conclude that we must as a society stop throwing out our perfect food and making it illegal to throw it out.

‘Plastic pollution is harming our world’

by Tiffany

How would you feel if I told you that you and I are a part of a large, unhealthy, plastic-polluted country? In this so-called ‘improved land’ our world today is constantly drowning our marine mammals with toxic materials including nonylphenol and bisphenol, which leach from plastic. I believe that humans should start to use more reusable products in order to stop increasing plastic waste. Studies from all over the world show how many deadly toxins are in plastic which then end up in our ocean and poison our marine mammals. Plastic is quickly murdering our marine life and is putting some sea life close to extinction. This is why I believe that the Australian government should ban plastic use and fine companies that over-use single use plastics.

Michelle Rinaldi
Acting Literacy Leader

Languages

Ciao a tutti!

We would just like to formally congratulate all the studenti on their efforts, participation and how far they have come with their learning of Italiano this term. Their abilities to engage in conversation and include language from all the units since the start of the year to build their conversations into more meaningful ones, proves that this approach works. It’s vigorous, repetitive and purposeful in nature, which makes it easy to retain and use in everyday conversation scenarios. Our teachers have been the driving force behind this and we are incredibly grateful for their support and enthusiasm when learning alongside their students.

Over the next two weeks the students will be revising this term’s language and engaging in some end of term assessment. Don’t forget to continue to support us by engaging in some italiano at home too!

Grazie e arrivederci!

TCL team

Adriana Bonacci and Maria Vainieri

Digital Safety

Check out our online safety hub here for parent advice, online safety tech info and app reviews.

Create your parent account here.

Following our recent communication regarding Student Digital Wellbeing, we're excited to share that the Qustodio Parent app is now available! We're thrilled to invite you to join us in promoting healthy digital habits and ensuring a secure and safe online environment for your child.

By creating your parent account and linking it to your child, you'll be able to join us in fostering positive student online behaviours. These tools offer insights and visibility, empowering you to better understand your child's interactions with their school device and other personal devices you wish to protect as part of this offering.

Please refer to the email that was sent by Kate Mackintosh for more information.

Family Engagement

Regional Cross Country

Biggest congratulations to our Year 6 student Yvette H for successfully competing in the Regional Cross Country competition to the next stage of State Competition.

Ranking position:

11th (Total participates 65)

Time: 12:44

CONGRATULATIONS and GOOD LUCK for the State Competition!

Community News and Announcements

Awards

Ario F - for always independently giving tasks a go and being resilient! Keep up the persistence and learning!

Alfie L - for more consistenly listening to teacher instructions, expecially when on a brain break! Keep it up!

Milana K - for consistently being a superstar learner! Your respect, focus and resilience in any activity sets a great example for all those around you. You are also always willing to help teacher with any task, even reminders of what she has forgotten! Keep being the STAR you are!

Quinn M - for consistently demonstrating kindness in the classroom. You are always willing to help anyone in need, and show great care and compassion for your friends!

Indianna D - for consistently showing resilience and persistence when completing your work. You approach all learning tasks with a positive attitude. Keep up the great work!

William S - for showing his creativity and passion for soccer in the creation of his picture story book. Your determination and focus was fantastic!

Domenic B - for taking on teacher feedback and applying it to your learning. Keep it up superstar!

Harry D - Showing respect in Drama while working with his group, by offering beautiful support to his team by assisting them with completing tasks.

Benjamin D - for trying your best and staying focused during learning time. You should be especially proud of your creative narrative featuring SonicBen and AmiElla. Well done!

Benjamin D - Showing persistence and resilience during Drama, with improving writing his scene dialogue

Jack B - for your engagement and efforts in writing a creative narrative story. Keep up the great work Jack!

Sonny F - for the enthusiasm you show in our Italian sessions and for demonstrating persistence when working in Maths. Well done Sonny!

Senon A - for recalling information about Japan after his holiday and doing excellent research for his information report. You have taught us so much about Japanese.

Eleanor C - for being a persistent learner, always giving things a go and always trying your best.

Matthew G - forworking hard to write creative stories with improving accuracy with spelling and punctuation. I love reading them!

Evie T - for working with great focus and resilience in Maths, particularly when learning to subtract, using a number line.

Archie L - for his in depth research about Argentina. You have learned and shared so many facts about culture and traditions in Argentina. Well done!

Noah M - for being a superstar researcher and finding facts about your chosen country of Fiji. You have also shared your reseach skills with others by assiting your peers in the class. Well done Noah!

Georgia K - for demonstating a strong passion for her Italian studies, through using her prior knowledge to recall and pronounce italian phrases.

Charlie L - for consistently working hard on all tasks and challenging himself to incorporate all new learning into his work.

Aurelia K - for consistently trying your hardest, helping others and being ready to learn every day!

Sebastian P - Showing confidence and perseverance in Drama, when recording a rap version of his ballad independently.

Olivia S - for challenging yourself to improve in your Italian learning! Fantastic work!

Ruby I - for always listening attentively during whole class discussions and sharing her well thought out ideas with the class. Keep it up, Ruby!

Esteban W - for sharing your passion for learning with the class and for always offering a helping hand to your peers. Keep it up Esteban!

Antonio M - For demonstrating persistance and determination by taking onboard teacher feedback to improve his handwriting.

Allegra S - for approaching all learning tasks with a positive attitude and showing determination and persistence in having a go . Keep up the excellent work Allegra.

Alyssa M - demonstrating responsibility and persistence when working on her Italian information text and preparing for her reading group.

Roderick R - demonstrating curiosity and creativity when working on his narrative writing and information text.

Elijah M - for using detail in his camp recount and expanding his writing by using complex sentences.

Jack S - for showing excellent progress in his Time assessment.

Mariah T - for her use of similes and descriptive language in her recount about camp.

Anton T - for his awesome result in his Time assessment. Your efforts really paid off!

Max G - For maintaining clarity and accuracy when paraphrasing to ensure that the intended message remains the same.

Xavier T - for demonstrating a solid understanding of time concepts throughout the unit and time assessment.

Christian D - For showing resilience, a positive attitude and a growth mindset on Grade 6 camp and displaying exceptional manners to all the Phillip Island Staff. Well done!

Emily D - For bringing joy and laughter to our Grade 6 camp, always greeting everyone with a smile and a compliment each morning and having a positive attitude with every activity. Thank you for bringing joy to our camp!

Luca C - For showing exceptional manners and respect to his teachers, peers and staff while at camp and embracing the STM values. Well done, Luca!

Charlie S - For showing exceptional manners and respect to her teachers, peers and staff while at camp and embracing the STM values. Well done, Charlie!

Asher F - for approaching all new experiences with a positive mindset and demonstrating a willgness to embrace challenges, both at school and on camp!

Lucas O - Taking the initiative, by using spare time, to rehearse and film an upcoming Drama performance with his group.

Matteo T - Taking the initiative, by using spare time, to rehearse and film an upcoming Drama performance with his group.

Raphael T - for consistently demonstrating exemplary leadership by willingly assisting peers when he recognises the need without seeking recognition in return, as evidenced at school and on camp!

Vincent T - Taking the initiative, by using spare time, to rehearse and film an upcoming Drama performance with his group.

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