20 February 2020

Newsletter Articles

TERM ONE IMPORTANT DATES

Tuesday 25th February - Shrove Tuesday
Wednesday 26th February - Ash Wednesday
Thursday 27th February - Open Classroom
Friday 28th February – Coloured Clothes Day - Gold Coin Donation
Thursday 5th March – St Kieran’s Feast Day
Thursday 5th March - Beginning Year Mass
Friday 6th March – Coloured Clothes Day – Tombola Items Donation
Thursday 12th March – School Photos
Friday 13th March – Term One School Fees Due
Friday 13th March - Cross Country
Monday 16th - Wednesday 18th March - Swimming Lessons
Monday 23rd - Wednesday 25th March - Swimming Lessons
Monday 23rd - Tuesday 24th - Parent Teacher Interviews
Thursday 26th March - Swimming Carnival

PRINCIPALS REPORT

Dear Parents and Carers,

What a terrific start to the year it has been. With the nerves of the first few weeks over and classes settling into learning the feeling in classrooms is a very positive one. This week we finally got the rest of the furniture for Year 2 and Year 5. The new furniture was part of the move toward flexible learning environments. Below is a little bit of information in regards to flexible learning. Year 2 and Year 5 are very excited by this new change and working in these new environments.

How does a flexible learning environment relate to personalized learning?

“Flexible learning environments imply that the school adapts the use of resources such as staff, space, and time to best support personalization. So, what does personalization mean at St Kieran’s? It’s a combination of different structures, instructional strategies, and curricular approaches that allow a child to have access to what they need when they need it, to know what their next steps are in their learning, and to pursue areas of strength and interest. We use the terms flexible learning environments, customized pathways, and competency-based progressions to frame our understanding of the elements necessary to create a personalized experience for children.

What is a flexible learning environment?

When people think of a flexible learning environment, they often think only of the physical space. While it is true that the space is flexible in nature, there is much more to a flexible learning environment than just the physical floor plan or furniture choices. Modern flexible learning environments also address other elements of the learning environment such as how students are grouped during learning, how time might be used more flexibly during the day, the way how the teacher walks around the room. Additionally, using flexible grouping and time allows students to be pushed further in their areas of strength and to get additional time and support in areas of challenge.

I know that it is a bit crazy at the present with all of the notes going home. Can you please make sure that you return your child’s ICT not Prep (Year 1 - Year 6), reading club note, swimming permission form, photo envelope for your child/ren and lastly the note that went home to year 5 / 6 in regards to a fundraising opportunity. Thank you to all of the parents that have already returned some of these.

Presently around town there's a lot of sickness with either colds, sore throats, vomiting and diarrhea. We were told this from the hospital. If your child shows any of these symptoms please keep them at home. We do love your children coming to school, but we are not a babysitting service and we do not want it spread throughout the school. The TIME OUT document is attached.

If you are not already a member please like our St Kieran’s Facebook page and also follow our St Kieran’s Instagram page. In future weeks there will be many photos and stories going up on these pages. To show you all what we are doing around the school, what is happening in the classroom and even what happens in the office. We are very happy for you to share the love and ask others to join.

Have a fabulous few weeks

God Bless

Claudine Dank

APRE

The Lenten Season is nearly upon us! Shrove Tuesday is on the 25th of February. We will gather for our Ash Wednesday Prayer on the 26th of February at 8.40am in the Brother Walker Shed. It is a special time in our Church calendar where we remember Jesus’ sacrifice he made for us. Throughout the 40 days of Lent, people are called to prayer. The name Shrove Tuesday comes from the custom of ringing the “shriving bell” to summon the people to church to be “shriven” that is to confess their sins at the beginning of Lent. At that time certain foods were given up for the duration of Lent. Those foods included eggs, milk, meat, and rich buttery dishes. On Shrove Tuesday families ate up all the rich foods left in their pantries. One way they used up the eggs, milk and fats in the house was to add flour and make special pancakes.

Preparation for Lent Prayer

Loving God, we ask for your help during Lent to become better people; to live as your sons and daughters, through our prayer and good deeds. We ask this through Jesus

Our Year 6 students have been invited to join Bishop Tim Harris for the Catholic Diocese of Townsville's Project Compassion launch for 2020 on Tuesday the 25th of February. This is usually hosted by a school or parish in Townsville, however, this year St Joseph's Catholic School (Mount Isa) has been selected to host. We look forward to celebrating the launch of Project Compassion with the Good Shepherd Parish, the Western Catholic School Network and the wider Mount Isa Community.

Project Compassion is Caritas Australia's annual Lenten fundraising and awareness-raising appeal. Millions of Australians come together in solidarity with the world's poor to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. Each Week of Lent students will read about people who lives have been changed by donations raised during Project Compassion. Please listen out for what St Kieran’s will be doing this year to help raise funds.

Beginning of Year Mass and Leader Induction 2020

On Thursday the 5th of March at 8.30am, we will come together as a community to celebrate St Kieran’s Feast Day with a whole school mass. We will also officially induct our School Leaders for 2020. All students are to be dropped by parents/carers at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church (Stanley Street) between 8.10am and 8.20am. Upon arrival, students are to line up under the covered area with their class group. Bags will be stored in the meeting rooms. Students will return to school via a bus. If you are able to return your own child to school, please inform the class teacher via email as soon as possible.

PARISH INFOMATION

Religious Education in Catholic Schools

Volunteers are required for this Ministry. Lessons are for half an hour, once a week. Please contact Lorna, 0402934489

Children’s Liturgy

Volunteers are needed to teach children during part of a 9.00am Sunday Mass. Training will be given. Please contact Lorna, 0402934489

Project Compassion

Please join Bishop Tim Harris for the Diocesan Launch of Project Compassion for 2020, on Tuesday, 25 February, at 9.30am at St Joseph’s Catholic School, 23rd Ave. Pancakes will be served after the Liturgy. RSVP caritas@tsv.catholic.org.au by Thursday, 20th February.

Holy Hour

Each Sunday there is a Holy Hour in the Church from 3pm to 4pm. You are most welcome to spend some time in prayer. It concludes with Benediction at 3.50pm. Everyone is welcome to come along.

CURRICULUM

WOW! What a start to the year. We have been blown away by the progress the children from Years 2-6 have made already in regards to Reciprocal Reading. It is so impressive to hear our Year 2 students using the language such as, “I predict the boy and girl can’t find their towels at the beach, does anyone else have a prediction?” Over the next few weeks we will video some of the great work and put it on our Facebook page, so keep an eye out for that!

For the past two weeks home readers have been sent home for children from Years 1-6. Please encourage your child to read every night, we really do see the progress of children who are supported at home in their reading. Remember reading can be the home readers sent home, a library book or a book they enjoy reading at home.

Homework and Reading class was well supported with 25 children already signed up. As Prep do not yet have homework or home readers we would prefer they wait until Term 3 when they are able to work more independently. Please ensure you have filled out a permission note before your child attends homework class, pick up is at 3:30.

Have a great week,

Mel Siemer
Learning and Teaching Advisor

ESMART (CYBER SAFETY)

If your child has an ipad, laptop, iphone at home please talk to them below in regards to prevention to Cyber Bullying.

HPE

Last week in PE we were lucky enough to have Will at school to run through some NRL starter sessions with students in Prep-Yr3. These included gross motor activities, ball grip technique and games. The students had a blast!

Our school cross country and swimming carnival dates have been confirmed:

Cross country is Friday 13th March in the morning. This should be concluded by 11am. From this carnival, we will select students to represent St Kieran's in the Mount Isa District cross country which is on Thursday 30th April.

In the coming weeks, students will start to practice for our carnival and practice the cross country course (a note will be sent home for students 9, 10, 11, 12 or 13 year old students as the course is off school grounds).

Swimming Carnival is Thursday 26th March from 4pm-7pm.

All students are encouraged to participate in both our carnivals!

INDIGENOUS EDUCATION

Our Indigenous Education team have been off to a flying start this year. We said a sad farewell to Mrs Danni Germaine who has moved across the car park to take up a position at Ngukuthati. Luckily it is not a real farewell as we are already planning a partnership with the Playgroup where our children can practice their reading skills with the little one’s next door.

We are currently working towards an official opening of the sacred garden space by the end of the term. To get our beautiful space ready our 3-6 Indigenous students will be working with Mrs Schlencker this Friday to paint the fence, plant and relocate plants and take part in a general clean up. A huge thank you to Mountt Isa Bunnings who are kindly donating all of the materials and oil to complete the fence painting project.

This week our 3-6 students have completed their Personal Learning Plans for the year. We are so impressed with their willingness to reflect on their own learning, choose a specific goal and enthusiasm to work hard to achieve this goal. Goals will be shared with families so you will know what your child will be working towards this term.

Last week Miss Tiana and myself had the pleasure of attending NIEW day in Townsville. This was an opportunity to networks with other teachers and school officers across the diocese who are doing great things in the same roles. We even got to showcase our PLP process to the other school in the diocese. Another part of our day was some planning for activities for this years NAIDOC and Reconciliation Weeks. If any of our Indigenous families have suggestions of activities or would like to be part of the planning process please see me or email me at msiemer1@skmtsv.catholic.edu.au.

We are looking forward to getting our SKIFS Welcome Back to School BBQ organised to happen this term. Keep an eye out for more information.

Regards,

Mel Siemer
Indigenous Education Teacher

P&F NEWS

The St Kieran’s Mother’s Day Fete will be held on Friday 8th May from 6pm to 9pm. This is our schools major fundraiser for the year with all profits put back into the school community for the benefit of our students and our families.

We invite students to come to school in ‘coloured clothes’ on this day and in support of our Mother’s Day Fete we ask for a donation towards a stall. This donation will change every week. More information will be sent out next week.

Donations can be given directly to the office or to your classroom teacher.

Please remember that clothing needs to be SUNSMART (shoulders should be covered) and closed in shoes are required.

Thank you for your support.

Friday 28th February – Gold coin donation
Friday 6th March – Tombola items donation

PLAYGROUP

Welcome to another year of fun at Little K’s! Playgroup will run every Monday from 8:30am-10am.

Little K’s Playgroup Term 1, 2020

TUCKSHOP

Tuckshop - Meal Deals

Week 4 - Thursday 20th February - Nachos, popper, cupcake and watermelon.
Week 5 - Thursday 27th February - Crumbed chicken leg with chips, popper, brownie and yoghurt bar.
Week 6 - Thursday 5th March - Asian noodles, popper, popcorn and zooper dooper.
Week 7 - Thursday 12th March - Cheeseburger, popper, cupcake and zooper dooper.
Week 8- Thursday 19th March - Chicken curry with rice, popper, brownie and yoghurt bar.
Week 9- Thursday 26th March - Shepherds pie, popper, popcorn and watermelon.
Week 10- Thursday 2nd April - Hot dog, popper, cupcake and zooper dooper.

Meal Deals cost $9.00 and covers both first and second breaks.

Did you know the tuckshop can make cupcakes for your child’s birthday? $1.00 each, please enquire at the office. Phone orders can also be made.

COMMUNITY NOTICES