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Welcome to the Week 3 Newsletter. In the last week, we have welcomed our new Kindergarten cohort and welcomed back all our other classes to a brand-new year of learning. It is always impressive to witness students energy and renewed commitment upon starting a new year, a new classroom and new learning. The students have been absolute troopers. Their resilience has been the strength and triumph of our first week back and I want to thank all the students for remaining positive and hopeful. It is simply the best part of working in a school to hear it alive with voices and busy with movement again.
In my report below I want to take time to unpack the focus of the first two week's learning in the classrooms, alongside setting up the classroom routines, expectations, building relationships and setting goals for the year ahead.
Time spent in these areas, aligned with the whole of school, is crucial to building a foundation for successful learning throughout the year. Most of the information below was covered in the whole school presentation at the Parent Teacher Evening tonight.
A Snapshot of our School
Last week and this week, the students have spent considerable time getting to know the school in this way. Through a variety of group tasks, independent task and whole class discussions the students have unpacked the content outlined in the attached PDF at grade appropriate levels. It appears in our parent handbook but given that we only provide this to new parents and staff, I thought it might be a good opportunity to share with all parents a "Snapshot of our School". Perhaps you are already aware of it or maybe you have always wondered different things about our school. The Snapshot includes;
- A Brief History of Our School
- Origins of our School Name, Motto and Crest
- Our Josephite Charism and foundational values
- Our School Vision and Mission Statement.
These components of school identity are intertwined. Our values are built from our origins and the charism of the Sisters of St Joseph who founded the school. These foundational values are like pillars that strengthen our school vision and mission. You will also see them as foundational to our school rules (PBL) that I will unpack below. This school stands on the shoulders of giants, and it is so wonderful to be strengthened by that tradition as we create new tomorrows.
Wellbeing for Learning, Learning for Life
Student Welfare at St Benedict’s Edgeworth is centred on the whole school Wellbeing Framework from which we build several different initiatives designed to promote, encourage and build a deeper understanding of wellbeing and positive relationships within a Catholic School. Due to be formally launched in Catholic Schools Week in Term 2, this whole school Wellbeing Framework is unpacked below. It includes four key components.
| Be You – A government initiative to promote awareness of, resources to support and support for building student mental health and wellbeing |
Student Voice – The CSO Wellbeing Framework centred on empower students with agency and voice. |
|
Make Jesus Real – Layering a Catholic Lens over the work done within the mental health and wellbeing space. |
SBE – The PBL framework adopted by the school to promote positive behaviours for learning. |
Positive Behaivours for Learning
Eventually, any discussion of a school's support for student welfare comes to the topic of behaviour support or management. In line with the values of our school and keeping with the focus on positive wellbeing, our behaviour support comes in the model of Positive Behaviours for Learning or PBL.
Explicit Teaching
Our Matrix unpacks the behaviours we encourage and, by omission, the behaviours we do NOT want to see. The core premise of PBL is that we spend more of our time explicitly teaching, promoting and rewarding these positive behaviours (with a focus across a 3 weeks/ PBL cycle). The idea being that we can minimise the time we then need to spend on poor behaviour choices. Affirmations and Consequences are discussed below.
Affirmations
PBL Bennies are awarded by all staff across all areas of school life. They are tallied and in-class rewards are provided until the Whole School Milestones are reached and presented at the designated PBL Assemblies each term (usually Weeks 4,7 and 10).
| 50 Bennies | PBL Certificate |
| 100 Bennies | PBL Ribbon |
| 150 Bennies | Pin Badge |
| 200 Bennies | PBL Medal |
Consequences
No PBL framework can maintain its positive focus without also preparing to respond to students making negative behaviour choices/ habits. While certainly not the driving force, it is firmly in place to ensure fair and consistent responses from K- 6. Across any 3 week PBL cycle, the onus to make better choices is on the child in the first instance (3 reminders = 1st Minor), then with the support of the parents (2nd Minor) and finally with a formal consequence within the school (3rd Minor= major).
Next Week, I wil unpack and disucss the school improvement goals for 2023 and how this might unfold from a parent and student perspective.
Have a great week,
Jules Mulhearn
School Admin Email:admin@edgeworth.catholic.edu.au
Phone: 02 49581558
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday 8.30am to 3.15pm
School Fees and information for our New Families.
Thank you to the many parents that have spoken to me regarding school fees. If you have not returned your 2023 school fee information could you please do this asap as this may effect the amount billed to your account. This is critical prior to the begining of the billing process.
Below is an outline of the school fee proposal to be finalised in the coming week so that biling procedures can start.
School fee statements will be coming out to families at the end of this month early March.
Payments can be made via B/pay, Direct debt, EFTPOS, over the counter at our school or over the phone. These payment scan be set up through your internet banking to be paid weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
We ask that all Fee Payers closely review your current account, paying particular attention to:
- Only one charge for DFSBL (Building Levy) across all schools; and
- Check sibling discount has been applied at ALL schools (if applicable).
Diocesan Pastoral Contribution- This charge of $300 is a voluntary fee. Parents can decline or accept via Compass Parent Portal.
Health Care and Pension Card Holders
We would like to bring to your attention that Health Care and Pension card holders are eligible for a discount off the Diocesan Tuition fee. If you have a valid 2023 card, you can apply for this discount by completing the attached form and returning it to our school office together with a copy of your card. This will ensure that the appropriate discount is applied to 2023 fees. This application needs to lodged at each school where each of your children attend.
These forms can be scanned and emailed to admin@edgeworth.catholic.edu.au.
Fee Agreements
All families are reminded that while we support families experiencing genuine hardship with fee agreements that suit their specific circumstances, these are done on a case by case basis and DO NOT automatically carry over from year to year.
In coming weeks, families with 2022 fee agreements will be contacted to guage the neccesity of the fee agreement in 2023. Part of that process will be to complete a form outline the current context that is limiting your family's capactiy to cover the full fees. From this an agreement will be proposed by the school and communicated to each family applying. There is no "one size fits all" agreement. Each situation is complex and different and so the agreement must be as well.
Compass
By now families should have compass log in information, usernames and passowrds. It is important that you use this app as it is a critical part of our school communication.
- Our staff use this app to contact parents, upload school reports, mark rolls and much more.
- Parent are able to submit attendance notifictions on the app, check reports, contact teachers and review, pay and download fee statements.
Compass is also used for all our school events and permisssion must be done in order for your child to attend. The form below allows both parents to be listed as "joint" account holders and therefore allowing either parent to provide permission for an excursion/event. The default on COMPASS is that both parents can view the event BUT only the parent listed as fee payer can provide permission. Many parents elect to change this. If you wish this to happen, please complete the form.
If you are experiencing any problems with compass or just need assistance logging in please pop into our school office.
Medical
If your child has a medical condition please let our office know.
We are here to support your child and if they require medication, ventolin or an epipen we are able to administor and keep these medication at the school.
It is important that our school knows if your child requires medication and we have it on record in caase of an emergency.
There is a form that need to be completed and a copy of the Asthma, Anaphylaxis or Medical plan needs to been supplied.
Please don't let your child bring medication to school and keep it in their bag. This can be a risk to not only them but other students.
Speak to our office if you require any further information or would like a form to complete.
New School Year…New Hopes…New Dreams
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome everyone back to our new school year. 2023 is shaping up to be a very busy year. Many things are on the Calendar for this term already. I will keep you updated on what is happening within the school in regards to faith based events.
Our first major school event will be our Beginning School Year Liturgy to be held on Tuesday, February 14th at 9.30am The school community will come together to open the school year. At this Liturgy the new school leaders will make their pledges and receive their badges, we will also be welcoming our new students and staff to our school. The Liturgy will commence at 9:30am. We look forward to seeing you all there to celebrate our new beginning together.
I would like to share with you a beautiful reflection which I hold close to my heart:
I Dream a School
I dream a school…where learning will be celebrated,
where there will be laughter and dancing,
where all people will celebrate the joy of living and learning.
I dream a school…Where the youngest and weakest will be guided and
encouraged and supported by the rest of the school and
where the gifted and talented will find scope and challenge.
I dream a school…Where both the playground and classroom will be places of safety and fun and everyone will have a friend.
I dream a school…Where every day will be a birthday because each day
we will know the new life of being growing, learning people.
I dream a school…Where each one of us will give to God the first place in all we have and are and do and where everyone will use their talents for others.
I dream a school…Where boys and girls have equal access to the teacher’s time and the class resources and the vast opportunities that life provides.
I dream a school…Where each member will write and compute and pray and grow each day in faith and hope and love and respect each other for each other.
What sort of school do you dream? Are those dreams being fulfilled? What more can be done to achieve this dream? Working in partnership we can achieve a school community that goes beyond a dream.
Yours in faith,
Miss Michelle Collins
(Religious Education Co-ordinator)
What's happening in 2023!
A very warm welcome back to the 2023 school year! This is the first of many curriculum, teaching and learning and syllabus updates I will be providing throughtout the year to keep our community on the foresfront of what's happening at SBE.
To begin, I would like to provide an overview of the K-6 curriculum requirements, our schools scope and sequences for each KLA and an update on what curriculum resources and initiatives the teachers and students will be using and embarking on in 2023.
The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) is responsible for developing Kindergarten to Year 12 syllabuses for NSW schools in accordance with the Education Act 1990 and the NSW Education Standards Authority Act 2013.
In Kindergarten to Year 6, schools are required to have educational programs for the six key learning areas (KLA's) of:
- English
- Mathematics
- Science and Technology
- Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
- Creative Arts
- Human Society and Its Environment (History and Geography)
As a Catholic school, we also have Relgious Education as an an extra, integral and important KLA.
The syllabus outcomes for each KLA are the key reference points for decisions about student learning, progress and achievement. We plan, program, teach and assess to syllabus outcomes in a Stage.
SBE's educational programs follow a scope and sequence of learning in relation to the outcomes. These scope and sequences present a sequence of learning for each Stage and take into account prior and subsequent learning of students.
This year, the K-2 classes are following the new syllabus for English and Mathematics. Furthermore, all Infants classes have adopted the InialLit program for the explicit teaching in English.
The Primary classes (3-6) are using Sound Waves for Spelling and Essential Assessment for Maths. Both of these resources can be utilied using IT and our BYOD program, or the traditional method of teaching. Throughout the term, I will focus on each of these resources and provide further information on how and why we are using them in the classrooms.
Letters outlining each term's planned learning are published on COMPASS in the first week of every term. These were given out at tonight's Parent Teacher Meet and Greet evening and will be posted on COMPASS tomorrow (8th February).
Lakes Region Swimming Carnival
Congratulations to the following children who will represent St Benedict's at the Lakes Region Swimming Carnival, this Monday, 13th February at Lambton Pool.
Boys - Jackson Smith (8Yrs 50m Freestyle, Jnr Relay), Rhys Toohey (8Yrs 50m Freestyle, Jnr Relay), Josiah Layburn (9Yrs 50m Freestyle, Jnr 50m Backstroke, Jnr Relay), Bailey Smith (10Yrs 50m Freestyle, Jnr Relay), Billy Johnson (11Yrs 50m Freestyle, 11Yrs 50m Backstroke, Snr Relay), Nathaniel Vas (11Yrs 50m Freestyle, Snr Relay), Hudson Moore (11Yrs 50m Freestyle, 11Yrs 50m Backstroke, Snr Relay), Zaine Edmunds (12Yrs 50m Freestyle, Snr Relay), James Irvine (12Yrs 50m Freestyle).
Girls - Willow Moore (8Yrs 50m Freestyle), Lola Watts (9Yrs 50m Freestyle), Kiani Miller (Open 100m Freestyle, 9Yrs 50m Freestyle, Jnr 50m Breaststoke, Jnr 50m Backstroke, Jnr 50m Butterfly, Jnr Relay), Scarlett Herringe (10Yrs 50m Freestyle, Jnr 50m Butterfly, Jnr Relay), Olivia Price (10Yrs 50m Freestyle, Jnr Relay), Amelia MacKay ( 9Yrs 50m Freestyle, Jnr 50m Breaststroke, Jnr 50m Backstroke, Jnr Relay) Audrey Roberts (11Yrs 50m Freestyle, Jnr 50m Backstroke, Snr Relay), Ruby Castles (11Yrs 50m Freestyle, Snr Relay), Kahlani Lojszczyk (11Yrs 50m Freestyle, 11Yrs 50m Backstroke), Grace Alexander (Open 100m Freestyle, 12Yrs 50m Freestyle, Snr 50m Breaststoke, Snr 50m Backstroke, Snr Relay), Brianna Bassford (Open 100m Freestyle, 12Yrs 50m Freestyle, Snr 50m Breaststroke, Snr 50m Backstroke, Snr 50m Butterfly, Snr 50m x 4 Medley, Snr Relay).
Library News
Safer Internet Day is the 7th of February. It is a good time to discuss with your child the responsible use of online technology and mobile phones. To assist you with this the esafetyCommissioner has some resources on their website to help parents start a conversation about being safe online and strategies that you can use. https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/resources
Library Borrowing
Borrowing will be commencing next week (Week 4). The classroom teachers will notify you of your child’s day for borrowing. Just a friendly reminder that all students must have a library bag in order to borrow a book.
GENERAL MEETING
Our first general meeting for 2023 is next Monday 13th of February at 6pm in the Staff room. We are still looking to fill the positions of President and Treasurer. We would like to invite you all to attend. For more information on the vacant executive positions, please contact Julie Mulhearn at Julie.mulhearn@mn.catholic.edu.au
KINDERGARTEN
A very special and warm welcome to those who have joined our school this year. We hope your children are settling in well and that you enjoyed the little gift that the P&F Executive put together for you. A big thank you to our Vice President Sarah Toohey for organising the gifts.
CANTEEN UPDATE
The canteen has reopened yesterday with the Summer Menu for lunch orders online via QkR. A reminder to please update the class that you child is in this year when placing your first order and that orders must be made by 8.30am that morning.
The canteen is open 3 days a week Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Over the counter cash sales are available for the first break of the day. Please try where possible to send the correct money in with your child.
Reusable environmentally friendly lunch bags can now be used for lunch orders. The lunch bags are available for purchase for $10 online via Qkr when placing your lunch order.
If you or a family member are available to volunteer, we need you!
To be able to keep our canteen providing the service to the students, we need more volunteers. With this support from our school community, this will enable the canteen to be open more frequently. For more details on how to be a canteen volunteer, please contact Haley Fenwick, Canteen Supervisor.