Term 2 - Week 2 (26th April, 2024)

From The Principal

Winter Uniform 7th of May –Thank you to all our families for your organisation in ensuring that the children are in the correct uniform, every day. The wearing of the correct uniform is not about ‘conforming’ or ‘looking nice’, it’s about learning. Consider if we were all able to wear the earrings we wanted to and the shoes we liked. We would have children starting to care less about the learning, and more about what they didn’t have, compared to their peers. This creates distractions for your children and arguments at home. It also leads to exclusion of children – those that ‘have’, and those that ‘have not’.  

 Our school’s winter uniform comes into effect on the 7th of May. At Sacred Heart, we talk about aspiring to excellence. Being dressed in our uniform and wearing this with pride, shows that students are ready for learning and part of our ‘team’. Our uniform shop is open each Monday and Thursday morning from 8:00am to 10:30am (except for public holidays). A copy of our uniform guidelines is on our ‘Parent Portal’. A copy has also been attached to this newsletter. A copy of our uniform guidelines can also be found here.

Under 8’s Morning – save the date! We are looking forward to holding our ‘Under 8’s Morning’ on the 3rd May. This is a morning we set aside to invite our Prep to Year 2 students, Kindy age children and younger children in the community to come along and have some fun. We have already locked in a number of stall holders and our teachers are organising some fun activities for the children to enjoy. This free event will begin in our hall at 9am and finish at 10:15am.We look forward to seeing you here.

Reminder - Nominations for the 2024 Toowoomba Catholic Schools Excellence Awards closing on the 5th of May - Each year, nominations are called for from school staff, parents and community members to acknowledge the outstanding work of our school’s teachers, school officers, (office, library and classroom) leaders and volunteers. From these nominations, finalists are selected and at a special award's dinner during Catholic Education Week, the recipients are announced. 

The awards are in 10 categories across three areas and capture the varying career phases, roles and responsibilities that enable Toowoomba Catholic Schools to provide high quality education and care in a distinctively Catholic environment. 

Please click here and scroll to the bottom of the web page to complete a nomination for someone you would like acknowledged and considered for the award. 

Toowoomba Catholic Schools Policy updates 

A number of the policies that we implement as a school have recently been reviewed. These policies are a part of the enrolment agreement we have with you as parents/legal guardians and are available on the school’s website and from the links below. If you have any questions about these policies please contact me. 

• School renewal and improvement policy 
• Student behaviour support policy 
• School fees policy 
• Teaching and learning policy 
• ICT in Catholic schools policy  
• Student diversity in Catholic school policy 
• Enrolment in Catholic schools policy 
• TCS Privacy policy 

God bless, 

Mr Tyronne Maher

From The APRE

Welcome back to Term 2! It has been lovely to walk around the school and hear all the wonderful things families experienced together over the Easter break. 

ANZAC DAY 

This week we have remembered and thanked all the men, women and animals who have served or are serving to protect our country. On Monday, 1T lead us in prayer on assembly to open our thoughts towards ANZAC Day. On Wednesday the whole school gathered in the hall and paid tribute to the ANZAC’s. It was fantastic to see how respectful and reverent the students were during this liturgy. 

ANZAC Day Liturgy

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 9

Next

MOTHER’S DAY 

On Tuesday the 7th May we will be hosting a Mother’s Day Afternoon. We invite all Mums, Nans, Granny’s, and Mother Figures to come along and let us show you how amazing and thankful we are to have you in our lives. We will open our classrooms from 1:45-2:30 then head to the hall for our liturgy, lead by 4M. After this, we invite you and your child/ren to remain and share in an afternoon tea. 

 Mrs Katie Horne

Prayer of the Week

Student Protection Contacts

School Student Protection Contacts (SSPC) 
Our school has five School Student Protection Contacts. Mr Maher, Mrs Jackman, Mrs Horne, Mrs Barrett and Ms Campbell. These are nominated staff members to whom students, staff and parents can raise concerns related to student safety. Although School Student Protection Contacts receive additional training, all school staff receive regular training and information to enable them to respond to student protection concerns. 

From The Middle Leader/Curriculum Co-ordinator

During our Professional Learning and Pupil Free Day last week, our teachers convened to collaboratively explore effective strategies for implementing the Toowoomba Catholic Schools (TCS) Diocesan Approach to Reading. This approach has been shaped by recent updates in the Australian Curriculum (version 9). At its core, this revised approach draws inspiration from the Science of Reading, which significantly informs our teaching practices. 

The Science of Reading encompasses a wealth of multidisciplinary knowledge from fields such as education, linguistics, cognitive psychology, special education, and neuroscience.  It delves into the essential cognitive processes involved in proficient reading, develop in both typical and atypical readers.

Changes to the Australian Curriculum and the evolution of recent reading research has prompted a review of the 2017 TCS Reading Improvement Strategy (RIS) to ensure our children have the best chance of success. The Grattan Institute’s ‘The Reading Guarantee’ confirms the value of a structured literacy approach, including a focus on phonics in the early years, which if adopted will ensure that all students have the best chance to read well. TCS is updating our reading program to make sure all students have the best chance to succeed. We’re calling it ‘The Diocesan Approach to Reading’ and it’s based on the latest science of reading. This new approach will be used in every classroom, every day. 

There is clear alignment between the actions recommended in the ‘The Reading Guarantee’ and the initiatives established in TCS’s Diocesan Approach to Reading. Parents can expect to see the following in their child’s classroom. 

1. Systematic phonics instruction 

• Your child will continue to learn words by ‘sight’, starting with high frequency words; however, these will be taught by first attending to sound/letter correspondence within the words. This process is vital so that your child can store sound/letter relationships permanently in their memory and apply to new words.
• They’ll practice these skills using ‘decodable’ texts, which align with the phonics rules they’ve learned.

2. Whole-class read-alouds 

• Your child’s teacher will engage in whole-class read-alouds. This ensures that all students experience exciting stories and learn new vocabulary, even if they can’t yet read confidently on their own. 

3. Explicit vocabulary teaching 

• Throughout their schooling, your child will be taught new words explicitly.
• By the end of school, they’ll have a rich vocabulary and background knowledge, enabling them to understand more complex texts in subjects like Biology and History.

4. Diagnostic check-ins 

• Strong and regular diagnostic check-ins are conducted for each student.
• These assessments help identify the next steps in their learning journey.

5. Individualised support 

• All students will receive targeted evidence-based reading instruction as a whole class and individualised support will continue through small focus groups and one-on-one instruction for students who require more opportunity for practice or learning intervention. 

Unlocking the Magic of Reading: A Guide for Parents 

Understanding How Kids Learn to Read 

As educators and parents, we all want our students and children to become confident readers but how does the science of reading come into play? Let’s explore this fascinating topic and discover evidence-based techniques that empower young minds. 

1. The Brain’s Remarkable Journey

• Reading is a skill: Unlike speaking, which comes naturally, reading is a learned skill. Our brains adapt to recognise written words and construct meaning. 
• Explicit teaching: Reading must be explicitly taught. It involves re-purposing neural networks for language and visual recognition.

2. The Power of Oral Language

• Foundation for reading: Strong oral language skills in preschool lay the groundwork for reading. This includes vocabulary, sentence structure, and understanding what others say. 
• Early exposure matters: Children exposed to rich language experiences arrive at school with broader vocabularies and better comprehension skills.

3. The Simple View of Reading

• Reading comprehension: The ultimate goal is understanding what we read. 
• Two critical skills: 
• Decoding: Sounding out words accurately. 
• Language comprehension: Grasping the meaning. 

4. How Can Parents Help? 

• Talk, talk, talk: Engage in conversations, read aloud, and expose children to complex language. 
• Practice phonics: Encourage sounding out words and provide appropriate books.
• Discuss stories: Ask questions, connect reading to real-life experiences.

Remember, every word read is a step toward a brighter future. Let’s nurture our young readers and unlock the magic of literacy together! 📚✨ 

Mrs Charlie Barrett

From the Learning Support Teacher

How do we support your children in our school?   

Our school has a strong commitment to inclusion and student wellbeing, catering for students with a range of personal characteristics and experiences.   

Planning for Personalised Learning (PfPL) is a system-based process that Toowoomba Catholic Schools have adopted to support teachers in designing a learning environment that caters for all learners.   

Students within our school come from diverse backgrounds and have many and varied learning needs.   

Personalised Learning places the student at the centre of the education process to tailor teaching to individual need, interest and ability. 

At Sacred Heart learning is a shared responsibility, not just of the class teacher but of all within the school.  Teachers are supported by the Guidance Counsellor, Learning Support Teacher, and the Leadership Team in meeting the needs of the students in their class.  Discussions are held within Student Support Meetings twice a term in which student progress is monitored and referrals are made to other support personnel if required.   

We value the relationships we have with our parents in supporting the students in our school.   

Mrs Genny McNair

From the Guidance Counsellor

SELF-REGULATION

I often get asked how parents can help their children learn the skills and strategies to regulate their emotions.  Children and young people learn to develop skills by firstly observing and experiencing how other people manage their own emotions. Here are some tips from Beyond Blue to help parents: 

• Talk about the different zones of regulations and identify how they are feeling. 
• Talk about ways of managing upsetting situations. 
• Help them develop strategies to use when they’re feeling out of control. 
• Help them express their emotions in productive ways, drawing, or using lego characters or dolls. 
• Practice mindfulness and mindful breathing, visit smilingmind.com.au. 
• Explore the immediate and long-term consequences of actions. 
• Promote empathy by talking about emotions and understanding how other people have different reactions to events or people. 
• Teach problem solving skills and remind them they always have options. 
• Acknowledge and talk about emotions. 
• Role-model how you manage your own emotions. 
• Talk about strategies to deal with strong or uncomfortable emotions.  

Mrs Sarah Jackman

Prep Enrolment

The Arts

I hope you have had a wonderful break and ready to head into Term 2. This term is going to be a very busy term for The Arts. I have listed to events below and more information will be sent out closer to each event. If you have any questions, please contact cherie.runciman@twb.catholic.edu.au  

Choir 
Toowoomba Eisteddfod: The choir will be performing at the Toowoomba Eisteddfod, Friday 17th May in the 6pm session and Sunday 19th May 2.30pm session in the Empire Theatre. Information will be sent out to parents this coming week through the portal. Please keep these times free if your child is involved in the choir. 

Dance / Drama Showcase (Week 6): School Hall
Part of the National Curriculum is that students need to have the opportunity to perform their work in a public arena. The showcase aims for students to share their performances with other classes and parents.  

Thursday 23rd May: 11 – 1pm : 3C, 4M, 5R, 6B: 3C/4M will have the finalists from the Poem in Pairs and a dance routine. 5R will be performing a First Nation Drama and Dance routine and 6B will be performing different Fairy Tales. 

Friday 24th May: 11 - 12pm :  PN, PC, 1T, 1J, 2J, 2/3C: Each class will perform a small poem of some type and dance routine. 

Lunchtime Concert: Wednesday, 5th June 1.00-1.40pm:
We will be holding a low-key lunchtime Concert in the hall on this day. Miss Joy will discuss with her students who will be participating. The Junior and Senior Dance club will be having their debut performance at this concert. 

Instrumental Program
Lessons will be moved to Wednesday with Miss Joy, instead of Friday for Term 2. 

There are still spots available for this year. If you would like to enrol your child, please fill in the online form below or contact me directly via email. Cherie.Runciman@twb.catholic.edu.au 

Ms Cherie Runciman

Class Awards

Welcome to the Scholastic Book Club

Catalogues have been sent home, so please have a look at these great books!!!!

You need to place your completed order online by 3pm, Monday 6th May 2024

“Book Club Loop” is the ONLY method for ordering and payment.

Please do not send any orders or cash to school.

All orders will be delivered to school for distribution to your child’s classroom.

Please refer to the list below for your child’s class name:

For full terms & conditions click here

HAPPY READING!!!!!

Follow the steps for ordering by referring to the information below:

2024 Fee Schedule

Term 2 School Fees have been charged to family accounts and sent via email and were due on 3 May 2024.    The School accepts payment as a Bank Transfer, Direct Debit or Centrepay.  To set up an automatic payment please complete the Direct Debit Form below.  If you need assistance please contact the School Office.

The Uniform Shop

Uniform Shop hours:
Mondays (THIS INCLUDES PUPIL FREE DAYS) & Thursdays 8.00am - 10:30am.  If a Public Holiday falls on a Uniform Shop day, the Uniform Shop will be closed.

PLEASE NOTE: WE CAN NO LONGER ACCEPT DONATIONS OF PRE-LOVED ITEMS
Thank you for your understanding in this regard.

*We accept EFTPOS only - NO CASH OR LAYBY*  

SCHOOL BAGS: School Bags are COMPULSORY to the WHOLE SCHOOL.
Do you have the correct bag?  These are available from the Uniform Shop for $39.50 

SCHOOL PULLOVERS - This is a compulsory uniform item for Years 1 to 6.

SPRAY JACKETS are compulsory for students in Years 1-6 only.
PREP STUDENTS DO NOT REQUIRE SPRAY JACKETS!

FREE BUTTONS available for boys’ red shirt, girls’ red and white blouse & Prep red polo.

Thank you for your continued support of the school’s uniform shop.

 Mrs Fay Rhodes
Uniform Shop Convenor

Sacred Heart Parish

Sport

At Sacred Heart we pride ourselves on the development of the ‘Whole Child’. Last week we saw great sportsmanship and determination during the Cross Country. Students young and old, showed a positive attitude towards both the competitive and non-competitive events and cheered on their classmates. Thank you to all families who were able to come along and support their children and cheer for Byrne, Kattie and Kelly.  

Congratulations to the Kelly house for piping Kattie and Byrne at the Cross Country. Well done to the 2024 Age Champions: 

Schools and Early Childhood Education and Care Providers: Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI)

St Saviour's College - Upcoming Events

Tennis Coaching 2024