St Cecilia's Newsletter Week 6, Term 4

A word from the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers, 

I cannot believe this is my 3rd last newsletter for 2023 and we are approaching the end of another academic year, I would like to share some important updates with you. 

I am close to the final stages of solidifying our staffing for the upcoming year. The dedicated executive team has been working through interviews to ensure that we have the best educators in place to support the growth and development of our children. I am hoping to be able to announce the 2024 teachers for each grade in the next newsletter.

Teachers are also currently in the process of finishing the writing of school reports for each child in their class. This meticulous task ensures that every child's progress and achievements are accurately documented. The leadership team will soon begin our thorough editing process to guarantee the highest quality feedback for both children and parents.

Additionally, I wanted to inform you that I am eagerly awaiting further information regarding the  delivery of demountables and demolition for the upcoming building works scheduled for 2024. This transformative project will enhance our learning environment and provide our students with new and exciting contemporary learning spaces. As soon as I know anything more, I will keep you posted. 

Lastly, I'm absolutely thrilled to update you on the successful completion of our K-6 explicit Social and Emotional Learning program, Second Steps. It has truly been a rewarding journey, fostering a shared language across our entire school community when it comes to crucial skills such as regulation, empathy, emotion management, and problem-solving. Witnessing the children apply these skills in their daily interactions with peers has been nothing short of heartening.

The Second Steps program has not only equipped our children with essential life skills but has also created a more empathetic and supportive school culture. As we continue to prioritise the holistic development of our children, I am confident that the positive impact of this program will resonate in their academic achievements and personal growth.

I want to extend my gratitude to my dedicated staff for their commitment to implementing this program with enthusiasm and effectiveness. Together, we are nurturing a learning environment that not only values academic excellence but also prioritises the social and emotional wellbeing of every student at St Cecilia's.

God bless,

Marta Chylewska

Second Step Resources

Staying Connected

SCHOOL UNIFORM PROPOSAL FOR CULOTTES OR SKORT

There has been a request to consider the introduction of culottes or a skort as an alternative for girls to the summer dress. Please see the attached voting form to express your preferences. Am hoping to have at least a third of our community vote on this, so please take the time to complete this quick 1 minute survey below. You do not need to have a girl enrolled in the school to complete this survey.  https://forms.office.com/r/sfBDUn1LKJ

VOLUNTEERS THANK YOU MORNING TEA

It is because of the vital work all our volunteers do that we would like to invite all of you to a Thank You Morning Tea on Thursday 14^th December at 10:45am – 11:30am, in the school hall. Whether you have given your time in the canteen, covered books, attended an excursion, organised or sold gifts at the Mother's Day or Father's Day stall, helped with the uniform shop, assisted with a sporting event, acted as a class parent, helped with the yummy World Teachers Day morning tea, helped with planning for a school function... and so much more, we want to say thank you!

Please RSVP here for catering purposes. https://forms.office.com/r/UhsuJJzmjG

YEAR 6 GRADUATION TICKETS AND SETUP

We have currently sold 65 tickets for our graduation event, however with 2 tickets allocated per child there would be another 25 tickets requiring sale. Please jump onto QKR to purchase your tickets for graduation. There will be no extra room for more than 2 adults to attend per child.

As there has been no fundraising for this event, ticket costs include food, drinks, decorations, photo booth ($550), ice buckets and cupcakes.

Graduation is fast approaching. The Mass is organised by the staff at the school, however the celebration afterwards is a 'parent run' event, therefore collaboration and assistance in preparing for the celebration after Mass needs to be executed by parents, as teachers are unable to be taken off class to set up. 

Thank you to all those who have already completed the form to identify their availability to help on the day, or after the event. Below is a reminder to the following year 6 parents who have responded that they are able to assist with preparing for or packing up after the Graduation celebration on Wednesday 29th November.

All day set up 29th November - Heidi, Melinda G, Jenaline.

Couple of hours during the day - Jacqui E, Rebecca G, Shanie H, Lisa M, Kylie S, Juanita R, Courtney W, Karla Y.

Packing up after the event - Karla Y, Jaclyn G, Teresia M, Justine L. (all other parents welcome to assist on the night, if not yet had a chance to volunteer and respond to the form)

If your circumstances have changed and you are able to now assist on the day of setup, please reach out to your class parent Heidi West on heidileewest@gmail.com 

FUNDING IN SCHOOLS FOR ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE      

Catholic Schools have experienced an emerging increase in English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EALD) and new arrival students across the system. To assist in responding to this emerging need we require accurate data on the number of EAL/D students in our school and languages spoken at home. At present we only have five families who completed the survey from last week's Principal Update.

It is important that all students who are EAL/D and/or LBOTE are correctly identified in the upcoming census to ensure accurate funding and support is provided to our school. Therefore if you have another country of origin and/or English is an additional language in your home and you speak another language, please complete the attached survey for all of your children. https://forms.office.com/r/UNhMWkwzvs

School Service Team Updates

New Mandatory Food Safety Training for Canteen Volunteers

We have recently been advised of a new food safety standard that will apply to school canteens from 8th December 2023. One of the requirements is that all food handlers (canteen volunteers) will need to either hold, or be willing to complete the Food Handler training course if serving or working with food in the school setting.

Please refer to a free online Registered Training Organisation approved Food Safety course. All volunteers who complete the training will receive a certificate at the completion of the course, and it should take no longer then one hour to complete the training online. Please email a copy of your certificate to the school admin team scw@dbb.catholic.edu.au AND our canteen manager - margaret.nicholas@dbb.catholic.edu.au  

Please see the below link for your reference.

Food Handler Training Course: 

Free Online Food Safety Training Now Available - Federation Council (nsw.gov.au) 

Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

Teaching and Learning Matters

This year teachers have continued to engage with Collaborative Coaching with the Assistant Principal and Numeracy Instructional Coaching. We have maintained our focus on Place Value and used the Numeracy Progressions to develop our goals for ‘quick wins’ and considered the alignment of these to the New K - 6 Mathematics Syllabus.  

Collaborative coaching sessions have provided invaluable opportunities to work with all staff with the common goal of improving student outcomes. Teachers have had the opportunity to work side-by-side with colleagues to analyse student data and use the data, including common errors or misconceptions, to design tasks that provide opportunities for students to develop their knowledge and understanding. Part of this process has been a deep dive into the new curriculum, both for K - 2 and 3 - 6, and through this process teachers have developed greater mathematical content knowledge and mathematical pedagogical knowledge. Through then implementing the actions planned in collaborative coaching time, teachers have been allowed the time and space to reflect critically on the growth of the students and their own practice. 

Students were grouped and targeted either during the daily number sense or in the task work. Teachers during coaching determined appropriate activities to challenge students and support them in their developing understanding on the continuum of place value, as determined by the progressions. Tasks and activities that were designed to address particular goals were created by staff and shared with colleagues.  

The tracking of student achievement allowed teachers the opportunity to easily determine point of need for each student in their class in place value. This data was used to inform teaching and learning programs for all teachers as well as appropriate work for our HPL (High Potential Learners) Stage 2 and 3 maths groups. Similarly, it was easy for teachers to identify students whose growth had stagnated, and structures and supports were put in place to ensure their continued growth. 

Some examples of the data showing the starting point versus the current achievement of students in Term 4 can be seen below in our Year 1 and Year 6 cohorts:  

Religious Education Update

Year Six Reflection

It’s that time of year when the year six students are reflecting on their special time at St Cecilia’s. They are busy creating their memory books by writing about their personal experiences and selecting photos that highlight their St Cecilia’s journeys. Thank you, Maddy H, Ciera H, Ella L and Pandora M, for sharing their poem with the St Cecilia’s Catholic community.

Our Special Time at St Cecilia’s

St Cecilia’s is a sight to behold

Each student with a heart of gold

We must get it off our chests

Without a doubt we’re the best

We follow in Jesus’s footsteps

As we all let our lights shine

We do our personal best

Come on in and be our guest

We’re all a part of this big family

We all flourish together happily

Empathetic hearts for each other

As we laugh, learn and love one another

At St Cecilia’s we are unique

We include others and use great physique

Nobody gets left out at this school

Everyone here always follows the rules

St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal

Thank you to the many families who have already donated to our St Vincent De Paul Christmas Appeal. Our sacred spaces in our classrooms are filling up with lots of food items. We will be accepting donations until Friday the 24th of November.

Staff Spotlight

Kim Whitehouse - School Counsellor

Kim has come to us this year from the Department of Education Victoria as our new school counsellor. She is a registered psychologist who is passionate about enhancing the social, emotional, physical, mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in our community. Kim is based at our school full time, and she provides psychological support services within our school to assist in improving children’s individual learning outcomes.

The support Kim provides is through counselling with individual students or through small group wellbeing interventions. Kim works collaboratively with families and their children on a short-term basis to achieve positive mental health outcomes within the school environment. Kim supports the teaching staff, the leadership team and me by striving to build our capacity in the development of educational programs, strategies or approaches that support the mental health and wellbeing needs of our children in the classroom, playground and at home.

We are so thrilled to have Kim in our community and we feel blessed with the many gifts, knowledge and support she has already brought to St Cecilia's over the past six months.

PEC Update

Dear Parents and Carers,

Clint Warren-Davey, Religious Education teacher at St. Peter's Catholic College, with the support of Fr Raul, Fr Alex, Fr Teody and myself will be running RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) through Wyong Parish in 2023-24. This is for people who are curious about becoming Catholic, or lapsed Catholics who want to re-examine their Faith. Clint will be explaining the core doctrines of Catholicism along with rational arguments for why we believe them. If you have any questions about the Faith, this is the place to ask them!

The program will run from November 2023 to March 2024, with a one-hour session every second Saturday at 3pm at St. Cecilia's Church, Wyong. The first session will be 3pm, Saturday 25^th November.

If anyone is curious about this, please contact myself or Clint:

Clint: clint.warrendavey@dbb.catholic.edu.au 

Joanne: joanne.helm@dbb.catholic.edu.au 

Thank You Morning Tea

It is because of the vital work all our volunteers do that we would like to invite all of you to a Thank You Morning Tea on Thursday 14^th December at 10:45am – 11:30am, in the school hall. Whether you have given your time in the canteen, covered books, attended an excursion, organised or sold gifts at the Mother's Day or Father's Day stall, helped with the uniform shop, assisted with a sporting event, acted as a class parent, helped with the yummy World Teachers Day morning tea, helped with planning for a school function... and so much more, we want to say thank you!

Please RSVP here for catering purposes. https://forms.office.com/r/UhsuJJzmjG

Come Help Decorate the Christmas Tree

During Advent children are invited to come and help decorate the Church Christmas Tree.

St Cecilia’s Church  Sunday 3^rd December 9.30am Mass.

Children will be invited to join the Children’s Liturgy and make some decorations for the Christmas Tree.

Blessings,

Jo Helm

SPORTS NEWS

Paul Wade Soccer Clinics

Last week Paul Wade presented a talk to grades 2-6 in the hall and will now continue to run his soccer clinics for grades 2-4 on Thursday's. Paul's clinics offer more than just skill development; they cultivate a holistic approach to sportsmanship. Emphasising the pillars of fun, teamwork, respect, and good decision-making. The children not only refine their soccer techniques but also learn valuable life skills.

The focus on enjoyment (FUN) fosters a genuine passion for the game, while TEAMWORK instills cooperation and camaraderie. RESPECT, a core principl that extends beyond the field, promoting positive interactions with others. Additionally, the emphasis on MAKING GOOD CHOICES instills responsibility and critical thinking in the children. Beyond soccer, these principles become a foundation for success in any sport or game, hopefully contributing to creating well-rounded individuals on and off the field.

Surf Safety Days - Stage 2 and Stage 3

For those who have yet to do this, a reminder for parents of children in grades 3-6. Please hop online on Compass and give consent for your child to attend the Surf Safety days. 

PBL - Positive Behaviours For Learning

Classroom Connections

Year 6 Leadership Camp

1 hour North of Sydney, located a further 15 minute ferry transfer off the Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge, year 6 embarked and represented St Cecilia's Catholic Primary School on a two-day long journey to Milson Island Sport and Recreation Centre. Milson Island itself is secluded and has various stunning views of Hawkesbury river, towering fragrant trees, and a rich variety of native Australian flora and fauna. This leadership camp was designed to encourage, transfigure and remould each student into an innovative and optimistic leader. Within the camp itself, students were allocated into 2 different groups. Within the groups, children froliced between different activities consisting of archery, raft building, traditional Indigenous games, and lastly, a scavenger hunt around the island. In conclusion to this recount, this camp encouraged bonds amongst our cohort and bought us closer. The memories made during our time visiting Milson Island forged an everlasting impression. On behalf of Year 6, we offer our thanks to all parents, staff members and students who partook in assisting this event occur.

Written by Abdur J 6 Blue 2023

Awards & Acknowledgements

Congratulations to the following children for their achievements! The listed award recipients will receive their award at Friday morning's assembly at 8:45am!

Academic Achievement Award

PBL Award

Personal Best Award

Upcoming Events

Term 4, Week 6

Thursday 16th November ~ Bright Beginnings Maths Mania at 9.30am

~ Cricket Clinic Years 3-6 & Paul Wade Soccer Clinic grades 2-4 

Friday 17th November ~ K-2 Swimming Program

Term 4, Week 7

Monday 20th November ~ Kinder Parish Mass at St Cecilia's Church at 9.15am

Wednesday 22nd November ~ Whole School Liturgy at 8.45am

                                                            ~ K-2 Swimming Program at 11.30am

Thursday 23rd November ~ Cricket Clinic Years 3-6 & Paul Wade Soccer Clinic grades 2-4

Friday 24th November ~ K-2 Swimming Program

Term 4, Week 8

Tuesday 28th November ~ Stage 3 Bullying Performance 

Wednesday 29th November ~ K-2 Swimming Program 

                                                           ~ Year 6 Graduation Mass at 5pm 

Friday 1st December ~ K-2 Swimming Program

Community News