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School Newsletter - Issue 9 - Friday, 16th June 2023

Principal's News

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to Week 8. I hope that you had a restful long weekend break, the weather was on our side.

Reports

Semester 1 student reports will be made available via Compass on Monday 26 June. For Semester 1, Achievement and Effort gardes have been given to all students in Years 1-6 along with subject and general comments. Kindergarten students have not received an achievement grade this semester, just an effort grade and subject and general comment.

As our formal Parent/Teacher interviews were held in week four, should you wish to discuss aspects of the report, please contact your child’s teacher directly.

Kindergarten Enrolments 2024

Catholic Schools Broken Bay are very determined to make a Catholic education available to all people who desire it for their children. We have had a significant number of enrolments and enquiries which is always pleasing.

Our enrolment committee have met and worked with the priority list set down by the Diocesan Principles. After a great deal of discernment and discussion we have come up with a list of the families we are able to offer a position, and other families that due to the vast numbers, we will not be able to accept next year. I have also been in contact with other local Catholic School Principals to check on availability. It is clearly one of the most difficult jobs we do, as we feel deeply for the families we are not able to accept.

Letters will be coming to all applicants via email on Monday 19 June.

Staff Development Day - Pupil Free

There will be an Archdiocesan Staff Development Day on Friday 30 June 2023. Therefore, the last day of the term for the students will be Thursday 29 June. We will also have the Week 10 assembly on Thursday 29 June.

School Uniforms

I’d like to personally thank all our families for adhering to our school uniform policy. Collectively, the children look amazing. Thanks for the early morning ‘battles’ that some of you may be experiencing. Wearing the correct school uniform instils a sense of respect and pride that we belong to the St John Fisher community, a sense that we’d love for the children to take with them forever.

Staff Leave

Mrs Monique Powell will be taking Long Service Leave in Term 3. Staff update will be announced when this process has been completed.

Kind regards,

Marcel Arendse
Principal

Assistant Principal's News

 NAPLAN

NAPLAN testing was conducted earlier this year. There has been a change in NAPLAN reporting in 2023. Over the next few weeks, we will provide new and updated information before the release of student results early next term.

NAPLAN tests are only one aspect of each school’s assessment and reporting process. As they are held once every 2 years for each student, they cannot replace the extensive, ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance. Your child’s teacher will have the best insight into your child’s educational progress. Along with other school assessment reports, NAPLAN individual student reports can be used to discuss your child’s progress with their teacher.

How does NAPLAN assess students?

NAPLAN tests are delivered online to schools across Australia. Online assessment presents questions tailored to an individual student’s responses, delivering more precise results and an engaging test experience for students.

Questions in NAPLAN are based mostly on the literacy and numeracy knowledge and skills students have learnt from previous years of schooling. A few questions assess additional content from the year of testing and the following year. These questions have been designed so that they can be answered using strategies students have learnt in previous years. This ensures students of all abilities can show what they are capable of.

New Proficiency Standards

From 2023, proficiency standards replace the previous numerical NAPLAN reporting bands and national minimum standards.

Proficiency standards provide simple and clear information on student achievement. They are set at a challenging but reasonable level expected for the child at the time of NAPLAN testing, based mainly on what has been taught in previous years of schooling.

The proficiency scale has 4 levels:

Exceeding: The student’s result exceeds expectations at the time of testing.
Strong: The student’s result demonstrates proficiency by meeting challenging but reasonable expectations at the time of testing.
Developing: The student’s result indicates that they are working towards expectations at the time of testing and are approaching proficiency.
Needs additional support: The student’s result indicates that they are not achieving the learning outcomes expected at the time of testing. They are likely to need additional support to progress satisfactorily.

We will continue to send further information over the next few weeks.

Stephen Lynch
Assistant Principal

Year 6 Canberra Excursion

From Wednesday 31st of May to Friday 2^nd of June, our Year 6 students participated in an educational tour of the nation’s capital, Canberra. Students participated in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion, the Australian Government contributes funding of $30.00 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs.

We were so proud of the students and the way they represented St John Fisher. The excursion supported our learning, we had many memorable experiences, and bonded as a grade.

Class Merit Awards

Growing in Faith and Knowledge Awards

Religious Education Co-ordinator News

Next week we are celebrating St John Fisher Day.

St. John Fisher’s Feast Day: June 22nd

St. John Fisher was an English priest, cardinal, and martyr who died for defending the faith against King Henry VIII. He showed great courage in remaining steadfast in his faith while almost everyone around him was compromising.

St. John Fisher was born in 1469 in England. His parents were merchants, and he had three siblings. When John was eight years old, his father died. His mother remarried and had five more children.

As a young man, John studied at the University of Cambridge. He studied theology and the arts, earning a master’s degree at age twenty-two years.

From a young age, John felt called to the priesthood. Though he was younger than the canonical age requirement for the priesthood, John obtained a papal dispensation to become a priest at age twenty-two in 1491.

Around this time, he was also elected as a fellow at Cambridge. He rose in prominence in the academic world, while also gaining recognition with the English royalty.

In 1504, Fisher became the bishop of the diocese of Rochester. This diocese was often considered the first step in rising to high ecclesiastical position. But John chose to remain bishop of Rochester for the rest of his life.

Seeing a need for reform inside the Church, Fisher often preached against abuses and about the need for reform. When Martin Luther began leading his revolt against the Church, John preached a famous sermon against Luther.

Soon, John had to face other attacks against the Church. King Henry VIII was trying to unjustly dissolve his marriage to Queen Catherine of Aragon. John Fisher vehemently supported the queen and the marriage, even saying that he was prepared to die in defense of marriage’s indissolubility.

John’s stance greatly angered the king. King Henry never forgave him over the matter.

As King Henry began moves to make himself head of the Church in England, John warned Parliament that it would end in England breaking from the Catholic Church.

Then the king married Anne Boleyn. He demanded that Fisher and others take an oath declaring that Henry’s and Anne’s children were the legitimate heirs to the throne. Fisher refused to take the oath and was imprisoned in the tower of London.

During his imprisonment, the King tried to make him submit on several occasions. But John held firm, despite poor conditions and the inability to see a priest.

In 1535, Pope Paul III made John Fisher a cardinal, hoping that King Henry would then give John better treatment. This only angered King Henry further. The king had Fisher tried for treason. John was found guilty and was sentenced to die by being hung, drawn, and quartered.

Because it was nearing the feast of St. John the Baptist’s Nativity, the King decided to change John’s sentence to beheading, in order to ensure that John would die before the feast. Henry did not want the public to see the parallels between John Fisher’s opposition to his marriage and John the Baptist’s opposition of the marriage of Herod and Herodius.

John Fisher faced his death calmly and with great courage. He was beheaded on June 22nd, 1535.

St John Fisher Mass and Picnic

As you are aware from previous newsletters, we will be celebrating St John Fisher Day on Wednesday 21st June. You are invited to a Mass in the hall at 9.15 am. The students will then return to class to do different activities in class learning all about the life of our school's saint.

At lunchtime (1.30 pm) we have decided to have a picnic lunch and so students are invited to bring their lunch, maybe something to share, and a picnic rug/blanket and the whole school will gather under the COLA where they can sit together and eat. If there are any parents or grandparents who would like to come along to join in, you are warmly invited.

Seasons for Growth
(Supporting students who have experienced loss/ change)

Mrs Lawicki and Mrs Wendy Thomas (School Counsellor) will be running the Seasons for Growth program during Term 3.

Seasons for Growth offers children and young people a safe space to come together and share their experiences of change and loss.

The Children and Young People’s Program has a safe and engaging curriculum structure that incorporates a wide range of age-appropriate activities involving drawing, role-play, stories, discussion, playdough, music and journal activities.

There are four different levels of the program. Each weekly session explores a concept theme such as, Life is like the Seasons, Change is Part of Life, ‘Valuing My Story, Caring for my Feelings, Making Good Choices.

The learning processes reflect a deep respect for children’s capacity to cope, problem-solve, make good choices, set realistic goals and connect with others. Such learning develops best in supportive social contexts with peers and a caring, skilled adult ‘Companion’. Children’s learning is documented in a personal ‘Seasons for Growth’ journal so that participants can re-visit their insights in the future.

If you are interested in your child attending, please complete the form attached.
Seasons for Growth (google.com)

Behavioural Expectations

We would like every student to wear their school uniform with pride and so this fortnight we have been looking at:

To Make SJF a Safe and Happy Place:

We wear the correct school uniform

For the last two weeks of term, we are unpacking the following expectation:

By taking responsibility for our actions, we can make a connection between actions and consequences. If we work hard, are kind, honest and helpful then the consequences for these actions will be positive. If we say or do mean things, then the consequences will be negative eg loss of friends. By owning our behaviours and not making excuses, we are able to correct any negative behaviours and therefore negative consequences. Every child is in control of their actions and by accepting and owning them, then they can work on positive actions resulting in positive consequences. This is not always easy for some. Here are some resources for you to help your child with this at home.

How to get your child to own their behaviour

Positive behaviours and consequences

Anxiety and Resilience Program
Targeting Year 5 & 6: Cool Kids

Cool Kids is a therapeutic group for children with anxiety. It is different from the Cool Connections program that we are currently running. It is offered in school and is designed to help children who have fears and worries that bother them or get in their way of having fun. The program teaches children new skills to help them sooth their worries, face their fears and worries, feel more confident, reduce their need for adult reassurance, and have more fun. Cool Kids does require parents to attend two anxiety training sessions to teach skills focused on how to better manage a child’s anxiety at home, since you know them best! The program will run over 8-10 weeks in term three and will teach the following:

Learn about anxiety, fears and worries

Learn how to face fears gradually

Deal with worries thoughts

Be confident around other people, including helpful ways to act if you are bullied

How to cope with feelings like anxiety, or even anger and sadness

If you feel your child could benefit from the above, please submit an expression of interest. For more information about the course, you can visit
Macquarie University - Cool Kids Anxiety Program (mq.edu.au)

If you are interested in your child attending, please complete the form attached.

Cool Kids: Anxiety and Resilience Program (google.com)

Luisa Lawicki
Religious Education Co-ordinator

Library News

Premier’s Reading Challenge

Excitement is growing around St John Fisher as the Premier’s Reading Challenge participation reaches new heights. Over 300 students are working towards the halfway Premier Reading Challenge mark with the following students reaching this point over the past fortnight.

Congratulations to the 55 students who have completed the challenge, especially those who have done so recently.

For more information about the NSW PRC check out the website
https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/home.html
or help logging books contact teresa.okeeffe@dbb.catholic.edu.au

Teresa O'Keeffe
Teacher Librarian

Parent Engagement Co-ordinator (PEC)

SJF Advisory Meeting

Last Tuesday evening we had our Term 2 Advisory Meeting. Thank you to the members able to attend. The meeting minutes will be added to the website as soon as they are finalised. Please be remined of our Advisory Team via the following link SJF Advisory - St John Fisher Tumbi Umbi (sjfdbb.catholic.edu.au) and feel free to contact me at kate.benton@dbb.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions or agenda items to add to future meetings.

Kate Benton
Parent Engagement Co-Ordinator (PEC)

Canteen News

Over the counter specials are on.
Get the kids to look for these specials. They will be served over the counter at recess and lunch (limited availability)

So far we’ve had:
*Hot cheesy vegemite scrolls
*Cheese scrolls.
*Jelly with fresh fruit cups.
*New vanilla ice cream cups available over the counter. Selling for $1.00 each. They are
low fat and gluten free.
*Fresh fruit available over the counter for $1.00 per piece.

If the Qkr 8.30am time slot has been missed. I can only offer sandwiches if you call through - hot food needs to be ordered through Qkr.

Stock supply is still encountering issues. We can all see this in our grocery shopping as well with empty shelves. If it is not on Qkr it is unfortunately unavailable.

Thank you for your support through term two.

Helen Taufel
Canteen Co-ordinator

Catholic Schools Broken Bay 2023 Religious Creative Arts Competition

Join us for the ultimate celebration of creativity and talent at Catholic Schools Broken Bay's highly anticipated 2023 Religious Creative Arts Competition. Open to all students from Kindergarten to Year 10, this event features five exciting categories, including visual arts, dance, drama, music, and short film. Finalists will have the opportunity to perform or display their work at a special 'Showcase' performance evening, with industry performers and judges in attendance. Don't miss out on this incredible chance to showcase your creative talent!

Stage 1 - Entries close, 18 August 2023.Stage 2 - Finalists judging, 7 September 2023.Stage 3 - Finalists showcase evening, 24 October 2023.Register your interest at your school and mark the important dates on your calendar.

SJF Vacation Care July 2023

Vacation Care program for July now available
Catholic Care’s Vacation Care service offers a wide range of activities catering to children of differing ages and interests. We also head out and about on a range of fun local excursions each holiday period. We provide a stimulating and enjoyable environment and activities which harness the children’s interests and strengths whilst respecting their need for leisure. The July programs are available here
www.catholiccaredbb.org.au/vacation-care.
We hope to see you there!

Kind Regards,

Nicole Anderson
Community & Outreach Coordinator

Upcoming Events

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Week 9	19th June	20th June	21st June St John Fisher Mass 9.15 am (Change of date) Picnic Lunch on the COLA at 1.30pm (bring a picnic rug) Families welcome	22nd June	23rd June Stage 3 Soccer Gala Day SJF Parents Night Out (TBA)
Week 10	26th June	27th June	28th June Sacred Heart of Jesus	29th June	30th June PUPIL FREE DAY LAST DAY of TERM
TERM 3 Week 1	17th July	18th July	19th July	20th July	21st July
Week 2	24th July	25th July	26th July	27th July	28th July
Week 3	31st July	1st August	2nd August	3rd August	4th August CCC Athletics Carnival