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St THOMAs MoRE “We are a Contemporary, Christ Centred, Child Centred Learning Community”
Newsletter Term 4 – 8
th February 2018
Email address: [email protected] 30 Angus Street, Hadfield, 3046 Home page: www.stmhadfield.catholic.edu.au PH: 9312 8200 / Fax: 9312 8299 Intranet address: www.stmhadfield.catholic.edu.au/mydesktop OSHC – [email protected] Hours : 7am - 9am & 3.20pm - 6.00pm Ph: 0401442393 Any cancellations send an SMS to 0421 268 989 or email [email protected]
NEWS FROM OUR PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents and Caregivers
Welcome back to the new school year for 2018. We have a short first term this year with the beginning of lent starting with Ash Wednesday next week. The season of Lent will conclude with Holy week which is the last weekend of this term.
Thank you to all the parents that we able to attend our beginning of the year mass today, please remember that all parents who are available are welcome at all school masses. Yesterday, your children may have come home talking about a special assembly we needed to have to remind the children that school holidays are actually over, and that they need to remember that our school expectations for behaviour are back in place.
Information about joining the School Advisory Board will be coming home soon as well as the opportunity to be a part of a new Parents and Friends committee for St Thomas More. Some parents have expressed interest in these roles in the past so we are looking for them to nominate themselves and for others to consider how they can contribute to our wonderful school life.
Thursday and Friday the 8th and 9th of March are student-free days. As a Catholic school it is of great importance that our staff receive ongoing professional development in the areas of Faith formation, curriculum development and student assessment and reporting purposes. Our staff will be participating in a staff retreat off site on these days which are part of the professional development opportunities mandated in the last Independent Education Union negotiations.
This year we welcome two new teachers to our school community. Miss Grace Crisara who will be part of the Prep Team and Mrs Christine Polizzi who is part of the Grade 5 team. Mrs Rebecca Tong and Mrs Kate MacIntosh have returned from Maternity leave and are sharing Grade 4 Maroon.
A very big welcome to our 75 new Preps and their families. The children are settling into school life beautifully and we are very proud of all of them. Enrolments for 2019 are now open and I will begin my kinder visits very soon. The school is at capacity now, so next years’ intake will be limited to 60 places. Please inform family and friends of this so that they don’t delay and miss out on a place for next year.
The STM Sunsmart policy requires all children to wear a hat at all times when outdoors during first and fourth terms. Please ensure that your child also has sunscreen applied before school and has more sunscreen with them to reapply during the school day.
On the 28th of April this year, the St Thomas More School community will be hosting our first Family Fun Day (Fete). Much of the preliminary organisation has been done by the executive, but as we ramp into gear we need all the help we can get from as many people in our community to make this day a huge success. The goal for the Family Fun Day is targeted toward shade for the children, so please save the date. We have been trying to organise shade over the front and back gates as well as the junior sports green for a long time, but it is an extremely expensive exercise, no matter which option we go for.
This year we will showcase our arts festival. This event will place early in term 4 so hopefully, the weather is kind to us. This event includes the visual arts as well as the performing arts and is always an evening to look forward to.
There will be some changes to the canteen this year. Some new options have been added to the menu and unfortunately there are also some inevitable price increases. Your teachers will continue to update you via email with what’s going on in the class, please continue reading these emails, weekly blogs on our website and seesaw.
The Sacrament of First Eucharist will be celebrated on Sunday 17th June and Sunday 24th June 2018 at 10.30am at St Thomas More Parish Church. To book your preferred day, you will need to visit the following website
www.schoolinterviews.com.au and use the event code e423s. The school interviews online booking will take place next Thursday 15th February 2018 at 9.30am. Please note that curriculum levies are now outstanding. Please attend to them as soon as possible so that we can move forward financially.
Thank you so much for your ongoing support. Marcy De Nardis
LIST OF EVENTS TERM 1 2018 February
Tuesday 13th Prep Meet and Greet
Tuesday 13th Shrove Tuesday
Wednesday 14th Ash Wednesday Mass @ 9.15am
Friday 16th Term 1 fees due
Thursday 22nd School photos
Monday 26th Seniors Young Leaders Day
March Thursday 8th Curriculum day – Student Free Day
Friday 9th Curriculum day – Student Free Day
Monday 12th Public holiday - Labour day – Student Free Day
Tuesday 13th Yr 5/6 camp
Tuesday 13th Book Fair Begins
Friday 16th Yr 5/6 return from camp
Tuesday 20th Book Fair Ends
Tuesday 20th Open day 7.00pm tour
Wednesday 21st Open day 9.30am tour
Monday 26th National Young Leaders Day
Tuesday 27th Year 3 Reconciliation Family Faith session 3.40pm in the church
Tuesday 27th Open day 9.30am tour
Thursday 29th Last day Term 1 12.00pm finish
Friday 30th Good Friday
TBC Celebrations of Learning
TBC Easter Celebrations
April Sunday 1st Easter Sunday
Sunday 1st Daylight savings ends
Term 2 begins Monday 16th April 2018
LIBRARY NEWS
Unfortunately not all library books were returned at the end of last year. Would you please check if your child has books in their library bag and return them as soon as possible. If you are unsure please check with your classroom teacher. Invoices for payment of books not returned, will be sent out at the end of February. It is important that library books are returned each week when children attend the library so they can borrow new books and continue to enjoy a love of reading.
Thank you for your help with this matter.
Year 4 Communion Dates/Bookings
Dear Year 4 Families,
The Sacrament of First Eucharist will be celebrated on Sunday 17th June 2018 and Sunday 24th June 2018 at
10.30am at St Thomas More Parish Church.
To book your preferred day, we will be opening our school interviews on-line booking next Thursday 15th February 2018
at 9.30am.
Please visit the following website and use event code e423swww.schoolinterviews.com.au
Thank You
Academy Uniforms
Our supplier of our Uniforms is now taking on-line ordering. Please visit their website; http://www.academyuniforms.com.au/ and use password : hadfield
Homework Club
Our aim is to assist students in completing their weekly homework tasks. Homework Club will commence Term 1, week 5
Tuesday the 27th and Wednesday the 28th of February Homework club runs on both Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon at 3.30pm-4.30pm in the school
library.
$10 per session
Total of $50 per student for Term 1
Payments for the term are required at commencement of the program
Contact:
Domenica Belante
STUDENT WELLBEING NEWS:
A warm welcome to all families for the 2018 school year. We are looking forward to new initiatives and a continued focus on our Student Action Teams; Faith and Social Justice, Sustainability, Student Wellbeing, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and Community Arts. Congratulations to all School Leaders, House Leaders, and Class Leaders.
This term in inquiry prep- 6 will focus on ‘Safety and Being Safe’ including cyber-safety and personal safety. We hope to have Senior Constable Jo Imrie from Brunswick Police station also speaking with each year level.
Starting A New School Year- KIDSMATTER The preps have had a smooth transition to school and have enjoyed some special opportunities to meet and play with their buddies on the adventure play space. The buddies are also encouraging the children to meet new friends in the prep level.
Starting school or returning to school for most children is a positive experience but children can also feel overwhelmed. Kidsmatter has a wealth of resources, articles and tip sheets from A- Z on every topic you may need. From mental health, making friends, solving friendship issues, anxiety and much more to stay healthy and have happy relationships. I encourage you to get to know this website. For prep parents: There are also videos on transition to school. https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/mental-health-matters/starting-school
Social and Emotional Learning Social and emotional learning is about learning how to manage feelings, manage friendships and solve problems. These are essential life skills that support wellbeing and positive mental health. Social and emotional skills promote children’s ability to cope with difficulties and help to prevent mental health problems. Children who have developed social and emotional skills find it easier to manage themselves, relate to others, resolve conflict, and feel positive about themselves and the world around them.
What does social and emotional learning have to do with learning?
Research has shown that children’s learning is influenced by a range of social and emotional factors. How well children do at school is affected by things such as:
how confident children feel about their abilities
how effectively they are able to manage their own behaviour
how well they can concentrate and organise themselves
how effectively they can solve problems
how positively they are able to get on with teaching staff and with peers
how effectively they take into account others’ needs
how well they can understand and accept responsibilities.
https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/mental-health-matters/social-and-emotional-learning
Allergy and Anaphylaxis ‘ No Food Sharing’ Rule
AT St Thomas More we have children with allergy and life threatening risk to Anaphylaxis and therefore have a ‘no food sharing’ rule. We also practise safe eating procedures, wash hands after eating known allergens that may affect a child in that class and wash down tables when necessary. Please remind your child/children they are not to share food.
We hope that all children will enjoy their first few weeks back. Please visit class blogs where you will find more information on Student Wellbeing.
Janine Cincotta Student Wellbeing Leader
2018 Victoria School Holidays and Term Dates
Period Start Finish Length
Term 1 Tuesday, January 30
2018
(Staff return to school)
Thursday, 29 March
2018 9 weeks
School Holidays Friday, 30 March 2018 Sunday, 15 April 2018
Term 2 Monday, 16 April 2018 Friday, 29 June 2018 11
weeks
School Holidays Saturday, 30 June 2018 Sunday, 15 July 2018
Term 3 Monday, 16 July 2018 Friday, 21 September
2018 10
weeks
School Holidays Saturday, 22
September 2018 Sunday, 7 October
2018
Term 4 Monday, 8 October
2018 TBC 11
weeks
2018/2019 Summer School
Holidays TBC TBC
Parents and Friends News
With only 12 weeks to go until our FAMILY FUN DAY on Saturday April 28, we are going to
be sharing updates, news and snippets in the lead up to the day via our Facebook page.
SCHOOL PHOTO DAY IS COMING
SCHOOLPIX will be here on THURSDAY 22ND FEBRUARY 2018
PHOTO DAY TIPS:
Dress: Clean and tidy as per school uniform guidelines. Full Summer Uniform to be worn. (Maroon Jumpers are not required to be worn). If your child has sport on this day, they may bring their runners to change into
after their photos are taken. Hair: Neat and swept off face
Online Orders: To pre-order online, take your personal Order and ID Numbers found on your order form and go to www.schoolpix.com.au. Orders can be placed online up to 2 working days after photography.
You do not need to return the order form if you order online. Remember: All orders placed online before midnight on photography day will receive a free 20cm x 25cm black and white portrait print.
Sibling Orders: For a special photo of your children together order online by 8am on photography day. Alternatively collect a Sibling Order Form from the office or download it from the SchoolPix website and return it on photography day. Only siblings that place an order will be photographed.
If you have any questions call SchoolPix on 1300 766 055 or email [email protected]
SCHOOL BANKING IS NOW ON WEDNESDAY’S WEEKLY
This year, the Dollarmites are stationed in their superhero headquarters, ready to start a Super Savers adventure with students participating in School Banking. There's eight new Super Savers reward items for students to select from when redeeming their 10 silver Dollarmites tokens. These include a handball, scratch pad, glow light, flying disc, glitter pens, heat-reactive pencils and a slushie maker cup.
OSHClub News
Before School / After School Care Program
Hello families,
Welcome back to the new school year! We hope you all had a fantastic break filled with lots of fun and relaxation!
This year in OSHClub we welcome our new grade preps, as well as numerous other new students of other grades to the
program. For the children who we have welcomed already, we hope you are all settling in nicely and are enjoying our
program so far.
Our focus this term is to educate the children on the topics of Sustainability and Healthy Eating. We aim to provide
activities that will allow the children to develop the knowledge and skills to effectively make positive healthy eating
choices and preserve the environment that they live in.
OSHClub will additionally be implementing various new fun and engaging activities based on an increasing student
interest. These activities will include arts and craft, cooking, sports, dance/drama and science experiments.
As of 5/02/2018 we have had some staffing changes. We are very pleased to welcome back Luisa Coco as a permanent
assistant at the program - Luisa is a valuable member at OSHClub, as well as the school community. The changes are as
follows:
Before school care: Lisamarie will remain Coordinator with Luisa as her assistant.
After school care: On Monday-Wednesday Lisamarie will be the Coordinator with Alexandra as her assistant. On
Thursday and Friday Alexandra will be the Coordinator with Luisa as her assistant.
This week our activities will include but are not limited to:
BSC Downball Music
competition –
guess the song
Arts and Craft
– create your
own robot
Magic show
Dancing
ASC Baking a cake Make your
own puppet
Soccer match Basketball
competition
Volcano
science
experiment
Important notice: here at OSHClub we have a no hat, no play policy. Therefore, all students are required to have a spare
hat in their bag each morning and afternoon, we recommend leaving it here in our office with them name clearly
labelled and this will prevent our children from any disappointment. After 3:20pm the classrooms are locked and
therefore they are unable to go and collect their school hats after this time. If you have any queries or questions
regarding this matter please let us know.
6 SKILL SETS THAT HELP KIDS SUCCEED
BY MICHAEL GROSE
When I was teaching, as I got to know to children at the start of the year, I was always on the lookout for factors others than academic ability. As a number of researchers have
found, including Prof. Michael Bernard author of the You Can Do It Program, children need more than a penchant for learning to succeed at school.
There are a number of skill sets that contribute to children’s success over the long-term.
They are skills that we neglect if we narrow our focus on numeracy, literacy, performing arts and other academic skill sets. They are also skill sets that can be taught, or at the
very least drawn out, when we as adults know what to look for.
Following are six skill sets that contribute massively to overall student success and contentedness at school.
1. Friendship skills
The ability to get along with others is hugely important for children. How quickly children settle into a new school year will be determined as much by their ability to
make new friends and fit into a peer group, as any other factor. Those children with a strong set of friendship skills have a definite set of skills that makes them easy to like,
easy to relate to and easy to play with. These skills include the ability to win and lose well; how to approach others to join in a group and how to lead rather than boss. These
are just three of 17 basic friendship skills that have been identified as being essential for making and keeping friends.
2. Organising skills
You can probably recall when you went to school a student who was really bright, but
who let themselves down because they couldn’t organise themselves or others. The ability to organise your time, your space, your items and others is a massive plus for
any student. Being organised extends beyond school, including at home and during leisure time. The best way to help children who are organisationally-challenged is to
introduce them to systems and processes to help them organise themselves. These processes include the use of visual reminders; anchoring (i.e linking new behaviours to
habitual behaviours) and mapping activities out.
3. Optimism skills
It may seem strange to see optimism as skill set, but as leading psychologist Prof.
Martin Seligman discovered through his research, optimism can be taught. Seligman found that while some children are more inclined by nature to see a glass as half empty
than half full, all children are capable of developing an optimistic explanatory style
through exposure and direct teaching. The skills of optimism include being aware of self-
talk, reframing negative events into positive effects and the practice of perspective-taking.
4. Coping skills
Kids will generally face a number of challenges during the course of their school lives including overcoming disappointment of missing being picked in a team; working their
way through difficult learning situations and meeting with rejection. How stressful these situations will depend on their own spirit, the support they receive and their coping
skills. The good news is that coping skills can be taught, or at the very least,
encouraged, if adults know what to focus on. Coping strategies include parking problems for a while; normalising a situation and accepting and moving on. Some kids will use
coping strategies quite naturally, while others need parental input to help them cope with seemingly minor challenges.
5. Relaxation skills
The ability to relax and get away from it all is vital for the maintenance of mental health, which in turn, impacts on a student’s ability to perform. Many of today’s kids live
with pressure. That pressure needs to be released through relaxation and play, otherwise it just continues to build and it shows itself through anxiety and other mental
illnesses. The ability to relax and unwind is paramount to your child’s school success. Ways to unwind include getting lost in a hobby; learning how to meditate and enjoying
creative pursuits.
6. Relationship skills
Children at school are involved in hundreds of social interactions every day ranging from
working cooperatively with a peer in class through to asking a teacher for help. Most of
the interactions go well, but there are times when there will be conflict and tension. This is when children with a solid set of communication and relationship skills honed through
a myriad of sibling interactions come to the fore. They don’t become flummoxed when a child won’t give them what they want, or a child tells tales to the teacher about them.
Children that come from very small families (two children or less) often don’t have experiences of conflict to draw on so they need to be taught how to give way graciously;
to stand up for themselves assertively rather than angrily and to see two sides to a story rather than take things personally. There are many skills we can teach our kids to
help them maintain healthy relationships at school, as well as in their families.
These skill sets are part developmental and part environmental. That is, kids will naturally develop many skills as they mature. But also many of the skills need to be
nurtured environmentally- that is, they need to be recognised,encouraged, taught and modelled by adults that children and teenagers respect and admire if children are to
acquire them. That makes parents Very Important People in the acquisition process of these skill sets in children and young people.
CSEF ELIGIBILITY Below is the criteria used to determine a student’s eligibility for the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF). Criteria 1 – Eligibility
To be eligible* for the fund, a parent or legal guardian of a student attending a registered Government or non-government Victorian primary or secondary school must: • on the first day of Term one, or; • on the first day of Term two; a) Be an eligible beneficiary within the meaning of the State Concessions Act 2004, that is, be a holder of Veterans Affairs Gold Card or be an eligible Centrelink Health Care Card (HCC) or Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) holder, OR
b) Be a temporary foster parent, and;
c) Submit an application to the school by the due date. Criteria 2 - Be of school age and attend school in Victoria
School is compulsory for all Victorian children aged between six and 17 years of age inclusive. For the purposes of CSEF, students may be eligible for assistance if they attend a Victorian registered primary or secondary school. Typically, these students are aged between five and 18 years inclusive. CSEF is not payable to students attending pre-school, kindergarten, home schooled, or TAFE. Eligibility Date
For concession card holders CSEF eligibility will be subject to the parent/legal guardian’s concession card being successfully validated with Centrelink on the first day of either term one (29 January 2018) or term two (16 April 2018).
PAYMENT AMOUNTS CSEF payment amount
The CSEF is an annual payment to the school to be used towards camps, sports and/or excursion expenses for the benefit of the eligible student. • Primary school student rate: $125 per year. • Secondary school student rate: $225 per year. The CSEF is paid directly to your child’s school and will be allocated by the school towards camps, sports and/or excursion costs for your child. For ungraded students, the rate payable is determined by the student’s date of birth. For more information, see:
www.education.vic.gov.au/csef
HOW TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FORM NOTE: ALL SECTIONS MUST BE COMPLETED BY PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN
1. Complete the PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN DETAILS section. Make sure that the Surname, First Name, and Customer Reference Number (CRN) details match those on your concession card. You will also need to provide your concession card to the school. 2. Complete the STUDENT/S DETAILS section for students at this school. 3. Sign and date the form and return it to the school office as soon as possible. The CSEF program for 2018 closes on 29 June, 2018. CSEF payments cannot be claimed retrospectively for prior years. Queries relating to CSEF eligibility and payments should be directed to the school.
© 2017 Department of Education and Training
AS OF 2018, ALL EXISTING CSEF RECEIPIENTS FROM 2017 ARE NOT REQUIRED TO COMPLETE
AN APPLICATION FORM AGAIN. IF YOUR ELIGIBILITY IS STIL CURRENT, YOUR
APPLICATION/INFORMATION FROM 2017 WILL AUTOMATICALLY ROLLOVER.
PLEASE NOTE: ONLY NEW APPLICANTS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE AN APPLICATION FORM.
2018 Canteen Price List SANDWICH ROLL HOT FOOD
Buttered $1.30 $1.80 Beef Lasagne, Twista & Penne Bolognaise $4.00
Vegemite $1.60 $2.10 100’s & 1000’s $1.60 $2.10 Four n Twenty Pie $3.80
Strawberry Jam $1.60 $2.10 Four n Twenty Sausage Roll $3.00
Cheese $2.40 $2.90 Party Pie $1.00
Cheese & Tomato $3.00 $3.50 Steamed Dim Sims $1.00
Ham $3.20 $3.70 Hot Dog in Bread $2.20
Ham & Cheese $3.80 $4.30 Hot Dog in Roll $2.70
Ham, Cheese & Tomato $4.10 $4.60 2 Hot Dogs in Roll $3.30
Ham & Salad* $4.70 $5.20 Chicken Nuggets 60c
Tuna $3.20 $3.70 Chicken Wedges 80c
Tuna & Cheese $3.80 $4.30
SNACKS Tuna, Cheese & Tomato $4.40 $5.00
Cobs Popcorn: Sea Salt, Cheese & Vinegar $1.50 Tuna & Salad* $5.20 $5.70
Chicken $3.20 $3.70 Chicken & Cheese $3.80 $4.30 Shapes, Tiny Teddies, Fruit Nuggets & Oreos 50c
Chicken, lettuce & Mayo $4.00 $4.50 Gingerbread People & Choc Chip Cookies $1.50
Chicken & Salad* $5.20 $5.70 Cup Cakes / Cookies $1.00
Salad* $4.20 $4.70 Mamee Dried Noodles - BBQ or Chicken & $1.00
Extra - Toasted 10c 10c Zooper Doopers 80c
* ( Cheese, Cucumber, Tomato, Beetroot, Carrot & Lettuce )
Streets Lemonade Icy Twists and Vanilla Cup $1.10
Frozen Yoghurt – Choc/Vanilla,
Strawberry/Vanilla, Coconut/Raspberry,
Watermelon/Mango
$2.00
Streets Paddle Pops – Rainbow & Choc $1.60
WRAPS Frozen Pineapple Rings, Oranges & Grapes 50c
Warm Chicken ( 2 Tenderloins, Lettuce, Grated
Cheese, Tomato & mayo )
Warm Chicken ( 2 Tenderloins, Grated Cheese, Mayo)
$6.20
DRINKS
$4.70 Water - 350ml $1.00
Tuna
(Tuna, Lettuce, & Philly Cream Cheese) $5.70
100% Just Juice – Apple/Blackcurrant,
Orange, Tropical & Apple $1.50
Organic Juice – Apple/Blackcurrant, Orange,
Apple & Tropical $2.00
SALAD BOXES Big M Strawberry/ Chocolate Milk - 250ml $2.00
Plain (Lettuce, Cucumber, Tomato, Beetroot, Carrot
& Grated Cheese)
With Chicken Ham or Tuna
$5.30 Up & Go - 250ml
Banana, Chocolate, Strawberry & Vanilla
$2.00
$6.80
EXTRAS SPECIALS
Tomato Sauce, Soy Sauce & BBQ sauce 20c each Monday
Cheese and Salad Toppings 60c each Chicken Burger Plain $3.20
Toasted Sandwiches 10c Chicken Burger with Cheese $3.80
Large Brown Lunch Bags 10c Chicken Burger with Lettuce $3.80
SUSHI Chicken Burger with Cheese, Lettuce & Mayo $4.60
Teriyaki Chicken $2.80
Salmon & Avocado $2.80 Wednesday
Prawn & Avocado $2.80 Pizza - Ham & Cheese, Ham & Pineapple $3.00
Tempura Prawn $2.80 RICE / NOODLE BOXES
Crispy Chicken $2.80 Chicken with either rice or noodles $6.70
California $2.60 Beef with either rice or noodles $6.70
Avocado $2.60 Vegetables with either rice or noodles $6.70
Tuna $2.60
Vegetable $2.60
We’re excited to announce that the Coles Sports for Schools program is back for 2018 and our school has been
invited to join! The program gives schools across Australia the opportunity to earn sports gear just by collecting
vouchers from Coles.
Through Sports for Schools, Coles has supplied over $20 million worth of sports gear to over 7,500 schools across
Australia.
Start collecting Today........
Enrolments are accepted when a student is in Grade 4 or Grade 5.
Applications close at the end of August each year for Year 7 students and in October for Years
8-12.
Year 7, 2018 CLOSED Friday 17th Feb - Limited spaces still available
Year 7, 2019 CLOSED Friday 25th Aug - Limited spaces still available
Year 7, 2020 - Now taking applications