Camp Wombaroo

Last week, Year 5/6 went to the amazing and awesome camp at Wombaroo, which helped us to grow and learn together. We bonded over the exciting and challenging activities that were on offer.

During raft building, everyone worked as a team to build a raft that would float using different knot techniques. The Giant Swing and the Vertical Challenge gave us an exhilarating experience of heights which took us out of our comfort zone. Again, we had to work together as a team to pull each other up high using ropes connected to a harness that we needed to wear for safety.

For the environmental education, bushwalking, and orienteering, we independently learnt how to read maps, how different ecosystems work and saw wildlife in their natural habitats.

We also learnt about other people’s strengths, especially in archery where some of us hit the bullseye or came close. Overall, the staff were lovely, and we learnt more about each other emotionally and physically. We are all now closer together with good memories to share.

By Oliva S and Isabella P

Students will be sitting NAPLAN between 14 and 25 March 2024. Students need to be on time as Year 3 will sit tests at 9 am and Year 5 at 10am. Please try not to schedule appointments during these times and dates. If your child is unwell keep them home and we will conduct a make up test if they return to school during the testing period.

NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are already learning at school. On its own, NAPLAN is not a test that can be studied for, and students are not expected to do so.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process – it does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance; however, students and parents may use individual results to discuss progress with teachers.

Read the NAPLAN information brochure for parents and carers. To see the format of the tests, visit the public demonstration site.

Tailored Tests are used in NAPLAN

Key features of a tailored test

• Your child will be doing NAPLAN. NAPLAN is an online test. One of the main features of NAPLAN is that it is a tailored (or adaptive) test.
• This means that students receive questions better suited to their abilities, so they can demonstrate what they know and can do.
• Tailored tests provide more precise results. Trials of the tailored test design show students are more engaged with tests that adapt to their test performance.
• Students should not be concerned if they think that the questions are more difficult than expected or they have previously experienced – this may simply mean that they are taking a more challenging but more appropriate pathway. Harder questions receive a greater weighting so there is no disadvantage in scoring.
• This tailored testing approach means that a wider range of student abilities can be tested (compared with the paper approach, where all students answer exactly the same questions).
• Further information about tailored testing is on the NAP website.

NAPLAN is for everyone: help for students with disability sitting NAPLAN

NAPLAN is for everyone. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) is committed to an inclusive testing process that allows all students to participate in the National Assessment Program. ACARA has released a series of videos where students, parents, carers and teachers talk about the sense of belonging and achievement students get from participating in NAPLAN with their peers.

NAPLAN’s disability adjustments enable an equivalent learner experience for students during testing and include, for example, magnification, alternative questions, keyboard accessibility, extra time, rest breaks and tailored testing.

Students, parents and carers can also get hands-on experience with the format and adjustments of the test on the NAPLAN public demonstration site. The Guide for schools to assist students with disability to access NAPLAN provides an overview of the process that teachers, in consultation with parents and carers, follow to assist students with disability.

NAPLAN results can assist teachers by providing additional information to support their professional judgement about students’ levels of literacy and to monitor their students' progress over time against the national measure.

Special wishes to those children who will celebrate their birthday this week:

Congratulations to the following students who achieved a Harmony Award this week. 

Well done!!   

Parish Sacramental Program 2024

2024 Parish Sacramental Program – for students who are baptised and in years 4-6 in 2024.

Sacrament of Reconciliation – will be celebrated during term 1 on:

Tuesday 2 April in St Michael’s Church, Kaleen;

Wednesday 3 April in St Monica’s Church, Evatt; and

Thursday 4 April in St Monica’s Church, Evatt.

Registrations are now closed and No Late Registrations can be accepted. 

Trybooking – to book a 5 minute spot for your child to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The Trybooking links will open on Monday 18 March and the links will be on the Parish website at www.cg.org.au/belconnennorth

Commitment Masses – Sacrament of Reconciliation – commence this weekend
Students and parents must attend one of the weekend Masses at either St Monica’s Church (6pm Saturday or 10am Sunday) or St Michael’s Church (8am or 5.30pm Sunday) on one of the dates listed below to make their commitment for the Sacrament.
Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 March
Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 March
There will be no additional commitment masses beyond this date.

Sacrament of First Communion - will be celebrated across the four Sunday Parish Masses on the weekend of 15 and 16 June.

Sacrament of Confirmation – will be celebrated on 17, 18, and 19 September.

For further Information – please contact the Sacramental Program Coordinator at sc.belconnennorth@cg.org.au or check the parish website at www.cg.org.au/belconnennorth

For Information

Catholic school families are invited to enter a treasure hunt competition being run by Catholic Schools Guide. The winner will receive $2000 worth of school fees, and runners up will receive Roblox vouchers.

We invite families to enter - 

Details: catholicschoolsguide.com.au/competition   

School Sport ACT - ACT Teams Selection - Important Information 

Please see the School Sport ACT webpage http://www.schoolsportaustralia.edu.au/stateterritory-school-sport-offices/school-sport-act/ or Facebook page for the most up to date information.

SCHOOL SPORT ACT TRIALS – Please keep an eye on the School Sport ACT website www.schoolsportact.asn.au for upcoming ACT trials. The process for registering can be found below. If you need any assistance registering your child please feel free to ask for assistance.

How to register your child with School Sport ACT

School Sport ACT now collects all registration information online – this is to prevent the movement to and fro of a paper note and have all information readily available to officials prior to the trial. As this process incurs a fee for data storage, system maintenance and admin, a small fee payment via credit card will be required.

1. Go to the School Sport ACT website – www.schoolsportact.asn.au
2. Click Register (top right corner of homepage) for an Account – enter parent details and password
3. A confirmation email will be sent to your chosen email that will contain a link that you must click on to verify the email account.
4. Click Log In (top right hand corner of home page) enter password then click on top tab My Profile
5. You will see a ‘dashboard’ of your information, click green box to Add Student – enter student and medical details and save.
6. Go to the Sports Tab – choose your specific sport, click on Trial Information box then click on the Register to Trial link.
7. Select your child’s name from the dropdown box and then enter the optional fields for Playing History, Preferred Position (if applicable) and Representative Experience. If you are already in the system, ensure your child’s school is up to date in your profile – have they moved onto High School?

Community Services #1 are pleased to announce that we will be the Out of School Hours Care Provider for St Michael’s in 2024.

Information about our service

Daily session fees and opening hours:

Before School Care: 7.00am-8.45am - $27.00 per session * - includes breakfast

After School Care: 3.00pm-6.00pm - $41.00 per session * – includes afternoon tea and a late snack after 5pm

* Session fees are calculated before the Child Care Subsidy is applied.

Program:

Children have access to a wide range of resources such as sports equipment, board games, construction, art and craft, books, small world, dramatic play and loose parts. Experiences planned by and with the children are run each session as well as spontaneous experiences based on children’s interests on the day.

Expressions of interest and more information

If you would like to submit an expression of interest for care in 2024 or have any questions, please email stmichaels@communityservices1.org and you will be sent through information regarding enrolment.

We look forward to meeting you next year.

Regards,

Emily

My name is Jo, and I am happy to be back as the School Counsellor at St Michaels in 2024.

I have a psychology and counselling background and I have a great passion in working with young people. I feel it is a great privilege to be able to support them with their growth, emotions, relationships, and any other concerns they might be experiencing. 

The school counselling program is a first port of call in supporting your child’s mental wellbeing within the school environment. I am able to provide short-term counselling intervention sessions over a few weeks and provide support and guidance in accessing external services if required. Feel free to touch base with any questions or concerns relating to the counselling service at your school, happy to chat through the program and the support I can offer in this role. I am at the school on a Monday each week.

If you would like to make a referral for your child, please use the link below to access the form – once the referral has been put through, I will be in touch as soon as possible.

https://catholiccare.force.com/housing/s/school-referral-form

I look forward to working with you and your school throughout 2024!