St Anthony's School - Newsletter No.4

Dear Families and Friends of St Anthony’s School,

WOW, our term of “love” is flying by, luckily with many great moments to love and much learning to celebrate.

Over the last few weeks, we have celebrated the Feast of Australia, National Simultaneous Reading Time, Reconciliation Week, Laudato Si Week, World Environment Day, class Masses, Cabra musical – including seeing some old St Anthony’s students on stage, Zoo and Botanical Gardens excursions, celebrated feast of St Anthony including donuts for all, warmed up with Toastie Tuesdays,  begun netball clinics for Yr. 3 to Yr. 6, Japanese Languages Competition and started our dance program kindly supported by the P&F.

Learning in the classrooms has included illustrating and identifying the seasons in Reception Science, writing amazing – “off the page” recounts in Year 1 English, showing our care of creation through artwork in Year 2, learning about the states of Australia in Year 3 Geography, studying food webs in Yr. 4 Science, researching early Australian explorers in Yr. 5 History and investigating natural disasters in Yr. 6 Science.

The last few weeks of this term still has much instore –P&F Pizza lunch, highlighting World Refugee Day, Reception & Year 1 Mass, Yr. 3-6 Netball clinics, dance program, Yr 6 Vinnies Sleepout, welcoming our Term 3 receptions for a visit, NAIDOC Week, Yr 3-6 Netball Carnival, last day of term with PJ Day & Hot chocolate and muffins.

Currently, teachers are beginning to collate grades and comments that will go into end-of-semester reports, which will go home on the last day of the term. This year we are using a new reporting system in line with all Catholic Schools in South Australia. Our reports, overall, will remain the same with grades for each subject, a mark for each of our 5Ls together with a written comment.  A new addition is a mark for how your child has applied themselves to each of the learning areas. More information will be sent home in the coming weeks giving further details.

Our teachers worked together on the pupil-free day to further explore our focus on writing. We analysed several key documents about the teaching of writing to help us develop a common agreements and practices guide about the teaching of writing at St Anthony’s School.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and at mentoring moments today, students explored ways we experience love at school and how we can be the hearts and hands of God’s love in our world.

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus fill you with love, that you burn and glow with it more and more. Julian Tenison Woods (Founder of Josephite Sisters with Mary MacKillop) - 1879 

Best wishes from Stuart 

Mathematics provides students with essential mathematical knowledge, skills, procedures and processes in number, algebra, measurement, space, statistics and probability.

Mathematics aims to ensure that students: 

·         become confident, proficient and effective users and communicators of mathematics, who can investigate, represent and interpret situations

·         develop proficiency with mathematical concepts, skills, procedures and processes, and use them to demonstrate mastery in mathematics as they pose and solve problems, and reason with number, algebra, measurement, space, statistics and probability

·         make connections between areas of mathematics and other disciplines 

·         foster a positive disposition towards mathematics

(Taken from ACARA – Australian Curriculum Maths)

At St Anthony’s we use a common Maths lesson structure which includes:

·         Building Mental Computation / Fluency – through warm-up activities, number talks & problem-solving activities

·         Vocabulary - Explicit focus on the relevant and essential vocabulary for topic

·         Explicit Teaching / Whole Class & Small group Demonstration / Practice together

·         Problem Solving / Inquiry / Investigation / Real World Task - Mathematics by Inquiry promotes structured and purposeful investigations of mathematics in realistic contexts

·         Resources – use of a variety of technological tools, hands-on manipulatives, aids, and resources to support student learning

·         Reflection and review – through talk, writing and feedback. 

The Australian Curriculum: Humanities and Social Sciences comprises:

·         History and Geography from Reception

·         Civics and Citizenship from Year 3

·         Economics and Business from Year 5

Humanities and Social Sciences aims to ensure that students develop: 

·         a sense of wonder, curiosity and respect about places, people, cultures and systems throughout the world, past and present

·         key historical, geographical, civic, business and economic knowledge of people, places, values and systems, past and present

·         an understanding and appreciation of historical developments, geographic phenomena, civic values and economic factors that shape society, influence sustainability and create a sense of belonging 

·         an understanding of the key concepts applied to disciplinary inquiry and research

·         the capacity to skills, including - questioning, researching using reliable sources, analysing, evaluating and communicating

The Humanities and Social Sciences subjects in the Australian Curriculum provide a broad understanding of the world we live in, by exploring the past, looking at places and spaces of our globe, and how people can participate as active and informed citizens. 

The Australian Curriculum: Technologies comprises 2 subjects:

·         Design and Technologies, in which students use design thinking and technologies to generate and produce designed solutions for authentic needs and opportunities 

·         Digital Technologies, in which students use computational thinking and information systems to define, design and implement digital solutions for authentic problems. 

Australia needs enterprising individuals who can make discerning decisions about the development and use of technologies, develop solutions to complex challenges and contribute to sustainable patterns of living. Therefore, all young Australians should develop capacity for action and a critical appreciation of how technologies are developed and can contribute to societies. 

Technologies aims to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills to ensure that, individually and collaboratively, students:

·         investigate, design, plan, manage, create and evaluate solutions

·         are creative, innovative and enterprising when using traditional, contemporary and emerging technologies, and understand how technologies have developed over time

·         make informed and ethical decisions about the role, impact and use of technologies in their own lives, the economy, environment and society

·         engage confidently with and responsibly select and manipulate appropriate technologies – tools, equipment, processes, materials, data, ICT tools  − when designing and creating solutions

The practical nature of the Technologies learning area engages students in critical and creative thinking including understanding interrelationships in systems when solving complex problems. The learning area’s approach to experimentation, problem-solving, prototyping and evaluation instils in students the value of planning and reviewing processes to transform ideas into solutions.

 Meeting was held - Tuesday 13th June 

Key items discussed:

• Fundraising and spending 
• Quiz Night - planning has started for an amazing evening - which will now take place in term 3 - date to be decided
• ADVANCE NOTICE - Planning for BIG 2024 Community Fundraising event - Tuesday 8th Aug - 7pm - Creche available