Term 3 Week 4 (06/08/2021)
What Is On?
Friday 13th August - Awards Assembly - by Zoom - No parents onsite
Monday 16th August - Bikeathon S3
Tuesday 17th August - Bikeathon S2
Wednesday 18th August - Bikeathon S1
Thursday 19th August - Bikeathon ES1
Wednesday 25th August - Reconciliation in hall
Thursay 26th August - Soccer/Netball Carnival-Grafton
21-27 August - Bookweek
Friday 27th August - Book Character Parade
Saturday 28th August - First Communion - St James Church Yamba - Postponed
Friday 3rd September - Touch Footy Gala Day S2 & S3
Thursday 16th September - Last Day Term 3 for students
Friday 17th September - Staff Development Day - School Closed - all staff attending (First Aid)
Dear Parents and Carers,
Learning continues at a pace at St James.
On Monday and Tuesday, I joined the S3 team in Renew training and while some of the content was familiar I was invigorated by the experience and the new and challenging learning we were engaged in.
On Wednesday, I worked with the Catholic Schools Office on the 2022 staffing. In this discussion I was required to examine and explain why we do what we do at St James in the intervention space and how we continue to look for the best fit in the curriculum we offer.
On Thursday, I visited S1 to do some narrative storytelling with the children and ES1 for sounds. I deviated on my return through an unusually rowdy S2 where some sort of Olympic event was underway. In actual fact it was a Maths lesson. Whoever heard of having fun in Maths!
Today is Friday and Mrs Jeffrey and I have just completed the School Census. This is an annual accountability in which every school in Australia must take part.
I've also had a fabulous visit for Spelling in S3, where, after a rather tense sorting task with their focus pattern (see if you can guess what it is), the children asked whether I might have the vision to allow them the opportunity for competition in Silent Murder Ball, where the aim would be the annihilation of the opposition, if without hesitation, throwing caution to the wind they might have the satisfaction of the completion of the game. ( We all know S3 will never "waste an up" trying to convince me to let them play an unscheduled game of ... anything). Too clever with language by half!!
I am now working with Mrs Ferguson in the planning of Little J's.
Why the list? (I hear you ask) This is the life of our school and while we can not share these experiences in situ, I am so happy to see the learning and community building amongst the children continue at pace.
See you in Kiss and Drop
Ann
COVID update.
The Diocese is responding continually to the changing health advice. Today, you will receive another update where the response to the Hunter Valley emerging issues are detailed.
I know that while we all are working together to keep all safe that your prayers and thoughts continue for all impacted.
School Communication
In the executive meeting this week, we finalised the School Continuity Plan. This document will guide us in the unlikely event of a return to blended learning. Part of this process involves the school executive maintaining contact with all families. To this end, we have divided the list of families into contact groups to ensure this process is successful. To build and maintain positive relationships in a time of challenge we have decided to begin contacting all parents fortnightly while parents are unable to be onsite.
We will send out an email to introduce ourselves. If you are unavailable when we call ( every few weeks at present) we would be happy to receive a call at a later date or alternatively to receive an email or text that lets us know all is fine.
Talk soon!
School Fun Bike Event
This event will be held at school in Week 6, 16-19 August (in place of the annual Bikeathon).
Please email permission for year child/children to participate: yamp@lism.catholic.edu.au
Monday 16th August - Stage 3 (Bikes only)
Tuesday 17th August - Stage 2 (Bikes only)
Wednesday 18th August - Stage 1 (Bike or scooter)
Thursday 18th August - Early Stage 1 (Bike or scooter)
Students may wear mufti clothes and covered shoes on their bike day.
Please note that no student will be riding their bike or scooter without a helmet.
Christine Jeffrey
RE News
LOP News
Try some more open-ended maths activities with your child. The tasks presented can be completed in a short period of time or the investigations can be explored further. Send back to school to Mrs Dougherty as she would love to see your answers. Have fun.
Eamon Mawn has sent back his answers to the week 2 problems and you can see the analysing skills he has used to solve an unfamiliar problem. Well done Eamon.
Little J's News
Today Mrs Ferguson began the 2021 Little J's Transition.
The transition is in a remote form as you can imagine.
You might notice the presence of the Saint James Little J's Bear somewhere in Kiss and Drop!
Check out the our video:
Each week we will introduce a Little J to the school community via this newsletter and know that everyone will make these new learners and their families welcome to our school community. With 17 siblings many of the Little J's will be familiar.
Please welcome our first Little J ( drumroll please!)
...Kingston.
ES1
This week we welcomed twins - James and Nicholas to the Kindergarten class. Students have been so welcoming and have enjoyed teaching the boys our classroom rules and routines. Following on from our 100th Day of School Celebration, students had to write about what they will be like when they are 100 years old! Our writing was just too good to not share….
When I am 100 years old….
… I will give my grandkids a Happy Meal. (Jackson).
… I will be fun. I will never say “No” to my grandchildren. (Declan)
… I will take my grandkids to the park to play for a while. (Pearl)
...I will take my boys on my tractor. (Elliott)
… I will be a nice Grandma. I will take my grandkids to Big W. (Lola)
Stage 1
As part of our English focus on informative literature we have created a newsroom as an investigation space where students can compose and deliver news of their choice. One of the jobs of the photographer and reporter in investigations is to compose some classroom news to inform what has been happening over the week to share with families.
Here is their report and some images that they collected:
Stage 2
Stage 3
Birthdays
Fr Nicolas - 2nd August, Isabel Duckett - 8th August, Layla Hodge - 10th August, Frazer Vanagas - 11th August, Aryadeep Kantamneni - 12th August, Mrs Jeffrey - 13th August, Hope Homewood - 17th August, Marlie Zvatora - 17th August, Maeve Mortimer - 18th August.