The Learning Zone

The Learning Zone - Mrs Holland, Leader of Pedagogy/Assistant Principal

St Joseph's Primary School - a Faith Filled Community Where Learning Matters

Living Well, Learning Well

'Living Well, Learning Well' is a document that has been developed by the Armidale Catholic Schools Office to support the students in all Catholic schools in our diocese.  The document presents a framework "where Catholic pastoral care is centred on a universal ethos of care and the work of a team of skilled, helpful adults is founded on evidence-based, high impact approaches to improving conditions of learning, teaching, wellbeing and faith development for children and young people."

The Living Well, Learning Well framework guides us as we work to increase learning, wellbeing and life-opportunity outcomes for the children in our care.  We are provided with three 'Rules for Living and Learning' which define the behaviour expectations we have for ourselves and others.   Students have been introduced to these rules and are becoming more familiar with them.  They are:

1. I am safe(I am kept safe and keep others safe)
2. I am valued, respected and cared for(and I value, respect and care for others)
3. I am a learner(and I support my learning, the learning of others and the work of my teacher and other adults)

The information sheet below has been designed for parents and outlines ways you can support the three 'Rules for Living and Learning' from home. 

Crunch & Learn

‘Crunch & Learn’ is a time at the beginning of the school day where students eat an extra serve of fruit or vegetables to support good health and to help learning. 

Students simply bring a piece of fruit or serve of vegetables into the classroom to eat during the morning session, while continuing with their regular routine. 

Please send your child to school each day with an extra piece of fruit or serve of vegetables to eat in the classroom.  Something that can be easily taken into the room and eaten without causing too much mess is ideal, for example:

• An apple, banana, carrot, celery sticks.
• A small container of sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, grapes, strawberries, cucumber or capsicum sticks, broccoli bits or chopped melon.
• Fresh is best but fruit in juice or water is okay sometimes.
• Dried fruit like sultanas or apricots are allowed but should be limited as the dried fruit clings to teeth and is a concentrated source of sugar, increasing the risk of tooth decay.

Please don’t send fruit or vegetable products (e.g. fruit straps, popcorn, fruit or vegetable breads), fruit canned in syrup or jelly or with artificial sweeteners, flavoured or marinated  vegetables. 

If your child is ordering fresh fruit from the canteen on Thursday or Friday this will arrive at 11am and be eaten during the first break (recess). This is after the Crunch & Learn time which occurs at the beginning of the school day so, even if ordering from the canteen, children will still need to bring something from home for Crunch & Learn.  

Thank you for your supporting Crunch & Learn at St Joseph’s.

Home Reading

Please see a copy of the Home Reading Information Sheet for parents and carers attached below.

Have a wonderful week,

Maree Holland