Pastoral Wellbeing

St Kilian's Food Tree

Attendance 

As we wrap up the first four weeks of Term 1, we want to celebrate the fantastic attendance efforts across our school while also keeping an eye on our attendance goals.

🌟 Shining Stars in Attendance! 🌟 

• A special shoutout to 6RM, the only class that increased their attendance over the past four weeks – well done! 🎉 
• 4CM and 2LP have shown great consistency, maintaining steady attendance with only small changes. 
• Our youngest learners in Prep AC have started the year strong, keeping attendance levels high! 

👏 Great Efforts from Our Students! 👏 

• Many students have been striving for strong and consistent attendance, ensuring they are present for all the exciting learning opportunities in class. 
• More students are maintaining a 90-98% attendance rate, showing commitment even if they’ve had to miss a day or two. 

📉 Our Current Attendance & Goal 📉 

Our current whole-school weekly average attendance is 93.07%, which reflects a small decline from Week 1 (97.18%). While this is still a solid effort, our goal is to reach 95% attendance across the term. 

✅ Why Attendance Matters ✅ 

Every school day counts! Regular attendance helps students stay connected, build friendships, and keep up with learning. Thank you, families, for supporting your child’s routine and engagement at school. 

Let’s work together to reach our 95% goal and make every day a great learning day! 🎈 

Let’s keep building positive attendance habits together! 🎉 

If you have any questions or need support, feel free to speak to your classroom teacher, Mrs. Antonowicz, Mrs. McSweeney or Mr. Podosky. 

If you know that your child won’t be attending school, please contact the office and let them know that your child will be away!  

PBIS 

Each week we have a routine or a blitz that we are focusing on. This week’s is Attention Signals. 

Supporting Positive Behaviour at St. Kilian’s 

At St. Kilian’s, we are committed to creating a safe and respectful learning environment for all students. To support this, we have clear expectations around attention signals, hands-on behaviour, and problem-solving. 

Attention Signals 

To help students transition smoothly and stay focused, we use consistent attention signals across the school. These signals help students know when to pause, listen, and follow instructions. Using the same signals in all areas of the school ensures everyone can respond quickly and respectfully. 

💡 How Families Can Support at Home: 

• Practice active listening – Encourage children to stop what they are doing and focus when someone is speaking. 
• Use simple signals at home – Try clapping patterns, countdowns, or a “quiet hand” signal during daily routines to build habits of responding to cues. 
• Talk about why listening is important – Help children understand that attention signals help everyone learn and stay safe. 

Hands-On Policy 

We remind all students to keep their hands and feet to themselves. If a hands-on incident happens (such as pushing, hitting, or grabbing), staff will: 

1. Ensure everyone is safe and separate students if needed. 
2. Report the incident and follow up with leadership. 
3. Communicate with families so they are aware of what happened. 
4. Apply appropriate consequences, such as a break off the yard or loss of priviledges. 
5. Students who go hands-on will be off-break for 1 break. 
6. Support students with a restorative conversation to help them learn from the situation.  

Our goal is to ensure a safe school environment where students feel supported and can learn positive ways to handle challenges. 

💡 How Families Can Support at Home: 

• Encourage positive ways to solve problems – Talk about using words instead of hands when feeling upset. 
• Reinforce clear boundaries – Remind children that physical aggression is never okay and discuss alternative ways to express frustration. 
• Talk through real-life scenarios – Ask, “What would you do if someone took your turn in a game?” to help students think through better responses. 

Problem-Solving – Getting Help from an Adult 

When problems arise, we encourage students to use their words and seek help from a teacher or staff member if they cannot solve the issue on their own. This might be if someone isn’t following the rules, if they feel unsafe, or if they need help working through a disagreement. Teachers are always available to listen, guide students through a solution, and ensure fairness. 

💡 How Families Can Support at Home: 

• Model problem-solving language – Phrases like “Can we find a way to share?” or “Let’s take turns” help students learn effective communication. 
• Encourage independence – Before stepping in, ask “How do you think you could solve this?” to help them develop their own strategies. 
• Remind students that teachers are here to help – Let them know it’s always okay to ask a teacher for help when needed. 

By working together, we can continue to make St. Kilian’s a safe, respectful, and supportive place for everyone. Thank you for your partnership in reinforcing these expectations at home! 

Lent: A Time of Renewal 

Next Wednesday we begin the season of Lent. Lent is a season of reflection, repentance, and spiritual renewal as we prepare for Easter. It lasts for 40 days, reminding us of Jesus’ time in the desert, where He fasted and prayed. During Lent, we are called to deepen our relationship with Jesus through three key practices: Fasting, Almsgiving, and Prayer. 

• Fasting: More than just giving up food, fasting is about making space for God. This could mean reducing screen time, cutting back on unnecessary spending, or letting go of habits that distract from faith. 
• Almsgiving: Lent is a time to be generous and serve others. You might donate to a charity, support a parish initiative, or simply offer time to someone in need. Small acts of kindness can make a big difference. 
• Prayer: Deepen your connection with Jesus by setting aside time for prayer each day. This could include reading Scripture, attending Mass, praying the Rosary, or keeping a gratitude journal focused on God’s blessings. 

Lenten Events at St. Kilian’s 

To support our students and families during Lent, we invite you to join us for the following events: 

🥞 Shrove Tuesday Breakfast – A chance to gather as a community and share pancakes before the Lenten season begins. ✝️ Ash Wednesday Mass – A special liturgy marking the beginning of Lent, where we receive ashes as a sign of repentance and renewal. 🚶‍♂️ CARITAS K’s Fundraiser – A whole-school initiative to walk in solidarity with those in need, raising funds for CARITAS Australia. 🙏 Facebook Weekly Prayer – Join us online for a short evening Lenten prayer, bringing our community together in faith. 

As we journey through Lent, may these practices and events help us grow in faith and prepare our hearts for the joy of Easter.