Welcome to 2024! A very warm welcome to our new families and students. I look forward to meeting you all in the coming weeks.

Parent Helpers

Do you have any spare time to volunteer as a parent helper to work 1:1 with students? If so, we would LOVE to hear from you.

At St MM’s we have programs we use to help support the learning of students in the classroom. These programs include MiniLit and Multilit (to assist with phonemic awareness) and a maths program called JEMM - (Junior Elementary Maths Mastery) that is done with students in Years 4 - 6. You will be provided with all materials, a script and answers!

The more volunteers we have, the more students we can offer these programs to. So if you have any spare time in the week, could you please let me know by emailing danielle.frost@syd.catholic.edu.au

To be a volunteer, Sydney Catholic Schools requires you to follow the steps below. You must hold a current WWCC (Working With Childrens Check) Volunteer Number to complete this process -

Go to the following link

- select the orange bar working with children check,

- select the orange box on the right volunteers / researchers

- complete the three steps

If you do not have a WWCC, but would still like to volunteer, please email me anyway.

Sydney Catholic Schools Eisteddfod

Sydney Catholic Schools is running the Eisteddfod again this year for students in Years 3 - 6. This year, parents are to register their child (if they wish) as a soloist. Group performances will be registered by the school. If you think your child has the ability to perform in a competition style eisteddfod and you would like to register them, please either come and see me or email me for more information. The solo acts could include vocal, piano or other instrument, dance etc.

NAPLAN

This year, the students in Years 3 and 5 will be sitting the NAPLAN tests.

What are the NAPLAN Tests?

NAPLAN is an annual assessment for all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. It tests the types of skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life. The tests cover skills in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy. The assessments are undertaken every year. All of the tests (with the exception of Year 3 Writing) will be online and the students will complete the tests on a school device and not their own personal device.

Parents are encouraged to navigate through the NAPLAN Public Demonstration Site with their child -https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site and further information for parents can be found via this link - https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/for-parents-carers

Online practice tests are available as a dress rehearsal for the real event. The practice tests allow schools and students to become familiar with the online assessment platform and processes. The students will participate in the following practice tests on

Wednesday March 6-

Year 3 complete an Omnibus test (approx 45mins)
Year 5 completes an Omnibus (approx 45mins) test and
Year 5 online Writing test (approx 45mins)

These tests have no weight bearing on the students’ NAPLAN grade

***PLEASE NOTE - FOR ALL PRACTICE TESTS AND NAPLAN TESTS, YOUR CHILD REQUIRES A WORKING SET OF HEADPHONES WITH A JACK

Dates of Actual Naplan Testing March 13 - 15

Week 6 of Term 1

Year 3

Year 5

Wednesday March 13

Year 3 Writing

40 min (paper)
9:15am start

Year 5 Writing

42 min (online)
9:15am start

Year 3 Reading

45 mins(online)
11:40am start

Year 5 Reading

50 mins (online)
11:40am start

Thursday March 14

Year 3 Conventions of Language

45 min (online)
9:15am start

Year 5 Conventions of Language

45 min (online)
9:15am start

Friday March 15

Year 3 Numeracy

45 mins(online)
9:15am start

Year 5 Numeracy

50 mins(online)
9:15am start

Monday March 25

No testing - catch up day for any child who has missed a test

If you have any questions or concerns about NAPLAN, please contact your child’s class teacher.

Whole School Assembly

Friday - Odd Weeks of Term at 2.45pm on the top playground with class awards. All welcome to attend.

Danielle Frost

danielle.frost@syd.catholic.edu.au

School Counsellor

Chanel Cortesano