St Nicholas School

GENERAL NEWS

SCHOOL UNIFORM CHANGE OVER

Due to the unseasonable weather, we have decided to allow students to wear either full summer uniform or full winter uniform. This is totally optional but we ask that both uniforms be worn neat and tidy until the end of the term. Our official changeover is Week 1, Term 4.

LOST PROPERTY

Can you please encourage your children to take responsibility for their belongings. Please also ensure that you label all items. These are the items in lost property this WEEK, many of which are not labeled.

 

If your child is missing any items of clothing, drink bottles or containers please ask them to check the lost property. Hopefully, we can reunite these belongings with their owners!

OOSHIES

We are asking students not to bring Ooshies to school. Please keep them at home. Staff are finding they are creating unnecessary angst within the classroom and playground. 

READING LEVELS EXPLAINED TO PARENTS

Often as teachers, we are asked questions by parents about reading levels. We value the positive partnership between parents and the school, so we hope you find this information helpful.  

 

Avoid comparisons

Just as children learn to walk and talk at different times, so too with reading. Therefore, it is firstly important to avoid any comparison of children to their peers or siblings. There is much involved in teaching reading skills and strategies, but rest assured that every teacher at St Nicholas is working very hard to ensure personal growth with every child based on their individual needs.

 

Reading levels at St Nicholas explained

The formal reading assessment tool we use at St Nicholas is the PM Benchmark system (with levels from 1-30). The books are designed so that with the earlier levels (1-14) the difficulty/ challenge between levels is generally minimal, therefore children can gradually move through these levels in lots of small steps. The next range of levels (15-24) sees greater challenges and larger steps between each level, so progression through these takes longer. And the final range of levels (25-30) involves significantly greater challenges and much larger steps between levels. Progression through these upper levels takes a much longer time; often children remain on the same level for more than six months.

 

Why is my child bringing home readers of a particular level?

Parents need to know that the ‘home readers’ your children bring home are based on what is known as their ‘independent level’. This means that the books are not meant to be too challenging. The purpose of ‘home readers’ is for children to enjoy reading and develop confidence as they practice their skills at home with their parents. At school, however, the teachers work specifically with your child at a more challenging/ higher level known as their ‘instructional level’. 

 

How do teachers at St Nicholas test reading and know when to move a child up a level/s?

Parents are often not aware that there is so much more to assessing a child’s reading than simply hearing them read a book. Whilst teachers informally hear your child read every week during guided reading sessions, they formally monitor and test your child’s reading through a very explicit and complex process (known as conducting a ‘running record’). This detailed assessment takes up to 20 minutes for each child. Through careful analysis and by applying numerical formulas, they can then determine a child’s ‘instructional reading level’.  Our teachers are experienced and trained in assessing and analysing a wide range of technical elements of reading such as:

  • errors and self-corrections (and identifying if these involve meaning, syntax  or visual cues)
  • word omissions, substitutions and insertions
  • word attempts, repetition or appeals
  • comprehension (literal, applied and inferential) of both fiction and non-fiction texts. Often we find that a child can read every word in a text but their deeper levels of comprehension are not yet evident.

In short, even if your child’s progression through the levels appears to take time, rest assured that they are receiving quality reading instruction every single day at school. We hope this information assures you that there is more to your child’s reading development than the number on the front of their home readers. 

Thank you for your continued support and interest in your child’s education. And please don’t forget to continue to enjoy the simple pleasure of sharing a book of any description with your child.....just for the love of it!

 

by Amanda Doyle and Shelly O'Sullivan (Leaders of Pedagogy)

CAR PICK-UPS

Road Rules & Common Courtesy

Parents are reminded to adhere to the road rules and traffic signs when dropping off or picking up their child/ren.  Please note, there is a NO STOPPING SIGN at the corner of Carthage and Roderick Streets.  NO STOPPING means NO STOPPING.  Please remember this when using car pickups in the afternoon and drop-offs in the morning. Also common courtesy needs to be exhibited if the neighbours of our school are trying to access or get out of their own driveway.

 

NO STOPPING SIGN
NO STOPPING SIGN

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

COMPASS PARENT PORTAL

 

Compass is St Nicholas School's new Student Information system. This will be this system that the school will use to communicate with parents and guardians on a regular basis. We need to have 100% of parents and guardians registered in this system. 

 

At this point in time, we have only 43% of our parent body logged on. Please see below as to how you can access the portal. 

 

 

On Monday 31st August parents and guardians were sent a Parent Portal Compass login and temporary password by email. This email guides parents to login to their parent portal. Parents and carers will only be able to access their own student's details and information. 

 

Compass Parent Portal

Parents will initially be able to view their child’s attendance and provide reasons as to why their child is absent or late to school. When Compass is fully operational parents and guardians will be able to use the Parent Portal to: -

  • Book your Parent/Student/Teacher conferences
  • View up-to-date class and school attendance information
  • Approve past absences for your child
  • Enter upcoming absences for your child
  • Access your child's Student Semester Reports
  • Download, print and approve upcoming excursions
  • Update your registered email and mobile number (used for SMS alerts)
  • Access information regarding upcoming events and news.

We ask that all parents make an effort to join the Parent Portal and when completing online information (eg. student absence), give as much detail for our office staff to be fully informed.    The Parent Portal will certainly make your life easier.

 

Compass Information

  • If you are a parent and you do not receive your email please contact the school.
  • If you follow the instructions in the email and you are unsuccessful logging into Compass please contact the school.
  • Both parents and guardians of the students will receive an individual Compass login and passwords. For security purposes, please DO NOT  share Compass logins and passwords with your family.
  • It is very important that you DO NOT share your login details with your children. When the school decides to introduce the students to Compass they will give the students their own login and password details to access the student Compass portal.

We look forward to communicating with you through the Compass Parent Portal. Any questions please contact the school office. 

COMMUNICATION WITH SCHOOL

Our office is open between 8.00am and 4.00pm each day.  For any queries, the most efficient way of contacting our staff during this time is via email.  

 

admin@stnicholastamworth.catholic.edu.au

jgrady@arm.catholic.edu.au

 

SUPERVISION OF STUDENTS

All parents need to be aware, our supervision of students

does not begin until 8.15am each day.

 

We are increasingly concerned that children are being dropped off and left on their own, unsupervised by parents before this time - often up to half an hour earlier. This is not a safe or acceptable practice. Currently, students are expected to come in and sit in the Holy Family Courtyard unsupervised and wait. We cannot be responsible for any accident or potentially harmful incidents occurring. Please organise alternative care for your child if your child requires supervision before 8.15am.