Learning
Learning & Teaching/Wellbeing/Faith & Farm
Seesaw Schedule
Hi families, Over the coming weeks, you will notice that our Seesaw Learning Posts have been created in collaboration with our children. The posts will feature a reflection of a piece of work that they believe shows their current achievement and “next steps” in their learning. As always, each post will be based on our learning progressions, which have been adapted from the Victorian F-10 Curriculum. We believe that this process will strengthen your child’s voice and agency in talking about their learning and progress. This is a trial process that we will evaluate and refine its effectiveness at the end of the year. We look forward to sharing the children’s reflections and goals for their learning! St. John’s team. |
Learning and Teaching
To celebrate Science Week, we spotlighted all of the ways our children encounter science throughout their day. Our children across the Prep to Two Hubs have been exploring the different fields of science through Discovery. Some of the experiences they have engaged in this week included:
- Creating observational drawings of natural materials using chalk, pastels and charcoal.
- Investigating the different properties of glass through Light and Shadow, such as transparency, reflection, refraction, density and so on.
- Exploring physical forces through marble drawings, like push, pull, roll and swerve.
Our children across the Three to Six Hubs have continued to have conversations, highlighting and labelling how science is applied in their individual projects. Some of the current projects that draw on the Scientific process include:
- Creating lip balm and experimenting with formulas
- Creating Scratch games using design and technology
- Growing carrots and investigating the life cycles of vegetables
- Investigating how we can save the bees and create a better balance in the ecosystem
- Creating lava lamps and science experiment videos
The theme for Science Week this year is ‘Glass… more than meets the eye’. To further explore this concept, our children were invited to consider all of the ways glass has impacted our lives. Together, we explored how humans have capitalised and innovated on this natural resource to create tools, vessels, art and much more. Our children were invited to celebrate this wonderful resource by creating mini mosaics, which will be reused in our prayer gathering spaces and in our gardens. Through this experience, they learnt about the history of glass, its properties and its essential role in moving towards a more sustainable future.
Literacy
Book Week
We are excited to celebrate Book Week next Friday! This year’s theme is ‘Dreaming with eyes open’, a beautiful connection to our First Nation’s people, and their value of storytelling, and an opportunity to share stories that are meaningful to us.
You might like to consider this an opportunity to share stories as a family that are meaningful and or sacred to you.
To celebrate Book Week this year, we are inviting children to dress up as a book character of their choice, next Friday 26 August. We will host a book parade around 9am, to which families are invited to attend. Please feel free to contact me (Dani) or your hub educator if you need any support with organising something for your child to wear. Here are some simple ideas for you:
Children in Prep will watch a performance by our very own Damian Peck and our children in the 1-6 hub will take part in a livestream interactive performance, Story Quest, by Perform.
Learning Walk and Community Conversation
As a further response to our Family engagement survey results, we will be hosting two learning walks and community conversations with a focus on reading:
If you have any further questions about how you can support your child’s reading, speaking and listening or writing at home, or any other Literacy-related questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Daniela De Luca
Literacy Coach
ddeluca@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au
Wellbeing
On Friday 2nd September, St. John’s will join in on Footy Colours Day. Footy Colours Day is an initiative of the Fight Cancer Foundation - a cause that sadly, many can connect with in some way. Children are invited to wear their team colours on this day - whether a footy team, basketball, soccer, netball, local or any other team colours! We ask children to bring a gold coin donation on this day which will be donated to the Fight Cancer Foundation.
On September 8th, the Grade 5/6 children will be engaging in an incursion called “No Qualifications Needed” to coincide with RU OK Day. The incursion aims to support children to support one another by asking supportive questions if they notice a peer requiring mental health support. The incursion will be facilitated by fully qualified psychologists. It is anticipated that the children will learn some valuable strategies that they can use during this transition period as they prepare for secondary education and
adolescence.
Karen Dodemaide
Co-Deputy Principal and Wellbeing Leader
kdodemaide@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au
Learning Diversity
This week our educators participated in some professional learning facilitated by Christina and Kay, our Speech Pathologists here at St. John’s. We investigated how speech sounds are made, average age acquisition of sounds and common speech sound errors. We also explored how children are supported in speech therapy to acquire sounds.
Below is a great resource, Learning English Consonants, which identifies the average age that we would expect children to have acquired each speech sound.
If you have any concerns about your child’s use or understanding of sounds and language, please get in touch.
Ashlee Owen
Learning Diversity Leader
aowen@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au
Faith
Mary said, “Yes I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word”. Then the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:38-40
On Monday 15th of August, we celebrated the Ascension of Mary, Mother of God. Mary’s sacrifice, commitment and trust towards her faith, serves as a timeless reminder of the love, and commitment all families continually make, in the care of their children.
Celebrations unit
In term 3, our children will be exploring celebrations.
- Our Prep-2 hubs will be investigating the question:
“How do celebrations help us connect?” - While the 3-6s will be diving into the learning question of:
“What makes something worth celebrating?”
All hubs would like to offer an open invitation to our families to share their own celebrations, including important milestones that occur within your own cultures and religions. Please send an email to your child’s hub, if you would be happy to share information, pictures or artefacts related to your celebrations, or alternatively email Mitch to organise potentially coming into the school.
Sacrament of Eucharist:
We are very excited and eagerly anticipating our Sacrament of Eucharist celebration on Sunday 11th September at 10:00am at Our Lady’s in Maidstone.
Left to right: Thomas, Jackson, Alana, Caitlin, Willow, Lola, Violet, Freya, Amelia, Eva, Elijah, Enzo, Audrey, Liam
Not pictured: Gabriela, Harry, Isla, Manoj
Please keep our children in your thoughts and prayers as they prepare to receive their First Communion.
Prayer Gatherings:
Our prayer gatherings this term will centre the faith history of St John’s, through the life of Mary Mackillop, and those who have been inspired by her leadership and commitment to faith and education.
Our prayer gatherings will run as follows:
- Friday 19th August: Who Is Malachi O’Dowd?: Two Hub
- Friday 2nd September: Who Is Alex Mackillop?: Three/Four Hub
- Friday 16th September (morning): Who Is Flora Mackillop?: Prep Hub
Mitch Hayes
(Faith/REL Leader)
mitch.hayes@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au
Sport
Sporting schools
For the second half of term 3 our junior students will participate in the sporting schools program. Sporting schools programs are provided free to children to help students build the confidence and capability to be active for life. To help achieve this, Sport Australia has partnered with more than 35 national sporting organisations (NSOs). This is a great opportunity to help increase children’s participation in sport and connect them with community sport opportunities.
On Tuesday our Prep students had their first session with Coach Milli from Hockey Victoria. During the 4 sessions children will learn about the game of hockey in a fun environment and develop their skills in a modified game-based program.
Our Grade 1 and 2 students will work with Coach Julia from Hall’s Taekwondo. This will be a fun and engaging program that introduces children to the dynamic world of martial arts. Children will learn the fundamental skills of taekwondo; strength, agility and coordination in a safe and fun environment.
Kelly Edgar
Physical Education
kedgar@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au
