YEAR 6 SYDNEY CAMP

On Monday the 22nd of September, Year 6 St Xavier’s students met up at school at 6:30 am to travel to Sydney for the Year 6 excursion. We made a stop in Scone for a recess break before then travelling to a rest stop about 30 minutes away from Sydney to eat lunch. We soon arrived in Sydney where we then went to the Sydney Parliament House where we learnt about the different types of Government and councils. We learnt lots about how rules come to be. We heard lots of information about the Legislative and Upper House Councils. After Parliament we then travelled to our hotel (YHA Sydney Harbour). The hotel staff were extremely kind and helpful.

On Tuesday the 23rd of September, year 6 St Xavier’s students participated in the Big Dig archaeology program. Then we took part in an Opera house tour, then we walked through the botanical gardens for a lunch break and a run around before we went to the eye tower then that night we did the twilight exploration at the botanical gardens.

On Wednesday the 24th September we went to cockatoo island to learn about all of the history and how the convicts lived after moving to Australia they also talked about how it was a post war boating place where they repaired ships then we ate lunch and got on the ferry and went to the state library and looked at all of the different books and artifacts that were on display then we went to Hyde park barracks.

On Thursday the 25th of September we started off our day by catching the bus to Hyde Park and walking around the park. We stopped to have a look inside the war memorial and paid our respects. We then walked just a little down the road to have a tour of St Mary’s Cathedral. Our tour was very interesting and it was very fun to learn about the history of our Church, which still affects us today. After we had finished at the Cathedral, we got on the bus and travelled over to Taronga Zoo. It was so much fun getting to walk around with our friends and see all the unusual animals we don’t have in Gunnedah. Personally, I really liked seeing the seals and watching how they behave. It was very interesting to see how they feed different animals.

On Friday we packed up our rooms and made our way home. Thank you to our amazing Teachers we had a blast!

By Skylah Basset & Hazel Harbour

Communication Guidelines

for Parents and Carers

Quality Relationships are at the core of our St Xavier’s community and the importance of good communication cannot be underestimated. Good communication is essential to provide the best possible education for our students. This communication is not just about the school communicating to families but requires parents, students and staff to feel able to communicate their aspirations, concerns and ideas. To minimise the risk of miscommunication there are some basic principles that we ask parents, staff and students to follow.

One of the best ways that parents can help their children succeed in school is to be involved with their education. This starts with good communication between you and your child's teachers. These guidelines acknowledge the need for stakeholders to communicate in a courteous and respectful manner at appropriate times with timely feedback.

Miscommunication is usually the number one cause of conflict. Check with the school before you react. Remember that the vast majority of people are good people and want the best for your child and other people. Often children see things from their world and don’t always understand what leads up to a situation and so only communicate part of the story. As we strive to provide universal and unconditional regard for EVERY child we believe the only way to solve conflict is with dignity and care.

Go to the staff member closest to the situation. Speak first to the most appropriate person, that is, don’t go “over someone’s head” until you have spoken to them. Please do not discuss issues or people “in the public arena”. We are about building community not destroying people and their reputations.

Knowing when to communicate is always a hard balance. At the beginning of the year when everything is new, sometimes it may be best to wait, but generally speaking, if it is worrying you, don’t wait; talk to the staff member closest to the situation. We, as parents, should not want to solve all of our children’s problems, but a quiet word to the teachers can alert them to an issue before it gets too big.

Don’t wait for an interview. If you want to know how your child is going, we encourage you to make an appointment to see your child’s teachers.

The bigger the issue, the more time it takes to resolve. No matter who you wish to see, make an appointment so the person can be present and they can put aside enough time to deal with it thoroughly.

Don’t try to sort out a problem between your child and another at school by approaching a child or his/her parent – speak to your child’s class teachers. No parent has the right to approach a child from another family about a school incident.

Don’t speak on behalf of others – Delegations and speaking for others often ends up with the “others” not backing you up when the crunch comes. If you have a concern, please raise it with the most appropriate person (refer to the table below for a guide). Supporting the school does not always mean agreeing with it, but using the communication channels and processes that respect all members of the community will support us in community building and in what we are hoping to achieve. Gossip is usually wrong and never resolves issues.

The class teachers-First Call	Learning, classroom behaviour, friendship issues, issues outside of school that may impact learning, homework, playground concerns.
Inclusion Support Teacher Katrina Duncan	Specialist programs, assessments, referrals, medical plans, issues/concerns related to learning after speaking with the class teachers.
Religious Education Coordinator K to 2 Leader of Learning Bridgit Murphy	Religious Education Programs, Sacramental Programs, spiritual development of children and parents, school masses and celebrations and general curriculum enquiries.
Assistant Principal Leader of Pedagogy Leisa Shortis	General curriculum enquiries, data, pastoral support to students and their families.
Assistant Principal Maths Specialist Teacher Malcolm Frend	General curriculum enquiries, data, pastoral support to students and their families, sport, attendance.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Focus Teacher Ange Jensen	Cultural Plans, support for families, celebrations.
Principal Jen Honner	Matters to do with the overall procedures, policies and functioning of the school, issues with school fees, general matters when you are not sure who to see, or you have seen one of the people listed above and there seems to be no resolution, enrolments. Any personal or confidential matters.

Electronic Communication Initiated by Parents

All emails for staff should be sent to the relevant staff member’s school email addresses. Emails should only be sent for professional purposes.

Please be aware that teachers receive many email messages. They may not be able to respond immediately to your email. Some teachers (and members of the Leadership Team) don’t have time to go through their emails until well after school finishes or will check them early in the morning. Staff will check their emails daily on school days (or each day that they work, if part-time).

Teachers may request a meeting if the issue is too complex to resolve by email. Please remember to include both teachers in any email. All staff emails can be found on our website.

Canteen News

The Little Blue Wren Student Cafe now has their own Facebook Page. Be sure to like and follow to keep up to date with all their yummy offerings.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BaUCatA7U/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Important Notice: Bus Zone Regulations

Please refrain from dropping off or parking in the bus zone. This area is under regular patrol, and the vicinity near our kiss-and-drop lane has also been monitored, as there have been reports of vehicles obstructing Bloomfield St

It would be unfortunate for our families to encounter unnecessary fines.

School Hat Reminder

We have noticed many students arriving each day without hats. Please make sure your child brings a hat daily, clearly labeled with their name.
Please check your child has the correct hat and is not holding an office spare as we are running very short.
Our Maroon hat is now on sale and we have size SML and XL for $10.00.
New Navy hats are now available to purchase from the office for $25.00.

School Fees

Fee instalments are due by the 21st of each month. If you have not paid your instalment, could you please do so now. If you have any queries or concerns, please contact Jeni Muller via email: jmuller4@arm.catholic.edu.au or phone 67421136.

P&F News

Ticket info coming soon...

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