From the Assistant Principal

Dear Parents,

Sometimes your child may come home saying that they went to a different teacher for Maths or English or another specialised program. At St Patrick's we offer a number of programs not only aimed to support students with specialised learning needs, but to enhance the curriculum and enable all students to reach their learning potential.

The most important one of these programs are our 4th teachers. Each grade has a 4th teacher for English and Maths, where students across the grade go for these two subjects. Our 4th teachers cater for a range of students and each grade offers this in a different way, depending on the learning needs in the class and the expertise of the grade teaching team.

Having a 4th teacher group enables:

• A reduction in class sizes during English and Maths times
• Targeted support to the needs and abilities of students
• Stronger teacher student relationships (e.g. students are more likely to ‘have a go’ at difficult tasks)
• Clarity and structure in instruction because of the smaller group size.

4th teacher groups are fluid groups. This means students move between the groups dependent on learning needs, group dynamics and the aims of the instruction. Our 4th teachers liaise closely with each grade team, meeting regularly to plan learning experiences, assess student learning and report on student progress.

Other programs at school include:

MINI LIT AND MACQ LIT

Minilit and Macqlit are both evidence-based, explicit and effective literacy intervention programs for teaching reading skills. 

MiniLit is  for children in Year 1 and 2 who need some additional help with their reading, writing and spelling. The program aims to build reading skills and confidence.  Progress on this program is closely monitored through regular short progress monitoring activities as well as through more formal testing. 

Each lesson has two parts: 

• Sounds and Words Activities-  where children learn to pay attention to the different sounds in words and to associate them with the letters of the alphabet
• Text Reading – which gives children the chance to practise their new skills working closely with the teacher. 

Macqlit is an intervention program for small groups of older students who find reading difficult. It provides teachers with a comprehensive sequence of lessons that includes all the key components necessary for effective reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

ATTENDANCE AND EARLY PICK UP

We are currently in the transition to winter where many students become sick due to the continual changing weather conditions. A reminder that any absence should be explained as soon as possible after the absence. This is best done through Compass. If your child becomes ill and is likely to be away for an extended period, please contact the office or explain the absence on Compass. 

As well, at times, parents come to collect their children prior to the end of the school day for appointments etc. If this happens during lunch time (1.30-2.10pm) it can often be more difficult to locate your child, as they could be on a playground, in a lunch club or at passive play. Please be patient as we locate students during break times. The same thing applies on Thursday afternoons when we have assemblies. Calling the school 15 minutes prior to your arrival at school might make the process quicker during assemblies.

TECHNOLOGY and MOBILE DEVICE REMINDERS

Just a reminder that all classes have processes for students if they bring phones and mobile devices like smart watches to school. Please talk to your child's classroom teacher if you need more information. Devices are not accessed during the school day. Smart devices should be in school mode or locked. 

Cybersafety, as well,  is always of paramount importance at school, however we cannot always control what happens at home. Students should not use their school accounts at home. Please also be mindful of the apps students have on their own devices, especially social media apps which have age restrictions. Mrs Burfield added information on Compass earlier this week regarding Snapchat.

We have organised a police youth liaison officer to come and speak to our Stage 3 students in a couple of weeks about cyber safety and cyber bullying. She will return later in the year to talk to our Year 3 and 4 students. 

In Term 3, we will also be running some parent sessions around Cyber Safety and what you as parents can do to protect your children from the dangers of social media and the online world.

Apple has a series of instructions for setting up family devices so that you are in control of what children can and cannot do on their own devices.

 Here is a link to the Apple site.  

I hope it can be a helpful guide for you.

Have a great week. 

Jim Heelis

Assistant Principal