Foundation News
St Raphael's School
Thank you to all for adhering to wearing the winter uniforms according to the guidelines as the colder days are now upon us. We encourage all students to continue to practice good hygiene habits by washing hands regularly and by cleaning work tops with disinfectant. We appreciate student who are sick being kept at home and thanks to parents in advance for keeping us up to date via email.
We are taking a strong focus for the children to take care and responsibility with their personal items. Please encourage your child to assist you in packing/ unpacking their school bag each day so they are aware of all of their belongings and know where everything is kept. Please continue your children's uniform, lunch box and drink bottles are visibly named so that items can be returned quickly.
The Foundation students have welcomed Mr D/ Mr Donati with big open arms as Lorraine's replacement for the remainder of Term 2. Alex is doing a fantastic job at getting to know all the children and has learnt all the routines seamlessly. The children are loving getting to know Mr D and he is a great, calming presence in our learning space.
Maths
Foundation students have been exploring days of the week and time of day. Students have been introduced to times including midnight, dawn, morning, noon, afternoon, dusk and evening. Students have sequenced everyday events starting from midnight to evening and have discussed their own routines and activities, and decided what time of day they perform these. These learnings can be practised everyday, both at school and at home. We encourage you to practice these with your child during your daily conversations.
Reconciliation Week
In preparation for reconciliation week, the Yarrabah Cultural Dance Troupe visited our school to perform traditional stories and dances for our students. Located in an Aboriginal community 50 minutes from Cairns, these 12 dancers are a family group that includes children, young adults and elders. This was opportunity for the children to see traditional dancers presenting authentic dreamtime stories handed down over generations.
The students will continue to explore Aboriginal/ Indigenous cultures throughout reconciliation week and explore this years theme; be brave, make change.
Parent helpers
Parent helpers have been a welcomed and appreciated inclusion to our learning space this term. Through the support of parents and grandparents we have been able to provide a wide range of activities to help maximise the learnings of our students. Children have been able to practice their skills in hands on and interactive experiences to help strengthen their learning in an engaging and meaningful manner.
It is not too late to volunteer as a parent helper if you would like to assist us in our learning space. Please email your child's homeroom teacher with your availability and we would love to schedule you in. It is a prerequisite that all parent helpers attend the Parent Helper Induction session, have a WWC check and have had three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Excursion to the Zoo
Our excursion to the Zoo is fast approaching and the children are looking forward to exploring different animals characteristics and their habitats. The children will also participate in an education program called ‘Wild Explorers’ led by Zoo educators. A reminder that all students will be required to arrive at school at 8:45am sharp.
We would like to thank all the parents who volunteered to assist us at the Zoo on Friday the 10th June 2022. Due to a pleasingly, overwhelming response we had to resort to selecting parents by using the trusty method of pulling names out of a hat. I have emailed all the parents that have been selected to join us on the day. If you have received an email from me, please confirm that you are still available to join us at your earliest convenience.
We will send out a reminder of all of the details regarding the Zoo closer to the date. In the meantime, all the details are on Operoo. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the excursion, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Timetable
Learning Intentions
Week 7 & 8
Contact Details
Whilst Lorraine is on leave, all families are welcomed to communicate with Michelle. This includes any information about your child including absences or any questions or concerns you may have. If you need to contact Mr. Donati directly, his email address is written below.
Michelle Slattery (FM) mslattery@srprestonwest.catholic.edu.au
Alex Donati (FL) adonati@srprestonwest.catholic.edu.au
Please note, we will respond to emails Monday to Friday, between the hours of 8am- 5pm