Deputy Principal's News

Dear Parents,

Last week I was fortunate enough to attend the Deputy Principal conference at the RACV Club in Healesville.  This was a great opportunity to meet with other leaders from schools in the south central zone, and reflect on all the great opportunities for learning our schools provide.  One of our guest speakers asked us to reflect on what we are grateful for. This term has been filled with so many opportunities for student and staff learning and continuing to develop our school and parent community.   

Each day I continue to see the support and encouragement that our students, staff and parents offer each other in so many ways, this is truly something special and unique to our school and community.  

I am truly blessed and grateful for the amazing school community to which I belong. 

Thank you!

We thank you Lord, for this term!

For the challenges, successes, and the mistakes from which we have learnt. Be with us as we spend our time with family and friends. Give us strength and courage to do what is right: to be witnesses of our faith. During these holidays, help us to appreciate what others do for us, to give time and effort to help others. To be peacemakers in our family. Keep us safe in our activities; give us good rest and good fun. Bring us back refreshed and ready for a new term. We thank you for our classmates, teachers, parents and a community that cares for us. 

May we always be conscious of you in our lives.

AMEN

Reflection:  

Take a moment individually or as a family and reflect on this Term.  Use the following sentence starter to share something you are grateful for.  You may like to start a family journal or write down something you are grateful for and place it into a gratitude jar.

School Improvement - CEMSIS

The school  continues to engage with research and evidence as a way of reflecting on ‘what works’ and strengthen our approaches to learning and teaching.  CEMSIS  Catholic Education Melbourne School Information Surveys, is one of the ways that we gather feedback and use this data to assist in writing our School Improvement Plan (SIP) and Annual Action Plan (AAP).

This year, Catholic Education Melbourne has partnered with Learning First and Orima Research Pty Ltd to re-design the survey tools and the digital platform used to collect feedback from students, staff and families about their schools. 

Students in Years 4 -6 have or will complete CEMSIS at school.   All students will be issued with a unique login ID and PIN by the school.  Questions include topics such as student learning, student voice, safety and school climate. 

Families of Melbourne Catholic primary and secondary students have been invited at random to participate in the 2019 CEMSIS via an emailed code and PIN.   CEMSIS presents families with a range of questions including school fit, family engagement, safety and communication. 

Term 4 

Term 4 commences on Monday 7th October.  With the warmer weather approaching, this will also be the first day for students to re-commence wearing their summer uniforms to school.  Wearing of the school navy legionnaires cap or wide-brimmed hat is compulsory during terms 1, mid -late term 3,and term 4. Please refer to our Sunsmart policy attached to this newsletter. 

Bike / Scooter Safety

In Australia, helmets are compulsory for riding bikes and recommended for riding skateboards, scooters, rollerblades and so on. Wearing a helmet will help protect your child against serious head injuries.  A reminder that if you are riding to and from school you need to be wearing a helmet which is securely fastened.  When arriving to school your bikes, scooters etc. need to be locked in the bike shed. If the bike shed is locked, please go to the front office and someone will assist you.  At no time, should students be riding / scooting on others students bikes and scooters.

A reminder about the Beginning of the School Day  

(revised procedure as of 15th August, 2019)

As a staff we have revised our beginning of the school day routines. The supervision of students by staff begins at 8.40am. There are two teachers on before school duty, one on the Mainyard and one on the Tilley yard side.  The main school doors (Main yard) will now remain closed until 8.50am.  At 8.50am the teacher on ‘before’ school duty (Main yard) will open the front school doors, all students are to enter via the main front doors, students will not be able to access the building any other way.   At 8.50am students can go to their classrooms and put their bags away, then either go back outside or stay in their room. Students arriving on the Tilley side will be directed to the mainyard by the teacher on duty. Music will begin playing just before 8.55am (a signal for students to start making their way to their classrooms).  The school bell will sound at 9:00am. At this time, all students should be in their classrooms ready to start lessons.

If students arrive to school after this time, commencing from 9.00am they will need to go to the front office (entering via the Main yard), where they will need to sign in via VPass and be issued with a late pass.  All visitors to our school will be directed to the front office. At 3.20pm the gates on the Tilley building will be unlocked to assist with students leaving the building.

The bridge is our new gateway to connecting both buildings, so we need to ensure that we utilise it when moving from one side of the school to the other.

(Changing the way young people learn about finance)

In the coming weeks all grades will be involved in Start Smart sessions facilitated by a member of the Commonwealth Bank.   Sessions will take place in classrooms and will run between 45 - 60mins

Please see the following link for further information.

https://startsmart.com.au/primary/

Social Media - Please follow, like and share our school Twitter and Instagram Feeds.  Our Facebook Page is coming soon.

Twitter:  St James Catholic Primary School, 3186

Instagram:  stjamesbrighton3186

Kind regards,

Carmelina Corio

Deputy Principal