Learning

Learning & Teaching/Wellbeing/Faith & Farm

Seesaw Schedule

 

We are excited to share our learning with you! 

Please keep an eye out for a learning post on Seesaw during the following weeks:

 

21/3 - By the end of Week 9

28/3 - By the end of Week 10

Learning and Teaching

Our children have been spending time connecting with our farm. They have been engaging in conversations about the beauty of nature, and about maintaining respectful relationships with the land. Our farm provides  inspiration and resources that the children then take back into their classrooms and embed in their learning. Some of the most recent connections that have stemmed from the farm include:

  • Collage representations of the ‘Flame Tree’
  • Stick and string sculptures of Bunjil and Waa
  • Clay representations of the growth cycle of leaves on trees
  • Conversations about caring for the land through watering and harvesting
  • Herb collection for the Home Corner in Discovery
  • Conversations about sustainability through composting and worm farms

We are looking forward to some exciting projects that we will be running at the farm over the coming weeks!

 

Numeracy

The Two Hub children have been working on continuing to develop place value concepts of two and three digit numbers through grouping into hundreds, tens and ones, comparing amounts and representing these using materials. Educators have encouraged children to reflect on these learning experiences using the visual prompt of ‘The Blob Tree’ (see below).

The Two Hub children were invited to select a ‘blob’ that represented their experience and have shared some of their thoughts below…

 

Because I was thinking a lot and trying to work out the numbers by thinking I need two tens.” ~Isaiah

Because it looks like he is kind of a bit stuck. I was like that. I was using the blocks to help me and the whiteboard with the numbers.” ~Ava

I am getting out of the Learning Pit. When I was doing the blocks I was in the Pit. Not sure how I got out.” ~Parisa

Happy- It’s because I am learning more about maths and I will get better.” ~Billie

Maths makes me smarter at maths. I know more now. It helps me learn different things.” ~Benjamin

It was easy but it was also fun. It was a tiny bit hard but I found a way. I was a bit stuck on the numbers so I used the numbers I had to find the unifix blocks. When I finished, I felt really proud.” ~Regan

Because I achieved something that I thought would be too hard.” ~Rhoda

 

The children’s next step is to continue to develop some tools to help them learn. This might include making a plan, using concrete materials and asking questions.

 

You can continue to support your child at home by asking how they are feeling while completing a tricky task. If you would like further support, ideas or to share feedback of your experiences, please reach out.

  

Lauren Davis

Co-Deputy Principal/Numeracy Leader

ldavis@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au 

 

Wellbeing

A reminder that Friday the 18th of March is the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence.  On this day we acknowledge and pledge to spread a culture of kindness at St. John’s and in the wider community. The children will be participating in lessons in their Hubs highlighting the importance of supporting and caring for one another. Your children are invited to wear a splash of orange to show their support. This could be orange socks, hair ties, a t-shirt or an orange  ribbon or streamers attached to their clothing. The remaining clothing items should be school uniform. 

Together we can create a culture of Kindness

 

Harmony Week - Monday the 21st of March to Sunday the 27th of March 

 

Next week we will be celebrating and acknowledging Harmony Week at St. John’s.  We will have a Harmony Day on Tuesday the 22nd of March.  On this day we will continue our Orange theme from Friday the 18th March and children will be encouraged to show their colours for inclusivity, respectful relationships and harmony.  There will be special activities in the Hubs including storytelling highlighting picture books that promote peace, harmony and inclusivity.  We will also be engaging in Harmony Circle Time in the Hubs to get the conversation going around how we can promote harmony, acceptance, belonging and respectful relationships here at St. John’s.  

 

On Tuesday,  the 22nd of March, we would also like to invite students to come to school wearing their Cultural Dress if they have one, to share the story of how cultural dress brings people of culture together and helps others to learn about cultures other than their own.  If your cultural dress should not be worn for the duration of the day, please take a photo of your child/family in their cultural dress and share it with your child’s Hub Educators.  These photos will be most valuable in the discussions they will generate about Harmony and Inclusivity for the children. If your child does not have a cultural dress to share, please encourage them to wear some orange with their school uniform. 

 

Karen Dodemaide

Co-Deputy Principal and Wellbeing Leader 

kdodemaide@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au

 

Faith

Project Compassion

 

Our social justice leaders for this term also launched St John’s Project Compassion collection at our Ash Wednesday liturgy. This year, the focus is “for all our future generations”, with all donations going towards providing supplies for farming, shelter and schools in disadvantaged communities such as Mozambique, India and Remote Australia. 

 

Pictured are our leaders participating in a Webinar hosted by CARITAS, as they prepared to launch the project. 

 

We invite families to make small coin donations where possible. These may include change leftover from lunch orders, spare change you might have lying around the house, or coins you wish to donate. 

  • Social Justice team: Joshua, William and Hien

 

Prayer gatherings

 

As part of our Lenten celebration, each hub will be hosting a prayer gathering on these dates:

  • Five/Six: Friday 18th March 2:30pm
  • Prep: Friday 1st April 2:30pm
  • One, Two and Three/Four: Week 11 (dates to come)

These will all be held outside (weather permitting) otherwise in our hall. Families are of course welcome to come along. 

 

Mitch Hayes

(Faith/REL Leader)

mitch.hayes@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au

 

Sport

Footscray District Cross Country 

 

On Friday 4th March, 25 children from years 3-6 competed in the Footscray District Cross Country Carnival at Hansen Reserve. It was great to see everyone in the Cross Country team showing so much enthusiasm for distance running and displaying their personal best. We were lucky that the rain stayed away but the heat provided another challenge and all the competitors displayed amazing resilience to run their races in the hottest part of the day. Everyone was still able to enjoy the day away from the classroom. A big congratulations to Pearl Stephenson for an amazing race, finishing in first place in her age group and progressing to the next stage of competition. We wish you the best of luck at the Maribyrnong division event. A big thank you to Eileen Winduss, Amanda Cochran and Jacinta Cleary for their assistance on the day. 

Regards,

Andrew Sharpe

Physical Education

asharpe@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au