Learning
Learning & Teaching/Wellbeing/Faith & Farm
Seesaw Schedule
Hi families, Over the coming weeks, you will notice that our Seesaw Learning Posts have been created in collaboration with our children. The posts will feature a reflection of a piece of work that they believe shows their current achievement and “next steps” in their learning. As always, each post will be based on our learning progressions, which have been adapted from the Victorian F-10 Curriculum. We believe that this process will strengthen your child’s voice and agency in talking about their learning and progress. This is a trial process that we will evaluate and refine its effectiveness at the end of the year. We look forward to sharing the children’s reflections and goals for their learning! St. John’s team. |
Community Project 'Our Land, Our Calling, Our Future'
Prep educators sorting the children’s ‘first ideas’.
This Term, we will be exploring the concepts of adaptation and community through the lens of the Science curriculum. Through our project this Term, we will explore the many systems that exist within our world and how these systems interconnect. We will investigate our place within the systems and how these systems are affected by both natural and human impacts.
Some of the wonderings that have emerged so far from our First Encounters include:
- Why do peacocks have feathers like that?
- Why don’t sheep have homes/shelters like the other animals?
- How do farmers care for the land and animals?
- Add more wonderings
Discovery
This Term, we will spotlight the disposition of ‘resourcefulness’. Resourceful learners use a variety of tools, strategies and materials when solving problems. While discovering, our children will reflect on the many ways that they have used the disposition of resourcefulness to overcome a challenge.
This may look like:
- Using tools in different and new ways
- Carefully choosing materials to suit a particular need for their play or project
- Explaining why a strategy or tool was ineffective and what they would do differently next time.
Literacy
3-6 Literacy Walk
Last week we hosted our third learning walk for families with a focus on ‘what does a book club look like at St John’s, and how can families draw from this and support children at home?’ There was rich and robust dialogue about our St John’s philosophy for Reading in 3-6, followed by a ‘fish bowl’ scenario where children enacted a book club and parents observed and noticed.
We reflected on the skills and dispositions children demonstrated during book clubs, including: coming prepared to the book club with notes about their thinking, sharing their thinking with their peers, responding to / building on or challenging their peers’ thinking. Children demonstrated a range of comprehension skills such as summarising, questioning, visualising and making connections.
We then discussed what support at home could look like, and explored the following resource:
If you have any further questions about how you can support your child’s reading, speaking and listening or writing at home, or any other Literacy-related questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Daniela De Luca
Literacy Coach
ddeluca@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au
Numeracy
3-6
Three/fours learning snapshot:
This term, the Three/Fours are continuing to deepen their understanding of number concepts such as fractions and decimals, and investigate what these look like in the context of money.
They’ll continue to explore graphs as a way of representing and interpreting data, as well as chance and probability.
The Three/Fours will continue to build their ability to reflect on and evaluate strategies that they can use to solve problems.
Five/six learning snapshot:
This term, our Five/Six hub are looking to transfer/apply their number and algebra learning from term 3, into a variety of different contexts, including measurement and geometrical concepts such as length, area, volume, mass and capacity.
The five/six hub will continue to explore the problem solving process, building onto their capacity to approach a worded problem with a variety of different strategies to trial, reflect on and evaluate.
Wellbeing
Engaging Families in Child Safety
Please be advised that there is a school policy to support families to engage with Child Safety. Families engaging with the Child Safety Standards support us as a school community, to ensure that all children feel safe, respected and valued in our school. We also have an Acceptable Usage Policy for ICT available to ensure that digital practices and programs at St. John’s are compliant with the Child Safety Standards. These two policies are publicly available on our school website and can be found at
https://www.sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au/policies
Introducing Rebekah Mikhail - School Psychologist
This term, we warmly welcome Rebekah to the staff of St. John’s in the role of School Psychologist. Rebekah will be onsite Thursdays and Fridays throughout Term 4. Rebekah also works at St. George Preca Catholic Primary School, Caroline Springs, in the role of School Psychologist from Monday - Wednesday. Rebekah (Bek) is a qualified psychologist who works mainly with children and their families. Bek is a trained CBT practitioner and is trained in phonics, reading and writing interventions. She has extensive experience in assessing and diagnosing common mental health and developmental conditions in children. In her free time, Bek loves to cook, bake, sing, draw and socialise with her husband at fancy cafes. She is looking forward to meeting our families and working closely with them and the staff for the benefit of our children.
If you would like to access psychology services for your child this term, please contact Karen to discuss this further.
Karen Dodemaide
Co-Deputy Principal and Wellbeing Leader
kdodemaide@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au
Learning Diversity
A couple of bits and pieces…
* This week, St. John’s has been holding PSG (Program Support Group) Meetings for some children who receive adjustment to their learning. We thank the families who have collaborated with us on student goals and who have shared their perspectives on the learning and growth of their child. St. John’s values this partnership and honours parents as the first educators of their children.
* Each week our educators are given an additional hour of planning time to prepare learning and adjustments for our diverse learners. Sometimes this looks like preparing individual student schedules, liaising with families and allied health, modifying tasks and materials to suit learners, collecting evidence of student success and sharing that to Seesaw, evaluating goals or creating social stories. Thank you to our amazing educators who are dedicated to ensuring growth for all students.
* Later in the term, our children will participate in a 2 week swimming program. Further information will be shared about this in time. However, If you anticipate that your child will find particular parts of this challenging (from a sensory, organisational, physical etc perspective,) please get in touch to discuss any supports that may need to be put in place.
Ashlee Owen
Learning Diversity Leader
aowen@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au
Faith
Term 4 Faith learning:
Across the school, our children will be exploring the awe and wonder of God’s creation, reflecting on the Genesis Creation story, as well as the Catholic Social Teaching of Stewardship.
How does your family connect with nature?
What are the ways you’re called to act in response to the ‘Cry of the Earth’?
Our Prep-two hubs will have a focus on human and Earth connection, drawing on Catholic perspectives around creation, as well as other religions and our First Nations people.
While our Three/Four hub will look at the influencers within the Catholic Church, namely Pope Francis, and how Catholic voices around the globe are pursuing a more sustainable world.
Lastly, our Five/Six hub will participate in an extensive scriptural analysis, interpreting the significance of certain chapters such as Genesis 1, its authorial elements as well as purpose and underlying messages.
Term 4 prayer gatherings:
Below is the timetable for the term 4 prayer gatherings. Please note, the time and place of each prayer gathering will be given at a closer date (weather and scheduling dependent).
Friday, Week 2 (14.10.2022) Mission and Vocation: Our First Communion Children
Friday, Week 4 (28.10.2022) Grandparents Day: 3/4 hub.
Friday, Week 6 (11.11.2022) Remembrance and Solidarity: Term 4 Village Leaders
Friday, Week 8 (25.11.2022) Advent Week 1: HOPE: Five/Six Hub
Friday, Week 9 (02.12.2022) Advent Week 2: LOVE: Two Hub
Friday, Week 10 (09.12.2022) Advent Week 3: JOY: Prep Hub
Friday, Week 11 (16.12.2022) Advent Week 4: PEACE: One Hub
Mitch Hayes
(Faith/REL Leader)
mitch.hayes@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au
Sport
Basketball Victoria
During weeks 2 and 3 our grade 5/ 6 and 3/ 4 students will participate in a basketball clinic run by Basketball Victoria. The coaches will work with the students to engage them in various drills and games to further develop their skill set.
This program is part of the positive start program, an initiative from the Victorian Government. The aim is to re-engage primary and secondary students and boost their physical and emotional health and wellbeing in the wake of the convarious pandemic.
Interschool Sports
This term our grade 5/6 students will participate in the Summer Interschool Sports Program. Each child has signed up for a team and will be playing either Basketball, Newcomb or Bat tennis. This is an exciting venture for our students at St John’s. Good luck and Go St John’s
Kind regards,
Kelly
Physical Education