The Net

St Luke's Arrunga

Welcome back to Arrunga, a special welcome to our new families who have joined us. It has been an exciting start to the new year at St Luke’s Arrunga as we officially welcome our first Stage 4 cohort of students. Our students are settling in well and are working towards building relationships with their teachers and peers. 

 

During the next few weeks we will continue to support the students in transitioning back to school as well as learning new routines and building in opportunities to explore the new wider College grounds. Last week we celebrated our opening school liturgy and all our students were reverent and participated. 

 

A reminder that Half Day Friday has commenced.  You will be invited to complete a form each week to indicate whether or not your child/ren will be getting picked up at 12 midday. Please ensure that you have notified your child’s class teacher and completed the relevant forms so that your child is ready for collection.  

 

Thank you for your ongoing support. 

Kind regards,

 

 

                           

 

 

 

 

  Mrs Catherine Goodwill

  High Support Needs Leading Teacher

  Email: cgoodwill@parra.catholic.edu.au

   Phone: 0418360004

                                                          

 

                                                                                            

 

Early Stage 1 & Stage 1

 

We are pleased to have students back in the classroom. It has been an exciting time in the Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 classroom over the last few weeks as we have welcomed new students and have been encouraging the students to build new friendships. We have been  largely focusing on re-establishing the learning and classroom routines and are pleased to see that most students have settled back in well and are engaging in learning activities. We will continue to revisit both learning and social stories to ensure all students transition smoothly back into the class and school routines. 

 

If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

                                                                                                                 

Kind regards, 

                        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs Natasha Narain                                                                                Mrs  Isabel Little                                                                         

High Support Needs Specialist Teacher                    High Support Needs  Specialist Teacher

Email: nnarin2@parra.catholic.edu.au                          Email: ilittle1@parra.catholic.edu.au          Phone: 0474 280 557                                                       Phone: 0408 321 594   

 

FOCUS FOR LEARNING & ACTIVITIES THIS FORTNIGHT:

 

  • Literacy: During our shared reading block we have been exploring our science topic ‘living things’. Students have been busy exploring what makes something a living thing and how we can take care of living things. We will be continuing our discovery of living things by examining how living things, like ourselves, grow and change over time. We have also been developing our knowledge of sight words and letter sounds. We have explored the letters ‘a’ and ‘m’ and will be continuing by exploring the letter ‘t’ and ‘s’ in the coming fortnight. 
  • Numeracy: During numeracy groups we have been revising whole number skills. Students have been working on recognising and representing numbers using concrete material. We have also been extending our number skills to add and subtract values using various strategies such as counting back, counting forward and using a number line.. Over the next fortnight, students will be learning to form groups (multiplication) and share items (division).  
  • Drumbeat: During DRUMBEAT, students have been learning how to create various tones such as the open and bass tone. Over the coming fortnight, we will be focusing on learning how to create a pattern by repeating a movement and rhythm. We will also be encouraging students to take turns in creating a pattern and replicating our peers' pattern. 
  • PDHPE: Our health lessons have been integrated with our combined science and literacy unit ‘living things’. The students have been identifying the different parts of the body, what we use our body parts for and how we are all different, but have the same physical parts.  We will be turning our focus towards how we change and grow over time and what our bodies need to stay healthy and strong.                               

Stage 2

 

We have thoroughly enjoyed having students back in the learning space! We have completed many learning activities  in the Stage 2 and 3 classroom over the last three weeks largely focusing on re-establishing social and learning routines and welcoming new students into our school. We are pleased to see that many of our students have settled in well and are engaging in learning activities. We will continue to revisit our learning and social stories throughout this term to ensure that all our students transition fully back into the class and school routines.

If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

                                                                                                              

Kind regards, 

 

 

                                                                 

                                            

Mrs Merlin Binu                                                                Mr Shoalin Alnimer

High Support Needs Specialist Teacher                    High Support Needs Specialist Teacher 

Email: mbinu@parra.catholic.edu.au                           Email: salnimer2@parra.catholic.edu.au

Phone:                                                                                   Phone: 0448 604 530

 

FOCUS FOR LEARNING & ACTIVITIES THIS FORTNIGHT:

 

  • Literacy: During our shared reading block, we have explored developing our social and language skills. Students have been engaged in incorporating learning from several aspects. This encompasses living things, our body and how it works, and understanding the importance of our words. We will continue exploring the discovery of living things and examining how living things, like ourselves, are different and the same to our peers. We have also been developing our knowledge and identification of sight words and letter sounds. We have explored the letters A through E and will continue exploring F through J over the next fortnight.
  • Numeracy: The main focus of numeracy is the mathematical strand of whole number and how we experience this in our everyday lives. Students have been working on developing their skills of counting with the help of concrete objects. They have extended their knowledge of addition and subtraction through various hands-on activities in the classroom and interactive class games to consolidate their learning. Over the next two weeks students will be learning more about number patterns and missing numbers.

 

 

  • Religion: In religion, students are learning about ‘taking turns’ , ‘sharing’ and what it means to have ‘gentle hands’ through different religious stories and class discussions .This has helped them to understand the different religious values that all individuals should display and demonstrate to each other.

 

 

 

  • CAPA: Our students have been creating artworks using leaves, their hands, and sticks when creating abstract art that align with our science and literacy unit ‘living things’. Our class has identified and will continue working to identify different parts of various plants, such as trees, flowers and a range of animals. We will be creating different artworks of animals over the next two weeks.
  • PDHPE: Our SoSafe and Sport classes have combined a range of CAPA and Science outcomes. Stage 2 and 3 have worked on identifying how to regulate breathing, understanding the importance of drinking water in regulating temperature and taking care of their health, especially when it is hot. We will be continuing to  focus on how we are different and the same as others, and how we can keep ourselves healthy and safe.

Stage 4

Welcome to 2023 Term 1! All students have settled in well into their new classroom and have started their journey as the “seniors” Stage 4 students of Arrunga with a lot of pride.

 

All students have actively engaged in the classroom activities with enthusiasm and are working towards accessing the wider school community areas. In the next fortnight we will look at our money and time skills as we will slowly move towards using our new school canteen. We will be in touch with you as we support Stage 4 in this process and look forward to them developing their communication skills in social situations as we work towards actively being involved in community participation within the wider College. 

 

We will be having our Year 7 vaccinations programs on the 22nd of February (Wednesday Week 5). If you need any additional details about the day, please feel free to contact me.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs Sabitha Sadasivan                                                                     

High Support Needs Specialist Teacher                                    

Email: ssadasivan@parra.catholic.edu.au

Phone: 0418 548 946

 

FOCUS FOR LEARNING & ACTIVITIES THIS FORTNIGHT:

 

  • Literacy: For literacy activities this fortnight, we are looking at books that relate to ‘being ourselves’ and ‘community signs’. Students are developing their understanding on how being themselves makes them unique. Students are also looking at community signs that we encounter in daily life as we prepare to access places outside Arrunga later this year. Students have been working on their sight words and developing skills in writing their own sentences
  • Numeracy: In numeracy, students have used the first two weeks to revisit their understanding of numbers by engaging in activities that look at number sequence and patterns. Students are using this understanding in solving addition problems and in creating their own number patterns. Next week we will focus on time and money and students will explore how this applies to daily activities.
  • PDHPE: During PDHPE, we have explored the PBS4L values of using kind words and safe hands at school. Students worked together as a class to co-construct expectations that they felt were  important in class, especially when playing Kahoot on Fridays. Students have also looked at various ways of taking care of the environment and working as a team within the school community. 

CONTINUITY OF LEARNING AT HOME:

 

  • Revisit and read through with your child at home the social stories which have been uploaded to their Seesaw account. 
  • Help support your child at home with establishing a routine through organisational activities, such as packing their bag. 

REMINDERS:

 

  • If you need to contact your child's teacher, please be aware that teachers are face to face with students during the day and will respond to your inquiries as soon as possible. For all urgent matters please direct your inquiries to the main college office on (02) 9854 3100. 
  • Please ensure that your child has a drink bottle and a hat every day and that all items and personal belongings including lunchboxes and drink bottles are clearly labelled with their name 
  • School drop off time is between 8:20-8:50am and collection is 2:30-2:50pm. Please ensure that you are on time to drop off and collect your child. Outside of these times you will need to sign in, drop off or collect your child at the main office. 
  • If your child is unwell they should remain at home. If they present as being unwell they will be escorted to the main office sick bay and you will be called to collect them.

 

  

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY:

 

Term 1 

  • 21 February - Shrove Tuesday
  • 22 February - Ash Wednesday liturgy
  • 22 February-  Year 7 Vaccinations Ist dose
  • 9 March - Year 7-10 Rep sport
  • St Luke’s Arrunga Parent Information Evening 4pm-6:30pm
  • St Luke’s College Open Evening & College Tours 4pm-6:30pm

2023 Term Dates

Term 1 - Last day Thursday 6th April

Term 2 - Tuesday 26th April - Thursday 29 June

Term 3 - Tuesday 18th July - Friday 22 September

Term 4 - Monday 9th October - Thursday 14th December

 

*School development days occur at the beginning of Terms 1, 2 and 3 and the last two days of the school year. 

 

HELPFUL LINKS:

  • https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/publications/quarterly-reports

 

     “I come that you may have life

Life in all its fullness”  

                             John 10:10