Junior School News
Junior School’s 3rd Gordon Fetterplace Public Speaking Event
On Friday February 12, twenty-five Years 5 and 6 students participated in the 30th Annual Gordon Fetterplace Public Speaking Competition. Our participation has grown from 6 in 2019, to 12 in 2020 and 25 in 2021. These students worked with David De Vecchis and Mrs Ivancic to produce speeches on topics of their choice. All our speakers displayed great Learner Profile attributes including communicating, risk-taking and inquiring. They were given the opportunity to reflect and receive feedback from the adjudicators on the night.
They had fun listening to the Year 12 impromptu speeches at the end of the night and were awarded a medallion of participation. I look forward to hopefully doubling our number of participants again in 2022!
Mrs Diana Ivancic
Public Speaking Coordinator
It was wonderful to have parents attend the evening. They were impressed with the skills and confidence displayed by the students:
“The evening was a wonderful opportunity for students who had not participated in public speaking to move out of their comfort zone, challenge themselves and build confidence. Students presented a variety of topics that demonstrated their interests, sense of humour, thoughtfulness and knowledge of their chosen topics. All were well prepared, clearly spoken and enthusiastic whilst presenting their speech to peers, teachers, and parents. Adjudicators Mr Weekes and Mrs Ivancic gave valuable feedback and our students were also given the opportunity to listen to the Senior School speeches. All students should be very proud of themselves.” (Tamara Jackson)
"The Gordon Fetterplace Public speaking event was a wonderful evening. It is a great opportunity for students to give public speaking a go. It doesn't matter if you have done it before or it was your first time. The students were given a platform to write a speech on a topic that was of interest to them with the encouragement, advice and support of the other students, teachers and guest. This was the first time we have attended and I was blown away by the way the students encouraged each other." (Amy Meichan)
“The Gordon Fetterplace Public Speaking competition is a wonderful opportunity for the students to take part in. It is a supportive, nurturing, professional platform. This year no specific topic was given so it was surprising what the students decided to speak about. To say I was proud is an understatement. Some students have been coming since year 3 but the new faces blew me away. The nerves were there, mistakes did not deter them, confidence grew and to see the face of accomplishment is priceless. The critique given at the end is valuable and spirit building. The Year 12 impromptus were hilarious and a highlight of the evening.” (Christen Yousseph)
"The Gordon Fetterplace Public Speaking Competition was an entertaining and insightful experience. Our Junior School families were impressed by the quality of speeches and the level of confidence from our Junior School students. What was most impressive was the sense of Marist Spirit alive in the room as the students and parents encouraged one another and listened to one another with a real sense of presence and interest. A big thanks to the staff who prepared the students for the night giving them this wonderful opportunity to build confidence in their ability to speak in public" (Michelle McKinnon)
Religious Education News in the Junior School
Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday
On Tuesday in Week 4, the students of the Junior School enjoyed delicious pancakes made by some of our Senior students to celebrate Shrove Tuesday. In class, students discussed the history of 'Pancake Day’ or ‘Shrove Tuesday’, as a time that families would use up all their sugar, eggs and fats to prepare for fasting through the season of Lent.
Ash Wednesday was celebrated beautifully in the Junior School on Wednesday 17 February. Each Grade came together to pray, present their Lenten promises and receive the ashes from our Year 12 Leaders. It was a wonderful and reverent experience in all classrooms.
Family Prayer Boxes
Each class has been given a prayer box, that will be sent home to a different student each week. These prayer boxes were created last year as a part of the action in the Strategic Priority of Faith Formation in students and families.
In each box you will find prayer cloths, a statue of Mary, rosary beads, a book of stories from the Bible, a little battery lit candle and a prayer journal. When your child receives the prayer box, this is an opportunity for you as a family to come together and pray. Your child may like to place a photo of their prayer space or even write a prayer with the family that they can share at school when they return the box. We thank you in advance for the care you will take when using these boxes.
Marist Solidarity Appeal
Each classroom has a small gold box that has been placed in the prayer space. During the season of Lent, the College will be collecting money for the Australian Marist Solidarity Appeal.
This organisation works to ensure that all young people have access to educational opportunities. Working across Asia and the Pacific, their projects focus on providing access to education for young people, building facilities for the future to ensure safe spaces for learning, and support for young people who need a little extra help to thrive in learning environments.
We are asking that through this time of Lent, which is a time of fasting, prayer and giving, that the students find a way to donate to those less fortunate. This was suggested to students through leftover canteen money, earning money at home doing jobs around the house or giving up some pocket money if they receive this.
Robyn Bowen
Leader of Learning - Religious Education K-6
Students who like maths are better at it: Research
By: James Wells in In The Classroom, News, News, Podcasts, Radio+TV, Top Stories February 9, 2017
In an unsurprising finding, a German study has concluded, that students who find maths to be fun are better at it. This reinforces recent calls from experts, including Western Sydney University’s associate professor, Catherine Attard, that making maths fun is key to improving classroom performance.
“When children are actually having fun and enjoying themselves, they’re more likely to learn, they're more likely to be open to being challenged,” Attard said. “When you don't like something, then you're resistant to doing it, and so you don't learn as much, and with mathematics, in particular, attitude is everything. So, with a positive attitude, and this idea that you can learn, it might be challenging, but you can learn, children are more likely to have better academic results.”
Try these ideas at home to make maths fun and part of everyday activities.
- Connect math to everyday life and help your child understand how math influences them (i.e. shapes of traffic signs, walking distance to school, telling time).
- Play family math games together that add excitement such as Checkers, Junior Monopoly, Maths Bingo and Uno.
- Computers + Math = FUN! There are great computer math games available on the internet that you can discover with your child.
- When cooking, talk about different measurements used, such as teaspoons, millilitres, litres and cups. Discuss ideas about empty and full.
- Using playing cards: Playing with cards is always a fun activity, particularly on a rainy day or on holidays. You can:
- Play matching number games like ‘Snap’ with playing cards.
- Order the numbers on the cards from smallest to largest, or largest to smallest.
- Ask your child the difference between each day’s minimum and maximum temperatures. Do they notice a pattern or trend in the weather changes?
Mrs Diana Ivancic
Assistant Head of Junior School
Karting Success!
On the weekend of 6 & 7 February, Kaleb Belak (Year 7) and our Christian Faro (Year 6) both finished on the podium in the Eastern Creek Go-Karting Championship.
The community is very proud of both boys. They were very excited about their podium finish and kept saying "The St. Greg's boys dominated the field! "
Students ‘Blind Date’ a book for Library Lover’s Week
Our Junior School Learning Centre was abuzz last week with each student choosing a ‘blind date’ book to take home, unwrap and read. This initiative celebrates the world wide Library event of Library Lover’s Week, designed to coincide with Valentine’s Day.
Students from Year 1 through to 6 chose a brown paper wrapped book to borrow, along with their usual books. With specific instructions to unwrap their ‘date’ book ONLY at home. The anticipation of a book that they did not choose grew throughout the day, with students wondering what they might find.
The blind date book concept is a wonderful way to open students up to reading different genres or finding a new series to fall in love with. Here’s what our students said:
“I was so excited to take my blind date book home because I didn’t know what I would get. I wouldn’t usually pick the book that I opened but I really enjoyed it.”
Geena, Year 5
"I would never have picked this book normally. It was amazing to read something new and I definitely think we are a true match."
Polly, Year 3
Mrs Rachael Cosentino
Teacher Librarian/Literacy Specialist
Junior School Book Fair launches Premier’s Reading Challenge 2021!
Discover a Whole Galaxy of Books!
On Tuesday 2 March we’re bringing back our Book Fair AND we launch the Premier’s Reading Challenge 2021. We’re so excited to be able to involve our community again and look forward to seeing parents and carers browsing the selection of new books at our first Book Fair for 2021 - Discover a whole galaxy of Books.
Our Book Fair is a reading event that brings the books students want to read right into our school. It’s a wonderful selection of engaging and affordable books for every reading level. Opening on Tuesday, 2nd March until Friday, 5th March, parents and carers can register to attend our Book Fair during half-hour periods, on TryBooking https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=721116& Our Book Fair will be open during the following times:
Shopping hours:
Tuesday 2nd March to Friday 5th March 7:50am - 8:20am
Tuesday 2nd and Wednesday 3rd March 3:15pm - 5:00pm
Friday 5th March
3:15pm - 5:30pm
Students can enter our ‘Book Rocket’ Competition to win a $10 voucher to be spent at our Fair. Create a book themed ‘rocket’ from a plastic bottle using the instructions here: https://www.scholastic.co.nz/media/5151/book_rocket_decorations.pdf and enter the Grade categories by completing an entry form available from the Library. One winner will be selected for each year level, from Kindergarten through to Year 6. Bring your rocket to the Junior School Learning Centre by Wednesday, 3rd March. Rockets will be judged on Wednesday, with prizes awarded on Friday, 5th March for spending on the last day of our Book Fair.
We look forward to seeing you and your family at our Book Fair! Remember, all purchases benefit our school.
Our Book Fair is a wonderful beginning to this year’s Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC), which also starts on Tuesday 2 March 2021.
The PRC runs from March through to August each year. It challenges NSW school students in Kindergarten through to Year 2 to read thirty books and students in Years 4-9 to read twenty books during the Challenge period. The booklists for each Challenge level can be found at https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/booklist/home.html The aim of the Challenge is to encourage students to read widely, especially from Australian authors and illustrators.
Last year we had 303 students complete the Challenge in Grades Kindergarten through to Year 9. Letters will be sent home to the families of new students shortly, to ensure that all of our Junior School students and any interested Senior School student’s accounts are transferred to St Gregory’s.
Our Junior School enters all students in the Challenge and, once again, this year, we will be holding a class challenge with the first class to have all students complete the Challenge to win an end of year pizza party, plus a surprise. Last year Mrs Borg’s Year 4 class won a Pizza and Pool Party. I wonder who it will be this year?
This year’s PRC poster was created by Dr Bronwyn Bancroft. Dr Bancroft is a proud Bundjalung Woman and Artist who has been exhibiting nationally and internationally for over 30 years. She has also illustrated and/or written over 40 children’s books. Her poster artwork suggests this year’s Book Week theme of “Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds” with the connection to our powerful Indigenous storytelling history.
We hope that you will encourage our students to embrace the Challenge and read old stories, new stories and stories that are just out of this world!
Mrs Rachael Cosentino
Teacher Librarian/Literacy Specialist
Year 2
The children in Year 2 have been inquiring into what it means to be a 'respectful and responsible learner'. They have started the year by setting learning and social goals for the year.
They have also been exploring the Learner Profiles within the PYP program. They have been exploring each profile through literature and art. The children listen to stories that reflect each learner profile and complete a visual art lesson.
Year 2 have learned how to be an Open-Minded Chameleon, a Knowledgeable Owl and a Thinking Bear.
Students have made connections to their everyday life and have transferred these skills into the playground and at home.
Mrs Fuller and Mrs Borg
Year 2 Teachers
Year 4
Year 4 have had a great start to Term 1 2021, with so many exciting events; Swimming Carnival, Assembly, IPPSO and SRC to name a few.
4M and 4B have settled into the routines of the classroom and have formed new friendships. Hands-on Mathematics, poetry writing and Religion have been a focus with the students writing their own limericks and shape poems.
Creative Arts is a highlight. Students have explored elements of line and created artworks based on geometric and organic shapes. We are looking forward to all God has in store for us in 2021 including Camp, incursions and special events like the Athletics Carnival.
Be Blessed
Mr Dominic Smith
Year 4 Teacher