Learning 

Literacy & Numeracy

In the next few weeks children at St John’s will be taking part in PAT standardised testing for Reading and Maths. PAT (Progress Achievement Test) assessments measure what students in Foundation to Year 10 know, understand and are capable of across domains, and help monitor progress over time. 

PAT is administered yearly, in November. Its purpose is to track children’s growth over time. This is why it is referred to as a ‘Summative Assessment’. As a school, we analyse this data to determine trends and patterns, informing our focus for Professional Learning. 

PAT is only one means of measuring our children’s growth. We use a range of evidence to help us make informed judgements about children’s growth and to determine where they are placed on a progression of learning.

If you have any questions about PAT or other assessments undertaken at St John’s, please feel free to contact us.

Daniela De Luca & Lauren Davis

(Literacy Leader and Numeracy Leader)

ddeluca@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au 

ldavis@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au 

Wellbeing

You may have noticed in our recent ‘Learning Space’ videos on Seesaw, or from when you have visited our Hubs in the past, that there is a ‘Chill Out Zone’ in each of our learning spaces. The ‘Chill Out Zones’ are designed, knowing that we all sometimes need time to take a break, regulate and reset so that we can be ready to learn. Educators have carefully designed these spaces, in age appropriate ways using:

• sensory materials and tools to support children in regulating or de-escalating - for example, stress balls, fidget tools, ipads for listening to music
• visual prompts such as the Zones of Regulation for helping children to articulate how they are feeling 
• Sand timers and digital timers for supporting re-entry into learning
• Mindfulness materials designed to bring the mind and body into the present - for example, mandalas, ipads to support deep breathing, beading and threading materials

Ashlee Owen

aowen@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au

Learning Diversity

Parent Support Group Meetings

Parent Support Group meetings are organised to discuss the adjustments that we make to support our children who receive funding. If your child receives additional adjustments to their learning and is listed on our NCCD database, a Parent Support Group meeting is arranged to discuss their strengths and progress on their personalised learning goals. 

Our educators are working hard to prepare for our upcoming Parent Support Group meetings, which will be scheduled over the next few weeks. Keep an eye out for an email with all the booking details for our upcoming PSG's.

Mitch and Chevon

mitch.hayes@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au

cadamidis@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au

Faith

On behalf of our St John’s community, I would like to wish everyone a happy Diwali! We are so fortunate to have families in our community who celebrate Diwali, which begins on Thursday November 7. Our children will be exploring Diwali in their hubs during ready to learn this week. 

As we enter into our final weeks of term four, we are excited for the following community events. 

Confirmation:

Our Grade 6 confirmation has been confirmed and will go ahead before the end of the year! It will be held at Holy Family Parish in Maidstone, on Monday the 29th of November at 7:00pm. Our grade 6s have been preparing for this since its original cancellation in June. We cannot be happier and more thrilled for our families that we get to share it with them for this experience. Mitch will be in contact with our families momentarily. 

Advent Liturgies: 

As the year concludes, we will be entering into preparation for Advent. As part of our Advent units, each hub will be hosting a prayer liturgy in Joan’s yard, with only families of those hubs welcome to join. The timeline for each hub’s liturgy is as follows:

• Week 7:  Hope liturgy, hosted by the 5/6 Hub. 
• Week 8: Love liturgy, hosted by the 1/2 Hub. 
• Week 9: Joy liturgy, hosted by the Prep Hub
• Week 10: Peace, hosted by the 3/4 Hub. 

Please note, that due to our current COVID guidelines, we are only able to have families of those specified hubs attend. 

Ways of the West

This year we will be collecting for the Ways of the West program once again. This program is run through the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, and aims to provide food and other goods for those who need it most. We ask families to consider what they would like to donate, and have attached a PDF with the list of ‘most needed items’. 

Our collection will begin starting from Week 7 (week commencing November 15th). 

We thank all our families for their kindness and generosity. 

From the Social Justice Leaders: Kelly, Paulino and Jordan. 

Woiwurrung Word of the Week

St Johns has purchased the Woiwurrung Language Resource for the Early Years.

Woiwurrung language was traditionally spoken and is being reclaimed today by the Wurundjeri people, who inhabited the land along the Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers.

The Woiwurrung Language Cards have been produced by the Wurun Child and Family Place and Yarra Ranges Council with permission from key Wurundjeri Elders.

Acknowledging and celebrating Aboriginal culture and its connection to spirituality and language, family and kinship, land, country and community is important in protecting and developing inclusion and equity. Language in particular is recognised as a precious part of cultural strength and pride.

Each newsletter we will share with you a new Woiwurrung word of the week, we hope that this will provide you with a chance to read, speak, and talk about it with your family.