Learning 

Learning & Teaching

Children have now completed their annual assessment for PAT testing in Reading and Maths. Educators have analysed the data to measure growth from year to year and identify trends.

Educators met after school last week and engaged in dialogue using prompts such as: ‘What patterns / trends can you see?’ ‘What story can we layer to this data?’ ‘What strategies lead to this growth?’ ‘What would you/would you not replicate in 2022?’

Reflections from our Leaders/Educators:

• Overall, there has been growth for every cohort of children from Years 1 - 6 from 2020 - 2021.
• Targeted teaching was successful and enabled children to receive explicit teaching at their point of readiness.
• Building stamina and love of reading during powered reading supported growth.
• Educators used a range of teaching strategies to support children’s learning, and varied these depending on the learning goal.
• Using a range of resources, including rich literature texts, multimedia and texts connected to children’s context to build a love of reading.
• Using a range of resources to present mathematical ideas and concepts in different ways for different learning styles/preferences. Contextual and hands on
• Knowing children are read to by their families each day makes a huge difference.
• Target groups followed by opportunities to put skills into practise through Discovery and Projects, helped children to transfer and retain these skills. (Embedding opportunities in Discovery learning).
• Explaining purpose and real life contexts of the concept use. Authentic connections. Structuring the timeline of units to tap into the previous units knowledge gained (e.g. decimals > money > percentage > chance).
• Sharing the responsibility for educating all children within the Hub. Educators share expertise and provide similar experiences for all children.
• Book clubs where children engaged in dialogue, questioning and debate supported children in developing a reading identity.
• Data supported design sessions led by Leaders and supported by our work of the learning progressions.
• Intervention programs in both Reading and Number.
• Continue to provide feedback on learning, particularly on assessments so children understand the purpose.

Daniela De Luca & Lauren Davis

(Literacy Leader and Numeracy Leader)

ddeluca@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au 

ldavis@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au 

Wellbeing

On Monday the 13th of December, from 9:30-11am, St. John’s will be having ‘Step Up Day.’ On this morning, children will spend time familiarising themselves with their new Hub and their 2022 educators and peers. There will be a focus on connection and relationship and on sparking joy and optimism for the coming year. Educators will gather student interests and dreams for 2022 to inform planning and Hub design for the beginning of the year. If you have any concerns about your child during this transition period, please get in touch with their current Hub educators or Ashlee. 

Ashlee Owen

(Wellbeing Leader)

aowen@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au

Faith

Happy 2nd week of Advent! Our children have displayed a wonderful level of reverence and respect throughout our Advent liturgies. We apologise once again for the late cancellation last week - our liturgies (and family attendance) is heavily dependent on the weather.  

Here are some pictures of how our Advent liturgies have gone so far:

We look forward to having the following liturgies:

• Prep Hub (Joy) Friday 3rd December
• Three/Four hub (Peace) Friday 10th December

Confirmation

On Monday the 29th of November, we had 6 St John’s candidates receive their Sacrament of Confirmation. Without a doubt, our candidates will make St John’s proud, as they embark on their journey, living out and enacting Jesus’ message and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 

Pictured above are Joanna and Adler being anointed on the head with Chrism. 

Eucharist

St John’s is excited to add the following children who will also be receiving their First Communion on Sunday the 12th of December:

Bella Nguyen, Miriam Foster, Nikola Bursic, Kayla Gascon, Adut Adwang, Sebastian Ortiz & Xavier Hichaaba. 

We wish our children all the best for their celebration. 

Carols

Due to this week's COVID isolations across our year one/two and three/four hubs, we are unfortunately forced to postpone publishing our carols video, and will endeavour to send the carols out by Friday next week (Friday the 10th of December). 

Thank-you for your patience and understanding during this time.

Mitch Hayes

(Faith/REL Leader)

mitch.hayes@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au

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.