Principal's News

14/03/23

Dear Parents and Carers,

SHOUT OUTS FOR TERM 1, 2023!

We are nearly at the end of Term 1 and I need your help Parents and Carers!  Students will also be asked to send me SHOUT OUTS! We all work so hard to bring the best of learning to our students! SHOUT OUTS acknowledges individuals or groups for their extra care given or super effort!  Send me an email to recognise these individuals (could be staff or students) in the  community!  gleone@sktemplestowelr.catholic.edu.au

Positive Behavior Learning (PBL) Professional Learning Day

On Friday the 3rd of March the whole staff along with regular CRTs (Casual Relief Teachers) worked with Jo-anne Patrick and James Mather (MACS) to develop a shared understanding of the origins of PBL and how it is introduced in schools.  

PBL is a whole-school approach to creating a positive, safe and supportive school climate in which all students can learn and develop. At a PBL school, teachers, administrators and family members work together to teach and support behaviour expectations. PBL is implemented to improve the behaviour of all students in all school settings. Every part of a PBL 

school, including classrooms, school gates and buses, are considered integral parts of the total learning environment. PBL schools create and teachers deliver instruction in a set of behaviour expectations and positively acknowledge students for those behaviours. All school personnel are responsible for knowing the behaviour expectations and providing consistent positive feedback to students. P 1 Safe Schools Hub, 2018

The staff discussed their current behavioural concerns and then worked on how to defuse these behaviours.  In the next few weeks, parents and students will have an opportunity to vote on a set of values.   This is all part of developing a shared vision and understanding. Jo-anne Patrick believes that in 12 months we will begin to see and hear consistent language and the impact of PBL.

OPEN DAYS

Open Day went well! We had 7 families walk through our beautiful school.  One was for 2025 and very excited to enroll well ahead of time!  

Existing Families with Preps for 2024

If you have a kinder child (4 year old), who will be at school next year, can you please come and collect an enrolment form and let the office know.  I am in the process of making an online enrolment form and I will let you know as soon as it is ready.  

Remember to click on the QR Code if your child would like to attend the Story, Drama and Dance Time with Mrs Pezzimenti and Mrs Gerosolimo!

Learning - A week of learning and inspiration

LEAC (Languages Education Advisory Committee) Meeting on Tuesday with Francesca Pizzo (our Language Assistant).  

Francesca and I visited St Robert’s in Newtown.  This school is on the Teachers as Co-Learners approach to teach Italian. They have been on the journey for four years and it is amazing to see the students speaking and writing in Italian.  We got to work with a number of schools and enjoyed learning new games and ways to engage students in languages.

Eva Tomazos and I  attended a  ‘Women in Leadership Symposium’ on Thursday at the Catholic Leadership Centre.  Valerie Hannon author and international thought leader joined us for the day as keynote speaker and learning facilitator. She was inspirational. 

The purpose of the Symposium is to:

·         launch our Women in Leadership Research Project – exploring    the challenges, barriers and enablers that impact women in leadership

·         celebrate International Women’s Day

·         consider a bold and inspiring future for educational leadership.

It was a great day. There were ample opportunities to network and speak to leaders from primary and secondary schools.  We shared insights and tapped into the collective wisdom and experiences in the room.  It was energizing and quietly rewarding to share the amazing things we are working on at St Kevin’s and the educational community enjoyed hearing about it!

Compass ONLY in Term 2

Reminder to download Compass. We currently have 48 parents who have not downloaded the app.  By Term Two this will be the ONLY form of communication.  It is so important that everyone gets onto it ASAP.  I am sending daily reminders to parents.

Twilight Sports

Our 2023 Twilight Sports is on  28th March commencing at 3:45pm and concluding at 6:15pm.  Here is the notice sent to parents and staff - Twilight Sports.  

The School Day will conclude at 2:30pm and the sports will commence at 3:45pm.  Parents have been asked to communicate with us if they are unable to transport their children to Whitefriars.   I will chat with Peter about this as I have not received any messages or notes. If you are unable to arrange transport to the venue for your child/ren please let me know and we will communicate an alternative.  I need to have this in writing by 17/03/23 pscarfo@sktemplestowelr.catholic.edu.au

All students are required to return their permission forms. Teachers will keep track of them.  

All Students may wear their sports uniform on the Twilight Sports Day even if it's not their usual P.E day.

NAPLAN

Notes have been distributed to families about NAPLAN 2023.  

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) for Years 3 & 5 students will be held in March as of this year. NAPLAN will be held on Wednesday 15th March to Friday 17th of March.  Monday the 20th March is the day dedicated to allow any catch ups.  NAPLAN Schedule  

LEAC (Languages Education Advisory Committee) Meeting on Tuesday with Francesca.  

Francesca and I visited St Robert’s in Newtown.  This school practises  the Teachers as Co-Learners approach to teach Italian. They have been on the journey for four years and it is amazing to see the students speaking and writing in Italian.  We got to work with a number of schools at this meeting and we enjoyed learning new games and ways to engage students.

 Italian for the Week  

• Venite qua! (Come here) 
• Andate là! (Go there) 
• Ripetete insieme! (Repeat together)

Soon we will attach short videos for you to follow!

Francesca, our language assistant, is visiting each learning space twice a week for 20 minute sessions with the students and the teachers.  The teachers  are practising the words for the week every day!

Linton (Head of Languages) from MACS will be visiting on the 16/03.  He will run/model short sessions in all grades that engage students in learning Italian. We are very excited to work with Linton.  He ran an engaging session for our parent community last year.

Uniform 

Congratulations to the Year 5 and 6 students who ran amazing tours at Open Day last week.  They looked spectacular in their full school uniform.  I hope that they continue to impress us and model being responsible St Kevin’s students.

Reminder that all students are required to wear black school shoes with their school uniform.  Black runners can be worn with their sports uniform on days when they are participating in Physical Education Lessons.  Please let your class teacher know if there is a reason that your child is unable to wear the correct uniform e.g. a medical reason.

Bunnings BBQ

St Kevin’s is hosting a Bunnings BBQ at Doncaster Bunnings on Saturday 6th of May set up 8am-5:30pm clean up.  We have 12 amazing parents who have already volunteered to assist and donate goods for the 

BBQ.  Last year we raised just over $1000 and the challenge is to beat it this year!  This assisted in the leasing an ipad for each teacher.  Please consider supporting the school at this fun event.  Put your name down to assist,  come and visit and buy a sausage, drink or both. I am sure you will be made to feel welcome!  

The money raised this year will go towards the lease of  i-Pads for the Junior Learning Spaces and furniture for the Year 5/6 new outdoor space!

Here is the Link to    St Kevin’s Bunning BBQ Doncaster                                                                                                                                                                               I will be on duty 10am-12pm. PLEASE MAKE AN EFFORT.  

This is a once a year fundraiser ;) !   

If everyone from St Kevin’s visited Doncaster Bunnings and bought one sausage I wonder how much money we would raise?  

Google Calendar connected to Compass Calendar

The Calendar on Compass is a St Kevin’s Parent Community Google Calendar.  This can be accessed via Google or downloaded.  There has been a slight update to PDF of Term and Annual dates.  This will be reshared via Compass.

Attendance and First Aid is all completed on Compass and this week first aid reports will arrive in your inbox only if you have subscribed to Compass and set a password.

Information clip by all teachers (TRIAL)

Each parent will receive a short clip from the teachers (classroom, specialist and leaders).  This will outline classroom practise and routines, as well as expectations, academic and social.  I sincerely hope that each of you watch this clip and give us some feedback.  The clips are going to be on a private YouTube channel (links will be shared) in about two weeks then taken down.  Please be cyber safe. You can watch them in your spare time and send us an email or phone us to chat. These will be published this week!

Pamphlet sharing

We have lots of Open Day and Story Time brochures to distribute.  If you can assist us with this very important task please contact Fulvia Gerosolimo fgerosolimo@sktemplestowelr.catholic.edu.au or pop into the school office to collect some flyers.

Parent Helper 

This week a parent helper notice will be distributed to all parents. Hopefully many of you will be able to support our learners by assisting in the classroom. Here is the information detailing when parent training will occur. Also included is some useful information about reading, particularly pertinent to the early years reading program.

Reading Suggestions and Parent Helpers Information

Harmony Day 

On Wednesday 22nd March all the children will be participating in some celebratory activities to promote Harmony Day.  The activities will take place between 11.30 and 1.30pm.  More information to be distributed to parents and carers tomorrow.

Staff News

Jo Maloney has resigned her position at St Kevin's as Numeracy Leader and Classroom Teacher due to personal reasons.  We have been supporting Jo and we are thankful for the work she has initiated at St Kevin's this year.  We wish her well in her future ventures.

At the commencement of Term 2 Sonia Costa will be teaching 4CM (which will make it 4CC)  along with Mr Con for 2023.  We have a regular CRT Jess M who is working closely with Mr Con to ensure progression of learning till the end of this term.  Mr Con will discuss this with the students on Tuesday.  Eva and I are sharing the Numeracy Role till we appoint a new Numeracy Leader.  

Congratulations to Chiara Campagna (our School Chaplain) and Mario on their recent engagement.  We wish you both a world of happiness and love!

SPECIAL ASSEMBLY to Farewell Robyn

Thursday 23rd March  

2:30pm-3:15pm  in the pit.

 All welcome

Hope you all enjoyed the long weekend.  

Every blessing, 

Gabee Leone