NAPLAN

There has been a lot of discussion around NAPLAN moving to an online format this year. We have recently received the latest update regarding this National Assessment Program. Our College will not be moving to the online version for this year’s testing period. We will still be using the pen and paper format. NAPLAN testing will be carried out from the 15th to 17th of May. We will also run catch up tests on Friday the 18th for any student who was absent on the 15th, 16th, or 17th. Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are required to sit each NAPLAN test.

More information regarding NAPLAN can be found at: https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/parent-carer-support

Gifted Education

As a part of the Gifted and Talented review, we have redefined the definitions that we use across the College.

A gifted child is one who has the natural ability to perform at a significantly higher level than their chronologically aged peers in any of the following areas: intellectual, creative, socio-emotional, sensory-motor or any other valid area.
A talented child is one who displays mastery of a set of abilities or competencies in at least one endeavour. Mastery will be at a significantly higher level than their chronologically aged peers and can have been developed as a result of their learning experiences.
A twice-exceptional child (or 2E child) is a child who is gifted and has another exceptionality; for instance, ESL background, learning difficulty, physical disability.
High Achievers are those students who complete work to a high standard and meet all expectations and requirements. This term is often used interchangeably with Gifted and Talented but should not be confused with the natural ability.

As a Christian College, we recognise that each child is uniquely created by God, blessed with individual gifts and talents that enable them to live out their purpose as God has planned. Our mission is that not only are our students motivated to walk with God but to serve Him so that they will be a positive Christian influence in the world. Through our curriculum and programs we aim to allow each student to reach their full potential.

Merrick Brewer

Head of Learning and Teaching

Working Bee

We would like to invite you to our first Working Bee for 2018, to be held on Saturday March 17th from 9:00am – 12:00noon.

Our Working Bee will be a great time for you to get involved and take pride in our fabulous College. We are working on creating a clean and tidy school with gardens and plants that are indigenous to this area.

We invite you and your children to help with this important school community event. It will create greater ownership of the College and encourage students to care of the gardens and facilities we are creating.

Even if you can only come for an hour it will be a great help.

We plan to undertake the following tasks:

We are going to focus on the Mound area garden outside of the Prep classrooms
General garden maintenance including weeding, clearing leaves, some planting and replenishing the garden beds with mulch.
Cleaning of the drinking troughs.
Washing of windows.
Oiling the decking.
Assemble additional garden bed/s.
Cobwebs eviction.
Replenishing the sandpit areas.
Rubbish collection.

And for those skilled at painting

Painting of some of the high visible areas, (steps)
Painting of hand rails where needed.

If you have any of the following tools you can bring, that would assist as we only have a limited supply:

Hand shovel
Gloves
Spade/ Shovel/ Fork
Wheelbarrow
Window squeegee

Attendance at the Working Bee is also a way to ‘work off’ your Parent Participation Hours.

If you find yourself available and able to come, please inform me by email at twaterman@standrews.vic.edu.au so that we can adequately prepare the tasks and morning tea.

Ted Waterman

Grounds & Maintenance Manager

How to recycle the waste from your Subway lunch order

1. Put food scraps into the compost (silver bin).

2. Put paper with food scraps into the red rubbish bin.

3. Put clean paper (subway

envelope and wrapping paper)

into the yellow paper bin.

4. Put the clean serviette into the compost (silver bin).

5. Enjoy your lunch!

Humanities Request

From the Humanities Department:

We would love to create a collection of fake and real historical artefacts to use in both primary and secondary classes to improve the students passion for history and to help them to develop their historical inquiry skills. We would especially love artefacts from the Ancient World (Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, China), Medieval period, Australian History and the World Wars. These would be kept safely in the library. If anyone in the school community has anything from their travels that they would like to donate, please email Penelope Connolly – pconnolly@standrews.vic.edu.au

Penelope Connolly

History Teacher

Extra Curricular Activities

The attached timetables are updated with more details and some new Extra Curricular Activities.

A summary of the changes are:

Games in the Junior Library for Middle and Senior School students on Tuesday lunchtime with Ms Kopp
Reading Club in 1L classroom on Wednesday lunchtime for Prep-Yr 2 students
Games in the Junior Library for Middle and Senior School students on Thursday lunchtime with Mrs Terrington.

Sonia Sires

Extra Curricular Activities Coordinator

St Andrews Christian College 2020 Newsletter

Issue 2 · 09 Mar 2018

In this issue