As we near the end of another Term, I wish all of our students a very happy and restful break and hope that you are able to have some time together as a family to relax and regroup.  For our teachers the mid term break is when they plan teaching and learning for the term ahead and I hope they also have time to spend with their family and friends.  Students return to school for Term 3 on Tuesday 23 July. 

Amadeus Concert Tomorrow - 2pm  

We warmly invite you to attend our afternoon of musical entertainment at our Amadeus mini concert tomorrow.  Years 3-6 students will showcase their skills and give parents a glimpse into the learning so far this year. Each of the ensembles or bands will perform 1 -2 short pieces of music.  The concert will start at 2pm in the school hall. 

Year 5 Camp

A wonderful time was had by all on the recent Year 5 camp to Bathurst.  Students visited the museum in Bathurst to learn all about Bush rangers, historical items and  events.  Staying at the Bathurst Goldfields, the students participated in a wide range of activities including damper making, old fashioned games, boomerang throwing and painting, tent building and of course the most popular - gold mining. Some students even found some tiny samples of gold to take home.  Students heard stories and viewed artefacts from the 1800’s.

Public Speaking Competition

Well done to all of our students and teachers from Year 1 - 6 for participating in the public speaking competition.  On Friday, our Sacred Heart winners proudly represented the school at the Network Public Speaking Competition for 2024, hosted by St James Catholic Primary School. Glebe.

Alba, Annelise and Caitlin competed against 12 other schools in a rigorous competition and it was great to see how they expressed themselves with so much confidence and talent. The speeches were adjudicated by Sydney Catholic Schools Principal Manager, Peter Cranney and Rosemary Peric, Sydney Catholic Schools Teaching and Learning Coach.  They had a very difficult job with a variety of topics, content and style evident amongst the contestants.  A special congratulations goes to Alba who was awarded 1st Place in the Stage 1 category.

Student Academic Reports

Your child’s report on their academic achievement for Semester 1 (Terms 1 & 2) will be available on Compass this Friday 28 June. We advise that you print a copy for your records, particularly if your child is in Year 6, as you lose access to Compass if not continuing to a Sydney Catholic School High School. Your child’s teacher has written a comment which is in line with NESA and Sydney Catholic Schools requirements for Semester 1. 

When you read your child’s report, please be mindful that the report is based on the learning for the year so far - a snapshot in time. Teachers select an achievement grade based on a variety of learning and assessment tasks over the semester.  This might include samples of work, formal and informal testing and anecdotal records of achievements.  Please look at how your child is achieving at this point in time rather than comparing to previous years as students may have changed stages or are at a different point of learning within the stage. When looking at grades, carefully consider the achievement level descriptors associated with the report.  Kindergarten have a three point grade scale; Basic, Sound and Thorough and Years 1 - 6 are graded as below.

• Extensive - The student has an extensive knowledge and understanding of the content and can readily apply this knowledge.  In addition, the student has achieved a very high level of competence in the processes and skills and can apply these skills to new situations.
• Thorough  - The student has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the content and a high level of competence in the processes and skills.  In addition, the student is able to apply this knowledge and these skills to most situations.
• Sound - The student has a sound knowledge and understanding of the main areas of content and has achieved an adequate level of competence in the processes and skills.
• Basic - The student has a basic knowledge and understanding of the content and has achieved a limited level of competence in the processes and skills.
• Elementary - The student has an elementary knowledge and understanding in a few areas of the content and has achieved very limited competence in some of the processes and skills.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Our Semester 1 Parent Teacher Conferences are next week. This is an opportunity for you to discuss your child’s Academic Report and their progress for Semester 1. 

Each teacher has been allocated set times to conduct their conferences. The conference is face to face, held at school, however if you prefer Zoom, please email your child’s teacher for a Zoom link.  The conference should take no more than ten minutes and is booked via Compass for each child.   

As you can imagine, teachers have spent many hours writing reports and whilst the conference is not compulsory, we ask that if you intend to participate, that you choose one of the times that your child’s teacher has allocated.  

We have also been able to remove some of the previous conference bookings from Compass so hopefully your page will be a little less cluttered and you can easily find a ‘green’ box ‘Parent Teacher Conference - Semester 1.  If you have children in classes that are holding their conferences on the same day, you may need to book for one child first, then use the drop down box next to your child’s photo to book for your next child.  

Should you have any difficulties booking, please contact the school office for assistance. 

Staff Development Day Reminder

Students will finish this term on Thursday 4 July as our staff will have a Staff Development Day on Friday.  This is a Network day on reading for K-2 teachers, writing for 3 & 4 teachers and Mathematics for 5 & 6 teachers.  We have a Staff Development Day on Monday 22 July which is based on staff spirituality with a focus on ‘hands’ providing outreach to those in need.  Please contact SCECS if you need care on these days. 

Around the classrooms

Natural Disasters Presentation: "It's a Disaster" A Success!

Year 6 students hosted an engaging event, inviting their parents and peers from across the school to learn about Natural Disasters, their impacts, and methods of prediction and prevention. This comprehensive multimodal presentation covered various disasters, including bushfires, floods, volcanoes, tsunamis, cyclones, and earthquakes.

The presentation featured diverse formats such as presentation boards, video displays, technology builds, apps, and live experiments. Visiting students participated in Kahoot quizzes to test their knowledge and admired the creativity and detail in each presentation. The creativity, energy, and enthusiasm of Year 6 students were evident throughout the day. Even the cleanup was outstanding. Well done, Year 6!

May God’s love be with you. 

Jane Taylor