'Vision for Learning' Parent Session
The school is currently updating its ‘Vision for Learning’ document, as part of our School Improvement Plan. The Vision for Learning document is a very important component of our learning and teaching program, as it provides the foundational guidelines that guides our teaching and learning programs and practices in the school.
A very important part of the Vision for Learning process is to have parents’ input into the document. Parents’ voice will focus on what and how students learn, as well as the environment in which they learn in. To achieve this, we will be hosting a ‘Vision for Learning Parent Session’ on the following dates:
· Tuesday 24th May at 8:45am
· Wednesday 25th May at 2:30pm
The sessions will run up to (but no longer than) 30 minutes and will be held in the school staffroom. This is a fantastic opportunity for parents to provide feedback on the current learning programs in the school, but also to assist in shaping what student learning will look and be like into the future.
If you are able to attend one of the ‘Vision for Learning Parent Sessions’, could you please register your interest by clicking on the following link:
Whole School Assembly
This Friday 20th May, we are hosting our first whole school assembly for the year, which is very exciting. During the assembly, the Pre Primary year level will be presenting an item. The assembly will take place in the Steve Dowie Hall, beginning at 8:45am.
Parents are permitted to attend the assembly, but please note, under the current COVID-19 safety guidelines, attendance at the assembly is currently restricted to parents who have a child in the Pre Primary classroom and to those parents who have a child receiving a St Damien’s or Principal’s award.
COVID-19 Update
Last week, a large supply of Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits was supplied to the school by the State Government, to distribute to families throughout the school. The allocation is a box of 20 RATs per student. Parents are asked to collect their allocated RAT tests from the office, as the tests are not permitted to be distributed to the students directly. Thank you to those parents who have already done so.
As positive COVID-19 cases continue to present each day, I ask that parents record their child’s positive COVID-19 case on the Self Reporting App, found on the following link:
St Damien’s COVID-19 Self Reporting App
This will enable an accurate summary of the positive COVID-19 cases corresponded to families each day.
National Simultaneous Storytime
Next Wednesday 25th May is ‘Simultaneous Storytime’. National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country.
This year their will be a mystery story-teller, reading the book, ‘Family Tree’, written by Josh Pike and Ronojoy Ghosh, and will be broadcast into all of the classrooms at 11:00am on Wednesday.
Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week
Next Thursday 26th May is, National Sorry Day, which is then followed by Reconciliation Week, from Friday 27th May until Friday 3rd June. The theme for Reconciliation Week is, ‘Be Brave, make change!’
The students will be engaging in various activities to celebrate both of these significant events.
NAPLAN
The NAPLAN assessments conclude this week for students in Years 3 and 5. However, due to student absences due to the COVID-19 virus, the ‘Schools Curriculum and Standards Authority’ have extended the ‘catch-up’ testing period for another week, finishing next Friday 27th May. Any students who have been absent for any of the NAPLAN assessments will continue to complete these ‘catch-up’ sessions, until all assessments have been completed.
Playgroup is Back!
After a time of absence, Playgroup has started up again at St Damien’s. Playgroup runs on Thursdays from 9:00 until 10:30am in the Kindy area of the school. Families with children of pre-schooling age are welcome to come along and enjoy the fantastic early years facilities of the school. Please contact the office if you would like more information regarding the Playgroup session in the school.
PSSA Sport
Last Friday our St Damien’s teams had a very competitive day, competing against Ocean Road Primary School in the sports of hockey, netball, soccer, volleyball and football. Once again, all of our students are to congratulated on the way they played the games in a truly fair and competitive manner.
Our next fixture is a home game against Pinjarra next Friday 27th May.
Principal Awards
Over the past week some students have been sent to my office to receive a Principal’s Award for completing some exceptional work. I congratulate Wyatt Irvine, Xavier Cross, Sage Wiggers, Dustin Mondello, and Leo Fucile from Year 1 Gold, for their fantastic effort in Italian; Lacey Draper, Tyler Penny, Grace Lampard and Darcy Barker from Year 3 Gold, for their great work in Italian; Isla Duckrell, Eimeid Shadlow, Grace Moore and Zack Jakubow, from Year 6 Blue, for their great work in Italian; and Riley McLennan, Eimeid Shadlow, Ayla Mighall, Indiana Chalwell and Sienna Flett, for their fantastic work in Mathematics. Well done and keep up the great work!
