Sacred Heart Primary School, Cunnamulla eNewsletter

Principal Report

Cunnamulla Leadership Forum

Last week, we welcomed over 40 Principals and Senior Leaders from the Toowoomba Diocese to Cunnamulla. During their time in Cunnamulla, they were blown away by the hospitality of the entire community and welcome they experienced. From their cultural tour with Dan McKellar and Lawrence Anderson to their classroom walkthroughs and Auslan performance by the students, they were blown away by their experience. They were especially impressed with the high level of student engagement as well as the Ignite Learning Project objectives that have been embedded into the school culture, in particular our Habits of the Heart and Mind. It is great to hear Sacred Heart Cunnamulla talked about as an excellent school!

A huge thank you to our school Parent Partnership Forum – Tony Fett, Beccy Fett, Jess Anthony, Lauren and Richard Schmidt, Ethan Capewell, Mandeep Narula, Tina and Des Ramsay for putting on a delicious dinner at school and making the school look exceptional. Thank you to the Year 6 students and all of our staff members who helped out throughout the week cooking, preparing the students, reading at Mass, setting up the venues and making sure everything came together so smoothy. It is an experience that many will remember!

I hope everyone has a great week.

Polly Goodman
Principal

Happy Week 6! It has been a very busy fortnight for the whole school and the Preps are definitely a little bit tired after all the exciting events!

We started last week off with a bang with the Principal’s Forum. The Preps were very excited to demonstrate their iPad skills that they have been learning all term. We showed them how to search and save an image, insert the images into ‘Numbers’, and then draw around the image.

We have finished our Informative VS Imaginative English unit this week, which meant that it was time for us to create our own informative text about a donkey. We used the iPads again to help us bring this to life. These posters turned out fantastic! The students worked very hard on their posters and they are super proud of their work. These posters are on display on our WOW wall, so be sure to come and have a look at your child’s work.

We have continued our work in Science at investigating the way things move and how it can change. This week, we ventured out to the playground to look at the way our bodies move when faced with different obstacles. We took lots of photos and used plenty of describing words to help link our movements. We used words like jumping, sliding, hanging, sitting, digging and swinging.

In our Health unit this term, we are looking at Connie Confidence. She teaches us how to speak confidently and stand up for what we think is right. We were lucky enough to have Mrs Tolete come into our classroom and help us role play how to be confident when faced with an issue or a problem.

With only four more weeks left of Term 3, please make sure your child is getting enough sleep and having breakfast in the morning to ensure they are ready for learning at school.

Thanks and have a fabulous fortnight!

Miss Aimee Bretherton
Prep Teacher

Welcome to week 6! In English, we have become confident turning information from a graphic organiser into sentences and have now turned our attention to giving and receiving feedback. The students wowed me last Friday as they worked to apply feedback and improve their informative writing on a dinosaur’s habitat and appearance.

Reading testing has once again begun! With many students reaching and some even smashing their reading goals we are bursting with pride in Grade One!

In Mathematics we have moved away from subtraction and are now learning about 3D shapes. The students have gone on scavenger hunts around the school to identify cubes, rectangular prisms, spheres, and cones. We are looking forward to our 3D game show this week!

Our palaeontologist sashes are getting full of badges as we continue our dinosaur unit. Science studies have had us learning about the physical protective features of dinosaurs such as spikes, teeth, horns, and claws. We have used this knowledge to design shields that could protect us from a dinosaur attack. We will be bringing these designs to life this week and cannot wait to have our shields on display in our Dino Den.

In Media we have been upskilling in producing blabbers – pictures that talk. Over the past fortnight students have created some hilarious blabbers, from talking cats to roaring dragons and everything in between. We put our skills to the test this week as we created blabbers of dinosaurs.

In Hass we have continued to learn about local places where dinosaurs once lived. This week our focus was on the town known as Winton. The students learnt about activities to do in Winton and what it would have looked like when dinosaurs were alive.

We have had a fantastic fortnight here in Grade One and I look forward to the coming weeks.

Miss Abby Davidson
Year 1 Teacher

As we begin week six, it seems difficult to believe that our little group of year 2’s are almost three quarters of the way through their school year. English and maths continue to be our major focus, as we explore and continue to consolidate maths concepts. In English, some continue to practise their sight words while others are learning comprehension skills; how to link words in the question to words in the text, in readiness for our reading testing this week.

Our study of information texts continues as we progress through our English unit with the children reading information from various sources about toys as we prepare to write information about a chosen toy. This is integrated with our HASS unit about toys and games from the past and present and drawing comparisons between the two. They are also very excited about the toy museum we are putting together in the corner of our classroom.
During maths lessons, we have been consolidating multiplication as repeated addition, groups and arrays, after which, we will explore and represent division as grouping into equal sets.

Our religion lessons centre around the Creation stories, two from the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament while also exploring beliefs of our Indigenous Australians from The Dreaming. A diverse nation, with differing but very special beliefs, about how our world was made. We enjoyed reading and viewing the Tiddalik story in addition to The Rainbow Serpent.

We have continued to aid the development of our fine motor skills, essential for handwriting, through many activities but art is one of their favourites. They really enjoy it, and I can see how much they have progressed not only in their production of great art pieces but their handwriting too, which is beginning to become far more accurate. Despite living in a technological age, legible handwriting remains an essential skill. Over and above this, they just love adorning our room with their masterpieces! Our robots and Tiddalik are hung and make our room look happy and colourful.

Science will be our major focus this week, as I find teaching a subject in blocks, is far more effective at this age than teaching a lesson here and there throughout the week. We’ll be studying how a push or pull affects how an object moves or changes shape and investigate and explain how pushes and pulls cause movement in objects used in our daily lives.

As you can see, it’s a busy time in our room, so I hope all the children remain well and at school each day, as they are making pleasing progress.

Mrs Jenny Shellshear
Year 2 Teacher

Year 3/4

Week 6 already! It feels like this term is just flying by! In the Year 3-4 class, we have been full steam ahead with our learning.

In Maths, we continued developing our knowledge of fractions. In Year 3 we have been looking at unit fractions and how to represent them. To do this we have been dividing shapes into the correct number of pieces according to the denominator, drawing them on a number line and finding out a fraction of a collection. For example 1/4 of 12= 3. We have also been looking at fractions with related denominators. We used the fraction tiles to explore different ways to make the same fraction: for example 1/2 can also be shown as 4/8, 3/6 and 2/4.
In Year 4 we have been connecting decimals to fractions. Using the place value chart we looked at how our place value system can be extended beyond just the ones column and where the decimal point needs to be placed. Following on from this we then began to convert between fractions and decimals and by doing so we recognised a pattern! We were able to see that if the denominator was 10 or 100, it showed us which place valued column, tenths or hundredths, to put our number in.

On Thursday 11th of August, we engaged in a Scientific Investigation. We predicted what animal groups we would find in the school environment and then we went exploring! We worked in collaborative teams to find and identify a variety of animals and the groups they belong with. Each group collected a sample of the leaf litter or soil in their section, which we then inspected in the classroom with a magnifying glass. We really enjoyed this experience and were so excited about what we find! Stay tuned for the results- we are working on sorting our data and representing it in different ways!

We have also been putting the final touches on our show display. We aren’t going to spoil anything so make sure you pop down and see our awesome artwork at the Cunnamulla show on the 20th August!

Miss Ellie Charlton
Year 3/4 Teacher

Year 5/6

We are in heart of the term and the Year 5/6 Students are busy making connections, communicating their understanding and improving their work through feedback. This week we welcomed our new student Kyeema to the classroom – we hope you enjoy your new class and make terrific memories!

In English, students have begun writing their Storm narrative using figurative language and descriptive words. In Mathematics, students have been measuring the area and perimeter of shapes and converting metric units. With their learning team, students have started to design a liturgy specific to a liturgical season. They have also started designing a Priest Stole using appropriate colours and symbols. Thank you to Father Shane, who spoke to our class about the parts of the mass and the significance of each component.

This week, the Year 5 Students visited the Kindy and introduced themselves to their buddies next year. Students had fun completing buddy activities and meeting their buddies. On Thursday, the Year 3-6 Students will be attending the presentation by Evonne Goolagong at the Town Shire Hall. The students are very excited about their special outing and will prepare a few questions for their visit.

Miss Lilly Daly
Year 5/6 Teacher

Class & Uniform Awards

Birthday Awards

School Photos

Our school photos will take place next Wednesday 24th August. Could all photo envelopes be returned to school by Monday 22nd August.

Pre-Prep Transitions

To support the Pre-Prep students who will be beginning Prep in 2023, we have begun the transition to school process. The first step in this process, is for the Kindy students to become familiar with key staff members and the Prep students from Sacred Heart. Miss Bretherton and I had the pleasure of reading the stories to the Kindy class over the last term. They were keen to hear about the things they will need to have ready to start school!

Key dates this term for Pre-Prep Transitions include:

Tuesday 16^th August: Year 4/5/6 Students visit the Kindy to get to know their Kindy buddies.
Tuesday 30^th August: Sacred Heart Teddy Bears Picnic. Kindy students and Pre-Preps visit Sacred Heart to participate in a Teddy Bears picnic day with our Prep students.

Under 8's Day

Prep Enrolment 2023

Library

Can all students bring their Library bags tomorrow Wednesday 17th August so they can borrow.

Next Friday 26th August, come dressed as you favourite book character. This year’s theme is
“Dreaming with eyes open…”

Homework Centre

Homework centre is up and running again for the term and will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00-3:45pm. It is a great way for students to receive support with their homework tasks. Mrs Fett will be supervising the students.

Tuckshop

We are looking for volunteers and cake cookers to run tuckshop on a Friday for Term 3. If you can spare one Friday next term, can you please let Mrs Crick know at the office. Tuckshop runs from 9am – 1.30pm

Flexischools App

The tuckshop has purchased an App called Flexischools. This will make ordering and paying for Tuckshop easier. Attached are the instructions to download and use the App.

Uniform Policy

The school uniform represents the pride we have for our children and our school. A smart, neat and user-friendly uniform encourages the children to take pride in their appearance and in the school. The school uniform requirements:

Hats: Our school policy is ‘NO HAT – NO PLAY’. A green school hat must be worn and can be purchased form the office.

Jewellery: The only jewellery allowed is one set of fine studs or sleepers, a chain with some form of religious significance and watches.

Nail Polish: Nail polish is not to be worn.

Hair: Children’s hair must be neat and tidy. If hair is below the collar it needs to be tied back with appropriate white or green accessories. It is expected that hairstyles reflect the code of dress required by the school. The colouring of hair and unusual hairstyles are not acceptable.

School Tuition Fees

School Fees have been sent out; can these please be paid by Friday 9^th September 2022. At Sacred Heart, we have several payment options for your convenience: Cash, Cheque, ETPOS, Direct Debit and Centrepay. For further details on these payment options please see the school office.

Student Protection

At Sacred Heart the safety and wellbeing of our students is our highest priority. All children should grow up free of violence or exploitation and be able to learn in a safe and supported environment. Schools have a number of specific child protection reporting obligations that are detailed in our Student Protection Processes and Guidelines.

If a student wants to talk to someone about harm, abuse or inappropriate behaviour toward themselves or others, they can speak to a trusted staff member or one of our School Student Protection Contacts (SSPCs). The SSPCs receive additional training and are identified in the student protection posters displayed around the school.

Summary documents have been developed for parents and caregivers about our student protection obligations and our broader strategy for maintaining safe school environments.

Further information on all of the above topics can be found on the Toowoomba Catholic Schools website at the link below:

Embed Link - https://www.twb.catholic.edu.au/parents-and-community/student-protection/

Our Schools Student Protection Contacts are:

Mrs Cara Haig (Deputy / LST)
Mrs Carolyn Crick (Administration Officer)
Ms Karen Bruggemann (School Guidance Counsellor)
Mrs Polly Goodman (Principal)

Sacred Heart Parish

Church Times

Sunday 21^st August – Mass @ 9am
Sunday 28^th August – Mass @ 9am
Sunday 4^th September – Mass @ 9am
Saturday 10^th September – Mass @ 5.30pm
Sunday 11^th September – Mass Eulo @ 9am
Sunday 18^th September – Mass @ 9am
Sunday 25^th September – Mass @ 9am
Sunday 2^nd October – Mass – 8.30am

Boot Sale
$20 to book a car space and you keep whatever you make from the sale of your treasures.
Where: In the driveway outside the Parish house.
When: Sunday August 21st @ 10am.
Sausage Sizzle & Soft drinks for sale.
Bookings: Fr Shane 0417 136 026

Parish Fete
Saturday September 10th
2pm - 7pm More details to come and plenty of opportunities to be involved.

Community Events

On Thursday 18th August students in Year 3-6 will be walking to and from the Cunnamulla Shire hall with their classroom teachers to visit with Evonne Goolagong.