RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS NEWS

Our respect focus for Weeks 3-5 is: It’s NOT a Joke!

What we want to see and hear is:

- Owning up when you have said unkind or disrespectful words to someone

- Accepting that you have been disrespectful in your words or actions 

- Understanding that when you are disrespectful, it is NEVER a joke.

What we don’t want to see and hear is:

-Saying unkind words to or about someone and when you get into trouble, saying ‘It was just a joke.’

- Saying “we were just having fun, I didn’t mean it.”

- Saying “everyone else was doing it too.”

- Saying “I thought she/he found it funny because they laughed”

Remember: Being disrespectful is NEVER a joke!

Katerina M and Irsi F in Year 5 have creatively illustrated the respect focus in some comics they have written. The girls shared these at the last assembly. It is wonderful to see our students really embracing what it means to build and maintain respectful relationships. Please see their comics below:

Bullying No Way Day 

During Week 4 we celebrated Bullying No Way Day. The theme for our school was ‘RESPECT  in GAMES’. Students wore blue mufti as blue is the colour of kindness and learnt about how to be a gracious winner, encourage others and how not to be a sore loser. They also practised these skills in outdoor games organised by SAG team members. Canteen Kat joined in the fun too and offered Blue themed treats and lunch deals with kindness messages for the students to read and pass onto others. What a wonderful day we had building a culture of kindness and respect. Please enjoy some photos of the day.

St Michael’s Authors

This year we have had an improvement focus on writing. Teachers have engaged in professional learning about what good writers are and what they do. They have delved deeper into sentence level grammar and taught a strategy called ANVA (Adjective, noun, verb, adverb) to their students. Teachers have each received a Writer’s notebook that they are using to develop their own creativity as a writer and share the writing process, including the challenges and struggles writers go through with their students. Students have also been engaging in aspects of the Writer’s Workshop Model where they learn to develop their own voice and choice in writing and share their writing with their peers in Author’s Circles or on the Author’s Chair. The goal is for all students to have their own Writer’s Notebook as teachers learn more about their purpose and model this to students. This focus on writing has enabled students to feel more confident in exploring their voice as a writer and some students have shared their writing with the P and F at the last meeting. Please see a sample of some the work of some of our student authors below:

The Waste Free Wednesday results for Week 4 were: 

Kindergarten: 

Kinder: 84%

Year 1: 61%

Year 2: 72%

Year  3: 85%

Year 4: 55%

Year 5: 78%

Year 6: 45%

So the gold WFW were:  Year 3

And the silver WFW were: Kinder

Diverse Learning Update: 

ICAS: A range of students in Years 2-6 have been busy participating in a range of ICAS assessments, showcasing their knowledge and skills across various subjects. These subjects have included Digital Technologies, Writing, English, Spelling, Science and Maths. I am incredibly proud of their dedication and effort over  the past month. 

Tournament of Minds: A team of students from Year 3 and Year 4 have been actively involved in the Tournament of Minds over the past 4 weeks. These students have been working collaboratively and creatively to develop innovative solutions to their STEM and Language LIterature challenges. I am excited to share that they will be competing at the University of Wollongong on Sunday, September 8th. This event provides a fantastic opportunity for our students to demonstrate their problem-solving skills, teamwork, and creativity on a larger stage. We wish them the best of luck as they prepare for the competition.

Maths Olympiad: Our students have also been preparing for the final round of the Maths Olympiad competition, which will take place on September 4th. Through collaborative teamwork, they have been tackling challenging problems, refining their strategies, and building confidence. Throughout the year, their efforts have been impressive and I look forward to seeing how they perform in their final competition.

STEM MAD: We are also excited to announce that some of our Stage 3 students from Years 5 and 6 have been working on the STEM MAD challenge with Miss McDonnell. The STEM MAD Student Showcase celebrates student learning by recognising and promoting STEM initiatives that address real-world problems. This program highlights the unique values of Catholic schools, encouraging students to make a difference (MAD) in the world by advocating for justice and the common good. Our Stage 3 students have created some ideas which they will showcase at the INNOVATE for IMPACT event on September 18th. We are eager to see the innovative solutions our students will present and the impact they will make.

Thank you once again for your ongoing support and encouragement as our students continue to strive for excellence in their academic endeavours.

Chelsea McLeod -Diverse Learning Coordinator - High Potential and Gifted Students