2024 Term 2 - Mid Term Newsletter

Principal’s Report

Dear St Dominic’s Family,

The last five weeks have been a blur of extraordinary activities to be thankful and grateful for. I love sitting at the dinner table with my own family and telling the wonderful stories illustrating my day at St Dom’s as my daughters share their own stories about their school day. It provides my family with such insight into the students I encounter each day, and they also feel a part of the ‘family’.We recently celebrated Catholic Schools Week with a diocesan Liturgy, and a celebration of open classrooms with our families. Abby, Alistair, and Mateo reverently represented St Dominic’s at the Sacred Heart Cathedral where it was busy, noisy, and unfamiliar. However, the atmosphere did not perturb them as they sung along, listened, and reflected. Mateo even raised his hand high above the crowd when Bishop Michael asked who had dignity. We certainly think you do too, Mateo, and we are proud of our young people at St Dominic’s as they display dignity every day.

Our open classrooms were a true celebration of the coming together of our community. An event staff, students, and families all enjoy. Students relishing in pride as they showcase their learning and share their classroom space with their most loved. There was stiff competition happening in the Secondary classrooms as they battled out with a musical Kahoot. I dare not ask which team ended up with the win.

I like to also think it was a ‘Blue’ theme this past week with our simultaneous reading day and our school Athletics Carnival. The theme for both was Blue (and the ‘other’ team- Red). I think you can guess which team I was in! Both days were a huge success. The library is decorated with collaged Bowerbird nests which draw the eye to them. The students had fun making them, eating blue food, and listening to the story – “Bowerbird Blues”

We also have some incredible athletes in our community too (even some were on the Red team). Not only did our students show incredible sporting prowess, but our supporting families also displayed great agility….and competitiveness!  The sportsmanship and collegiality was also shared with our year 10 volunteers from San Clemente- thank you to Ethan C, Oliver J, Sebastian R, Hayley H, Frankie L, Lara M, Zachary L, Harry D, Mace H. With your enthusiasm, encouragement and care, along with the dedication of our Sports Coordinator, Mr Blake Sellers, our day was a flourishing success. Thank you for the community spirit and generosity displayed. Thank you to our families too for the incredible support of our athletes!

With gratitude,

Rachel

My New Gallery

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Assistant Principal Report

In Week 2 of this term, we held a pupil-free day for all staff to attend Professional Development Training to enhance our skills in implementing and facilitating the Promoting Literacy Development (PLD) Program across the school. This was a fantastic opportunity for our class teachers, learning support assistants, and executive staff to delve deeper into the foundations behind the program and have an expert in the field demonstrate how to use the program. The day was very affirming for our staff as we have been making fantastic progress in this area. We were given additional resources to ensure that we continue to provide rich literacy opportunities to our students each morning.

You may have recently received Compass messages asking parents and carers to complete the ‘Tell Them From Me’ survey. Your input is important to us as we aim to provide your children with a great learning experience and ensure that you feel welcomed and valued as part of our school community. Your feedback in the survey will help us understand what we're doing well and where we need to improve. Once the survey is completed, we will share the results and the actions we plan to take. Your feedback is anonymous, and we won’t be able to see who has responded or their responses.

To make it easier for you to provide feedback, you can use the QR code on posters and flyers around the school or the link provided on Compass. We will also be working with students from Year 4-12 and our teaching staff will have the opportunity to complete the survey.

We thank the families who have already completed the 'Tell Them From Me' survey.

Coordinators Report

Promoting Literacy Development

Early this term all staff attended a professional development day to gain a more in depth knowledge and understanding of the Promoting Literacy Development (PLD) program that is being implemented across St Dominic’s. All students have engaged with the program as it offers such a diverse range of levels and a suite of resources that provide a robust lesson structure for all literacy abilities. Cate Chapman our PLD pioneer will bring a full update on how PLD is progressing in the next newsletter at the end of this term.

Beyond Limits - Diosounds

We are excited to see our secondary students perform in DioSounds ‘Beyond Limits’ showcase at the Civic Theatre on Friday June 14^th. Students who have chosen to participate in the performance are joining forces with San Clemente students and will perform two shows the Matinee and evening show on the same day. Tickets are available for purchase through the link, please come along and support this fantastic event.

Lime

It is a pleasure to be writing this short newsletter article which I hope gives the reader a little more of an understanding of what happens in our classroom daily. This is just a snapshot.

Students, and teachers, in Lime Class have settled back into the routine and structure that keeps us all on track. Each morning, we all enjoy a short Morning Circle with singing and informal conversation, with a little learning sneakily slotted in, before settling into our daily timetable.

Every day begins with our PLD program. The program incorporates various ways for students to engage in learning literacy.  Each day, students go through a short daily review before building on prior learning. Students read and write every day. Currently, students are learning about dictation and editing skills. It is a pleasure to observe the improvements across the board. 

In Math we are learning about time which nicely integrates with our History unit of work which asks us- how can we show that the present is different from or similar to the past?  Students are learning about all aspects of time across these two subjects, including days, months and seasons in a year, the past, present and future as well as the six Noongar (indigenous) seasons of the year.

Science sees us looking at forces. Students have had so much fun exploring pushes and pulls, making and experimenting with a car launcher. They have made predictions and tested them. They found it so much fun they asked to play with it in their free time. Well done Lime students!!

Creative Arts and Religion are always subjects that go hand in hand. At this stage of their learning, Year 2/3 students are learning about community. This term in Religion we are learning about our Catholic community. ANZAC commemorations earlier in the term, presented an opportunity to amalgamate our learning with some hands-on art as we prayed.

Thank you, Jesus, for laying down your life for us on the cross to bring ultimate freedom and peace. May our hearts be filled with gratitude and humility, considering both the sacrifices of the ANZACs and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Lest we forget.

I think it is important to note that not only academic learning takes place in a classroom. In Lime Class we encourage social interaction. Play is an important part of learning and growing as this term we have seen some lovely interactions between our friends which I think you will agree are priceless.

Yellow

Halfway through Term 2 already! This term has been a lot of fun in Yellow, we have all come a long way in developing our literacy skills. We have been reading a range of engaging literature chosen by the students and working together through gaining meaning from this. This has been working alongside our phonics lessons, allowing students to break down sounds of words and rebuild them to increase blending ability.

In Mathematics we have had a focus on chance, counting to 20 and skip counting by 10. One of our  tactile activities is to hide counters and coloured bears in sand, and then group them according to colour and/or number. We have also been building our mathematical word wall in which we have introduced the terms, likely, unlikely, impossible, and even chance. Discussing real world and funny examples (e.g. dinosaur eating the school), these have allowed the students to grasp the terminology of these phrases.

Our Science has been particularly fun conducting a range of experiments to test the rules of force. These have included balloon rockets, egg drops, bee bots and marble runs. We have discussed the direction of force and types of force including push, pull and gravity. This has been a practical hands-on way of learning about the laws of our planet.

We have had a fantastic start to 2024 and I am excited to see what the rest of the year will bring!

Blue

Hello to everyone from the Blue Room. We have been continuing to make positive gains in our reading and spelling. Our mornings are filled with fun as we greet each day with an Acknowledgment to Country, prayer and singing. All students then work on PLD tasks and have recently added dictation passage reading and writing. We run off some energy using the trampoline, hoop jumping and ball throwing to practice spelling our list words.

Our Religion and History topics give us lots of time to reflect on our families and to be grateful for the shared history we have with older members of our family and community. The boys have been very interested in the changes in clothing, TV, and toys- I think they are very thankful that times have changed.

Jodie and I are very lucky to share the achievement of personal and class goals as the boys strive to overcome challenges every day. We have been playing Snakes and Ladders together and it has been lovely to see the positive interactions and listen to the conversations that happen over a simple game.

We are looking forward to the arrival of the Henny Penny Hatchery chickens this term. Animals of all shapes and sizes are a hot topic in our room and I know the boys will take on the responsibility of looking after our new additions. We are only halfway and there is still so much more to come. Stay tuned to the Blue Room.

Aqua

It has been a great start to this term in Aqua Class, building on the many successes from last term!

The students are settled in the learning environment and are engaged in and with all curriculum areas. We have built a real team ethos; constantly reinforcing the values of trying our best, showing respect, being kind and tackling new challenges with positivity.

Our PDHPE and Religion units have built in the students a real sense of compassion, drawing inspiration from Christ. His teachings are embedded in our daily routines, conversations, and prayers and as a result we are beginning to see a real shift in the student’s thinking. They are more able to see things from other and different perspectives, are grateful for what they have and are becoming more inclusive in their thinking. As a result, our environment is full of laughter and joy with our student’s social and emotional wellbeing flourishing.

This development is having a positive impact on our academic studies as the students are often in a calm state of mind for their learning. We are seeing them make great strides forwards with our PLD Program; with many students completing set tasks independently. Our creative writing is going from strength to strength and is a highlight of the week.

We continue to deliver our Mathematics Program with as many hands-on activities as possible. Our weekly cooking class has become a mathematical hotbed of skills and understanding. Students are creating shopping lists, budgeting, using timers and weight scales, exploring capacity, measuring, and estimating; to name but a few. This gives the students the opportunity to experience real world application for many strategies taught in class, making the learning more meaningful and relevant.  Where possible we try to implement this approach across all subject areas and adjust the program with student’s interests at its core.

We continue to strive forward with great determination and look forward to seeing what the rest of the year brings!

Secondary

Class Teachers          

It has been a very busy start to Term 2 in Secondary. The Teal and Silver Class students have been enjoying Community Access and Shopping, spending time in the community and developing social skills. Gold Class have begun their new work placement taking St Dominic Bites to the Catholic Care offices offering delicious snacks and hot drinks.

This term we have returned to Balance gym during our Wednesday afternoon sport session with all students using the cardio machines, resistance weights and taking part in a variety of physically active games.

Its Dio Sounds time too! Students have been either busy rehearsing their performance with students from San Clemente or using their advanced technology skills to design and develop posters and flyers helping to promote the event.

Other highlights include students starting their music program during Creative Arts lessons. Taking part in a variety of activities looking at rhythm, tempo, timing, and beats. English this term is focused on another Tristain Bancks book. After the success of studying the novel “Two Wolves” we have started the next book in the series “The Fall”. Students and staff are hooked on what is going to happen, it certainly is a thriller.

A big well done to all students on a great start to the term.

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Religious Education

Term 2 has gotten off to a beautiful start in our St Dominic’s community. I am so pleased to announce that we had a successful campaign for Caritas’ Project Compassion this year raising enough money to provide farming equipment for those in need. This also gave our students the opportunity to understand and demonstrate empathy, show kindness, and recognise the less fortunate. Congratulations and thank you.

Students also represented our school in the Catholic Schools Week Mass. They celebrated Catholic Education in our Diocese and demonstrated respect and reverence on behalf of St Dominic’s Catholic College.

Well done Abby, Mateo and Alistair.

We look forward to venturing further into Catholic Mission this term.

Pastoral Care

Hello all,

I am Jenna Haddow the temporary Pastoral Care Work (PCW) at St Dominic’s Catholic College.

I have been working at St Dominic’s for the past 4 years as a Learning Support Assistant (LSA), I will continue this role as well as the PCW role.

This term we have started a new initiative using the back playground at recess and lunch times for a social sport game. The students have really enjoyed trying new activities, working together and being active.

We have a Thompson pies fundraiser coming up just in time for the cooler months. Pies are the ultimate comfort winter food; I know my family will be excited to see the freezer full of delicious pastries from Thompsons.

I would like to thank Warabrook Woolworths for generously donating the breakfast club food. We appreciate being able to provide our students with breakfast or a snack before class starts.

It has been great meeting parents and carers at the events we have been able to have within the school. I hope you have enjoy these precious time with your child/ren.

E-safety newsletter

What is E-Safety? E-safety simply means being safe on the internet and with devices.

Why is E-Safety important for parents to know about? To help you and your child navigate the digital world including games, apps, social media, and websites.

Support for parents about E-safety is available through the following links. If you would like to discuss E-Safety with the school, please email your class teacher or contact the pastoral care worker Jenna Haddow jenna.haddow@mn.catholic.edu.au

Parent information

Parent link for webinar

Administration / Finance

FOLLOW ME! CELEBRATING CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
MONDAY 20TH TO SATURDAY 25TH MAY 2024

Last week, we celebrated the contribution that Catholic schools make to the lives of students and families around Australia. Catholic schools educate over 805,000 students (one in five Australian students) and employ over 109,000 staff. For over 200 years, Catholic schools in Australia have provided a choice to Australian families for the education of their children, that reflects their own beliefs and values.

Our Diocesan theme for Catholic Schools Week this year is "Follow me" (Matthew 4:19). In this story from the Gospel of Mathew, Jesus invites Simon, Peter, and Andrew to place their trust and confidence in Him and to follow Him on a journey as His disciples (followers or students). For disciples, to 'follow-me' meant that they became like an apprentice to Jesus, to learn His ways, to love like He does, and to serve the poor and outsider like He does. To 'be' Good news to all the earth!

This invitation continues to this day as Catholic schools help fulfill the mission given by Jesus, to "Follow me!" Working alongside our parishes and other agencies to love and serve those in our communities. This attitude of service and caring for the whole person, flavours our Catholic schools' approach to everything!

From striving for excellence in learning, to dedicated pastoral care and wellbeing, to faith formation opportunities for every child, we work hard to help each child to flourish in life.

Thank you for trusting our Catholic school with the care and education of your child.

Finance

Thank you to those families who have made full payment or have set up regular payments towards extinguishing their school fee account. If you have indicated you are settling 2024 fees via a lump sum annual payment this is due and payable by 30^th June 2024. If your circumstances have changed and you cannot meet this due date, please contact the school to make alternate payment plan arrangements.

Important Dates and Reminders

Week 5
Thursday, 30 May – Year 7 Vaccination Program

Week 6
Friday, 7 June – Tell Them From Me Survey closes

Week 7
Monday, 10 June – SCHOOL CLOSED - Public Holiday King’s Birthday

Week 9
Monday, 24 June – Henny Penny Chickens arrive to St Dominic’s

Week 10
Monday, 1 July – Thompson’s Pies Fundraiser – Online orders open
Friday, 5 July – Last Day of Term 2