St Dominic's Catholic College - 2024 Mid Term 1 Newsletter

Principal’s Report

Rachel Jones
Principal

Dear St Dominic's family and community,

Welcome back to a year with the commencement of some exciting evolutions. The first of a few 'new' looks is our students wearing their striking, colourful and contemporary uniforms. We love watching the students arrive each day, proudly boasting their wears. As we continue to move through the term, we will see further transition of items across the school including signage, and media. 

As well as our new look crest, uniforms, and branding, we welcome new faces to our St Dominic’s community. I am excited to introduce Mrs Sam Eames, Ms Elke Lord, Ms Teagan Ross, Mrs Jodie Dickinson, and Mr Peter Fowler. Our students and staff have already made our new staff feel welcomed, and I am sure after five weeks, they already feel like they are part of the furniture! 

Community access is already in full flight this term. I was fortunate enough to join the Green Class for the Caritas launch at the Sacred Heart Cathedral with our greater diocesan community. The Green Class students were amazing! They participated in the launch with respect, and represented their class and our school beautifully. They displayed patience, tolerance and regulation skills in regards to time, crowds, temperature and people.  Certainly a proud moment for me to witness for our clever young people. The Green Class were rewarded with pancakes and ice cream with the Bishop! We even managed to snap a shot with him. Thanks Bishop Michael.

Rachel 

Assistant Principal Report

Welcome back to 2024!

Curriculum Focus – Professional learning

On the second day of term, staff were engaged in some professional learning around the New Syllabus, including the new changes for English and Maths. We were able to work on developing some consistency around programming templates and how this fits with our Promoting Literacy Development (PLD) Program that is used across the school during literacy block each day. We thank Michelle Rosewell (Education Officer Primary, Learning and Wellbeing) for her ongoing support in this space.

 Personalised Planning Meeting

Thank you to all the parents that have booked in a Personalised Planning Meeting via Compass for Wednesday 6^th March. Your child’s teacher/case manager will send you a team invite please forward this to any external therapist. Collaboration around your child’s individual goals is so important and part of the partnership between home and school.  Please reach out if you have any questions.

Therapy Team

Based on a survey with staff at the end of last year, we now have our therapists on site two full days. On Tuesday’s we have Amanda (Speech Pathologist) and Micaley (Occupational Therapist) and on Friday’s we have Kate (Speech Pathologist) and Talah (Occupational Therapist). The 4 therapists have continued to provide support and strategies to our students and staff to assist in classroom and learning engagement and support during transition. They will continue to work with the class teachers and focus on assisting in working on student goals.

Coordinators Report

Term 1, 2024 has begun and we are full steam ahead! The students, and staff, look amazing in their new uniforms and both Primary and Secondary have represented our school out in the community with respect and pride.

The NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) schedule has changed this year, and we will start our ‘computer activities’ a little earlier than usual on Wednesday 13^th March. Students in Year 3, 5, 7, and 9 will complete four assessments in writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. The questions assess content linked to the Australian Curriculum: English and Mathematics and adjustments will be made in our school environment to reflect the support normally provided for classroom assessments. Students are not expected to study for NAPLAN. You can support your child by reassuring them that NAPLAN is just part of their school program and reminding them to simply do their best. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact the school.

We are looking forward to celebrating our new schol name and crest at the launch at San Clemente Friday 15^th March. Our Aboriginal students are excited about Acknowledging Country and learning some Awabakal language. Hoping to see you there 😊

Angela Morris and Andrew Drinkwater 

REC Report

St Dominic’s has started 2024 participating in many special events. On the 13^th of February, Green Class attended the Caritas Project Compassion Mass at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Newcastle. They were among many other students from neighbouring schools and showed beautiful reverence throughout the service. Students have been learning about spreading kindness and giving to those less fortunate just as St Dominic himself did.

As a school we celebrated Ash Wednesday with prayer, singing and the blessing with the ashes. Students showed respect during the liturgy and welcomed in the beginning of Lent.

Students have also been busy creating a beautiful collaborative sacred space in the gallery that will continue to be added to throughout the liturgical year.

We look forward to celebrating Easter as a Catholic community later in the term.

Blue

Thank you Blue Class for a great return to school. All students have slipped back into routine, and we are happy learning and playing again. The term holds many exciting new adventures for us to explore.

Religion

The first half of the term we are learning some traditional prayers and making the sign of the cross. Prayer is an important part of our daily Morning Circle.

Literacy

Students are progressing with PLD. We are now using spelling lists, dictation passages and fluency reading as part of our morning session.  We will be focussing on learning to write a recount and expressing an opinion about the books we are reading. I have organised a Storytime Trip to Mayfield Library and am hoping we can make this a regular event.

Maths

We have been learning about time as well as flipping, turning and sliding 2D shapes. We are using games and creative play to build on these skills. Some of our students are also excelling at solving jigsaw puzzles.

Science

Our topic this term takes us to the farm where we are learning where our food comes from and some of the processes that are involved in manufacturing our food from a natural source. We will also be having a very special surprise arriving in Week 8 that will help us understand lifecycles and caring for living things.

Creative Arts

We are delving into the world of Picasso and trying our hand at some self-portraits- the children are much better than I am!!!

PDHPE

Each morning we are having a lively warm up session that involves some cardio work combined with essential moves. Each week we will have a different focus and we are very hot by the end of our session but its lots of fun.

Thank you for helping me support your children. Stay tuned for regular updates on Seesaw.

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Lime

Hello Lime Class families. Welcome to our first newsletter for 2024. We have had a wonderful start to the year considering the new classroom, new teacher (Mrs Gould), new LSA (Mrs Young), new library teacher (Mrs R) and new RFF teacher (Miss S). Everyone has adapted to the changes quite well. Well done Lime Class!

English

Students are continuing with the PLD program which is proving to be a wonderful program for the development of routine, predictability, and support for increasing skills and knowledge in Literacy. Mrs R is creating some wonder and interest using the resources from Inquisitive. The school has made this wonderful resource available to encourage students to develop an interest in the wonder of some old and new story books.

Maths

In Maths we are learning to use many ways to solve problems. The students show the various ways in which they solve problems. It is exciting to hear them describe how they can solve problems. Although it is very early in the Year 2/3 journey, I am pleased to report that I have been enthused with the ease with which the students share their mathematical thinking. 

Religion

Belonging to Community is the title of our learning for Term 1. So far, we have talked about families as small communities and St Dominic’s as our school community. We have created some interesting wall displays demonstrating different communities and why people belong to them.  We have made a tin foil community display and Jesus’ community of disciples. We are currently creating a visual display depicting The Vines and the Branches. Everyone needs to be congratulated on the effort and curiosity demonstrated during the creation of these displays.

History

In History we are learning to communicate our understanding of change and continuity. Students are learning to relate the significance of the past and how places, sites and people influence the future.

Science

The topic we are studying this term is Food and Packages which relates to our Material World. Our focus question is, how do you decide upon which material to use for a particular purpose? We have so far investigated Natural or Manmade, objects that bend, twist or stretch, and the different properties of materials. This is a fun topic with lots of hands-on activities.

PDHPE

How We Grow and Change - This topic works in beautifully with our History unit of work. As we explore the changes relating to the past, present and future, we will begin to identify personal strengths, how people grow, sense of self and the factors that contribute to and influence identity.

In PE target games is always a favourite for students. The aim is to develop fundamental movement skills in relation to being able to project an object towards a target and the ways this might be achieved. Hand-eye coordination and motor skills will be developed for students to practise aim and accuracy in a variety of formats.

Creative Arts

This subject integrates well with other key learning areas. Students will be exploring how pictures, drawings, sculptures, and digital works are made by artists. Music is a large component of Lime Class with everyone contributing to communicate their favourite piece of music as we explore musical compositions.

Aqua

It has been a fantastic start to the semester in Aqua Class with all students settling well into their new learning environment. We have quickly formed healthy relationships built on the ethos of kindness, positivity, showing respect and trying our best. The students have set both short and long term goals and it is pleasing to see them focus on these as a driving force for making smart choices. The student centred approach in our setting has ensured high levels of engagement with students steering the learning, wherever possible, to areas that interest them. As a result, we are seeing high levels of focus during whole class teaching sessions resulting in good outcomes being achieved in their differentiated table tasks.

Our PLD (Promoting Literacy Development) program continues to be of great benefit and the students have been writing imaginative texts built around our weekly words. Mathematical equipment has been used to deepen the students understanding so far this term with our students becoming Mathematical Adventurers!  

We continue to focus on the development of social and emotional goals with healthy two way friendships being a focus for the term. The students are starting to appreciate others and realise that differences should be celebrated focusing on a Christ centred holistic view of the world. We look forward to tackling the challenges ahead and having a great year of growth!

Yellow

What a start to the year!

The Yellow Class boys have gelled really well and have already settled into their learning routines. We have been focusing on developing our language skills through group reading, writing and our PLD (Promoting Literacy Development) phonics program. Students are using a range of physical, tactile and digital tools to help with their acquisition of key concepts. This is encouraging our class to improve their knowledge and fine motor skills simultaneously.

Yellow Class have really enjoyed learning about food and fibre in our Science unit in which they have been able to touch, plant and grow a range of food products including wheat grass, radishes, and alfalfa sprouts. Through trial and error, we have learnt why and how things grow. We have also been able to see the germination process in real time. This is another form of tactile learning in which students are able to explore outcomes outside the classroom using a hands-on approach.

Students were also given the opportunity in Week 4 to participate in an inclusive sports session run by the Special Olympics. They played throwing games, ran mini hurdle time trials and completed soccer dribbling skills. This was a great opportunity for the children to take part in structured play outside.

It has been a terrific start to 2024 and I look forward to seeing the continued success of the Yellow Class boys throughout the year.

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Secondary

Class Teachers          

Secondary have made a great start to 2024 and our programmes which are running this year our cafe club, St Dom’s Bites canteen, community access, shopping and the new edition of Stage Five and Six doing work experience at The Avenue.

All of our hospitality-based programmes have had great support over last year and are doing really well again this year the Secondary students in Stage 4 have made some excellent lunch orders and staff have come back craving the coffees and snacks from our Stage 5 and 6 students in cafe club.

Stage 5 and 6 have begun their work experience each week at The Avenue in Warabrook. They are undertaking a different role each week which ranges from Hub Management, flyer delivery, product packaging, making gig packs, and even dog walking (for those who like furry friends).

We are looking forward to starting our Wednesday Sport at Balance Mayfield this term - please keep an eye out as the permission notes will be hard copies sent home and need to be returned to school before they can attend.

Administration / Finance

2024 School Fees

Dear Families,

The first fee statement will be emailed to you in the first week of March. Please check your statement carefully and contact our office if any discrepancies have occurred.

Additional costs may apply throughout the year for sport and other extracurricular activities.

If you are intending to make regular payments (weekly, fortnightly, monthly), the first payment is to commence by the 31 March 2023. 

If your intention is to pay your schools fees in full, this payment is expected by 30 June 2023. 

Our preferred method of payment is either BPay, CentrePay, EFTPOS over the phone or Direct Debit.

An event for the Diocesan Pastoral Contribution has been created, this is a voluntary fee that assists the Diocesan Pastoral Support Programs, you can elect to pay or decline via the Compass Parent Portal