TERM 2 - WEEK 5
Front Cover - R/1 Carter
Investigations have continued to be a fun and engaging part of our curriculum in R/1 Carter. Investigations happen 4 times a week, with the children being able to choose their area of learning. This time allows children to develop important oral language, social, Literacy and Numeracy skills. Then the Focus children reflect on and share their learning with their classmates. As the photos show, the children are very proud of their learning.
Maths in R/1 Carter looks like this. We use a variety of materials to sort and make patterns. We have matched groups to numerals, learnt about the Days of the Week and Months of the Year and we practise counting forwards and backwards.
Fine motor skills are the ability to make movements using the small muscles in our hands and wrists. Children rely on these skills to do key tasks in school and in everyday life eg, holding a crayon or pencil, using scissors, getting dressed and brushing teeth.
At St Thomas More, we have a program called Geckos organised by a co-educator which happens twice a week. This program assists with the development of fine motor skills. In Term 1, R/1 Carter attended as a whole class and for the rest of the year, the children will attend in small groups.
We also had a very exciting visit from SAPOL.
Investigations
Geckos
Maths
SA Police visit
Leadership
Dear Parents, Caregivers, Students and friends of St Thomas More,
The colder mornings are certainly upon us and it really is that much harder to get out of a warm bed. With this in mind, I remind parents that regular attendance at school is very important. Going to school every day and getting there on time reinforces for children, that school is a significant experience. I cannot stress enough the value of arriving at school on time. Most classroom teachers set out the day’s routine, lunch orders, prayer, news, notes for the office, learning intentions and work expectations for the day. Missing out on these routines sometimes means that when a child arrives late, they are playing catch up for the remainder of the morning and are unsettled and unsure. If this happens regularly children can become anxious or even casual in their approach.
It is also important for children to attend school regularly. Allowing children to stay home without a good reason sends a message that learning can be interrupted and isn't important. When children attend regularly, the teacher is able to build a sequence of learning for each child and develop a sense of increasing success. Attending school regularly also supports a child’s sense of belonging to the class, the school and helps them maintain friendships. I know that the cold mornings make for a slower start to the day; however, I ask that families make the extra effort to be on time.
REMINDER
National Sorry Day – 26 May
National Reconciliation Week – 27 May to 3 June
The Importance of Sleep
The recent weather has been quite inconsistent and it can disrupt the children’s sleep patterns at night. I know how difficult it is to function the next day if I don’t have a good night’s sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep often comes down to routines. It is important to avoid late-night technology use such as computers, mobile phones, and iPads, etc. Recent studies have found that adolescents used multiple forms of technology late into the night, including gaming systems and as a result, they have difficulty staying awake and alert throughout the day.
Any factor that decreases the quality or quantity of sleep will lead to difficulty with school performance and poor behaviour problems. When children stay up at night texting in bed or playing computer games, they are increasing their risk for neurocognitive problems. According to research, having a regular bedtime was the most consistent predictor of positive developmental outcomes in four-year-olds. In a sample of 8000 children, language, reading and maths scores were higher in children whose parents enforced regular bedtimes.
The number of night sleep hours required by children varies by age. In general, five-year-olds should get 11 hours of sleep, nine-year-olds need 10 hours and 14-year-olds require at least 9 hours.
Staffing News
We farewell our Italian teacher, Ms. Alexia Surace. Alexia has won a full-time position at Hampstead Primary School and concludes her time at St Thomas More School on Friday 28 May. On behalf of our school community, I’d like to thank Alexia for her work at St Thomas More School and wish her every success and blessing as she embarks on this new chapter of her professional career.
Fortnite Game and Social Media
The Fortnite game continues to be a topic of conversation amongst, staff, students, parents and many psychologists. As a school, we have been reflecting on how we are seeing this game affect our children and their ability to solve conflict restoratively, treat others respectfully and behave in socially acceptable ways.
The recommended age to use Fortnite is 13+, which means that it is not only inappropriate for most primary-aged children to play but also does not comply with the U.S. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Following are some excerpts from psychologists across the world who are now querying if this game is in fact, changing the minds of our children.
“The American Academy of Pediatrics has concluded that games “in which killing others is the central theme” – a good summary of Fortnite – “are not appropriate for children.” Incidentally, “children” here means “humans under 18 years of age.” In their guidelines, the Academy advised that “Video games should not use human or other living targets or award points for killing” and that parents should not allow their kids to play games that violate this guideline. In case you haven’t seen it, Fortnite is a game in which the object of the game is to kill other humans.” Psychology Today
”You must have the courage to say: This is not a good thing. Kids need to learn face-to-face social skills. They need to be physically active, preferably outdoors. They need to get a good night’s sleep. A kid obsessed with Fortnite is less likely to be doing any of these things.” Psychology Today
“………. Games like Fortnite are designed to exploit the brain’s vulnerabilities in the same way poker machines do” Professor Yucel is a clinical neuropsychologist
"I could see this aggression starting to form, he started being rude and I was, like, oh my God, this game is going to drive me mad!” Parent
Our school teaches and values respect and kindness, we are working daily to develop self-esteem, growth mindsets and relationships, how does Fortnite enhance the personal, social and psychological development of your child? Fitness is a key holistic element of well-being, strongly correlated with positive outcomes such as success in school, better sleep behaviours, and reduced stress. When we move more, we are happier and healthier. If you wish to discuss gaming and the possible effects on your child’s learning please speak to your Class Teacher, Leadership, or our School Well-being Counsellor.
As well as Fortnite, we have had further discussions with students about social media and cybersafety. Our compulsory curriculum, Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum, has specific teaching on keeping yourself safe online. This is much more of a need at the moment due to the increased usage of computers/phones during isolation.
During these discussions with students, there are a number that talk about Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tik Tok as well as Fortnite. This is where some bullying is occurring outside of school hours and on weekends. We wish to inform our learning community of the following things to keep our students safe and promote wellbeing practices.
You MUST be 13 years and older to have your own account on Facebook, TicToc, Snapchat, Instagram and for online games such as Fortnite due to their level of maturity and resilience which can affect their ability to have positive experiences on social media and respond appropriately to harassment, bullying or privacy concerns. This does not necessarily mean that the site is unsafe but it is in compliance with the U.S. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
We encourage supervision and cybersafety discussions to occur. For further information visit: www.esafety.gov.au
Children's Safety at St Thomas More School
At St Thomas More School safety of our students and community is one of our highest priorities. We provide a secure environment that allows the students to move safely around the school. Staff are clearly identified by the badges that they wear. As our school is fully secure, with fences around all areas, visitors must enter through the Front Office and sign in upon entering the school. Safety in the yard encourages our students to play actively without fear. Each teacher on Yard Duty, wears a fluorescent vest and carries a bag that contains a first-aid kit for the treatment of minor injuries in the yard whilst more serious injuries are dealt with promptly in the sick room by staff who are trained in Senior First Aid.
St Thomas More School is situated on a main road and in a suburban street, which can make the movement of traffic difficult during peak school drop off and pick up times. To ensure that the students are safe during this time teachers are on duty at the school’s front, ensuring the safe use of the school crossing on Yorktown Road and safely crossing Shillabeer Road.
PLEASE OBSERVE THE ‘NO STANDING’ AREAS AND ‘YELLOW LINES’ AROUND THE SCHOOL. These areas are to help provide a safe environment for the students. We ask and expect that all members of the St Thomas More School community follow the road rules associated with the ‘School Crossing’ (on Yorktown Rd) and all road signage (both Yorktown Rd and Shillabeer Rd) stringently. They are also monitored by the police and council.
Please ensure children are dropped at the front gate or office if arriving after 9am to sign in to ensure they enter their class safely.
“Students and families are reminded to be wary of approaches from strangers, especially when they are unaccompanied or travelling to and from school. If they are approached students should not respond and should not accept offers of rides or gifts.
Students should seek the assistance of other nearby adults if they feel unsafe and should report the event to a trusted adult (parent or school staff member) as soon as possible.
SAPOL advises that taking out a mobile phone and calling the police can deter the offender and they recommend the student making a formal report to their closest police station.”
Community News
From time to time we hear news involving members of our school community. As a community, we care about both the joys and sad events in each other’s lives. Not all of this news reaches the school office but we would like to include a regular section in the newsletter entitled ‘Community News’. We hope you will contribute to this by letting Leeanne know – personally with a written note or by email – news about yourself or others. We hope this will enable us to better support each other in times of sadness and join in celebrating times of joy.
2021 TERM 3 RECEPTION ENROLMENTS
Places are available. If you have or if you know of anyone who has a child turning 5 before October 31, 2021, please complete and lodge an enrolment form at the Front Office.
2022 RECEPTION ENROLMENTS
Places are available. If you have or if you know of anyone who has a child turning 5 before May 1, 2022, please complete and lodge an enrolment form at the Front Office.
2022 TERM 3 RECEPTION ENROLMENTS
Places are available. If you have or if you know of anyone who has a child turning 5 before October 31, 2022, please complete and lodge an enrolment form at the Front Office.
Working in Partnership,
Chris Platten, Vicki Rubino, Leah Williams, Melissa Musolino
Religion
Celebrating 200 Years of Catholic Education
Catholic Education is celebrating 200 years in Australia, marking the bicentenary of the first Catholic school established in Parramatta in October 1820. Over 200 years, Catholic schools have grown to become the largest provider of schooling in Australia (outside government) with one in five school-age students attending a Catholic school.
The official national launch of the celebrations was held virtually on 18 February 2021 with local launches held across Australia during February. A National Mass is being celebrated in states and dioceses on the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians on 24 May 2021.
As we celebrate this event here at St. Thomas More School, we call to mind all those who have contributed to the life of our school since its beginning and have made it what it is today. This week students have also been learning the song, Faith in the Future which was composed by Fr Rob Galea for this special event.
I wonder how Catholic Education has impacted your life?
The Great Time of Pentecost
Last Sunday Christian communities, of all denominations, in all parts of the world, celebrate the great feast of Pentecost. Pentecost is the Church’s birthday! It is the time we remember that God’s spirit was given to the disciples so that they could continue the work of Jesus. This happened thousands of years ago and continues to happen today in our time and place in the lives of people who are inspired to live with generosity, joy, kindness, patience and goodness.
The Catholic Identity of St Thomas More’s School and the focus of our Religious Education programme is always an invitation to live a life inspired by these ‘Gifts of the Spirit’ and we see the fruits of this Spirit when we experience and live out the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that Jesus lived and taught.
We are all invited, every day to look for signs of this ‘Spirit’ in our school...we can choose to see these as insignificant events or we can choose to see them as ‘sacred moments’ that remind us of what is most important and open us to the mystery of God....saying hello to someone we don’t know, offering to help when we see someone in need, being grateful to those who work hard for the good of our community, using positive language rather than finding fault or criticising. . .these are all ways that Christians believe we experience the presence of God’s spirit.
Society of St. Vincent De Paul
Vincent de Paul lived in France over 400 years ago. He was born into a poor peasant family, but after he became a priest, he came to know some of the richest and most important people in France. Vincent was well known for his work among people who were poor, sick, abandoned, and in prison. Today the St. Vincent de Paul Society helps people just as Vincent did.
This term we are working with St. Mary Magdalene’s School to support the St. Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal. From week 6 until week 10 you will see two donation bins on our school site. We are collecting winter clothing and blankets to support those in need.
Your donations are greatly appreciated.
Reconciliation Week
National Sorry Day acknowledges and raises awareness of the history and continued effect of the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from their families, communities and culture. National Reconciliation Week celebrates and builds on the respectful relationships shared by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians.
The 2021 theme for Reconciliation Week is More than a word. Reconciliation takes action!
During prayer staff and students reflected on this theme with a Christian lens. In the scriptures, we are called to follow God’s way of justice in both word and action. In his footsteps, then, we bring our whole lives and efforts today to the work of healing and reconciling action.
Sacramental Program 2021
If your child is currently involved in the Sacramental Program for 2021, please take note of the following dates:
Week 8: Celebration of Reconciliation at St. Thomas More Church
Friday, June 18 – 5pm to 6pm
Saturday, June 19 – 10am to 11am
Sunday, June 20 – 11.30am to 12.30am
Rock Art with Mrs. Smith
OSHC Vacation Program
Elizabeth Community Connections
Playgroup and ELY
Brain Teasers
Can you solve them?
Out of School Hours Care
Daily: 6:30am to 8:45am and 3:00pm to 6:00pm Wednesday: 2:30pm to 6:00pm
School Access
8:30am to 8:50am
Access via the main front courtyard gate at the school crossing.
8:50am to 2:45pm
Access via green front pool gate in front of the administration building. You will need to lift the pool gate lock at the top of the gate to open and please ensure the gate is closed securely.
2:45pm to 3:15pm
Access via the main front courtyard gate at the school crossing.
Children dropped off before 8:30am and not collected by 3:15pm will be sent to OSHC and caregivers will be invoiced for the service.
School Banking
School Banking at our school is on Wednesdays.
For every deposit made at school, students will receive a silver Dollarmites token. Once students have individually collected 10 tokens they can redeem them for an exclusive School Banking reward item in recognition of their regular savings habits.
School Banking is also a great fundraiser for our school. Our school receives a Regular Savers Contribution of $5 for every 10 deposits processed per student as well as an Annual Contribution which is based on the number of students who made at least one School Banking deposit in the prior year.
If your child has lost their book, please contact your School Banking Co-ordinator for a replacement or visit any CommBank Branch.
If you would like to know more about School Banking, please ask for a 2020 School Banking program information pack from the school office or visit www.commbank.com.au/sbc
Advance Notice
Every Tuesday
Parent Coffee/Tea chat 8:30am in Jubilee Hall - Postponed
ECC Playgroup 9:15am to 11:15am
Principal's Tour (first Tuesday of the month) 10:00am - By appointment only
Every Wednesday
ECC Early Learning Years (ELY) 9:15am to 11:15am
School Banking
May
Miracle Month of May - www.miraclebabies.org.au
May 27 - 3 June
National Reconciliation Week
May 31
National Smile Day
June 3
Mabo Day
June 5
World Environment Day
June 8
New Reception Transition and Parent Session
Swimming Lesson Week R - 4
June 14
Queens Birthday Public Holiday
World Blood Donor Day
Raising Hearts and Minds
