Term 2, Week 10, 4 July 2024
Principal Message
Dear St John's Community,
We are halfway through the year and what a fantastic couple of weeks to end term 2. This week the Stage 3 Goldrush day was outstanding. Well done to the Stage 3 students for their planning and preparation, and a special mention to Miss McEvoy for facilitating such a powerful immersion of the History curriculum for our Stage 3 students.
Last week, we celebrated our end-of-semester Mass where we celebrated growth. The growth that we have made this semester and the growth of our faith. The day of the Mass marked the 88th Day of school this year and I mentioned that it is important for us to reflect on that. I posed these questions to the students:
- How much have you grown in this time? and I don’t mean physically.
- Have you achieved the goals that you or your teacher has set for you?
- Can you now do something that you couldn’t do at the start of the year?
- Have you expanded your friendship group?
- Have you been Hiking? (our HIKE matrix outlines our behaviour expectations).
I mentioned to the students that I wanted them to reflect on how they have spent those 87 days so far and to find time during the Mass, when things are quiet, to say a prayer of thanks to God for being everpresent on their journey.
Have a safe and enjoyable break!
Upcoming Dates
Please view the upcoming dates in this newsletter's left-hand column or via the calendar HERE on the school website, which is also synchronised with the Parent Compass Calendar.
Staffing Announcement
It is with a mix of joy and sadness that I announce the retirement of Pauline East, who has been a cornerstone of our St. John's Primary School family for many years. Pauline's dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment to our school have left an indelible mark on generations of students, staff, and the entire community.
Throughout her tenure, Pauline has exemplified the values and mission of our school, always going above and beyond to ensure a nurturing and supportive environment for all. She has inspired countless students with her knowledge, kindness, and positivity, fostering a love for school and reading that will continue to flourish in the years to come.
As we bid farewell to Pauline, we also celebrate the wonderful journey she has had with us. Her retirement is well-deserved, and we wish her all the happiness and fulfilment in this new chapter of life. Pauline will always be a cherished member of the St. John's family, and her legacy will continue to inspire us all.
Please join me in expressing our deepest gratitude and best wishes to Pauline. We will be honouring her with a special farewell event next term, and we hope you can join us in celebrating her remarkable contributions.
Thank you, Pauline, for everything you have done for St. John's Catholic Primary School. You will be greatly missed, but your impact will be felt for generations to come.
Absent from the Table
Australian Catholics who do not regularly attend Sunday Mass
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference is undertaking a research project aimed at investigating why some Catholics do not participate in regular weekly Sunday Mass (Sunday Mass includes the Saturday Vigil). The project will provide in-depth information about contemporary religious practices and beliefs of Catholics in Australia. The insights would enable parishes, movements, and school communities to respond to the trends in participation in the Church, update the Church’s awareness and understanding of the present-day context, and enable responses and collaboration around the underlying factors for non/dis-engagement.
We would like to invite you to take part in this research. Please click on the link below to access information about the project, and to enter the survey itself.
https://bit.ly/AbsentFromTheTableSurvey
The survey will run from Monday, 17 June 2024 and close on Tuesday, 20 August 2024. Thank you for considering this invitation to participate.
Canteen Update
Please find below the Canteen Menu for Term 3. All ordering needs to be done through Compass and all ordering now closes at 12pm on Thursdays.
Please also note that if your child is away, we cannot store the hot food at school. You may collect it at 11am, otherwise it will have to be disposed of.
Any snacks, drinks and frozen items can be purchased with cash on the day. It is great for the students to still have this opportunity to use their maths skills and purchase little things with money.
Diagram 1: Adapted from School-wide Positive Behaviour Support: implementers’ blueprint and Self-Assessment, by OSEP Centre On Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports, 2004, Eugene OR: Lewis
Our Systems Approach - Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L)
We have been on a Positive Behaviour 4 Learning (PB4L) journey so far in 2024 and we will continue this long journey and keep the community updated along the way. Recently we finalised our Tier 2 and Tier 3 behaviour support strategies, which will be introduced next term.
What is Positive Behaviour for Learning?
PB4L is a framework (Diagram 1) for schools that use a system approach to positive behaviour supports for all students. The aim of implementing the framework is to achieve increased academic and social progress and achievement for all students by using evidence-based practices. One of the focus areas is explicit teaching of behaviours that assists students to access learning – academically and socially - at all stages of development throughout their education.
Theoretical and Conceptual Characteristics
PB4L is the redesign of learning environments, not students. The theoretical and conceptual understandings of PB4Learning are firmly linked to Behavioural Theory and Applied Behavioural Analysis (Carr et al., 2002). This perspective emphasises that observable behaviour is an important indicator of what individuals have learned and how they operate in their environment. Environmental factors are influential in determining whether a behaviour is likely to occur, and new and alternative pro- social behaviours can be taught (Sugai & Horner, 2002; Sugai et al., 2008)
Continuum of Support and Key Features
An important component of PB4L is the adoption of a continuum of behavioural supports (Diagram 2) that, like academic instruction, acknowledges that students will need differing levels of behavioural interventions and supports to be successful at school. Within the continuum there are three levels of support.
Tier 1 Universal Supports:
This first level focuses on universal behavioural and academic supports for all students. Here the focus is on prevention of problem behaviours, providing explicit teaching of expected behaviours and creating positive learning environments across all settings in the school. Research has shown that approximately 80-85% of students will respond to proactive universal supports, display the desired appropriate behaviours and have few behaviour problems (Horner & Sugai, 2005; Lewis, Newcomer, Trussell & Ritcher, 2006).
Tier 2 Targeted Supports:
This second level focuses on targeted supports for students who continue to display problem behaviour even with the universal supports in place. Using data analysis, students are identified early, before problem behaviours become intense or chronic, to receive targeted supports such as small group social skill instruction, academic supports, mentoring and/or self-management strategies (Sailor et al., 2013).
Tier 3 Personalised Supports:
This third level focuses on personalised supports that are intensive and individualised. These students will require highly individualised behaviour support programs based on a comprehensive behavioural assessment, which at times, will include mental health professionals and family and community services.
Kind Regards,
Dave Bermingham
Week 9 Awards
Week 10 Awards
Teaching & Learning @ St John's
Student Reports & Staff Planning
Semester One Reports have now been published for you to view on Compass.
If you are unsure how to view your child's report please see the PDF instructions at the end of the Newsletter to assist you.
Please also view the video HERE which is a video for parents titled ‘Understanding the K-6 Student Report’.
This week staff have participated in planning meetings. We will continue this process as a whole staff on Friday. Staff are working with new curriculums in Mathematics and English.
A great deal of time and effort goes into planning learning that is engaging and caters to the diverse needs of students. Working with staff, I see the dedication they have towards their students and their willingness to be flexible, try new ideas and adapt and change throughout a unit of work. Staff are prepared to give students every opportunity to succeed. The impact is that students from ES1 to S3 can reflect on their learning and identify what they need to work on to improve.
A Golden End to the Term- S3 Shine Like Gold!
Wow! What a show we were treated to today. Life in the goldfields was truly brought to life by some brilliant scripts, acting, props, sets and dramatic skills. The writing and slam poetry were also fantastic. Well done to the S3 students and Miss McEvoy. We loved every scene and commend you all for your teamwork, planning and dedication. I have included some highlight photos.
Congratulations to Leo Human who has been selected to perform his SLAM poetry at the Byron Writer’s Festival next month- go Leo!
GOLD RUSH DAY
WELLBEING @ St John's
What is co-regulation and how can I emotion coach when my child is experiencing strong emotions?
Emotions and feelings come and go for all of us all the time. However, for many of our children when they experience strong emotions they can become consumed by them: not realising that they’ll soon pass and evolve into another feeling.
Emotions allow us to express ourselves and connect with others — but they can also cause conflict and harm if we don’t know how to handle them. Self-regulation — the ability to manage, and/or regulate our emotions and behaviors — is a skill most adults have mastered over time.
Co-regulation, on the other hand, happens when two people help each other regulate their emotions. For adults, it can also mean teaching kids how to manage emotions more independently over time.
There is science behind co-regulation. Our stress can make another person feel stressed; our calm can make another person feel calm. Successful co-regulation between a responsible adult and a child involves helping the child calm down on their own — which is why the first step to co-regulation requires you to deal with your stress in a healthy way.
It’s important to consider the specific things that tend to upset us and think about how we react to them. This is called a stress response. Knowing your own stress responses can help you recognize stress responses in kids — which can look very different depending on the child and the situation — and offer support.
Whether you’re a teacher, parent, or caregiver, there are a few strategies you can use to help a child calm down before their emotions get out of control. For instance, say a child is screaming and crying. Does this cause a stress response in you? First, take a deep breath to calm yourself and then get on the child’s level and tell them what you see:
“It looks like you’re very upset right now. I can hear you’re feeling really frustrated at the moment. Let me see if I’ve got this right, you’re frustrated and upset because your brother snatched your toy off you again.”
We connect with the child and begin the process of them returning to calm by making statements that reflect back to the child the emotions they’re showing us.
Be sure to use an even tone of voice, if anything lower the tone of your voice. Make statements don’t ask questions and once the child has calmed, you can help them find a solution to their problem…don’t jump in and solve it for them, tempting as it may be. Children need opportunities to build their problem-solving skills.
The goal is to begin to cool emotions that are running hot. Finally, try to guide them in a calming or breathing exercise. If they don’t want to do it with you, do it yourself, letting them know that such exercises are a good way to deal with intense emotions. Emotion coaching is a skill that takes time and practise to master. Don’t be afraid to have a go. You have to start somewhere.
Best regards, happy holidays and good luck with the emotion coaching!
If you’d like to read more follow the link below.
What Is Co-Regulation? - Child Mind Institute
School Holiday Activities @ your Library
The school holidays are back and the library is the place for fun!
Visit School Holiday Activities @ your Library to see all the exciting holiday activities happening in a library nearby!
There's so much happening, like Crime Story at Tweed Heads and Goonellabah libraries, a family-movie afternoon at Byron Bay Library, and making beeswax wraps at Ballina, Alstonville, and Lennox Head libraries!
Mission
Last week we gathered for a beautiful whole school Mass, led by Fr David. He read the Gospel of the Mustard Seed, reminding us of the importance of faith and growth. We celebrated a successful semester, recognising the remarkable progress our students have made in their learning journeys. A special highlight was the blessing of the student mission team badges, marking their commitment to service and leadership. It was a heartwarming occasion, bringing our community together in faith and gratitude.
Many blessings for a safe and happy break,
God bless, Mrs Hyde and Mrs Bailey Leaders of Mission
St John's Student Mission Team
SCHOOL INFORMATION
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU"
Our Birthday people:-
Savannah G, Cynthia, Jai & Vander
People who will celebrate during the Winter Holidays.
Avahlia, Jack & Miss Wells
Head Lice (Nits)
Head lice are most common among primary school-aged children. They cannot fly, jump or swim and are spread by direct contact with the hair of the infested individual. A head lice infestation is not the result of dirty hair or poor hygiene and it can affect all types of hair regardless of its condition or length. Head lice are rarely transferred through clothing, hats, furniture or bedding. Infestations appear to be on the increase, due to factors such as:
- resistance to the common chemicals used in head lice products
- inappropriate use of the treatments
- changing social and school practices.
Head lice infestation is a common problem throughout the world in all socioeconomic groups. Considerable myth and misinformation surrounds head lice and their management. Studies have shown that around one in four primary school-aged children in Australia have head lice.
NSW Health does not recommend excluding children with head lice from school due to the following reasons:
- Head lice are not known to transmit diseases.
- Exclusion from school or childcare is not an effective way of breaking the cycle of head lice infestations.
- Head lice eradication is most effective if the whole school community works together to treat the infestation.
At St John's we have specific protocols to manage cases of head lice. The response includes the following steps:
Notification: If a student is found to have head lice, the school notifies the parents or guardians. A letter or note is sent home to inform them of the situation and to request that they treat their child's hair accordingly.
Confidentiality: The school maintains confidentiality to avoid stigmatizing the affected student. Names of students with head lice are not disclosed to other parents or students.
Treatment and Prevention: Parents are advised to treat their child's hair with an appropriate head lice treatment. Please see NSW HEALTH HEAD LICE TREATMENT for information on how to best treat head lice.
Re-admittance: Students are allowed to return to school once they have been treated.
Monitoring: We may conduct periodic checks to monitor the situation and ensure that head lice are being effectively managed. This can include visual inspections by school staff. St John's also notifies parents to request that they monitor their child's hair if there has been a positive case in the class.
These measures are designed to manage and prevent the spread of head lice in a manner that minimizes disruption to students' education and maintains their dignity and privacy.
COMMUNITY NOTICES
