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BLENDED LEARNING AT HOME AND SCHOOL
We are seeing some great enthusiasm in students’ learning from children at home and at school.
We have some great shots of children engaged in learning from all Years.
BLENDED LEARNING AT SCHOOL
BLENDED LEARNING AT HOME
CONTINUATION OF BLENDED LEARNING
Blended Learning Resources for Week 8 starting Monday 30th August
- Kinder, Years 1 and 2 - Hard copies for next week's work will be available again for collection on Monday from 10am to 11am via 'contactless' pickup as advised in our previous communication. A digital copy is also available HERE and on the St Peter's Website..
- Years 3 to 6 - Blended Learning is available HERE and on the St Peter's Website. Hard copies are available upon request.
- Zoom meetings will continue next week on Monday and Wednesday and for some classes Friday. Times available HERE and on St Peter's Website.
Blended Learning Packs Being Picked Up Today
Great work parents - A big thank you for your efforts.
KEEPING THE FUN AND WELL BEING IN LEARNING
During our regular school day, we take time out to give ourselves a Brain Break or Well- Being/Movement Break.
A good laugh and positive well-being activities keep the motor running and provide a little extra petrol when the ‘vehicle is not running so well or is required to hook on a trailer.’
Some of these ideas can give your child added focus and a better mood for their learning. They can be effective for adults too! There is no expectation to do these activities, they are provided as ideas for families if needed.
Take care,
The Pastoral Care Team
STAFF - FAMILY COMMUNICATION
Staff have been very busy attempting to contact families through the course of this week.
It has taken more time than anticipated. Phone calls will now continue into next week.
One staff member will contact a family and enquire about each child from that family.
If no one answers the call, staff will leave an email indicating they have attempted to make contact.
Families are then given a choice to email back that everything is okay or that they would prefer the teacher to make another contact (with the family member providing a couple of timeslots over 2 days which may suit).
I really appreciate teachers providing this opportunity and the way families are receiving these calls and the many families who express their appreciation in return.
PAYING IT FORWARD
Felt we should pass on this story and invite all of our community to initiate a ‘Pay it Forward’ (responding to a person's kindness to oneself by being kind to someone else) action.
(Narrated by Preston Davis – Year 6 Green)
During lockdown I have been thinking about my Kindy buddy and hoping he has been ok. It can be hard for kindergarten to understand what’s going on.
Today I organised with my mums help a little surprise. I dropped it to his front door where there was also a little surprise waiting for me. Its nice to know he is doing ok.
HEADLINES AND ANTHEMS - DANCE DANCE DANCE
The Performing Arts team is currently considering some different options where we may present our class dances later this term and early in Term 4.
We will continue our creative discussions and communicate to students and families in the near future.
DADS REVEALED
Staff are currently working on some novel ways of revealing the dads within our community and some of their quirky and most loved qualities.
We look forward to portraying our very loved dads in the newsletter next week.
MISSION
Keeping our Spirits Up in Challenging Times
Last week students across the school wrote some letters and made some cards for distribution to our aged care residents. A small effort on the part of our students had an enormous impact on lifting the spirits of many of our elderly friends. One of the best ways to brighten our own day is to brighten someone else's. What are some creative ways you could make someone’s day?
Crazy Hair Day Just For Fun!
Join us in styling your hair in a weird and wacky way next Friday! (3rd September) For those learning at home, send in your photos for publication in Postman Pete! (Please email pmacp@lism.catholic.edu.au). For those at school, we can’t wait to see your creations!
Prayer for a New NormalLordThe World as we knew it is gone, and for what feels like such a long time we have experienced so much hardship during this Pandemic. As we prepare to walk into the future we pray for the "new normal" to come. May our hearts be unified in You more than ever. May the tender moments of seeing someone again in person be all the more rich and treasured. May the reunions, interactions, and moments ahead be held in such intentionality and may we turn to You in sincere gratitude. Help us to come out of this Pandemic better, not bitter. Help us to become more considerate of others, more mindful of how we can help one another, and how we can serve You and Your children well. We thank You that no matter how dark the night may get, there is the hope of the dawn to come. Amen |
LEARNING
Book Week
Since 1945 the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has grown from a small Sydney-based group to a national organisation which exerts a profound influence on children’s books.
The Children’s Book Council of Australia was founded at a time when Australian children’s books were few, and Australian authors and illustrators were virtually unknown. In 1946 the CBCA established annual book awards to promote books of high literary and artistic quality. These awards are now the most influential and highly respected in Australia.
Each year, across Australia, the CBCA brings children and books together celebrating Book Week. Throughout the year, the CBCA works in partnership with authors, illustrators, publishers, booksellers and other organisations in the children’s book world to bring words, images and stories into the hearts and minds of children and adults.
The advocacy role played by the CBCA promotes the literary experience for children and assures the scope and vitality of children's books. The annual Book of the Year Awards affirm the quality of some of Australia’s most creative people and provide a boost to their capacity to devote time to their craft.
Australian children’s literature enriches our nation and reaches children across the world through international editions.
Thinking outside the box during Blended Learning!
This week, all Year 3, 5 and 6 students received their Sporting Schools Blended Learning document to help support getting out and active via Google Classroom. Students will watch a number of videos about a particular skill in that sport, and then go into the backyard and try to emulate that skill. I hope this is another way to help your kids get out and active during these difficult times.
- Year 3- Basketball- learning how to pass, shoot, dribble and layups, plus an Aussie Hoops @ Home and Community Hustle Program.
- Year 5- Golf- learning how to chip, putt, stroke techniques and long game.
- Year 6- Ultimate Frisbee- learning how to use their forehand, backhand and catching.
Sporting Schools resources for our kids
Sporting Schools is a $320 million Australian Government initiative designed to help schools increase children's participation in sport and connect them with community sport opportunities.
Sporting Schools programs are provided free to children and their families to help students build the confidence and capability to be active for life. During the past three years, we have been fortunate to receive $30,000.00 in Sporting Schools Grants.
This money has allowed us to have 27 sporting coaches attend our school and teach a specific sport. Furthermore, it has allowed us to use additional money each term to purchase resources.
This Term for example we were able to purchase the following:
1x Soft-Crosse Set | 1x Bucket of Foam Tennis Balls |
31 x Tennis Racquets | 1x Mini Tennis Net |
1x Hoop Cart | 31 x Hoola Hoops |
48 x Animal Bean Bags | 20 x Frisbees |
2 x Drum bags | 20 x Foam Reaction Balls |
All of this equipment will no doubt get lots of exercise in the coming months.
Talented Sporting Superstars!
This week, Year 3, 5 and 6 Class Teachers sent out the Sporting Schools Blended Learning document. Our St Peter's Sport Facebook page, has been busy with families uploading videos and images of their child trying to master a specific skill in:
- Basketball (Year 3)
- Golf (Year 5)
- Ultimate Frisbee (Year 6)
I encourage all families, not just Years 3, 5 and 6 to upload an image or video of your talented sporting child or children.
Around the Grounds- Zoom Awards
Like us, sporting clubs are thinking outside the box to keep kids involved in their chosen sport or sports. This week, the Port Macquarie Pirates awarded their Under 10 awards via Zoom. Well done to Sebastian Thomas on your achievement.
The Road Ahead
With current COVID restrictions, we are looking at local gala days to keep representative sport going. Currently, we are unable to travel outside our local LGA, and we have informed all Gala Days Convenors of our restriction. We have also informed the Convenors, we are only able to attend if there are only schools from our LGA attending.
Coming Up
Touch Gala Day (Years 3 and 4) | Thursday September 9 |
Zone Athletics Carnival | Term 4- Week 1 TBC |
School Swimming Carnival | Friday October 8 |
Kindy Intensive Swimming | commencing Monday October 11 and concluding Friday October 22 |
Hastings Zone Summer Sport Trials | Monday October 25 (Years 4 and 5) |
MNC Northern Qualifier Rugby League (Years 5-6) | Wednesday October 27 |
MNC State Final- Rugby League (Years 5-6) | Wednesday November 3 (If we make it) |
MNC Basketball Gala Day (Years 5-6) | Thursday November 4 |
Jeff Arkinstall - Leader of Sport
Term 3 Calendar
See the weekly calendar for updates !
Monday 30th August |
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Tuesday 31st August |
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Wednesday 1st September |
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Thursday 2nd September |
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Friday 3rd September |
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Term 4 CAMP DATES
Year 6 Camp Monday 22nd November to Friday 26th November 2021
** Year 6 Camp Meeting **2 September @ 6pm - POSTPONED |
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Year 5 Camp
Wednesday 24th November to
Friday 26th November 2021
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Tuesday 5th October (Term 4) | Staff Development Day |
Online Borrowing -'Click and Collect'
Online borrowing from the school library is currently being offered to our families.
Families are invited to put in an online order before 9.00am each Tuesday for the next few weeks (Weeks 7, 8 and 9.)
Orders will be available for collection on Tuesday afternoon from 12.00 - 2.00pm.
Please limit requests to 2 items per child.
Please see the following How To Borrow Instructions
Reminders :
- Not all titles under the 'new items' banner will be available, please submit a 3rd choice ...just in case.
- Overdrive read eBooks and audio books may be borrowed directly from Oliver (Please don't add these books to your basket.)
Any enquiries please contact Fran Cullen email: fran.cullen@lism.catholic.edu.au
Book Week 2021
“Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds”
In a “perfect” world, we would have been celebrating Book Week here at St Peter’s this week, along with Schools and Libraries all over Australia. Teachers would have been reading to classes from the shortlisted books, children and staff dressing up as a favourite story character and we would have been welcoming our extended families here to attend our parade.
We are hoping that Term 4 will see a return to normality, and if so, we’ll endeavour to incorporate our celebration of Book Week then.
In the meantime, we have multiple options for children to keep practising their reading skills.
Reading Your Favourite Book During Book Week
Child's Name: Liam Ayres - Year 5
Title: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
I love this book because the story is set in an imaginative, fictional world full of dragons, goblins, wizards, hobbits, elves and other interesting creatures that are either working to destroy the "one" ring or trying to retrieve it for the evil Lord Sauron.
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Child's Name: Henry Ayres - Year 3
Title: The Hobbit
I love this book because it is a fantasy story where an ordinary hobbit goes on an unexpected adventure to help a group of dwarves fight the evil dragon, Smaug, and reclaim their homeland.
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eBooks and Audiobooks
Our Lismore Diocese is a part of a wider consortium, the ACEN, which includes Dioceses from as far afield as Cairns & Darwin in the north, west to Wilcannia-Forbes and south to Tasmania. Combined, these areas have huge purchasing power, which means that our students and staff have access to nearly 20,000 digital titles. I have attached a “cheat sheet” below showing how to access Sora, the preferred app for accessing eBooks and Audiobooks. All titles in the Overdrive collection have been selected by qualified Teacher Librarians, and the content available is age appropriate, according to your child’s login credentials.
Book Week at the Port Macquarie Hastings Library
Book of the Year Reading Challenge
Students of all grades can register for the Book of the Year Reading Challenge on Beanstack and tick off each book as they read it for a chance to win some great prizes.
Short Story Competition
Students can submit short stories they have written, inspired by the books on the CBCA shortlist. A selection of the best submissions will be posted on the library webpage, for the community to read.
Book of the Year Reading Challenge and Short Story Competition
Premier's Reading Challenge
Due to so many students in the Greater Sydney area being impacted by the current lockdown, the Premier’s Reading Challenge finish date has been extended until Friday September 3rd.
Fran Cullen - Librarian
Enjoy some of St Peter's talented artists work
We hope it brightens your day
Luca Crilley
Kindergarten
Title: Self Portrait
Materials: Watercolour and Texta
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Emman Blackman
Year 1
Title: The Last Super
Materials: Pencil
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Year 2
Title: Through the Keyhole
Materials: Texta and Pencil
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Beth Lucas
Year 3
Title: Cactus
Materials: Texta and Pencil
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Alanna Walker
Year 4
Title: Sandra Silberweig Selfie
Materials: Oil Pastel,Texta and Pencil
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Elysa Blemith
Year 5
Title: Uluru
Materials: Oil Pastel
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Learning from School VS Learning from home
Will you be persuaded ?
LEARNING AT SCHOOL IS BETTER THAN LEARNING AT HOME
(By Stephanie Banham, 4 Green)
There are sooooo many reasons why learning at school is better than at home. You get to see your friends, there are more supplies and devices and teachers understand what you're learning, just to name a few. The outcome of learning from home is often not so good. Kids don’t get to interact with friends, will have much less supplies and many parents haven’t been especially trained in education
What parent wants their kid to not be able to interact with friends, then later in life have really bad social skills?? No parent that I know of that’s for sure! Kids need to socialise to have social skills later in life and to be able to stand for themselves. Learning from school gives kids a huge opportunity to interact with others.
At school, students are given access to a library, learning aids, devices and many other tools to help them in their learning. However, at home students don’t have access to these essential learning tools. Many kids rely on these things to learn, so learning from home can be very difficult for some kids. Students need these tools to be successful in learning.
At school, teachers are especially trained to give them all the skills, tools and learning they need. However, at home parents and carers are often busy, when they finally get to you they don’t know what you’re learning or working on. Then when you have a question, they either don’t know or can’t put it in a simple and understandable way.
These are just a few reasons why learning from school is far better than learning from home. It provides better learning outcomes, understanding and social skills.
LEARNING AT HOME IS BETTER THAN LEARNING AT SCHOOL
(By Cody Winter, 4 Green)
Working from home is so much better than working at boring old school because at home you can take breaks, go at your own pace and always be out of uniform. I know a lot of kids hate school so why go? It will save you a whole lot of whining and complaining. Plus that's one less job you have to do.
Imagine this, you're doing your school work for hours but you finally realise you're starting to slow down. This is because you haven't had a break in hours. But at home you can take breaks anytime allowing for maximum speed. So please let us sad and slow working children work from home P-L-E-A-S-E!!!!!
Children love to be out of uniform and if you don't believe me then ask someone. All this time children could be happier if they were to work from home. I mean you would probably want to stay in your pjs all day so why not start with our kids and make the world a better place. Because it's time for change. Let's let our beautiful children work from home.
What child, wait no what person wants to be in a rush when you can work from home going at your own pace? I sure know I don't. How can you be happy if you send your children to school every single day. So much rushing and we all now when you rush your work isn't nearly as good as it could have been!
Boring old school isn't nearly as good as home because at school you can't take breaks, be out of uniform and go at your own pace. So in conclusion working from home is so much better than going to school.
Variety’s We Learn Grant is now open for applications
The Variety We Learn Grant helps families living with financial hardship to purchase educational technology and supplies.
A computer and internet access at home is an essential part of school life (especially when school and home collide – hello, lockdown!). Not to mention all the extra exercise books, paper, pens and colouring pencils that are now taking up residence on those dining tables being used as school desks!
Of course, we know not every child is fortunate enough to have all of these resources. And without them, kids are faced not only with significant academic challenges but also with issues such as social isolation that can prevent them from reaching their full potential. Unfortunately, these challenges and risks are often increased in remote and rural areas where kids may not have access to everything they need for online learning.
The Variety We Learn Grant is here to help bridge the gap.
Open to families with children aged 4 years – 18 years throughout NSW and the ACT, We Learn comprises two grants – Educational Technology and Educational Supplies.
Applications for the We Learn Grant are open from Monday 26 July 2021 and closes at 5pm AEST Friday 3 September 2021 without exception.
Link: Variety We Learn Grant
Butterfly is delighted to announce the launch of Body Kind Families which provides parents with important information and practical tips to support positive body image in teens. It also encourages everyone in a family to be body kind; to their own and to others.
Live webinars (early Sept) | Videos | Tips Sheets | Family Activities | FAQs
Practical help with:
- Building resilience to social media pressures
- Talking to your teen about appearance and weight
- Encouraging healthy eating and exercise behaviours
- Boys' body image
- Being kind and compassionate to your own body
- Responding to body image concerns.
Click on the link .....Butterfly - Let's Talk eating disorders
... a Collection of FREE WEBINARS
courtesy of PARENT ASSEMBLY
Parent Assembly have put together a collection of helpful parenting webinars on a range of topics for more information click on the link HERE ....
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Support Healthy Body Image in Your Child 1st September - 7pm - Zoom - 'Let's Talk Confident Children and Teens' 9th September - 7pm - Zoom - 'Let's Talk Body Image in Boys' TO REGISTER - please click on the Link |