February 8th, 2024
- Acknowledgement of Country
- The Gift You Are
- A Note from our Principal
- STOMP PERFORMANCE TONIGHT!!
- Student Medical Information Updates Required.
- Acceptable use and cyber safety agreement - PAM
- STOMP!
- Library News
- Inter-school Swimming Sports
- St. Vincent De Paul Reading Program
- 2024 Japan Trip
- The Foundation Files!
- School Fees and Levies 2024
- Structured Literacy
- A special message........
- Canteen Roster for next week.
- Important Dates.
- Uniform Price List
- Before & After School Care.
- Parish Contact.
- COVID 19 Arrangements
Acknowledgement of Country
The St Pius X Parish School Community acknowledges the Gunditjmara / Marr Nation people who have educated children on these lands for thousands of years.
The Gift You Are
We come to 2024 conscious of the gift each one of us is.
We are gifts of the universe unfolding for billions of years
To produce a wondering and wonderful life-form
With awareness, appreciation and creativity.
We are gifts of the universe,
Bringing us forth, to sing, to dance and to be joyful on its behalf
On behalf of all creation.
We are gifts of the Great Mystery, God the Creator,
Permeating, penetrating and embracing everything that exists.
And coming to human expression in and through us.
We are gifts of human love,
Of commitment, of risk, of hope, of trust, of promise
Of dreams of what can be.
We are gifts of all the joy that love can bring
Of dreams come true, of Divine possibilities.
We are earthen vessels
Gifted with power and impulses
That drive the universe
We are earthen vessels
Charged with the Great Mystery
At work everywhere
In the vastness of the universe.
We are gifts
To be opened and shared
Called to be co-creators
Of an evolving humanity
Enablers of the ‘Kingdom of God”
We come to this year
To affirm our commitment
To expansion, to risk, to possibilities
To the gift we want to be, and can be
For anyone whose lives we touch.
To wherever the Spirit of Life and Love
May lead us
We give our Amen
Adapted from Michael Morwood Pages 54-57
Morwood, M (2018) Prayers for Progressive Christians Kelmor Publications: Sunbury
A Note from our Principal
Dear parents and carers,
As we have moved into Week 2 of the term it has been amazing to see our school's great number of programs and representative groups getting up and running or being prepared to launch in 2024. We have had the announcements of our 2024 School Captains and House Captains, we are preparing our Student Representative Council, Young Vinnies and Hands on Learning programs to be up and running in the very near future as well. This Friday will also see the commencement of the fortnightly Friday afternoon sports program. Some amazing opportunities for all students at St Pius X.
Tonight at 5pm we also have the STOMP performance and BBQ to help celebrate the beginning of the school year and our Arts program. All are welcome. We thank Mrs Keely for her coordination of the program and Makayla from STOMP for doing a sensational job exposing our students to dance and preparing them for tonight's showcase.
We look forward to seeing as many families as possible come along.
Kind regards,
Nick Murrell
Principal
STOMP PERFORMANCE TONIGHT!!
Come along to the Big Hall tonight at 5pm to see your child perform the dances we have been working on this week with Michaela from Stomp Dance Company.
This is a fantastic opportunity to meet our new Principal - Mr Nick Murrell, and be a part of our wonderful St Pius X Community. See you there.
Student Medical Information Updates Required.
A reminder that we require all families to login to PAM and update their child's medical information if any details have changed or if you are a new family to St. Pius. Please ensure that this is completed as soon as possible.
To update a medical profile for your child/children please follow these instructions:
- Click on the link to PAM (found on SZ App or on the St. Pius website)
- Click on student. (Remember that each child has their own medical profile)
- Click on Medical Profile (blue writing to the left of screen)
- Check all questions and select Edit Details for updates to be made.
- Once you get to the end of the questions please confirm by clicking on the Green “Update Details” box found at the bottom right of screen.
As a parent/guardian you are able to access your child/rens medical profile on PAM at any time to update as needed.
If you have any queries or require your PAM login details, please do not hesitate to contact the office.
Acceptable use and cyber safety agreement - PAM
We would appreciate it if this form could be completed as soon as possible. If you have any problems, please contact the office. Thank You.
STOMP!
As mentioned previously, dance workshops have taken place each day over the course of this week and will conclude tomorrow. Check out some of our students getting their groove on!
Library News
Issue 1 of Book Club was handed out to children on Thursday. Orders are due back by next Wednesday 14th of February. Family members can order bookclub through 'Scholastic LOOP'. This is online tool that allows families to make purchase using Credit/Debit cards. Please follow the link below:https://mybookclubs.
Purchases from Book Club create reward points for the school. These points are then redeemed for newer texts for our Library. Any purchase you make, helps to contribute to our Library and our school community. Thank-you for your support!
Inter-school Swimming Sports
The inter-school swimming sports are coming up this month on Friday, 29th February so its now time to nominate! If you have a child who is interested in submitting their times, I will require recorded times per student (per event) signed off by a swimming club or coach by Wednesday, 13th February.
These can be submitted to the school office. Thank you.
Emma McDonald.
St. Vincent De Paul Reading Program
Fee-free after school reading program
Want your child to improve their reading and academic skills? Make new friends? Be involved in a co-curricular activity? Foster positive relationships with caring adults?
The Vinnie’s reading program might be for you!
St Vincent de Paul run a reading program which offers children the chance to read with a volunteer each week. The program runs each Wednesday of the school term (3:30 - 4.45pm in the library). It is open to any student at St Pius X (prep to Year 6). Students of all ages and abilities are welcome, from those who need additional support to those who are confident and avid readers. The program provides students with a safe and welcoming environment where they can experience the magic of books, enhance their skills, make new friends and enjoy the support of caring adults. Vinnie’s would love to welcome some new faces.
2024 Japan Trip
2024 Japan Trip
In September 2024, we hope to take a group of Yr 6 students on a Cultural and Study Tour to Japan for approximately 8-10 days. Students from across the Warrnambool and District Network are invited to come. In November last year, we held an information meeting for parents at St. Joseph's in Warrnambool, giving an overview of what students could expect on the trip. Parents then submitted a deposit and confirmed their interest in December 2023.
This is the last call for any parents who might be interested in their child taking part in the Japan Trip in 2024. Please email Catherine Lee (St. Joseph's PS) clee@sjwarrnambool.
The Foundation Files!
We love learning….already!
This week we have really kicked off our learning in the Foundation room. When we are learning we use lots of different materials to help us but the one thing that we will use daily are our whiteboards. We have been learning how to use our whiteboards the best way - WRITE IT, CHIN IT, WIPE IT AND PARK IT! This routine helps us to stay focussed and on track when learning. This week we have been using our whiteboards to practice writing our numbers and letters and writing our spelling words. We have been very busy little learners!!
Counting with our friends!
What a wonderful time we have had meeting, learning and playing with our new friends. We are still getting to know each other and this can take some time. We have been using our ‘partner sticks’ to work with new people in our classroom. This week we learnt a counting game - Race to 10. We played with a partner to see who could roll the dice and jump along the number line and get to 10 first. It was so much fun. We learnt that when we are playing with a friend it is so important for us to take turns and share our materials. What a great time we are having in the Foundation room.
Fruit time!
Just a friendly reminder that we have fruit time everyday at 10am. This is a short break for us to ‘munch and crunch’ some fresh fruit. We ask that our fruit be sent in a separate container so that we can easily manage it and so it can be put in our tubs (this needs to be separate from our BIG lunchboxes). Thanks for your help with this!!
School Fees and Levies 2024
Structured Literacy
We are thrilled to announce that our school - along with many others - has joined the Diocese of Ballarat's Structured Literacy Project. In 2024 we will be taking the first steps towards a renewed, evidence-based approach to Literacy instruction through participation in this award-winning research partnership with La Trobe University.
The Sciences of Reading and Learning tell us that a systematic, explicit approach to the teaching of the alphabetic code and the grammatical rules that underpin written English offers our students the best chance at becoming confidently literate. The approach we are strategically adopting is called Structured Literacy, which is the approach endorsed by the International Dyslexia Association, the International Literacy Association and the Australian National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy.
Our whole staff group will be working closely with the Structured Literacy team from the Catholic Education Office over the next few years, to learn more about the principles, elements and characteristics of a Structured Literacy approach with our second school closure on Wednesday 21st February dedicated to this new learning.This is a substantial change that will take time. However, we are assured by the results achieved in the pilot schools and the endorsement of the La Trobe University researchers.
We will strive to keep you updated on the progress of this important project, but for now you may wish to watch this short video from the DOBCEL Structured Literacy team to find out more:https://www.youtube.com/
Attached to this newsletter is important information regarding the collection of data for the research project. If you do not wish for your child/children’s data to be used in the study, you may opt out by:
1. Printing and returning the attached form.
2. Collecting a hard copy form from the office.
3. Emailing Rebecca Parkinson directly at rparkinson@spwarrnambool.
Endorsement - Opt out letter for parents
A special message........
The following student will be celebrating her birthday in the coming week........
Happy Birthday Addison Dowling!
Canteen Roster for next week.
| Tuesday, 13th February | Lauren Terrington |
| Wednesday, 14th February | Helper Required please! |
| Thursday, 15th February | Tammie Karnajaya |
| Friday, 16th February | Lauren Johnson |
Important Dates.
Monday, 12th February - School Closure -Pupil Free Day (Staff First aide training)
Wednesday, 14th February - Ash Wednesday
Geelong Cats Visit to Grade 1/2
Thursay, 15th February - SAC Meeting 7.30pm
Friday, 16th February - Assembly
Wednesday, 21st February - School Closure -Pupil Free Day (Staff professional development - Structured Literacy)
Monday, 11th March - Labour Day Public Holiday
Thursday, 28th March - Last Day of Term 1
Friday, 29th March - Good Friday Public Holiday
Uniform Price List
Before & After School Care.
We remind everyone about TheirCare, our outside school hours care provider. Bookings can be made at https://theircare.com.au/
Please select St Pius X Warrnambool as the booking location.
Parish Contact.
Sunday Mass 10.00 @ St Pius X Church. School families are always welcome.
The Parish office can be contacted on 5562 2231
Other information and contact details can be found on the Star of the Sea South West Coast website: https://www.ballarat.catholic.org.au/parish/southwestcoast/
Could you make a difference to a young life?
Could this be what you are looking for?
Foster carers come from all walks of life. They can be working, not working or retired; married or single; in same-sex relationships; and can own or rent their home. The most essential criteria are that they care, can provide a safe and nurturing home, and have room in their home to support a vulnerable child or sibling group.
If you would like to know more call MacKillop Family Services on 1300 791 677, visit www.mackillop.org.au/fostercare or ring Alana in our Warrnambool office on 5500 2000.
COVID 19 Arrangements
All famililes are asked to familiarise thesmselves with the updated COVID 19 regulations.
Managing a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19
- It is recommended that rapid antigen tests (RATs) are used by students and staff if they:
- have symptoms of COVID-19 infection, no matter how mild
- are a household or close contact of someone who has COVID-19
- are a social contact of someone who has COVID-19.
- The Department of Health recommends that all Victorians report their positive RAT result via the online form or by calling 1800 675 398.
- Principals are no longer required to inform their school community of a positive case associated with the school.
- Staff or students who are positive are strongly recommended to stay home and isolate for a minimum of five days.
- Symptomatic students or staff should not attend school, even if failing to test positive on a RAT or PCR.
Communication
There is no longer a requirement for schools to inform their communities of positive cases. All health information is held in accordance with the school’s privacy policy.
Masks
Staff and students who wish to wear a mask will continue to be supported to do so. Masks are available from the administration office for anyone wishing to obtain one.
Any staff or students who are close contacts are recommended to wear a mask indoors.
Any staff or students returning from isolation are recommended to wear a mask for 7 days after returning to school.
RAT Kits
RATs are available for all Victorians from council sites. Individuals can obtain two free packs (10 tests) for themselves and two free packs (10 tests) for each household member. People with disability and their carers can get up to four free packs (20 tests) in line with existing RAT distribution for people with disability.
The RATs are available at the Civic Centre (25 Liebig Street) and the Archie Graham Community Centre (118 Timor Street).
Vaccination
St Pius X strongly supports vaccination for all in our community who are eligible. There is no requirement for adults entering the school to declare their vaccination status.
All community adults are reminded of the child safety requirement to sign in when attending the school between 9.00am and 3.00pm
Transport
Parents who have tested positive to COVID 19 are permitted to drive children to and from school during their 7 day isolation period. They are required to return home immediately afterwards and not attend other locations.
Medically At Risk Students
Students who have chronic health conditions, especially affecting the respiratory system ie Asthma, must have up to date health support plans. Families who are unsure about the status of their child’s plan should make contact with teh school administration office.