Dear Parents and Carers,

As adults we often seek feedback to ensure we are on the right track, doing a ‘good job’ or getting our message across. Children are no different. They seek feedback, and often reassurance, from their parents, extended family, peers and teachers. Throughout the day teachers strive to provide each of their students with feedback about their learning and progress. They may ask questions that provide prompts for the students to talk about their learning and ‘dig deeper’ when developing their knowledge and understanding of the concept being taught. These questions that are often used at the end of a lesson, enable teachers to gain instant feedback from the students about how they feel about their learning and their level of understanding. This in turn directs the teacher for future teaching and learning.

The type of questions used may include;

1. What are you learning?
2. How are you doing?
3. How do you know?
4. How can you improve?
5. Where do you go for help?

Just as conversations about learning and feedback from teachers is vital to a student’s future learning, so too are conversations at home about what learning is happening in the classroom. As parents you may have experienced the shrug of shoulders or a grunt or an ‘I don’t know’ when you ask your child what they did at school that day and this is a common occurrence in many households. Sometimes all it takes is changing the time when you ask the question or the way in which you phrase the question that makes a difference. Children have spent the whole day having to be ‘switched on’ and sometimes waiting until dinner to ask about their day can elicit more information.

Dr Ian Lillico, international consultant in gender, boys’ education and middle schooling, believes children will open up more when they are sitting or standing beside you such as in the car or washing up at the sink. Standing side by side with less eye contact seems to relax children and encourages them to chat more. Likewise getting outside and kicking or throwing a ball also encourages conversation. You might like to also try some of the following conversation starters instead. Perhaps everyone in the family can answer some of them:

1. What made you laugh today?
2. What did you do that was friendly?
3. What did you try hard at today?
4. What was something that made you think hard today?
5. What was something tricky that you figured out how to do better?
6. What was something helpful you did for someone?
7. What was a problem you had to solve today?
8. What was something you were grateful for today?
9. How did you bounce back from something that went wrong today?
10. What was something you enjoyed in the classroom? Out of the classroom?

God bless.

Rachel Smith

Principal (Acting)

Principal’s Notes

Dates for 2022

Parent Network

SCA has a network of parents who liaise together to establish and strengthen relationships amongst parents, families and the school. The network is a friendly, informal group who recognise that it is not easy to find time to volunteer, so they keep the focus on sharing small tasks in an understanding ‘no pressure’ atmosphere.

If you would like to help, or simply want more information, please contact our Parent Network Coordinator, Anne Scollen on 0414 433 710 or email scaparentnetwork@outlook.com.au.

Communication

Clear communication between home and school is vital. To help with communication, please do the following:

1. ensure you have the ‘Compass’ app on your phone. This is our predominant method of communication to all families and our newsletter is only available through this portal.
2. ensure your contact details and family information are correct.  Make any changes to these details through the Compass Parent Portal;
3. follow us on Facebook; and
4. please read the newsletter.

Corpus Christi Parish 

Did you know that Holy Family pre-school, St Clare of Assisi primary school, St Francis of Assisi primary school, Holy Family primary school and St Mary MacKillop college all belong to the Corpus Christi parish? Our parish schools have connections through:

• our homes all situated in South Tuggeranong and surrounds 
• the Parish Pastoral Council 
• our sacramental programs  
• our sacramental co-ordinator Anne Gowen  
• regular communication between our parish priest Fr James, our assistant priest Fr Josh, and the Principals and Religious Education Co-ordinators. 

On 1 July 2005 Corpus Christi Parish was formed in the Tuggeranong Valley. It comprises the suburbs of Banks, Calwell, Chisholm, Conder, Fadden, Gilmore, Gordon, Gowrie, Isabella Plains, Macarthur, Richardson, Theodore, Tharwa and rural surrounds. 

Pastoral care, support services, programs, groups, and opportunities for prayer and community celebration are all available through the parish. Everyone is welcome. The link below takes you to the parish website for any inquiries. 

http://www.ccparish.org.au/

 Corpus Christi – the Body of Christ 

Congratulations to the children who will be awarded white cards this week.

School fee statements for Term 1 2022 will be emailed to all families today. If an email address is not on the system a paper copy will be sent home through your child's bag tomorrow. If you don't receive your fee statement by email, please let us know so we can update your email address if required.

Unfortunately, due to Covid, there will be no school swimming carnival and Tuggeranong Region carnival this year.  Below is a message from ACT School Sport regarding gaining entry to the ACT carnival later in the year:

This year’s swimming will be run a little differently due to Covid-19. This year the format will look a lot different, in that there will be no Tuggeranong Region carnival.

Instead, there will be a State Team Selection Trial for 10-12 year olds as well as determining ACT Champion for all age groups including, 8 and 9 year olds.  To nominate for this carnival and be eligible to travel away (hopefully) as part of the ACT squad, here are the options:

1. Students that are a part of an ACT Swim Club, will be able to get a time there. Nomination times from club swimmers can be sent to the school.
2. Tuggeranong Vikings Swim Club are kindly offering a School Clinic for stroke development and an invitation for students to attend their Club Night on afternoon/evening of Sunday 27 February at Lakeside Leisure Centre, to obtain a verifiable time. Times TBC, please contact Adele Gow adelegow@hotmail.com.au(TVSC Committee Member) for more information.
3. Swimming ACT is offering an invitation for students to attend a time trial from 2pm Sunday 13 March at the AIS. Entry request would need to be supported by a statement of capability from their swim coach or swim instructor giving an approximate time for each event. Students wishing to take up this opportunity must contact Lorraine Wuth school.liaison@swimmingact.com.au prior to the 4 March deadline. There will be limited spaces available and not guaranteed.
4. Contact an ACT Swim Club and request to join one of their Club Night’s or other especially arranged opportunity to obtain a verifiable time from a Club Official in their specific event.

Congratulations to Ryder (6G), Dakota O (4B), Will (6G), Darren (5B), Jasmine (4B) and Lacey (4B) who recently represented the ACT Cougars in the Junior Australian Oztag Championships in Coffs Harbour.

 WELL DONE!

A big Congratulations to Peter (6R) who has been selected in the Australian Representative Futsal team who will travel to Hawaii at the end of the year to take part in the Hawaii Futsal Tour. Well done, Peter!

A school crossing supervisor is supporting our school each morning and afternoon to increase safety for children. This term Harry is our crossing supervisor. Please support this initiative by driving safely near the school and encouraging children to use the supervised crossing.

Our crossing supervisor is responsible for controlling a busy environment, which includes managing the flow of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists during peak times. It is important for motorists to drive at a speed which allows them to safely stop when the supervisor enters the road. Please be patient and allow the crossing supervisor and other pedestrians to safely clear the road prior to proceeding.

 The school community is encouraged to familiarise themselves with the basic crossing supervisor procedures:

• The supervisor will ask pedestrians to wait in a safe location by the side of the road
• When it is safe, the supervisor will stop traffic
• The supervisor will blow their whistle twice to indicate it is safe to cross.

The School Crossing Supervisor program is delivered by Transport Canberra and City Services’ School Safety Program. If you have any feedback about the program, please contact TCCS. 

Please be patient, polite and respectful to our supervisor, they are committed to keeping our students safe.

Vikings Basketball Club

Girls Basketball Program-Three Week Come and Try

The club is running a Girls Come and Try Monday night program for the next three weeks at Tuggeranong Stadium - Court 5 from 17:00-18:30 as a no obligation learn to play/development activity until the season starts proper when this timeslot will revert to U10.

U10 (2013, 2014, 2015) and new to basketball U12 (2012, 2011) Girls who may be interested in coming and trying out basketball. 

tuggeranongvikings.basketball.net.au