We respectfully acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work and learn, and pay respect to the First Nations Peoples and their elders, past, present and emerging.
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Dear Parents and Carers,
Why is spelling important?
We have spell-checkers on our computers, so why is it important that our children learn to spell? Is it important our kids learn the spelling rules we learned at school? Remember? "When two vowels go out walking, the first one does the talking."
Spelling is a complex skill and an important part of writing. Good spelling is also a social expectation and contributes to clear communication of a written message. Spelling requires students to draw on a range of knowledge about the English language. This knowledge includes:
- phonological knowledge - knowledge of the sound structure of language
- orthographical knowledge - knowledge of the system of written symbols used to represent spoken language
- morphemic knowledge - knowledge of the smallest parts of words that carry meaning
- etymological knowledge - knowledge of the origins of words
Teaching spelling at St Clare of Assisi
One of our key goals for the teaching of spelling is to support students to develop the knowledges required (see above) as well as flexible and efficient strategies that they can draw upon when learning to spell unfamiliar words. While most students will develop some strategies for themselves, these are often not sufficient to meet all their spelling needs.
Our role as teachers is to extend the repertoire of strategies students have at their disposal. At St Clare of Assisi, we use the Sounds Write program from K-2. This program focuses on the four key concepts children need to learn; letters are symbols that represent sounds, sounds can be spelled using 1, 2, 3 or 4 letters, the same sound can be spelled in different ways and the same spelling can represent different sounds.
In years 3 to 6 we use the SMART Spelling program. SMART Spelling incorporates both the systematic teaching of spelling each week and also personal words. Teachers teach in patterns as much as possible, so teachers choose a range of words (from simple to complex) from a suggested list. Students are then guided to choose from that list, to meet different needs. SMART Spelling allows teachers to give meaningful feedback to students about their spelling in writing, teaching at the point of need.
Across the different stages of primary school, K-2, 3-4 and 5-6, teaching emphasis will change according to the students’ stages of spelling development and spelling needs. In the early years, K-2, there is generally a focus on teaching phonic knowledge and visual strategies as this is what young writers try to use as they invent spelling at this stage. As students move through the middle and upper levels of primary school, the focus changes to the teaching and exploration of morphemic and etymological knowledge. This said, attention can be given to all the types of knowledge and the teaching of high frequency words, at each stage, depending on students’ needs.
Helping with Spelling at Home
There are many things you can do to at home to help your child with their spelling, but one of the most beneficial things is to instill in them a love of words. Talk to them about different words that you come across in your day to day lives. Help them find WOW words in their reading and writing and explore those words further by discussing their spelling and origin. Explain to them the importance of words and the importance of knowing how to spell. By doing these simple things you are encouraging them to focus on words and their spelling.
God bless.
Rachel Smith
Principal (Acting)
Principal’s Notes
Family Week
Time certainly has flown this year. Next week is Week 7 of term. During this week, we try to minimise after school commitments for staff and students to allow everyone to reconnect and focus more on their families. That also means we do not set homework for the week. I encourage everyone to take at least one-night next week to gather as a family, with no distractions, and simply enjoy each other’s company. Quiet time with the family is such a blessing in this busy world.
Term Two Starting Date – Wednesday 27th April
Monday 25th April is ANZAC Day and a public holiday. Tuesday 26th April is a pupil free day in all Catholic Primary Schools in Canberra. Teachers will be continuing their work with the Catalyst program that we began last year. All students will return to school on Wednesday 27th April.
Bowral
I will be away for most of this week for meetings/retreat with my Principal Colleagues. I will be away from school from Wednesday morning for the rest of the week. On Wednesday staff from Catholic Education will be facilitating professional learning for the 65 Principals of our Archdiocese. On Thursday and Friday, we will be having a retreat led by Archbishop Christopher Prowse. I feel very blessed to have this opportunity for prayer and reflection during the season of Lent.
Dates for 2022
|
2022 |
Term Begins |
Term Ends |
|
Term 1 |
Monday, 31 January 2022 |
Friday, 8 April 2022 |
|
Term 2 |
Wednesday, 27 April 2022 |
Friday, 1 July 2022 |
|
Term 3 |
Tuesday, 19 July 2022 |
Friday, 23 September 2022 |
|
Term 4 |
Monday, 10 October 2022 |
Friday, 16 December 2022 |
The second pillar of Lent is FASTING.
Fasting means we give something up to
make more space for what’s truly important—
our relationship with God and our neighbour.
We do this to help us recognise the
difference between wants and needs.
Choosing to live without something we
like reminds us that everything we have is
a gift from God. Another aspect of Lenten
fasting is not eating meat on Fridays.
DO YOU WANT TO FAST THIS LENT?
In the words of Pope Francis:
Fast from hurting words and say kind words.
Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude.
Fast from anger and be filled with patience.
Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.
Fast from worries and have trust in God.
Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity.
Fast from pressures and be prayerful.
Fast from bitterness and fill your hearts with joy.
Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others.
Fast from grudges and be reconciled.
Fast from words and be silent so you can listen.
Project Compassion
Please donate to Project Compassion this year. If every family in our school contributed $1 each week towards Project Compassion in the next four weeks leading up to Easter, our school will raise over $1500 to help others in need – when we work together we can achieve a lot.
Students can simply bring in a monetary note or gold coin donation and place in their class Project Compassion box.
Congratulations to the children who will be awarded white cards this week.
| Kinder | Lincoln A, Harvey F, Sophia M, Liam O, Theodore W |
| Year 1 | Oliver A, Arlen B, Alexander C, Lennox G, Neville H, Angus M, Samarya S, Amali V |
| Year 2 | Nikola D, Rory D, Ethan E, April G, Sophie P |
| Year 3 | Makary A, Alyssa C, Evie C, Emma F, Archie K |
| Year 4 | Tristan E, Mahlia E, Sam H, Lacey W, Chelsi W |
| Year 5 | Alex J-L, Logan McK |
| Year 6 | Oliver L, Oliver M, Dru P, Annabelle R |
SAVE THE DATE
Wednesday 6 April 2022
Please do not make any appointments on this day as make up photos are not taken for absent children.
Full school uniform to be worn, no sports uniforms please.
Dear parents,
The student and family counsellor will be holding an information session on ‘Building Resilience in Children – Parent guide’. This will include defining resilience and adversity, key factors influencing resilience in children, and a model for building resilience in children that identifies practical strategies, particularly regarding changing family dynamics, friendships and social media. This session will be held via Zoom on the 9th of March from 5 – 6 pm, please save the Zoom link invite below to use on the day.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Topic: Building Resilience in Children - SCA Counsellor
Time: Mar 9, 2022 05:00 PM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 983 2613 1592
On Sunday, 6 March, Chloe (5 Red) competed at the Wagga Wagga Annual Little Athletics Carnival. Despite the humidity & 30 degree day, she came home with a gold medal in the 400m, 800m & 1500m. Silver in the 100m & bronze in the high jump.
Well done Chloe!
For 20 years, Menslink have provided free counselling to young guys throughout the Canberra region.
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