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 Families,
I extend a warm welcome back to all of our SCA family. We especially welcome the following new students and their families to SCA this term: Genevieve (K Blue), Brooke (4 Red) and Sampras (5 Red).
At the start of a new term, I remind you of our strong belief in working closely with the parents and carers of our students. Please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher, or myself, over any matter.
Don’t forget, following the reports sent home last term, we are following up next week with Three Way Conferences. These meetings are a good way to discuss the report and set goals for the future. In addition, we held our formal whole school interviews earlier in the year, and parents are encouraged to meet with the child’s teacher at any time during the year.
I implore that you take the time each week to check the contents of the newsletter, which will be sent home electronically every Wednesday.
TechOne
Later in this newsletter, please find an update on our rollover to a new finance system being used at SCA. This has implications for each SCA family.
Three Way Conferences
These are an extremely valuable and effective way to show your child you value their schooling and to ensure communication between school and home is productive. By involving children in the process it encourages engagement in and responsibility for their learning.
Most families have made a booking, but if you haven’t, please do so by Friday.
Staff Learning
In addition to refreshing ourselves on new CE policies and team planning, our staff have been learning from some experts this week. On Monday we had a nearly two hour session with Dr Sarah McDonagh who helped us better understand our system for assessing students’ literacy levels, thereby focussing their teaching where it matters. Jo Reed will expand on this later in the newsletter.
We also had a presentation from Kerri Cronan-Dixon on supporting students who have experienced complex trauma.
Canteen Helpers
We are in desperate need of more helpers this term. If you can help, once a week, once a fortnight, or even only once a month, please contact the school to let us know. Thank you.
First Holy Communion
We pray for the children in our school and parish who are preparing to participate, for the first time, fully in the Eucharist next month. May they come to love Jesus through this Sacrament as much as Jesus loves them.
It was once said…
Blessings to you and your family.
Matt Egan-Richards
Principal
Back to the Books for our SCA Staff
Dr Sarah McDonagh from DIBELS zoomed into St Clare of Assisi to assist our staff to unpack the reading data we collect during one benchmark period – Beginning of year (BOY), Middle of Year (MOY) and End of Year (EOY) from our testing. We looked at the current research and then drilled down into our BOY and MOY summary.
Our System and school goal is to have ‘Every student to be a competent reader.’ We can help students reach these reading goals by identifying where the students are at with their reading, identifying groups of students who are at risk for reading difficulties, and helping our educators make instructional decisions that support all students to improve and continue to flourish.
Dr McDonagh walked us through our SCA data summary, and we were able to identify-
- How are students doing? Knowing where we are.
- What do we want students to do? Knowing where we are going.
- How are students doing? And . . . Knowing if we have arrived.
With an expert guiding us, these collaborations at a whole school and grade level continue to grow our instructional capacity as educators and assists us making good data-based decisions to continue to improve reading outcomes for our wonderful students here at SCA!
If you would like any suggestions on how to continue to work in partnership to improve your child’s reading, please reach out to your child classroom teacher.
Have a lovely week.
Jo Reed
Assistant Principal
Welcome back to Semester 2! I hope you and your families had a wonderful break and as a student told me this morning ‘we just spent quality time together!’ What a beautiful recollection of their holiday!
NAIDOC Week
Due to school holidays, Week 1 in our schools is recognised as NAIDOC Week. The theme of NAIDOC Week in 2023 is ‘For our Elders’. In our classrooms this week, students will learn about this theme, reflect on elders in their lives and the importance of story and tradition. As stated on the NAIDOC website; “Across every generation, our Elders have played, and continue to play, an important role and hold a prominent place in our communities and families. They are cultural knowledge holders, trailblazers, nurturers, advocates, teachers, survivors, leaders, hard workers and our loved ones. Our loved ones who pick us up in our low moments and celebrate us in our high ones. Who cook us a feed to comfort us and pull us into line, when we need them to.” These sentiments connect with all and signify the connection that builds within our families, both our biological family, but also our school and parish families. On Friday this week, I look forward to attending the Archdiocesan NAIDOC Week Mass at St Christopher’s Cathedral, with our Indigenous students.
As a school, we will gather together in the Hall on Thursday 20/7 at 2pm for our NAIDOC Liturgy. Parents are most welcome to join us.
First Eucharist
Thank you to all who have enrolled their children into our Parish Sacramental program for First Eucharist. Our Information Nights will be held next week and attendance at one of these is compulsory. The details are:
Wednesday 26/7 5:30pm at Holy Family Church
Thursday 27/7 7pm at Holy Family Church.
If you are unable to attend, you need to contact Anne Gowen at our Parish Office to organise a time to redo the session.
Class Masses
Class Masses will commence again in Week 2, on Thursdays at 12:15pm in our School Chapel. Parents are most welcome to join us. Classes are listed below:
Week 2: 6R, 4B, KR
Week 3: 5B, 2R, 1B
Week 4: Feast Day Mass, Friday, SCA Hall, 9:15am
Week 5: 5Y, 2B, 2G, 1G
Week 6: Eucharist Retreat Day – no Masses
Week 7: 6B, 3G, KB
Week 8: 6G, 4R, 3R
Week 9: 5G, 4G, 3R
Week 10: 5R, 3B, 1R
Our Year 5 and 6 classes will also be participating in the 2nd Rite of Reconciliation throughout the term.
St Clare of Assisi Feast Day
Will be held on Friday 11 August. We will begin with Mass in our School Hall before we continue with activities ‘Walking with St Clare’. Parents are most welcome to join us for this.
Congratulations to the children who will be awarded white cards at the 8.45 am Friday Morning Assembly
| Kinder | Jayda A, Evie D, Annabelle K, Eliza P, Benjamin S |
| Year 1 |
Joshua B, Lucas F, Lacey G, Alex G, Chaga N |
| Year 2 | |
| Year 3 | Lucas M, Lilah V, Matthew W, Kiana Y |
| Year 4 | Emma A, Jack E, Hunter E, Abigail V |
| Year 5 | |
| Year 6 | Amir A, Bailey A, Nicholas C, Libby W |
| YEAR LEVEL | SPORTS DAYS - Sports Uniform to be worn on these days |
| Kinder | Monday and Wednesday |
| Year 1 | Monday and Thursday |
| Year 2 | Monday and Wednesday |
| Year 3 | Monday and Friday |
| Year 4 | Monday and Thursday |
| Year 5 | Monday and Thursday |
| Year 6 | Monday and Friday |
Are you someone who is interested in becoming a Catholic?
Do you know someone who has shown an interest in becoming a Catholic?
Why not come along to RCIA [Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults] at Holy Family parish centre:
A small group programme for all who would like to discover more about the Catholic Faith or are open to becoming a Catholic.
The first session begins on Wednesday 13 September and goes from 7:00-8:00pm in the parish centre at
167 Bugden Ave., Fadden, ACT 2904
For more information call Evelyn Pond 6291 6688
RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS
