Dear SCA Families,

I’m very aware that, unfortunately, 116,000 Aussies are struggling. They don’t have the basic safety of knowing where they are going to sleep tonight.

It’s why I'm taking part in the 2019 Vinnies CEO Sleepout in the middle of Canberra’s winter (20 June). To me, this is such an important event, because it gives people who are struggling access to key services and support that can help to break the cycle of homelessness in Australia.

There are two simple ways in which you can help:

1. Beanie Day – this Friday, each child in our school may wear any beanie (the brighter the better!) and bring in a donation. (Gold coins are great, but so are polymer notes!)
2. Follow this link, and give something powerful to people who are struggling?

Vinnies do an incredible job. You might want to learn more about where your donation will go, and you can do so here.

Welcome and Best Wishes

We send our prayerful best wishes to Mrs Laura Matchett and Mrs Bianca Breen who both commence maternity leave at this time. We wish them both well for the safe arrival of their respective first borns.

We officially welcome Mrs Kate Watt and Mrs Maria Singleton to full-time roles, replacing our expectant mums.

We also welcome the following students to SCA this week:

Addison T, Chloe O, Gemma O, Jacob O, Brandon O.

May they and their families soon feel well and truly a part of the SCA family. 

2020 Enrolments Closing Friday

A reminder to parents that the Catholic schools’ enrolment period closes THIS FRIDAY. If you have a younger child who is commencing school in 2020, or have friends at preschool and childcare who are interested in enrolling at St Clare of Assisi, please let them know.

National Principals Gatherings

I have been meeting in Melbourne this week with primary school principals from all over Australia. I represent the ACT as a Board member for the Australian Catholic Primary Principals’ Association (ACPPA) and the Australian Primary Principals’ Association (APPA). Our meetings spent time reviewing the latest developments in policy and research across the country. Though I have missed being at SCA, it has been a valuable experience to work with so many school leaders to discuss educational matters of importance.

Sunsafe – means no hats in June and July

Because the Cancer Council ACT does not recommend sun protection in Canberra during June and July, SCA does not enforce the wearing of hats during this time. The “no hat, no play” rule is shelved for the next two months. Bring on that Vitamin D!

Leaving SCA?

Don’t forget to let us know if you are planning to leave St Clare of Assisi at the end of the year. (Year 6 exempt of course!) We will soon commence the process of planning enrolments and class numbers for next year.

School Fees

The Building Fund is currently a voluntary contribution and therefore tax deductable. This fund is managed by Catholic Education (CE) to be used to pay for the upkeep of our schools. Under the current arrangement, should St Clare’s require a plumber to fix leaking toilets or an electrician to fix the heating or have a broken window fixed, we simply contact the CEO and they send the relevant tradesmen. The cost for this is paid by CE with the CCSBF money (ie. the building fund). Some of the funds each year are also used to support schools in small projects that they cannot fully fund at school level (eg. external lighting repairs, admin building painting, heater replacements, air conditioner maintenance for us in 2019).

Should most families elect not to pay this fund, then the CCSBF will no longer be viable and CE will no longer be able to provide these services.

Should that occur, each school would have to introduce an additional levy to fund this maintenance. This would be an expensive exercise for the school and the families; and would not be tax deductible.

I encourage our families to support the building fund in order to maintain the condition of our school. Thank you for your efforts in this aspect of our partnership.

Sick Students

If your child is ill please keep them at home for their own benefit but also so as not to spread it to other students and staff. Please make sure that your emergency contacts are up-to-date so that we can contact you quickly if your child becomes ill or is injured at school. If your child needs medication at school, you are required to complete a “Request to Dispense Medication” form which is available at the Front Office. A reminder that students are not to self-administer medication. Medication should not be kept in children’s bags but kept in the Front Office area and Karen, Annette or Jo will administer. All information is then noted in a medication book. Teachers will not administer or supervise the taking of medication. Please ask your child to take medications to the Front Office upon arrival at school.

Save the Date - Community Council Open Meeting

All parents and guardians are invited to the SCA Community Council Meeting on Tuesday 18^th June and 6.00pm.

The meeting will be an opportunity to hear about school developments and goals, while also providing a forum for parental feedback and questions. More details will be provided in coming newsletters.

2019 Key Improvement Goals

In last week’s newsletter we reminded you of our four Key Goals for school improvement for 2019. Elsewhere in this week’s newsletter is a short update on the first of third of these; a culture that promotes learning. 

It was once said…

The past cannot be changed, forgotten, edited, or erased; it can only be accepted.” – Unknown 

Blessings to you and your family.

Matt Egan-Richards

Principal

One of our improvement goals for 2019 is to deliver curriculum systematically across the school. In trying to do so, we identified three target areas:

1. Inviting the community to share in the delivery of specific curriculum tasks/lessons
2. Engaging in relevant Professional Learning to build staff skills
3. Effectively teaching/unpacking/exploring the Australian Curriculum to maximise student learning.

With more than half the year to go, we still have plans for further improvements. However, so far this year we have:

• Invited Ken Tucker as part of the ‘Artists in School’ program to give students an opportunity to create artworks in the style of Australian artists.
• Asked parents with relevant knowledge or experience to share their expertise in our classes during Science, History and Civics lessons.
• Providing in-school Professional Learning opportunities to understand and support student behaviour.
• Providing out of school Professional Learning based around spelling, numeracy and Digital Technologies.
• Working with Catholic Education and community experts to maximise student learning in writing.
• Brought in former ACARA Curriculum writer Tracey McAskill to further unpack the Australian Curriculum with staff.
• Sending a number of staff to the Tuggeranong Mathematics Cluster meetings to explore the Australian Curriculum and how to effectively implement it.
• Implementing a BYOD program in Year 4 to ensure greater consistency in programs and content delivery across the upper primary.
• Further to this, constantly updating and purchasing new devices to ensure students have the ability to put all they have learnt into action.
• Visiting schools in the Archdiocese to view teaching strategies and build skills in best practice.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of our improvement plan, please don’t hesitate to email, call, or arrange a time for a meeting.

Be the Light of… Leadership

Leaders we Know, Jesus as Leader, Qualities of Leaders, We are Leaders

The Ascension of the Lord

The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord is one of the great solemnities in the Christian liturgical calendar and commemorates the bodily ascension of Jesus into heaven.

Ascension Day is traditionally celebrated on a Thursday, the fortieth day of Easter. However, it is commonly observed on the following Sunday, which this year is this coming Sunday 2^nd June.

A Prayer for Ascension Sunday

Let us pray that the risen Christ
will lead us to eternal life.
God our Father, make us joyful
in the ascension of your Son Jesus Christ.
May we follow him into the new creation,
for his ascension is our glory and our hope.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Confirmation

Our Year 6 students are making their final preparations for celebrating the sacrament of Confirmation in two weeks. Please keep all students, their families and teachers in your prayers.

Congratulations to all the students that entered the colouring-in competition. The winners of the colouring-in competition are:

If your child/ren have an enrolment application pending at another school or will not be returning to St Clare of Assisi Primary School in 2020, please go to the link below and fill out the digital form.

https://stclareconder.schoolzineplus.com/form/10

Player of the Week and Match Reports

Speckles – Chloe O’Connor, Cailin Napier

Little Skittles – Maddy Walker

Smarties – Brooke Douglas

Squiggles – Cady Woodfield

Smiggles – Charli Heinrich

Stars – Montana Nocen

Swifts – Tahlia Banchit

Sunshines – Samantha Driessen

Skittles – Lily Richards and Ella Baker

Sparkles – Elissa Blue

Smurfs – Zoe Wilton

Speckles Match Report

Speckles played a brilliant game last week against our toughest and tallest competitors. Our first half was hard fought with our defenders getting lots of rebounds back out of the goal circle and into the midcourt. Some great play was seen with our girls moving the ball down the court quickly and giving our shooters some ball time too. The Speckles have showed huge improvement with their passes and catching this year. Well done Speckles!

As you are probably aware, the month’s free travel period came to an end on Sunday 26 May 2019. With paid services starting this week beginning Monday May 27, students are being reminded to top up their MyWay cards or purchase tickets to avoid fines of up to $181 for travelling without a ticket.

During the month’s free travel period, whilst drivers have encouraged all students to tap on and off, it has been brought to our attention that there are some students who are not.

Tapping on and off is required by all customers travelling on light rail and buses, and also provides Transport Canberra with accurate data to plan and review services in the future.

Being a parent is the hardest job we’ll ever have.  All parents at some time experience difficulties and stress.

Parentline ACT is a confidential and free telephone and face-to-face counselling and information service.

Phone Parentline if you would you like:

• To talk with someone about those parenting issues.
• Help with some ideas on raising children.
• Support in the important job you are doing.
• To know what is available for parents, teenagers and children.
• To build better relationships in your family.
• Help to understand your child or teenager’s behaviour.
• Make an appointment for a counselling session.

Parentline ACT.

Monday to Friday (except on public holidays), 9am to 5pm.

Phone: 6287 3833