Welcome back to the new school term. This newsletter is to help keep you informed about the curriculum for the grade and the day-to-day activities of the grade.

Please be aware that due to the current COVID restrictions, this year parent information sessions will take a different format. This newsletter highlights all the necessary Term 1 information for your child, however, if you have any questions and would like to engage in a “meet and greet” phone call with your child’s teacher please follow the link below and they will be in contact with you as soon as possible. Please complete by 3pm on Wednesday 10 February 2021.

A “meet and greet” conversation is a ten minute phone conversation to discuss your child’s start to the year and for your child’s class teacher to clarify any questions you may have about your child’s school year. It is not a report on your child’s progress at this stage of the year.

https://forms.gle/m63RM7D2cGA7Ndib8

This term the following teachers will be supporting the learning of students who access the Learning Support Centre.

All students who access the GSFM Learning Support Centre line up with their general class each morning and participate in the morning routine in the classroom (mark attendance, lunch orders etc) before arriving in the Learning Support Centre by 9.10. 

9.10 – 10.50     English (including Social Thinking)

11.20 - 11.40    PDHPE - Social and Emotional Learning/Mindfulness  

11.40 – 12.30   Mathematics 

Students return to their general class at 12.30. LSC staff are rostered to support students in their general classes from this time.

Students return to their general classes for recess and lunch.

This Curriculum Outline is designed to communicate what your child is learning so you can support them at home this term. At Good Samaritan, we believe that the partnership between you as parents and our teachers are the most important influences on your son’s or daughter’s education.

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) is responsible for setting and monitoring quality teaching, learning, assessment and school standards across NSW public, Catholic and independent schools. NESA also develops Kindergarten to Year 12 syllabuses for NSW schools. Syllabuses identify: the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes students are expected to develop at each stage; what students are expected to know and do; Learning across the curriculum areas: cross-curriculum priorities, general capabilities and other important learning for all students.

The Scope and Sequence of learning in the GSFM Learning Support Centre follows the NSW English and Mathematics Syllabuses for the Stage/s at which the students are working and are modified and adjusted according to student Personalised Plans.

Students take part in Religious Education, Science and Technology, Human Society and its Environment, and Physical Development and Health and Physical Education lessons with their general class. They also attend Creative Arts lessons and attend all excursions and extra experiences, including masses,  with their general class.

Please refer to your child’s general class Grade Newsletter for details of the content and skills being taught in these Key Learning Areas.

English is the Key Learning Area where students develop knowledge, skills and understandings about English language and literature. The students will be actively engaged in the development of skills through:

This term in English, students accessing the GSFM Learning Support Centre will:

• Participate in a number of  Speaking and Listening activities each week to develop specific communication skills.
• Participate in a number of Letters and Sounds sessions each week to develop phonological knowledge and spelling skills.

• Talk and write about themselves and their holiday experiences.
• View resources relating to internet safety to promote discussion, reflection and representations of learning.
• Jointly read and write information reports about significant people.

SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING in ENGLISH

• Talk with your child. Promote clear expression by asking your child questions in order for them to provide details when they are talking about something.
• Encourage your child to express an opinion and give their reasons.
• Encourage your child to listen carefully by expecting them to carry out one or two step instructions.
• Read to each other daily.
• Create regular opportunities for your child to write eg notes, lists, cards, signs, a diary.

An essential component of Mathematics is the development of students’ ability to Work Mathematically. This includes the skills of Communicating, Problem Solving, Reasoning, Understanding and Fluency. 

Students’ ability to work mathematically is development through the achievement of outcomes and working with content of the Mathematics K-6 Syllabus. Content is organised within the following content strands: 

This term in Mathematics, students accessing the GSFM Learning Support Centre will learn about:

- Time 

- Collecting, recording and reading data.

- Reading, sequencing and writing numbers.

- Addition and Subtraction strategies.

- Position and direction.

- Measurement of length.

SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING in MATHEMATICS

Look for any incidental opportunities to talk about and reinforce maths concepts with your child.

• What time is it? What time will it be in 10 minutes? How many minutes until …?
• Reading numbers - house numbers, speed signs, distances, page numbers, prices.
• Ask your child to add or subtract numbers and ask how they did it - how much older are you than…? How many more (blocks, dollars) will I need?
• Use positional language when giving instructions - eg. left, right, beside, behind.

In the GSFM Learning Support Centre, we focus on the development of the Social and Emotional Learning Competencies of Self Management Skills and Interpersonal Skills within the PDHPE Syllabus.

While much of the instruction is in response to identified student needs that arise, this term students who access the GSFM Learning Support Centre will;

• Become familiar with classroom expectations.
• Practise classroom procedures.
• Identify what is involved in active listening and practise this skill.
• Examine what good communication sounds like, looks like and feels like.
• Discuss ways to manage challenges.

Please note that students who access the Learning Support Centre will complete homework tasks from this setting and are not expected to complete the homework tasks assigned by their general classroom teacher.

Students are to read aloud an appropriately matched text from school to parents daily, for 15 to 20 minutes. A record of this is to be kept in the Student Reading Log. Home reading books for the week are to be returned to the LSC and replaced each Monday.

Students choose and complete a weekly practical task at home selected from a table of suggestions. Students will talk about their experience of the task they completed in the week prior, each Monday.

• Encourage your child to be responsible by organising for themselves what they need for school each day.
• Encourage your child to be independent by expecting them to carry out specific appropriate chores at home.
• Monitor your child’s television and internet use.
• Ensure that your child gets enough sleep by establishing a consistent bedtime routine.
• Talk with your child about what they are doing at school and how they are feeling about school.

Homework - Monday

Reading books returned and new books selected.

Reading logs checked.

Talk about the activity completed at home the week before.

Sports Ready - Tuesday

Students form the Learning Support Centre are given the opportunity to participate in the Sports Ready Program facilitated by The Disability Trust in Terms 1 and 3. 

Library - Tuesday

Please note Year 6 students who access the LSC will not be attending Library lessons with their general classes. They will borrow books from the Library on Tuesdays. 

All other students who access the LSC  will attend Library lessons with their general classes.

Cooking - Friday, even weeks.

Please support your child to be Ready to Learn each day by ensuring he/she has the following:

Munch and Crunch

Water Bottle

Recess and Lunch

School Hat

Charged iPad (Yrs 3-6)

Individual student’s behaviour in keeping with the school rules of Being Responsible, Being Respectful and Being Safe within the Learning Support Centre will be acknowledged by the placing of a sticker on the student’s ‘bucket’. When a student gains twenty stickers, they can choose a reward activity from the list compiled collaboratively.

Positive whole group behaviour will be acknowledged by a ‘smiley face’ being placed on a chart at the end of each session. When the group has achieved thirty smiley faces, they will receive a group reward such as free time or outside games.

The GSFM Classroom Correction Sequence will be used to redirect students who demonstrate behaviours that are not in keeping with the LSC Behaviour Expectations.

All students are expected to be neatly dressed in their school uniform or sports uniform each day. Classroom teachers will monitor the wearing of the uniform on a day-to-day basis and inappropriate dress will be brought to the attention of the student and, where necessary, parents. 

This term students are to wear the correct Summer/Winter uniform.

GOOD SAMARITAN CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL UNIFORM

Students are also expected to wear the correct Sports Uniform on sports days:

ALL ITEMS OF UNIFORM MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED WITH THE CHILD’S NAME

Ongoing communication between school and home is essential. The school aims to work in partnership with the home and recognises that parents wish to be informed of any problems. Likewise, there is a need for parents to keep the school informed of any events that may impact on the life of their child at school.

Through this mutual communication we aim to provide a safe and supportive environment for your child.

1. If you have any educational/behaviour concerns about your child always contact your child’s classroom teacher in the first instance. Your child’s classroom teacher will always make contact with you if they have any concerns regarding your child’s education or behaviour. 
2. Grades and classes across the school are supported by Middle Leaders. You are welcome to contact the Middle Leader/s responsible for your child’s class/grade if you have continued concerns regarding your child’s education or behaviour. The Middle Leaders will also contact you when and if necessary.

Middle Leaders 2021

3. If the issue remains unresolved beyond the Middle Leader then please address your concern/s to the Assistant Principal or the Principal. 

4. Parents may contact teachers by email via the school office (info@gsfmdow.catholic.edu.au) but are asked to understand that a response may not be immediate and certainly cannot be expected beyond the regular hours of the school day or week. 

At Good Samaritan, we believe it is important to speak with parents either in a face-to-face meeting or over the phone when responding to emails that may be of a sensitive nature or, that may require a lengthy response. Therefore, the email response you receive may be of a generic nature. 

5. Parents are asked to understand that teachers primary responsibility throughout the school day is towards the students. Therefore, teachers are unable to engage in discussion when they are in direct supervision of students.

For any absence the school must receive notification of the reason for the absence within 7 days of the return to school. This applies for partial absences as well as whole day absences. Please supply the reason via Compass. In the event that a notification is not supplied the absence will be recorded as Unjustified/Unexplained.

Please return Sports Ready Permission note and process payment on Compass ASAP.

Please process cooking Permission note and payment on Compass ASAP.

Personalised Planning meetings will be held mid Term 1.

Safer Internet Week

8th - 12th February

Opening School Mass/Liturgy  

Friday 12th February

Ash Wednesday

Wednesday 17th February

Holy Spirit College Bellambi Tour and Information Evening (Year 6)

Thursday February 25th

Catholic Schools Week

1st - 5th March

Year 6 Leadership Program 

Monday 22nd  March

Confirmation Parent Meeting (Year 6)

Wednesday 24th March or Thursday 25th March 6.30 pm in St John Vianney Co-Cathedral

Good Friday

Friday 2nd April