August Newsletter 2024

Our Year Six students will travel to St Brendan Shaw College in Devonport for the Mass on Tuesday, 13th August. Archbishop Julian Porteous will be the principal celebrant for the Mass which will be followed by a BBQ lunch with the other North West Catholic Schools.

NAPLAN

2024 NAPLAN data is now available and individual reports have been sent to Year 3 and Year 5 parents.  Comparison data between our students, Tasmania and Australian is measured according to the average percentage of students who achieved ‘Strong’ or higher.

Our data showed:

Numeracy - % Year 3 (Strong or higher)

SPC - 60  Tasmania - 58.2  Australia - 64.7

Numeracy - % Year 5 (Strong or higher)

SPC - 66.7  Tasmania - 59.2  Australia - 67.8

Reading - % Year 3 (Strong or higher)

SPC - 60  Tasmania - 62.3  Australia - 66.8

Reading - % Year 5 (Strong or higher)

SPC - 72.2  Tasmania - 67.7  Australia - 74.2

Writing - % Year 3 (Strong or higher)

SPC - 78.6  Tasmania - 68.2  Australia - 76

Writing - % Year 5 (Strong or higher)

SPC - 66.7  Tasmania - 56.3  Australia - 66.2

We did well!  NAPLAN is one test at one point in time, so does not define the progress or achievement of any one student, however, it does provide valuable information on areas in which we are doing well and those that tell us where we can continue to improve. 

5 Day Kinder Program Trial

We are excited about our Kindergarten program in 2025. Along with a number of other Catholic schools around the state, we will be trialling both a 3-day and a 5-day Kindergarten program. 

This pilot program aims to evaluate the benefits and effectiveness of a more flexible Kindergarten schedule. By offering these options, we aim to address the diverse needs of our families and support the unique developmental journeys of our children.

The outcomes for the trial schools will inform the widening of this Kinder arrangement more broadly.

There will be a core 3-Day program on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, attended by all Kinder students. These core days will focus on essential academic learning, including comprehensive Literacy and Numeracy programs. This 3-day schedule is designed to help children adjust to the school environment at a comfortable pace.

For families seeking a more immersive Kindergarten experience, we are also offering an extended five-day program. In addition to the core three days, students can attend on Monday and Friday. These days will provide additional social, fine, and gross motor development, complementing the academic curriculum of the core days.

Initially, parents will commit to either the 3-day or 5-day program. They have the flexibility to change as their child’s needs become apparent. The goal is for all students to attend for the full week by mid-Term 4, in preparation for the demands of Prep the following year. However, this transition will not be rushed for any student.

This is a wonderful opportunity for our school to trial this process. Feedback will be sought from families throughout the year.

Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop

August 8 is the Feast Day of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. Mary MacKillop holds special significance for us at St Peter Chanel, given our deep-rooted Josephite charism. Mary MacKillop founded the Sisters of St Joseph and it was the Josephite sisters who developed St Attracta’s, which later became St Peter Chanel Catholic School. As the first Australian saint and a remarkable figure of compassion, courage, and faith, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop's legacy continues to inspire our work in the school and in the community.

To mark this significant feast day, we gathered for a beautiful Mass on Thursday morning. During his homily, Father Amal reminded us of St Mary of the Cross's words, "Never see a need without doing something about it." He encouraged our students to embody this spirit in their daily lives, particularly in the display of kindness to others. 

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop's dedication to education and her passion for providing opportunities  for a quality education to all,  forms the foundation of our school’s mission. In the spirit of St Mary of the Cross, our school continues to uphold her values by fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where every student is encouraged to reach their full potential. 

The Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop serves as a reminder of the powerful impact one person can have on the world. Her life challenges us to look beyond ourselves and to always seek ways to contribute positively to our community.

We are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate this remarkable woman and to draw strength from her example. May St Mary of the Cross MacKillop continue to guide and inspire us in our journey of faith, learning, and service.

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop,

Guide and inspire us in our learning and faith.

Help us to be compassionate and kind,

Always ready to serve others with love.

Bless our school community,

That we may grow in wisdom and grace.

Pray for us, St Mary,

That we may follow your example each day.

Amen.

With only 2 weeks left of our Premier’s Reading Challenge, things are heating up! Since the challenge started on the 17th June, students participating in the challenge have read over 2,300 books! Reading to your child is such an imperative part of their learning, as being exposed to words is the first part of language development. As students develop, reading out loud to others is equally as important to assist with fluency. 

For students who have brought their reading log in on a Tuesday morning, they have gone into the draw to win a weekly prize! Here are a few of our winners. Don’t forget there are 4 weekly prizes left up for grabs before the competition finishes, so remember to bring your log books in on a Tuesday! Books are required back at school on the 20th August to finish off the competition. 

Ms Laura Korpershoek - Literacy Leader

Student Support News

8 things you will notice that St Peter Chanel has adapted to create ‘Specific Learning Disorder (SLD)’ friendly classrooms...

1. Provide one step directions at a time.

Students with an SLD often have a difficult time processing, prioritising, and remembering long lists of directions at one time. By only providing one direction at a time, students don’t have to process or prioritise multiple steps. By only giving one direction at a time, you eliminate the possibility of students forgetting what they need to do and what is required of them.

 2. Provide visual representation of all oral instruction whenever possible.

Students’ need multi-sensory instruction that engages multiple areas of the brain. By connecting visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cues to each concept, multiple areas of the brain are activated – allowing students to strengthen new brain connections and better absorb new information.

3. Preview and review.

By previewing each concept before instruction, students can better organise, filter, and prioritise new information. One of the most effective ways we learn any concept is through repetition. The more we hear and practise a concept, the more natural and easy to remember it becomes.

4. Pre-warn students when activities are about to change.

 It can be difficult for some students to switch their attention between activities. Many students need some prep time to know that an activity is about to end and they will be doing something different soon. Teachers can give a time warning five minutes before an activity is going to change, then two minutes, then one minute to allow students to know that a transition is about to happen.  Visual timers are often used for students to refer to.

5. Avoid habituation* by keeping explicit teaching instruction between 10-15 minutes and providing a variety of activities for practice.

Due to the challenges with switching attention and working memory, students with a SLD are likely to habituate (stop responding to instruction) sooner than children without these characteristics. One way to avoid habituation is to vary activities frequently and avoid performing the same activity over and over for a long time.  Have you heard your child use the vocabulary ‘Chin It’, ‘Hover’, ‘Bin It’?

6. Never expect students to take notes without a visual outline or a scaffold. 

Writing tasks are typically very difficult for students with a SLD. This, on top of their difficulties with prioritising information can make note taking extremely difficult. By providing a writing outline or support is crucial to ensure they are supported and reach their own success. One such example is ‘Blanks and Blocks’ where students are provided with the visual structure and prompts of what to write for each, which allows them to then create a cohesive writing piece.

7. Slow down instruction.

Students diagnosed with a SLD require additional time to process information. Taking time to assure student understanding and matching pacing to the needs of your classroom is helpful for every student. We assess regularly (such as in our Daily Reviews) that students are understanding what the teacher is modelling and teaching, and check in with them to clarify, rephrase or reteach. ​

8.Assume nothing…connect everything.

Some students naturally connect new information to what they already know – but many students need to be taught how to connect everything. It is helpful to teach one concept at a time while you draw connections to prior knowledge and previous instruction with ALL new material. This helps these students make new neural connections that will strengthen their brain. All new concepts are explicitly taught by teacher-led instruction.

Reference: Reading Horizons, Shantell Berrett, Dyslexia Specialist/Teacher Trainer

Mrs Brooke Lardner - Student Support Coordinator 

Congratulations to our recent Aiming High Award winners:

Kinder - Billie Crole & Angus Magee

Prep - Max Bryan & Willa Nielsen

Year 1 - Ava Lowery & Henry Dabner

Year 2 - Noah Pike & Jordy Medwin

Year 3 - Wesley Cotton & Levi Korpershoek

Year 4 - Max McAlister & Amity Lee

Year 5 - Charlie Ollington & Casey Rutter

Year 6 - Lucas Saward & Jaiden Spinks

Congratulations to our new Class Captains. These students will remain Class Captains for Term 3 & 4:

Prep - Nova Humphrey & Arlo Gray

Year 1 - Harry Gourley & Rylee Schuuring

Year 2 - Cienna Bell & Brock Hardy

Year 3 - Logan Rutter & Rory Bishop

Year 4 - Tayla Berechree & Harry Dawson 

Year 5 - Sophia Hardy & Jhett McAlister

This term, Mrs Hall has started our very own Garden Club. This was open to Year 3-6 students, with over 40 kids putting their hands up to participate. 

In small groups, the students will assist in planting seeds, maintaining the garden and harvest when ready. SPC Garden Club will run twice a week, at second lunch. 

We are extremely grateful for the donation of seeds and potatoes for our canteen, from Xzavier, Luca and Tarkine Fresh!

Bake Raffle

Congratulations Lucas Schuuring on winning the Bake Raffle!!

Please note that Canteen will not be available on Thursday, 15th August. It will be available on Friday, 16th August for this week only.

Our whole school has been invited to attend the Vietnam Veteran’s Day service to be held at ANZAC Park Smithton on Sunday, 18th August commencing at 10.30am.

Will be held on Thursday, 29th August for any Year 6 students enrolling with Smithton High School in 2025.