End of Term 3 2024
As we reach the end of Term 3, we take a moment to reflect on another term filled with great growth and learning. This term has been particularly busy, with a range of events and activities that have enriched our students. From exciting school outings to engaging in-class activities, our children have had a term packed with opportunities to grow and thrive.
Students were fortunate to attend two outstanding local productions: Little Red Riding Hood at Smithton High School and Frozen at Marist Regional College. Students also attended the Blessed Carlo Acutis event, hosted at Marist Regional College.
We have also witnessed important spiritual milestones with students celebrating First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. These sacraments mark key moments in the faith lives of our students.
We enjoyed a vibrant Book Week display, showcasing the creativity of our TAs and promoting a love of reading. The P&F Disco was a highlight and a visit from the St Pat's Band entertained while teaching them about their instruments.
Within the classrooms, the learning has been equally rich and engaging, from exploring robotics and Tae Kwon Do to cooking and creating beautiful artworks. Each experience has provided opportunities for both intellectual and personal growth.
We are incredibly grateful for the continued partnership with our families, who ensure that our students come to school with a smile on their face and a readiness to learn.
Miss Newton will have her last day with us tomorrow as she returns home to Queensland. We thank Keita for her contributions to SPC and wish her all the best with her new adventures.
Melissa Dodd will be the Year 5 Teacher for the remainder of the year, which means that Allison Wilson will do Art and Drama with the students on Health days and PE will be taken by Laura Korpershoek and Brooke Lardner for Term 4.
Technoference
A new term coined by researchers as ‘technoference’ is being used to describe the amount of interference a child receives on their early language development, due to technology.
Dr Mary Brushe tracked 220 Australian families over two and a half years to measure family screen use and children’s language development. Adult conversations with children are critical for their early language development and Dr Brushe found in just one minute of screen time, children three years of age missed seven fewer adult words, five fewer child vocalisations and one less back-and-forth interaction.
If families follow the current World Health Organisation screen time guidelines (one hour a day for 3 year olds), children could be missing out on up to 397 adult words, 294 vocalisations and 68 conversational turns every day. However, based on the average daily screen time for children in this study, which was 172 minutes per day, they could be missing out on up to 1,139 adult words, 843 vocalisations and 194 conversational turns per day.
A way to reduce potential impact on children might be to follow the World Health Organisation screen time guidelines, or to opt for interactive co-viewing as a way to reduce the burden of screen time or make a point of engaging in conversation when a screen is on. This could include singing along with theme songs, repeating phrases or questions from the screen, and using the content of a show as a conversational starter after the screen has been turned off.
Don’t forget how important your conversations are with your children in developing and refining their language skills!
A full copy of the research can be found at the following link: https://www.adelaide.edu.au/newsroom/news/list/2024/03/04/study-shows-screen-time-is-replacing-vital-language-opportunities-for-toddlers
Congratulations to all our Premier's Reading Challenge participants.
Literacy Leader
Ms Laura Korpershoek
Everyone deserves to be understood!
Visit: https://www.understood.org/
‘...a community where all people who learn and think differently can feel supported. Our free resources give people the tools they need to thrive — while helping them understand they’re not alone.’
Why kids with executive functioning challenges have trouble starting tasks
- Thomas E Brown, PhD.
Congratulations to the following students for recently receiving awards
SPC Way
Vera Kelechukwu
Shooting STARRS
Kinder - Dottie Fraser & Luca Davis
Prep - Nova Humphrey & Harry Coombs
Year 1 - Louis Butt & Claire Wells
Year 2 - Hamda Usama & Oliver Wright
Year 3 - Wesley Cotton & Xzavier Griffiths
Year 4 - Kaley Saward & Brady Robinson
Year 5 - River Bryan & Georgina Blake
Year 6 - Harper Bishop & Jaiden Spinks
Aiming Highs
Kinder - Ivy Saville & Ned Butt
Prep - Ella Burley & Archer Armstrong
Year 1 - Quinn Saward & Ava Lowery
Year 2 - Luka Walsh & Levi House
Year 3 - Max Williams & Isla Burke
Year 4 - Dawson Armstrong & Kaley Saward
Year 5 - William Forward & Grace Williams
Year 6 - Noah Gray & Arah Blake
End of Term STARRS
Individual - Hudson Medwin & Amity Lee
Class - Year 4
House - Hanlon
Disco
Thank you to everyone who supported the disco. It was a great night filled with dancing, laughter and lots of fun!
Bake Raffle
Congratulations Harry Coombs and Taite Walsh on winning the P&F Bake Raffle.
Crazy Hair/Hat Day
Next Meeting
This term, Ms Hall has started a SPC Garden Club for our upper primary students. This club runs twice a week, through second lunch. It has been a huge success, with so many students wanting to join.
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