Uniform Matters

Mrs Michelle McDonnell - Principal
A reminder that with the beginning of Term 4, all students who are coming onsite should wear their full Summer uniform, with Sports uniform only being worn on Wednesday.  This includes both those onsite for supervision of Off Campus Learning,(Weeks 1 -3) as well as other students later in the term as we begin our return to onsite learning (from Week 4). 
 
Announcements will be made early next term regarding options for purchase of uniforms from our School Shop if required.  

Student Supervision Registration

Thank you to those who have continued to register their children when onsite supervision is needed throughout Term 3. 
 
Please note that this process will continue as we begin Term 4.  An email regarding onsite student supervision for Term 4, Week 1 will be sent out during the second week of the school holidays. 
 

Premier's Reading Challenge

Congratulations to the 40 students who completed the Premier's Reading Challenge for 2021!

A total of 1050 books were read by these students. They will receive a Premier's Reading Challenge certificate in Term 4.

8 students also participated in the additional School Challenge by reading books beyond those required for the official PRC and emailed their additional booklist to the School Office.
 
Congratulations to these student winners:
 
Most books read in the school - Charlotte M (2C)
Most books read in Year 1 - Geneva T (1C)
Most books read in Year 2 - Sarah T (2C)
Most books read in Year 3 - Kavyaa S (3T)
Most books read in Year 4 - Veruschka B & Gurnoor G (4H)
Most books read in Year 6 - Matthew T (6M)
Special commendation - Audrey S (4H)
 
These students will receive a special certificate and small prize during Term 4. A total of 440 additional books were read by these students.
 

Reading Tips

God has gifted human beings with the ability to learn from the moment they are born. We can indeed say, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14). “Babies are wired to the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing whenever they are fed, played with, talked to, sung to and read to” (Fox, p. 12). 

Children learn ABOUT reading, as well as learning TO read. What children SHOULD learn ABOUT reading:

      ●         From birth - Reading is fun

      ●         Pre-Kindergarten - Year 2: Learning to read is a skill; Reading is fun

      ●         Years 3 - 6: Reading is a tool for learning; Reading is fun

      ●         Years 7 - 12: Reading is a significant way of learning and functioning in life; Reading is fun 

Reading aloud to and with your child is an important key for laying the foundations for learning literacy skills. “The benefits of reading aloud to the children in our lives are endless. We share the words and pictures, the ideas and viewpoints, the rhythms and rhymes, the pain and comfort, and the hopes and fears and big issues of life that we encounter together in the pages of a book” (Fox, p. 9). 

Reading aloud and talking about what we’re reading has other benefits for children as it sharpens their brains and “helps their ability to concentrate at length, to solve problems logically, and to express themselves more easily and clearly” (Fox, p. 14). 

Understood.org lists 8 tips for encouraging good reading habits in young children:

  1. Make reading a daily habit - read aloud to your child and enjoy it!
  2. Read in front of your child - let them catch your enthusiasm
  3. Create a reading space - just a comfortable space with enough light and room for a book or two
  4. Take trips to the Library - they can see other kids enjoying reading
  5. Let your child pick what to read - they’re more likely to read something that ‘grabs’ their attention (you can assist their choice of an appropriately levelled book if they’re going to read it themselves by giving them a selection of books to choose from)
  6. Find reading moments in everyday life - recipes, grocery lists, road signs
  7. Re-read favourite books - over and over again!
  8. Learn more about how children read

https://www.understood.org/articles/en/8-tips-to-help-young-kids-develop-good-reading-habits

When your younger or older child is reading aloud to you, sometimes when they can’t work out a particular word, they will look up for assistance.. "We need to focus their eyes back to the print, to train them into knowing that that’s where the secrets of reading lie, not in the air around us, or on our faces.They must learn that looking at the words should provide the help they need. If they look at the word and still can’t say it...we should tell them what the word is, while at the same time making very sure they’re looking at the word when we say it. The more we read a particular book aloud to them before they read it themselves, the less they will look up for help. They’ll instead be able to figure out any difficult words by using the information they’ve stored in their memories, as well as the print on the page, their knowledge of language, and their general knowledge” (Fox, p. 137). This is one advantage of the Raz Kids Reading App that all students from K-6 at St Peter’s have access to - it first reads the story to them to build understanding, and then they can read it, knowing how to predict the tricky words that come. 

The following strategies may also assist your child to work out those tricky words, particularly in unfamiliar books:

PAUSE

If they are not sure, pause; wait to give your child a chance to solve the problem. Allow a few moments for thinking time before expecting an answer.

PROMPT

Give a hint or lead that they can find in the text to encourage a response. Prompt them to:

      ●         Read to the end of the sentence or reread from the beginning of the sentence and try again

      ●         Think about the content or story and what word would make sense

      ●         Look at the beginning sound of the word and/or use the pictures to help work it out

If the word is not correct after two prompts say, ‘The word is….’’

PRAISE

At all times it is important that children are praised and encouraged for their efforts. Use a variety of encouraging words and phrases to support them with their attempts. Your praise will greatly assist your child’s literacy development:

      ●         Praise when your child reads a sentence correctly

      ●         Praise when he or she corrects after a mistake

      ●         Praise when your child gets a word correct after your prompt

      ●         Praise for their effort in trying to work out a word, even if you end up telling them 

 

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ICAS 2021

Parents are reminded that the testing dates have been postponed for a November sitting. Further information will be provided next term. 
 

NAPLAN Results

Families of students in Years 3 & 5 should have received an email incorporating a Google Form, to express their desired method to receive student results. Please note that this information is due today. If you did not receive an email, please ring or email our Administration team.

Off Campus Learning Packs - Term 4

Please be reminded the Term 4, Off Campus Learning Packs will be available for collection from Friday, 1 October, between 11am and 1pm.
 
To assist staff it would be wonderful if families create a sign with student names and classes for display in the car window. Alternatively, the yellow surname sign issued to families for 'kiss and drop' will also support quicker identification of the needed resources. 
 
Teachers are intentionally designing learning experiences that limit screen time where possible, so it is strongly encouraged that families attempt to collect these resources to best support their child's learning at the commencement of the term.
 
Packs will remain available in the School Office as of Tuesday, 5 October should families not be able to collect on the set day. 

Approaches to Learning: COMMUNICATION SKILLS

The International Baccalaureate (IB) breaks down the category of Communication into three sub-skills:

  • Exchanging information (listening, interpreting, speaking)

  • Literacy skills (reading, writing and using language to gather and communicate information)

  • ICT skills (using technology to gather, investigate and communicate information)

I am sure that we would all agree that the development of communication skills are imperative when it comes to being a globally-minded citizen. Without the ability to communicate, people would lose their sense of belonging and relationships would be frustrating. We wouldn’t be able to access the information required to be lifelong learners, nor would we be able to keep up with the innovations technology constantly imparts. 

Through the development of these skills, lies the necessity particularly for the intentional teaching of foundational skills in literacy. These key requirements align with the mandated English syllabus from NESA, in ensuring a scaffolded and age appropriate approach towards development. St Peter’s uses a range of resources to ensure student engagement and progress, with intentionally targeted programmes also utilised for intervention where required.  

Alongside the development of literacy skills, also lies the foundations in maintaining and fostering relationships. Students come to understand communication is not simply a verbal process, but also inclusive of non-verbal language, signs and symbols. A recognition and respect for culture is also built into these skills, as well as an understanding of differing audiences and purposes.  

At St Peter’s we desire our students to be:

  • Active listeners, mindful of the perspectives of others, willing to negotiate where appropriate

  • Confident sharers, utilising a range of mediums to share their knowledge and understanding with a range of audiences

  • Logical communicators, responding logically, sequentially, and concisely when needed

  • Avid readers, understanding a balance of reading for information and for pleasure

  • Responsible participants within digital and media networks 

The best way you can help is to model these skills yourself. Celebrate success, and embrace the teaching moments.

Student of the Month - September

Cooper is a thoughtful and diligent student who strives to do the best in all that he does. He demonstrates a positive attitude towards all tasks and will listen and apply feedback to improve his work. He follows instructions and will assist in the classroom in any way that he can.

Cooper takes initiative in the classroom to ensure that his peers are not left out and everyone is included. Cooper never lets anything stop him and his determined approach to his learning is to be commended. 

Cooper's effort during Off Campus Learning shows his determination, always asking questions to support his learning and participating in class Zoom lessons.

Cooper is a student who ROCKs and is a worthy recipient of Student of the Month.

Congratulations Cooper!

Option to pay 2022 Fees in Advance

Families have the option to pay the Annual Fees (Tuition, Service and Capital Works) for 2022 at current year’s rates if paid in full by Sunday, 31 October 2021.

Please click on this link: https://portal.casc.nsw.edu.au/fee-calculator/front/ to calculate an estimate of your fees payable.

To register your interest for fees in advance, please follow this link: https://portal.casc.nsw.edu.au/fobi/view/fees-in-advance-eoi/public/.
Registering your interest does not commit you to paying fees in advance.
 
If you have any questions about fees in advance, please email: casc@casc.nsw.edu.au or call 4628 0110 for assistance.

 

 

Positions Vacant

We are currently advertising for the following positions commencing in 2022:

 

Deputy Head (Head of the Preparatory School)

Pre-Kindergarten to Year 6 (Closing: Friday, 17 September 2021)

 The following positions closing on Friday, 24 September 2021

 

Classroom Teacher

English/Humanities - Middle School

Classroom Teacher

Maths/ Science - Middle School

Teacher Librarian

Preparatory & Middle Schools

PE Teacher/ Sport Coordinator

Preparatory School

Classroom Teacher

Preparatory School

Pre-Kindergarten Classroom Teacher

Preparatory School

Teacher Assistant

Pre-Kindergarten & Learning Enhancement

OSHC Assistant Coordinator

OSHC

Classroom Teachers

St Peter's Heart

Teacher Assistants

St Peter's Heart

 Casual Employment

Casual OSHC Assistant

OSHC

Classroom Teachers

Preparatory School

Please visit our School Website to apply: https://www.stpeters.nsw.edu.au/discover/employment/

Prayer Points

  • Give thanks for the opportunity to join together as a school community this week with our Whole School Chapel and Assembly.
  • Give thanks for bringing us safely to the end of Term 3, for the learning we have done and the connection we have maintained as a school community.

  • Pray for Tony Kelshaw (Head of the Middle School) and Kelly Peters (Director of St Peter's Heart) as they prepare to join our school community in 2022.

  • Pray for those families who are considering joining St Peter's in 2022.
  • Pray for a restful, relaxing and fun school holiday, with an opportunity to enjoy some downtime with family.

School Calendar

Term 3 
School Holidays
Monday, 20 September 2021 - Friday, 1 October 2021
Monday, 4 October 2021 - Public Holiday (Labour Day)
Term 4
Tuesday, 5 October 2021 - Tuesday, 7 December 2021 
Week 1
Tuesday, 5 October 2021 

Term 4 Commences - Off Campus Learning

Week 4
Monday, 25 October 2021
Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and Year 1 - Return to Face to Face Learning
Week 5
Monday, 1 November 2021

Years 2 and Years 6 - Return to Face to Face Learning

Week 6
Monday, 8 November 2021 

Years 3, 4 and 5 - Return to Face to Face Learning

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Headmaster Message

Term 3 2021, a term like no other. Who would have thought as we moved into Musical week at the end of Term 2, with some restrictions in place, that Term 3 would eventuate in the way that it has. 

As indicated in our Whole School Assembly this afternoon, I simply could not be more proud of the St Peter's community and the way they have navigated the complexities of this term. With a focus on wellbeing, connection, literacy and numeracy, our school has been strengthened and whilst we all acknowledge this isn't the ideal, our parents, staff and students are all to be commended for the way they have embraced Off Campus Learning and worked to achieve the best possible outcome. 

I want to also commend the School Executive Team who have met consistently to work through our plans and the ever changing goalposts. Our Middle Leaders have also worked tirelessly to support staff and students throughout this term. It is indeed a privilege to lead our community. I have been humbled with the many emails and letters of encouragement and thanks, the small gifts for staff, the virtual high 5's and the tears of 'we miss St Peter's.

Term 4 will be different, but we have hope there is a light at the end of this long tunnel. 

Above all, we trust in our good God who is sovereign and in control of all. 

I wish all in our community the best of holiday periods, acknowledging that things that might normally happen, cannot. Be assured of our prayers and support.

St Peters' Heart

It is with great pleasure that I share the crest of St Peter's Heart with you, as approved by the Schools’ Council this week. Mrs Kelly Peters as our Director of St Peter's Heart is excited to be leading the school.

Information Sessions and enrolment interviews are occurring regularly. Please take the opportunity of sharing these links with those you know that might be interested.  

https://www.stpeters.nsw.edu.au/learning/heart

 

Secondary - Year 7

Scholarship applications for Year 7 2022 close today, (Friday, 17 September 2021). 

We are excited by those who are committed to being the trail blazers in the establishment of secondary. 

As announced, Mr Tony Kelshaw will lead secondary as the Head of the Middle School. Tony is a gifted PE Teacher, has been a Head of Faculty and a Head of House and Acting MYP Coordinator. He is well prepared for this exciting leadership opportunity. 

Applications for those you know can be made via our website.

https://www.stpeters.nsw.edu.au/admissions/how-to-apply/