Newsletter Term 1 Week 10
Principal's Report
Dear Community,
Well, can you believe that we have already reached the end of Term 1?!
As I look back and reflect on the term, there have been many things to celebrate.
- Our growth in numbers
- Welcoming new staff and families to the school
- Our opening school mass and induction of Year 6 leaders
- The work of the Mini Vinnies Club and their Project Compassion Campaign
- A visit from the Legends of League
- The work that has been happening with teachers around the new Diocesean Approach to Reading and the results we are seeing in the students
- The support of our PPF and their contribution to; a new fridge for the 1/2 classroom, a water chiller for our drink taps and the Year 6 leader shirts.
- Our student's success at the Millmerran Show
- The great work our students did for Clean Up Australia Day
- A number of students representing our school at Inner Downs sports trials
- Watching the students participate in cross country and the wonderful displays of sportsmanship
- Seeng the students grow and become more aware of our school learning behaviours; what they mean, how they apply to their learning in and out of the classroom and how they relate to the values of Mary MacKillop.
These are a testament to you as parents, our teachers and support staff and the students themselves. As we look forward to next term, we will continue to work with our Education Officer in supporting our teachers with their teaching of phonics and spelling as well as our approach to reading. Attached below, you will find a calendar of important events for next term.
Again, thank your all for the work you do with your students and for your continued support of our school. I wish you all a very happy Easter and look foward to seeing you all back at the beginning of next term.
God Bless,
Michelle
From the APRE
Well, what a successful Project Compassion campaign our Mini Vinnies Club has run over the past 6 weeks. These students have spent countless hours and lunchtimes preparing activities, all so we can raise much needed funds for Caritas Australia. Caritas provides support and education to communities around that world that do not have access to the same opportunities, resources and facilities that we are lucky enough to have. Congratulations to everyone who has helped to support our efforts. So far we have raised $1,160. The Easter raffle will be drawn on Thursday afternoon, so there is still plenty of time to buy tickets.
On Thursday, we will hold our Easter Liturgy. This is a very important part of the story of Jesus and the lead up of events that happened to Jesus before he was crucified on Good Friday. Each class will present part of the Easter story in our liturgy. Everyone is welcome to atttend.
On Monday our Years 3-6 classes attended reconciliation with Father Thomas. This was a good time to remind students that it is normal to make bad choices sometimes, that is how we learn and grow, but that we need to remember to say sorry for the wrong things we have done and make amends to the people we have hurt.
Wishing you all a very happy and holy Easter season.
Prep News
Hi everyone!
I can’t believe it is the end of the term already – the Prep students have all come so far in one term, both socially and academically so you should be very proud of them all.In Week 4 of next term, the Preps will be running the Mother’s Day Liturgy! I will be sending home lines for the Preps to memorise/read next term so keep an eye out for this (obviously Amelia and I will be there to help the Preps read, however, a little practice doesn’t hurt!). Make sure you keep the 10th of May free as the Liturgy will be very cute and won’t want to be missed.So far this term, the students have learnt the letters: AMSTPFINODCK, and the numbers: 0 to 5. They have also learnt the irregular words: the, and, I, a, is, as, said. Please revise these over the holidays – both reading and writing! It would also be a great idea to get your children to copy sentences – getting familiar with the concept of starting with a capital letter, ending with a full stop, and putting finger spaces between each word (simply resting your non-dominant finger in between the words for spaces). Continue to practice alphabet, numbers, reading and writing words any chance you get (YouTube is a great resource to use when wanting to teach students these concepts!). I have also sent home your child’s login details to Reading Eggs, which is a great resource for your child to use on the holidays!Have a lovely and safe holiday and Easter! I am looking forward to seeing you and your beautiful children back again next term.
Kind Regards,Grace Twidale
Year 3/4 News
Hello friends and family!
Wow! What a whirlwind of a first term to start off 2024. Our ¾ class is a beautiful mix of funny, clever and hard-working students that have made a large class feel
In English we have looked at both imaginative and persuasive texts, learning the structure and language features of both. They have compared the two text types, understanding why authors make certain choices. Throughout the term they have done some quick writes, practicing their imaginative writing skills with silly topics such as flying shoes and crying chairs! We finished off our persuasive texts today, writing about whether students should have to play outside everyday or not. I will be interested to see what their reasons for both are!
In Maths, students have blown me away with their working out skills and their explanations of strategies. Doing number talks at the start of most lessons where they have to explain their working out while I write it on the whiteboard has helped with their mental strategies and ability to slow down their thinking. After completing place value, we moved onto addition and subtraction, and have applied that knowledge to word problems using the FISH strategy. The students were really engaged with this, and I’m very proud of how far they have come!
Science this term was a big hit, and I am sad that our unit on living and non-living things is over! The class impressed me with their questioning, curiosity, and ability to describe animals using features and classifications. I am hoping to take them on an excursion at the beginning of next term to wrap up this unit that they all loved, and will keep you updated with information on this.
Other learning areas have shown students’ success just as much, and I am looking forward to the rest of the year with these kids! With NAPLAN out of the way, and a busy term ahead, I am excited to come back after a restful holiday and see how hard the class can continue to work.
Thank you for all of your support this term (especially with the insects!), and I hope you all have a wonderful Easter and holiday.
Year 5/6 News
Dear Familes
In the last two weeks, the year 5's and 6's have been working towards completing their various pieces of assessment. They have spent the most time working on their English pieces. This assessment was designed to get a closer look at the narrative story type and what the students know about it. This is best seen through the creation of their own unique stories. Students have been given the opportunity to expand on all the ideas they have regarding stories and have the chance to use some of their favourite elements. Their stories have taken form and this has resulted in some really interesting and well written narratives. Students have also been tasked with illustrating parts of their own stories. This gives them the chance to really show their stories in the way the students pictured them in their minds. Once all stories are completed and marked, they will be turned into a classroom book of stories that will be kept for future perusal.
One of our most important pieces of assessment is our health assessment. Students have been tasked with creating a piece of art that they believe represents themselves and all their great qualities. This piece has been designed to help the students recognise parts of themselves they don't often talk about. Creating the art piece, being intentional with colours, choosing a specific picture to draw, then adding their positive traits to it are all included in this piece. Once they've completed that, they move on to answering some questions based around the decisions they've made for the piece. To finish things off, students have to answer a short response question. They explain how their own identities are affected by the people and the world around them. This gives them a chance to delve into their thoughts and feelings regarding how they are developing as people. This piece hopes to highlight for the students how valuable their connections with other people are, especially in relation to the changes in their own lives.
Happy Holidays
Mr Chris Riley
Date Claimers
- Thursday 28th March - Easter Liturgy/Last day Term 1
- Monday 15th April - Student Free Day
- Tuesday 16th April - First Day Term 2
- Thursday 18th April - Gore Hwy Cross Country
- Friday 19th April - Toowoomba Show Holiday
- Wednesday 24th April - Anzac Day Liturgy
- Thursday 25th April - Anzac Day
- Friday 3rd May - Singfest rehearsal @ Millmerran State School
- Friday 3rd May - Inner Downs Cross Country
- Sunday 5th May - Family Mass
Students of the Week
Congratulations to our award winners.
Week 8 - Joyful Jokers
Week 9 - Excellent Effort
Learning Behaviours
Congatualations to our Respectful Rosella's from the past two weeks
Reading Awards
Cross Country
Well done to all of our students on their efforts with cross country last week. There were some wonderful displays of sportsmanship and everyone gave their best effort. A number of students have been selected to attend Gore Hwy Cross Country which will take place in Week 1 of next term. Please make sure you have returned your forms.
PPF News
Paediatric Potentials Occupational Therapy
Upcoming OT Clinic - 10-12 April 2024 at St Joseph’s School, Millmerran
This April, the team from Paediatric Potentials are thrilled to bring our specialised Occupational Therapy services to Millmerran again, hosting a clinic at St Joseph's School from the 10th to the 12th. With the gracious accommodation by Principal, Mrs Michelle Sanders, we're able to make our services more accessible to families in the community.
Bespoke Support Tailored to Rural Needs
Understanding the challenges that come with rural living, our clinic is designed to offer intensive, bespoke therapy sessions right in your community during each school holidays. With a combination of 2-3 individualised sessions over the three days and the provision of a Home Program or School Tip Sheet, we aim to ensure that every child can continue their development with consistent support, bridging the time until our next visit.
What We Offer:
- Focused Therapy Sessions: Direct, one-on-one sessions aimed at addressing each child’s unique developmental requirements, supplemented by actionable strategies for support at home or in the classroom.
- Comprehensive Assessments: Thorough OT assessments and specialised evaluations like ADOS and Functional Capacity Assessments.
Acknowledging the Space at St Joseph's School
We appreciate the opportunity to use the facilities at St Joseph's School, providing a familiar and comfortable setting for our sessions. This allows families easy access to our specialised Occupational Therapy services, right on your doorstep.
Secure Your Spot This April
Don't delay in securing your spot, as spaces are quickly being booked. If you're interested in this opportunity for your child, we recommend getting in touch with us at your earliest convenience.
For more information and to book, visit: www.paediatricpotentials.com.au/millmerran
