St Catherine's Catholic Primary School Berwick eNewsletter

Dear Parents,

As we approach the final weeks of term 4 most people find themselves with very full calendars and very busy schedules. We ask that all in the hustle and bustle of the silly season that we continue to work with the school around speed limits and parking. All of these have been put in place to ensure the safety of the students is our first priority.

I would like to thank all the parent volunteers and the staff for all their help last Friday for our Sports Day / Aths Carnival. Apart from the heat, it was a very successful day. These days don’t just happen and there are weeks of preparation prior. Unfortunately the weather was not on our side and we had to make adjustments to the program to wrap it up before the heat really set in. These days have timetables but times are always approximate as we always need to be flexible for the best interests of the children, so we thank everyone for their flexibility. Our preferred option is that students return to school after these events as learning is still continuing in the afternoon and the camaraderie and team spirit continues throughout the day when scores are announced.

Final scores were

Tuohey Blue 2325

Reagan Red 2415

Sweeney Green 2600

Gallagher Gold 2675

Staffing

I have been advised that Milica Dragic is leaving to pursue a career in Social work.

Mr Patrick Pawlukowski will be teaching P.E in 2025

We have employed a teacher to replace Patrick and are finalising details for one other staff member we require.

The staffing arrangements are in place for 2025 but are very much in draft stages as we continue to move and accommodate the moving pieces.

Teacher levels will be shared with the community in the final newsletter of the year with students finding out their teacher on the 16 December. Students will not be moved from one class to another unless there is an error on our end and teacher requests will not be taken as all of our staff are qualified to teach in all areas.

Class lists have been created with just final tweaks being made as required before allocating classroom teachers..

We look forward to having the Family Picnic Christmas Concert on Wednesday next week. We have earmarked Thursday as a backup day should we need to postpone due to weather. Our Christmas hat fundraiser for our Shade Sails and Jungle playground is underway and there will be lolly packs available to purchase as well as a small raffle, so bring along your gold coins.

As we head into the end of term and Christmas celebrations begin, we ask that all Christmas cards and Christmas decorations/costumes be worn in the last 2 weeks (1 week and 2 days of term ). This is the week beginning the 9 December. We also ask that with Christmas decorations - hats and earring etc that they align with our uniform policy which was sent out last week. This policy is as much about the safety of our students as the pride students take in wearing their uniform.

We are continuing to have parents contacting us regarding online issues between students. We ask that parents continue to consistently monitor the use of devices and the platforms their children are on.

Our students have been participating in Inform and Empower sessions at school which educates them around the safe and appropriate use of ICT devices as well as the positive and negative aspects of popular games and youtubers.

Many of our students have accounts which have age limits restrictions, many of which are 13 years and over. And although we will continue to educate and engage services with expertise in these areas, ultimately parents are responsible for their child’s access and use of devices outside of school on personal devices.

Any student using school devices inappropriately will lose their rights to use these for a period of time as per the ICT agreement signed at the beginning of the year.

I would like to remind our families of our processes in regards to raising concerns for your children.

The first port of call is always the classroom teacher.

We ask if it is a detailed or lengthy question, or something of a sensitive nature or something needing a longer conversation, to please make an appointment via the office so we can ensure the teacher is available to devote the appropriate attention to your concerns. The classroom teacher may escalate this to the appropriate member of leadership or if a request by parents after first speaking with the classroom teacher. We ask that all phone calls and interactions be done respectfully so that these issues can be addressed in a timely and appropriate manner.

Regards

Anna

REMINDERS

Student Attendance and Late arrivals

Any student arriving after 8.50am must be signed in by a parent or carer via the office. This is a legal requirement and we have noticed many more students arriving after 8.50 am. As a part of our continual review of our processes and procedures, we will be following up with parents and carers. Classroom doors open at 8.30 am. Students are encouraged to enter the classroom and get ready for the day’s learning then participate in quiet activities until the commencement of instruction.

Regular late arrivals will trigger our attendance/absence processes which means parents and carers will be contacted by classroom teachers at first but may be escalated to other governing bodies.

You may notice that emails are starting to be sent to those families of students who regularly arrive late.

PREP ORIENTATION SESSIONS

1 Prep Orientation Session to go!

Thursday 5 December 9.30-11.30am

PLEASE REFER TO YOUR SIMON CALENDAR FOR UPCOMING DATES FOR THIS TERM!

Deputy Newsletter

On Friday, 1st November, our excited Prep students embarked on a fun and educational excursion to Chesterfield Farm! The day began with an exciting bus ride to the farm, where students got the chance to experience hands-on learning and connect with nature in a variety of ways.

During their time at the farm, students were immersed in a range of traditional farm experiences. They learned about the process of milking a cow and even got to try it themselves! They visited the pig enclosure, where they discovered fascinating facts about these smart animals and their role on the farm.

A tractor ride was a big hit, allowing students to take in the beautiful surroundings as they toured the farm. The students also visited the animal nursery, where they could observe and interact with adorable young animals. One of the highlights of the day was watching a sheepdog demonstration, showcasing the impressive skills of the dog as it herded sheep with precision.

Another favourite activity was the feed trail walk, where students had the chance to feed animals such as sheep, goats, chickens, emus, camels, and deer. This hands-on experience brought learning to life and helped students develop a deeper understanding of farm animals.

Our students also had the opportunity to put their recently learned Auslan (Australian Sign Language) skills into practice, making the day an inclusive and engaging experience for all.

The day at Chesterfield Farm provided our Prep students with lasting memories and valuable learning experiences, bringing their lessons to life in a fun and meaningful way. Thank you to everyone who helped make this trip a fantastic success!