paddo post
Discover the Extraordinary The
PRINCIPAL
Nicole Hudson
This year has been marked by a number of successful initiatives and events, which have significantly contributed to strengthening the cohesive and supportive environment that exists at St Francis of Assisi forstudents,staff,andfamilies.
Atthebeginningof2024wecommencedanewparentengagementstructure,withTanjaArienzaletaking ontheroleofParentRepresentativeLeader Inthiscapacity,Tanjahasbroughtnewideasandenergyto thisposition,andhereffortshavebeeninstrumentalinenhancingcommunityengagement InparticularI would like to mention the Colour Blast event held in Term Two. This event was well-received by students andfamilies,andweappreciateTanja’seffortsincontributingtoitssuccessfulintegrationintotheschool calendar.
We acknowledge the important work of the Parent Fundraising Committee, whose efforts this year have beenintegraltothesuccessofourfundraisinginitiatives.TheMajorParentArtFundraisereventwasboth afinancialsuccessandademonstrationofstrongcollaborationwithinourcommunity.Thefundsraised through this event has led to the purchase of a significant number of book resources for our student library.
Community events have played an important role in bringing our community together this term. The student disco provided a valuable opportunity for students to enjoy themselves in a safe and social setting, while the RUOK? Day BBQ was another event that fostered community spirit while promoting wellbeing These events continue to be an important part of our school culture, contributing to both studentengagementandfamilyinvolvement
Itisimportanttoacknowledgethemanyparentswhovolunteertheirtimetoensurethesmoothrunning oftheseevents.Theircontributionsareessential,andwegreatlyvaluethecommitmentofthosewhotake ontheseresponsibilitiesforthebenefitofthewiderschoolcommunity.
As we conclude this term, the achievements we have seen reflect the positive impact of a collaborative andengagedcommunity.Welookforwardtocontinuingtobuildonthisstrongfoundationinthecoming months, with further opportunities to strengthen connections and support our students’ learning experiences.
F R O M T H E
ASSISTANTPRINCIPAL
Rebecca Nicholson
WeareINTERCONNECTED!
ThroughoutTerm3,ourstaffandstudentshavefocusedonourschool’spedagogicalprinciple:
WeareINTERCONNECTED!
Forourstaff,beinginterconnectedmeanscreatingalearningenvironmentwherestrongrelationshipswith studentsarebuilt,collaborativelearningisencouraged,andthecurriculumisintegratedtoengage students.Itinvolvesengagingwiththecommunity,includingparentsandcolleagues,toformasupportive networkthatenhanceslearningexperiences,andemphasestheimportanceoflifelonglearningforboth studentsandteachers.Thisholisticapproachmakeseducationmoremeaningfulandengagingfor students.
Forstudents,beinginterconnectedmeansworkingtogetherwithpeers,sharingdiverseperspectivesand developingessentialskillsliketeamworkandcommunication.Studentslearntoappreciatedifferent opinionsandviewpoints,fosteringempathyandsensitivitytowardsothers.Thisinterconnectedapproach involvesasenseofstewardship,wherestudentstakeresponsibilityfortheirlearningandcontribute positivelytotheircommunitiesandtheworld
EverydayatStFrancisofAssisithispedagogicalprincipleisvisibleinthethoughts,wordsandactionsofall inourcommunity Togetherwecontinueto‘soartotheextraordinary’
INSTRUCTIONAL SPECIALIST
Therese Purcell
WeendedTerm2withaStaffDevelopmentDayfocussedonEnglish.WecontinuedtoexploreRosenshine’s PrinciplesofInstruction.AllteachershavebeenprovidedwithacopyofTomSherrington’stext“Rosenshine’s PrinciplesinAction” TomSherringtonbreaksdownBarakRosenshine’sprinciplesintofourstrandstomake themmorepracticalforteachers.AtourStaffDevelopmentdaywefocussedonStrand3-Reviewing Material.Reviewingmaterialfocusesontheimportanceofregularreviewtoreinforcelearning.Thisstrand includes:
DailyReview:Startingeachlessonwithabriefreviewofpreviouslylearnedmaterialhelpsstrengthen connectionsandimproverecall 1.
WeeklyandMonthlyReview:Engaginginregular,spacedreviewsensurethatstudentknowledgeis retainedoverthelongterm. 2.
Byconsistentlyrevisitingmaterial,teacherscanhelpstudentsconsolidatetheirlearningandensureit remainsintheirlong-termmemory.
Followingthis,stafffromKindergartentoYear2continuedtoexplorethe"TeachingandAssessingReadingin theFoundationYears"SydneyCatholicSchoolsandAustralianCatholicUniversityCanvascourse.Stafffrom Year3toYear6engagedinLiteracyexpertJocelynSeamer’s"BuildingtheFoundationsofyourLiteracyBlock inYears3-6"courseleadbyTheresePurcell(InstructionalSpecialist)andKatieHughes(LiteracySpecialist)
Term3beganwithaStaffDevelopmentDaywherewecontinuedtoexploreRosenshine’sPrinciplesinAction. AtourStaffDevelopmentDayweexploredStrand1:SequencingConceptsandModelling Thisstrandfocuses onhowtopresentnewmaterialeffectively.Thisstrandemphasises:
1
Presentingnewmaterialinsmallsteps:Thishelpspreventcognitiveoverloadbybreakingdowncomplex informationintomanageablechunks.
Providingmodelsandworkedexamples:Theseserveasclearexamplesforstudentstofollow,makingit easierforthemtounderstandandapplynewconcepts 2.
Bysequencingconceptsthoughtfullyandusingmodelling,teacherscanenhancestudentcomprehension andretention.
F
R O M T H E
Therese Purcell INSTRUCTIONAL SPECIALIST
g , gp g g y andevidence-basedinstruction
Laterinthetermweconductedwholeschoollearningwalkswhereteachersobservedtheircolleagues teachingreading.Wholeschoollearningwalksofferseveralkeybenefits:
EnhanceCollaboration:Learningwalksfosteracultureofcollaborationamongteachersandschool leaders,allowingthemtosharebestpracticesandsupporteachother'sprofessionalgrowth ImprovedTeachingPractices:Byobservingdifferentclassroompractices.Teacherscangaininsightsinto effectiveteachingpracticesinaction.
ConstructiveFeedback:Learningwalksprovideopportunitiesforconstructivefeedback,helpingteachers reflectonandimprovetheirinstructionalpractices.
ProfessionalDevelopment:Learningwalksserveasaformofongoingprofessionaldevelopment, promotingcontinuouslearningandimprovementamongstaff.
OurInquiryandReviewprovidedopportunitiesforpeerprincipalsandourManagerofSchoolSupportto observeourEnglishlessonsandprovidefeedback.Ourconstructivefeedbackreaffirmedourongoing professionallearningandcommitmenttodataanalysisandevidencebasedpractice
ParentscancontinuetosupporttheirchildrenathomeinEnglishby:
Askingyourchildwhichphonemes/graphemestheyarefocusingonfortheweek. Identifyingwordscontainingthefocussounds.
Visitingyourlocallibrarywithyourchildtoborrownewbooks
Readingwithyourchilddailyanddiscussingthebooksyoureadtogether
Listeningtoyourchildreadtheirhomereadersorbooksoftheirchoice.
Lookingahead,wewillcontinuetoprioritiseourEnglishfocus,particularlyonreading,intheupcomingterm.
RELIGIOUSEDUCATION COORDINATOR
Sarah Beer
TheGrandparentsMasskickedoffagreatstarttothetermwithexcitinglearningbeingsharedwithour open classrooms and a well attended Mass for the grandparents and older friends in our lives. Kindergartenleadourfinalsongtosayahuge‘thankyou’toourgrandparentsforallthecareandlove theysharewithus
The Vinnies Van from St Vincent de Paul visited the classes in Week 2 as part of our Mission Day focus We were excited to see the van where they give out food and drink and we donated our items for the snack packs and toiletry packs It was a very informative session with a Vinnies representative sharing aboutwhatwillhappentoourdonationsandhowtheywillhelpthoselessfortunatethenourselves
OurcelebrationofthelifeofStMaryoftheCrossMacKillopforherfeastdayonthe8thofAugustwasa specialdayforYears2-6whoattendedaParishMassleadbyFrAnthoni Years1and2hadaspecial liturgyintheirclassroomstocelebrateherlife.StMaryoftheCrossprayforus!
The next week we remembered the Soleminity of the Assumption of Mary on the 15th August with the whole school attending the Parish Mass. We prayed to Mary our mother who intercedes for us and recalledhowshewastakenuptoheavenbodyandsoul.
The Year 3 students had a fun First Communion Retreat Day in Week 5 with the First Holy Communion MassontheSunday TheParishMasswasabeautifulcelebrationwiththeParishChoirandevenincense from the acolytes It was well attended by St Francis of Assisi parishoners and the children and their familieswhomadetheirFirstCommunion WhatawonderfuldaytoreceiveJesusforthefirsttimeinthe Eucharist!
Our Father’s Day breakfast in Week 6 was another opportunity for students to show their learning in openclassroomsandtheliturgywasjampackedfullofexcitedfathers,grandfathersandfatherfigures Thiswasprecededbyayummybaconandeggsandwichbreakfastandacaffeinehitfromthecoffee cart
ThetermculminatedinourfantasticStFrancisofAssisiFeastDayonthelastdayofschool.Weenjoyed aninspiringMassleadbyourresidentFranciscianFriar,FrAnthoni.StudentsinKindergarten,Year1and Year 2 did a great job in the entrance procession, offertory procession and as readers. They were beautifullyleadbyourschoolcaptains.Wealsocelebratedwithapicnicandgaveagoldcoindonation totheCharitableWorksFundleadbyourMissionTeam.
WELLBEING COORDINATOR
Lesley Markham
ThewellbeingofstaffandstudentscontinuedtobeprioritisedatStFrancisofAssisiduringTerm3inthe followingways:
TheZonesofRegulation-HowBigismyProblem?
One of the key skills children can learn when working with their emotions is how to put problems into perspective.Childrencanoftenrespondtoproblemsdisproportionately.Theymayrespondtolosinga gameasanemergencyandbecomeenragedortheymayreacttotheiriPadnotbeingchargedandbe mad,yellingorevenoutofcontrol.Whenwerespondwithlargeemotionstoproblemsthatcanbeeasily solved,weleavelittleroomtobeabletodealwithbigproblemsoremergencies.
Byteachingchildrenhowtoratetheirproblemsandputthemintoperspectiveweteachthemtheability torespondappropriately Forexample,whilelosingagamemaynotfeelgood,itisnotabigproblem; rather it is a glitch in life and something we can move on from When children respond with a large emotiontoasmallproblem,itisaperfecttimetoteachandmodelmoreappropriatewaystorespond.
TheZonesofRegulation-CalmCorners
Beingabletocalmyourselfwhenemotionsrunhigh–orself-regulate–isalearnedskill Similartohowa child is taught to tie their shoe once they have the fine motor skills to do so, once a child’s brain is developmentally ready to self-regulate, they can learn different strategies and ways that work well for them Thinkaboutwhatworkedwellforyouthelasttimeyoufeltangry,unheard,anxiousoranyother negativefeeling Didyougooutsidetogetfreshair?Didyoupractiseyogaormeditation?Take10deep breaths?Gotoyourfavouriteroominyourhomeandread?Weallhavedifferentcopingmechanisms we’velearnedtousetoregulateouremotionsandreturntoamoreneutralorpositivespace.Kidsareno different!
Onewaytohelpchildrenlearnhowtoself-regulateisbyprovidingthemwithcalmdowncorners,whichall classrooms at St Francis are equipped with A calm down corner is a designated space in a home or classroomwiththesoleintentofbeingasafespaceforachildtogotowhentheyfeeltheiremotionsare running too high and they need to regain their emotional and physical control These spaces are equippedwithcomfortingobjectsandsoothingmaterialsthatcanpromotemindfulness,breathingand reflection.Theoverallgoalofacalmdowncorneristoprovidethechildwithaspaceinwhichthey’llfeel saferecognisingandregulatingtheiremotionsinahealthyway.
WELLBEING COORDINATOR
Lesley Markham
BullyingNoWay:NationalWeekofAction
DuringWeek4,werecognisedBullyingNoWay:NationalWeekofAction,whichisaninitiativetoprevent bullyinginourcommunity.Thisyear'sthemeis:EveryoneBelongs.Whenwefeellikewebelong,bullying struggles to find a place. It's about embracing who we are, respecting everyone ' s differences and standinguptogetheragainstunkindness.Belongingmeansweallhavearoleinpreventingbullying.We're encouragedtospeakupandcreateasafeplacewhereeveryonefeelssupportedandrespected,andour voicesareheard Thestudentsworeatouchofpurpletorecognisethisimportantevent
RUOK?Day
On Friday of Week 8, we recognised R U OK? Day by wearing a touch of yellow and eating delicious sausagesandwichescookedforusbyparentvolunteers.Onthisimportantday,werememberthatby havingregular,meaningfulconversations,youbuildtrustandnormalisetalkingaboutwhat’sreallygoing on,sowhenthepeopleinyourworldfindthemselvesstruggling,theyknowyou’resomeonetheycantalk to
WellbeingWeek
InWeek9,weprioritisedourphysical,emotionalandspiritualwellbeingduringWellbeingWeek.Students practisedself-regulationstrategiesandpaintedpotsinpreparationfortheStFrancisofAssisiFeastDay whilelisteningtorelaxingmusic.Sportsfestwasalsoahighlightwithlotsoflaughterandfun.
COMESOARWITHUS!
@sfapaddington @stfrancisofassisi paddington
term in review
KINDERGARTEN
Grandparent’sDay-LilyH
Grandparent's Day was so much fun! Our grandparents came to see our classrooms and I loved showing my Grandma where I sit and my artwork. After that we went to Mass and we performed a special song called"ThankYou."
DanceLessons-MilanaN
We love dance lessons! They’re so much fun!Wegettolearncooldancemovesand it’s like playing, but with dancing. Miss Mikayla is the best she plays awesome games with us. My favourite game is musical statues, where we freeze when the music stops, and lucky corner, where we pick a corner and hope it’s the lucky one! And our Tarzan dance is super cool. We swing our arms like Tarzan and it makes us feel like we’re really swinging in the jungle! Danceismyfavourite!
BookweekParade-MatthewL
The Book Week Parade was awesome! We all dressed up in our favourite costumes and got to walk in a big parade in front of thewholeschoolandourmumsanddads.I dressed up as Spiderman and I was matchingwithmyfriends.
YEARONE
Year One Excursion - Harrison M, Henry M, WilliamW
We are learning all about ‘People and Places’ in Geography this term and we went on an excursion to Clifton Gardens Reserve with Ranger Jamie. We completed lots of fun activities First, we made bird houses using cardboard boxes and decorated them using markers and natural materials such as grass and twigs. It was so much fun to see all the different designs everyone chose for their houses. We also built beach habitats and learned about crabs, shells, and the tiny creatures that live in the sand. The water works activities were super exciting because wegottosplasharoundandseehowdifferent liquids can pollute our water. Our favourite part was catching bugs! We found lots of fire ants, roly-polys and worms We had a great day!
FathersDay-DeeDeeL
We celebrated Father’s Day in school with a big barbeque made by the teachers Our Dad’swereinvitedtocomeintoourclassroom andcompleteactivities.Idrewapictureofmy Dad.Itwasalovelymorning!
FathersDay-AmeliaI
I coloured a ‘No1 Dad Trophy’ and gave it to my Dad. He was really happy. I also showed him some of my learning from this term. He wasreallyproudofme.
RUOK?Day -ElliotO,FlorenceA
WecelebratedRUOK?Dayandworeyellowto school. We learned all about the importance ofcheckinginwithourfamilyandfriendsand asking people ‘R U OK?’ We completed lots of funactivitiesandevenhadasausagesizzle!It is important to check how others are, not just todaybuteveryday!
YEARTWO
Year Two Excursion - Sebastian A, Felix F andFredD
On Tuesday of Week 7, Stage 1 went on an excursion. Firstly, we went on a bus to Clifton Gardens. When we arrived, we met Ranger Jamie and her friend. Secondly, Ranger Jamie introduced our first activity, whichwasbugcatching Afterthat,wetook a break. Thirdly, we made a birdhouse out of cardboard and we decorated our birdhouses with nature. Next we saw how we can affect our waterways with different oils.Finally,wemadecrabhousesforcrabs to live in (so they can be lazy) After a very noisy bus ride, we finally arrived back at schoolandchilledoutuntilhometime.
CalmCorner-LucyB,DaisyG
The Calm Corner is a place you can go when you are feeling sad, worried, angry, nervous or even way too excited. We have toyscalledWoxieandHoneythere.Honeyis heavy and he takes your mind off your worries. Woxie is for when you are feeling sadaboutsomethingorsomeone Sheisso cuddlyandcuteandmakesyoufeelbetter whenyouareintheBlueZone.
CalmCorner-LouisR,TaikiM
In the Calm Corner, we have Woxie, Fluffy and Honey and the Zones of Regulation Toolbox to help us to be calm. Inside the Zones of Regulation Toolbox is a stress ball, stretchy noodles and play doh. We also have a mindful colouring book, a glitter bottle to shake, an exercise cube , bubbles andasensorytilemat.
YEARTHREE
Year3ExcursiontoKurnell
Onthe9thofSeptember,Stage2wentonanexcursiontotheRoyalNationalParkinKurnell.This wasthefirstplaceCaptainCookandhiscrewlandedafterhislongvoyagetoAustralia.Rangers Muffin and French Fries taught us many things. They were very knowledgeable and were lots of fun.
For one of our activities we pretended we were Joseph Banks, the scientist and botanist who sailed on the Endeavour. We had to draw native plants and trees. There were many to choose from.Wewentonabushwalkandmadegunyahs,seeinglotsofcreaturessuchastermites,ants and spiders. We found salt, rock pools, sea shells, sea snails and kookaburras. This must have beenanamazingsightfortheBritishexplorers.
We then went on a walk where we found a stream that Captain Cook took water from when he arrivedatSydneyCove.Thankyoutotheteachersfortakingusonthebestexcursion!
SacramentofFirstHolyCommunion
Year3havebeenwaitingtomaketheirFirstHolyCommunionallyear!Thedayfinallyarrivedon Sunday25thAugust Wearrivedatschoolinthemorningwithourfamiliestohavephotostaken The candidates waited at the back of the church while their family members gathered for this specialMass.DuringtheMassFatherAnthoniaskedustogotothefrontandtalkaboutwhatwe knewaboutcommunionandwhatitrepresented.Finallywewereabletoreceivethesacrament andtakethenextstepinourCatholicFaith.
AftertheMasshadendedsomepeoplecelebratedwiththeirfamilies Everyonehadalovelyday
YEARFOUR
Year4ExcursiontoKurnell-EleniP
This term, Stage 2 went to Botany Bay, and we learned about Captain Cook. First, we learnt whatCaptainCookdidandwherehelandedinBotanyBay HetravelledintheEndeavorwith JosephBanksandDanielSolander
Then, we went on a bush walk and looked at the streams from which they drank. We also walkedaroundthebeachandsawwheretheEnglishandtheFrenchlanded.Somestudents inourclassmodelledwhateachofthesailorsdidandwhattheysaidandwore.
We went on two bush walks On the first bush walk, we saw signs of what the Aboriginals did andwhattheymade Theymadehooksoutofbarkandleaves Onthesecondbushwalk,we saw termite nests and a bunch of wasps ' nests. We also made some shelters out of sticks, bark,andleaves.
Stage 2 also became botanists and found different types of leaves, trees and flowers, and thensketchedthemonpaper Myfavouritepartwaswhenwegottobebotanists
ScienceWeekactivities-FlorenceGhusn
Stage 2 had Science Week this term, focusing on animal traps. Each group chose a pest specieswhichcalledCentennialParkhome.Ourgoalwastoplan,makeanddesignamarble runthatwouldsetoffatrap First,weresearchedwhatouranimallikedandwhatwouldlead it to our trap For example, my group made our trap white because pigeons (the animal we chose) are attracted to the colour white After that, we planned our marble run Then, we neededtogetourmaterialssoallourfeaturescouldcometolife.Finally,weconstructedour marble run with recycled materials that we brought from home. I enjoyed this science week activity; my favourite part was when we used our group work skills to design, make and test ourmarblerun
CSNSWNetballCarnival
-BerraL,EllenoraM,DulcieK
Thisterm,StFrancisofAssisiparticipatedintheCSNSWNetballCarnivalinPenrith.GirlsinYear 6,Year5andYear4(whoplaynetballintheschoolteams)wenttoPenrithtocompeteagainst otherteamsallthroughoutNewSouthWales.Itwasanearlystart,wehadtoarriveatschoolat 6:30am for the 1 hour trip. Our Year 5 team worked really well together and won the whole competition for our age group. Year 4 won their age division too. Year 6 came 2nd after an extremelyclosegameattheendoftheday Everyteamplayedtheirbestandwewereproud of our sportsmanship and perseverance. We had a great day and are looking forward to participatingnextyear!Itwasablast!
AuthorVisit-KatiaF,WillowJ,TeddyB,GretaH
AuthorVisitbyDoctorCameron(Katia,Willow,Teddy,Greta)
InTerm3,Stage3hadthepleasureofmeetingtheauthor,DrCameronStelzer,whoreferredto himself as ‘Doctor Cameron’. He is well-known for his ‘Pie Rats’ book series. Our engaging session began with an introduction to his works, during which he also shared insights about himself.Shortlythereafter,hetaskedeachofuswithcraftingabattlesceneinvolvingtwoofthe four characters he had provided, along with a corresponding setting. We then attempted to recreate his illustrations from the book, a process that everyone found enjoyable. Subsequently, we participated in a quiz centred around a theme park, which related to the researchheconductedforthebooksetinthatlocation.Whilethequizwasquitechallenging,it wasanexceptionallyfunexperience.
BookWeekperformance -SophiaI,ElizaB,EmmaH
Thisterm,Stage3(alongwiththerestoftheschool)watchedaperformancecalled,‘Maybea Miracle’ The performance was to celebrate Book Week and the theme was Reading is Magic The performers showed us the shortlisted books of 2024 . They performed their own story to entertain the audience. The characters they played were Mum, the little sister, the big brother and some characters from the award winning books they brought in. They sang songs and interactedwiththeaudience.Forexample,theyaskedifanyonewantedtocomeupanddraw on the white-board, and told everyone to stand up and do a dance. Some of the award winning books they brought in were called ‘Tim
Isolde Martyn & Robyn Ridgeway. Overall the exp walkedthroughthedoor,totheminutewewalked
DanceLessons-HelenaG,ChloeR,AnnaliseH
This term, Stage 3 started dance lessons, and we have been learning a routine called Tick, Tick, Boom.It'sbeenafunexperiencewithlotsofgreatexercise,andwe'velearnedalotaboutdance. Ourdancecoach,MissMikayla,wasreallynice.
Every class in the school has been learning a dance routine for a performance. We’ve been working on our dance since the beginning of the term, adding bit by bit each week. We recently finishedtheroutineandhavebeenpractisingthefulldanceforafewweeksnow.
MissMikayla,fromthecompanyGotGame,cameupwithmanyfundancegamesforustoplay. Some of the best games were Dance Detective, Dance Battle, Among Us, and Night at the Museum.Thispartofthelessonswasdefinitelyoneofthemostfunaspects.Oneofmypersonal favouriteswasAmongUs,becauseit’salwaysasurprisetofindoutwhotheintruderisattheend!
On Thursday, during assembly in Week Nine, Stage 3 performed our dance. Other classes also performedtheirdancesinfrontofparentsandstudents—itwasabigaudience!
Dance lessons have been so much fun, and we hope we can continue dancing next term with MissMikayla.Evenifdanceisn’tyourthing,GotGamemadeiteverybody'scupofteaforthathour eachweek!
Ourlastbookweekparade-ElizabethM,CurtisC,GiuliaA
First up for Book Week was Year Six We walked around the court twice Many children along the sidelineswerestickingouttheirhands,gesturingforhighfivesasweparadedaroundtheoutside of the court. After our class went, the Year Fives stood up and started heading around. Once again, people stretched out their arms for high fives (especially Stage 2), and Stage 2 was cheeringandshoutingforhighfives.
AfterStageThreefinishedtheirpartoftheannualBookWeekparade,itwastimefortheyounger years to shine. Years Three and Four went along the side of the court, and once again, classes were bombarded with photos from parents. A while later, it was finally Stage One and Kindergarten’s turn. One of the most notable costumes I saw was a Minion, which I think we all foundamusing,especiallysinceitwasKindergarten'sfirst-everBookWeekparadeatourschool.
Afteralltheclasses,fromStage1toStage3,itwastheteachers'turn Everyteacherworeawizard or witch costume, which was a unique and distinguishable theme we hadn’t seen before. They really matched the “Reading is Magic!” theme whoorganisedthisforus!
COMESOARWITHUS!
