Term 1, Week 5 2024

Hello Friends

I trust the term is going smoothly for you and your family. I take this opportunity to remind families to feel free to contact your child’s class teacher regarding any questions about your child’s learning, if you would like a face-to-face meeting, then please allow for a planned meeting at a mutually agreed time.

I remind parents and families that we offer a cup of tea or coffee in the Café every Friday between 8:20am and 8:45 am. We look forward to making you a brew.

We also meet fortnighlty as a whole school on Tuesdays at 2.30pm for our assemblies. Our next assembly is scheduled for Tuesday 5 March and will be led by our brilliant Year 4 class.

Clean Up Australia Day

On 1 March, our students will take part in Clean-up Australia Day enabling them an opportunity to tidy up an area of our school and make sure it is free of landfill.

AGM

Our AGM occurs on 6 March, where we will have our traditional AGM format, followed by a Café conversation, where I invite attendees to provide feedback and input into the following areas of our school:

1. Capital Development
2. Community Engagement 
3. Learning Curriculum 
4. Year 6 Graduate Qualities 

The AGM will be held in the Samaritan Hall (school hall) and I encourage you to RSVP to: info@christking.catholic.edu.au                                 

Sports Day

Our school sports day will be held on 15 March at Sacred Heart College senior main oval. If you have any opportunity to help volunteer on the day I would strongly encourage you to do so and thank you greatly in advance. More details surrounding sports day times and timetables will be sent home over the coming week.

“The oak fought the wind and was broken, the willow bent when it must and survived.”
Anon                        

Thanks and Blessings

Matt Perry

Principal

We are invited to join Pope Francis in his declaration of 2024 as the Universal Year of Prayer. Wherever we are on our journey in faith, prayer is a significant part of it. Prayer is for everyone, and everyone can pray.

This invitation is offered to explore different ways of praying, there are activities to join in and opportunities to create your own prayers and prayer activities either as a church or as part of a small group, or in the quiet of your home.

Pope Francis hopes through prayerful engagement across many communities, villages and towns that lives will be transformed and that more people will come to know Jesus Christ.

Each class gathers daily to pray along with the staff who gather each Tuesday morning. During Lent we will continue to gather as a community to prayer and will continue this through the 50days of Easter. The Year of Prayer is a precursor to the Jubilee Year 2025.

COMMUNITY MASS

We will gather as a community for mass this Friday 1^st March, 9am Samaritan Hall (school Hall). Our Yr6 class and Fr Prathap will lead us.

Each member of our community is invited to join us and be a member of the community. If you have never been to a catholic children’s mass or to a catholic mass for many years I invite you to come and join us. Responses and songs words are easily displayed so you can join in as much or as little as you feel comfortable. We welcome you.

PROJECT COMPASSION

    Second Week fo Lent     

This year, Project Compassion brings you the stories of three resilient women from three different corners of the world. They are facing vastly different challenges but are all united by one dream: to create a better tomorrow for all future generations. ​

Meet Ronita from the Philippines. Ronita lives with her husband and two children in a barangay (local district) in Quezon City, which is situated in Metro Manila in the Philippines. She went back to school to finish her education so that she could earn income to support her children.

Meet Leaia from Samoa. Not having access to a reliable source of clean water was very difficult for Leaia and her family. But, with the support of Caritas Australia, a water tank was installed at their home, improving their health and living conditions.

Meet Memory from Malawi. Memory, the eldest daughter from a rural Malawian family, trained to become a carpenter and is now a trailblazer for future generations of women in her village.  

Throughout Project Compassion, you will get to know the stories of Ronita, Leaia and Memory. Journey with them as they forge a path to a brighter future for all generations. 

Watch a short film: Introduction to Project Compassion (Primary school version)

Teresa Pascoe

Assistant Principal, Religious Identity and Mission

CURRICULUM CORNER

Parent Library 

In the front office we have a parent library which can be accessed by all parents and caregivers. This library has a variety of books for parents to borrow, read, share with their children, or answer questions they may have. Some of the book topics include parenting, disabilities, well-being, anxiety, behaviour and social skills. Parents can borrow the books by signing them out with the office staff and return them once complete. Have a look next time you are in the office. We hope to further build this library as the year goes on. 

Intervention Groups 

In the first 3-5 weeks of school, we focus on building strong relationships with all students and setting up clear routines and expectations within all classrooms. We also gather data on students which informs our future teaching. This data is also used to create intervention groups for programs like MiniLi, MacqLit, Fine motor skills, Movement skills and Stretch. These programs will begin in week 5/6 and parents will be informed if their child is participating. 

PPLs – Personalised Plan for Learning

Currently class teachers are putting together a personalised plan for learning for some students across the school. These plans support students in the school who may have a disability or require some extra learning support. Once these are complete teachers will make a time with parents to discuss them and outline what support, adjustments or interventions have been put in place. These meetings will take place in between week 7-10 and teachers will contact parents directly to organise a time.

NAPLAN 2024

Our year 3 and 5 students will begin NAPLAN testing in week 7 of this term. The assessments will occur across week 7 and 8 with our final catch-up test being Thursday 21st March. The tests have been completed earlier compared to previous tests in the hope that teachers will receive results by the middle of the year. This will enable them to set learning goals and focuses for the second semester.

PROFICIENCY STANDARDS FOR NAPLAN

More meaningful reporting to parents and carers

Since 2023 parents and carers have been given simpler and clearer information about their child’s NAPLAN achievement based on more rigorous national standards. The proficiency standards with 4 levels of achievement for each year level have replaced the previous 10-band structure that covered all 4 levels tested and the old national minimum standard set in 2008 when tests were on paper. The proficiency standards include a baseline benchmark to identify students who are likely to need additional support.

NAPLAN INDIVIDUAL STUDENT REPORT

The numerical NAPLAN bands and the national minimum standard will be replaced by the following 4 levels of achievement:

• Exceeding
• Strong
• Developing
• Needs additional support.

The descriptors for each category will make it clear to parents what their child’s literacy and numeracy skills are at the time of NAPLAN testing, and support discussions with their school on their child’s progress.

The testing timetable for week 7 and 8 is as follows :

Week 7

Wednesday 13^th March

9am - Year 3 Writing test on paper

11:20am – Year 5 Writing test – online

Thursday 14^th March

9am - Year 3 Reading Test - online

11:20am – Year 5 Reading test – online

Week 8

Tuesday 19^th March

9am – Year 3 Conventions of Language Test – online

9am – Year 5 Conventions of Language Test – online

Wednesday 20^th March

9am – Year 3 Numeracy Test – online

9am – Year 5 Numeracy Test – online

Please note:

#Sports Day is held on Friday 15^th March

# Students in Year 2-5 participate in swimming lessons in week 8.

# NAPLAN practice test will be held on Wednesday 28^th February

Please ensure your child has a working pair of headphones for the tests and arrives at school on time.

If you would like to discuss your child’s participation in NAPLAN this year, please contact your child’s class teacher immediately.

Emma Heinrich

Leader of Learning and Inclusion

LATE DROP OFFS AND EARLY PICK UPS

Morning Arrival Drop Off of Late Students.

Now that we are well and truly into the school year and students are settled, we ask that when arriving late (after 9:00am) that parents drop off in the admin area. If students require someone to walk them to class a staff member will take them. This is to help with the distractions to students who are already in class as learning time has started.

Late students need to be signed in via the iPad and then take a late slip to class so that teachers are aware the office has signed them in.

Early Departures

You are required to sign your student out in the front office. The admin staff will call the classroom and have them sent down to the office for collection to avoid distraction to the class' learning.

NOW ENROLLING 2025 and BEYOND

Due to increased interest in our school, if you have siblings or friends’ children who would like to attend Christ the King School, we ask that you please get enrolments in, as a matter of urgency.

Application forms can be collected from the front office or at info@christking.catholic.edu.au

Please be aware we already have a wait list for some year levels in 2025. Taking enrolments for 2026 and 2027. 

ONLINE SUPPORT POSTER-Self regulation

We have an occasional series of poster produced to support parents in navigating the online world. Today’s included poster gives ideas and thinking around ‘self-regulation’ for young people online.

BORROWING PROCEDURES 

Each class has a specific borrowing day when their class teacher will visit the Library with their students. Students and parents are also able to borrow and/or return before school Mon-Thus 8.30-8.45.  

· Students in R-2 borrow 2 books at a time 

· Students in 3-5 borrow 3 books at a time. 

Parents who wish to borrow may do so on their child’s name. (Robyn Dingle or myself will assist parents to borrow over their child’s limit.) 

LIBRARY BAGS 

Each student from Reception to Yr 2 is required to use a library bag when borrowing. A bag capable of holding a picture books is recommended. 

· A lined library bag is preferable to guard against leaks, spills and squashed fruit. 

We use a separate bag to the communication bag to avoid any confusion between class books, readers and Library books.  Having 2 separate bags allows parents and students to easily locate and return books etc. to the library and not accidently into the class library and reader boxes. 

HEADPHONES 

Each student from Y2-6 requires a set of headphones. These are used to support individual one to one learning on IT devices, enhances focus, allows online testing to take place and aids the production of creative pieces-recording, filming, editing etc.  

It is recommended that OVEREAR headphones are provided as ‘earbud’ type headphones are uncomfortable (even painful), do not tend to cut out background noise effectively and are easily lost or left plugged into a device. 

Students are unable to use BLUETOOTH headphones in a school setting as the logistic and time of turning on/off Blutooth, finding the matched device and staying connected dramatically decreases the successful testing and learning of the student. 

Teresa Pascoe

Teacher/Librarian

On Monday 26 February Matilda Bevan and Lucy Hewitt represented CTK in the SAPSASA diving completion

Matilda and Leilani (St Leonard’s) won the 10-12 year old synchro competition  (they’re both in the 11 category)

Matilda came Runner Up in the 11 year old Springboard competition.
Lucy’s finished 9th with a late withdrawal of partner on the day and results are unavailable overall.

We wish Matilda and Lucy all the best as they await to hear if they have made the state team.