NEWSLETTER 16 - 31st May 2022

Nelson Mandela stated, “In the end, reconciliation is a spiritual process, which requires more than just a legal framework. It has to happen in the hearts and minds of people.”

This week the country celebrates National Reconciliation Week with the 2022 theme being, ‘Be Brave, Make Change.” National Reconciliation Week takes place on the same dates each year: 27th May to the 3rd June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones: the 1967 Referendum which granted Aboriginal people the right to vote and, the 1992 Mabo decision. The week presents an opportunity for Australians to come together as individuals, families, communities and organisations to acknowledge and pay respect to the world’s oldest surviving culture.

From the Reconciliation Tasmania website, the following summary of this week’s focus is articulately expressed: We all come from one tribe or another, all different colours and family trees from across the globe. Tasmanian Aboriginal connection to country runs deep and is mapped in our timeline. Hundreds of generations occupied the lands in what is now Bass Strait, harvesting and farming there before the last ice age flooded the area, isolating Aboriginals on Lutruwita/Trowunna (Tasmania) and living in harmony with the land for the next 10,000 years until 1642 when Dutch ships were sighted from the shore. A century and half later came the French expeditions, then bands of sealers from Port Jackson and eventually British colonisation in 1803, fundamentally and devastatingly altering the way of life they’d known for over 60,000 years. Many of Tasmania’s early European settlers, be they convicts or free settlers, came from harsh and violent backgrounds making the early days of the colony a brutal environment for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. Coming out of a climate of slavery, industrial revolution in England and famine across Ireland and beyond generated a desperate fight for survival in the early days of European settlement in Tasmania. The tragedy of the Black War and other frontier violence in Tasmania is well documented and can never be forgotten. There is no justification in any way for the violence and dispossession that followed the arrival of settlers and convicts but judging what occurred with today’s standards is counterproductive and does little to acknowledge the mixed tapestry of ‘boat people’ who arrived on these shores and the climate of brutality they existed under. The contribution that the 70,000 convicts made in building infrastructure, roads and farmlands, often in harsh, unforgiving conditions, must be acknowledged, as well as the pioneer spirit of many new settlers who just wanted to create opportunity and a better life for their families in the great southern lands. 

We all struggle with the concept of reconciliation – to go beyond ‘the quality of mercy’ in the sense of ‘forgiving and asking forgiveness’ and instead becoming instruments of real positive change. I know in my own household my mother held fast to her family’s sense of great injustice that was associated with ‘her family’ being forced to leave Ireland in the 1840’s. Similarly, my father would never talk of his family being dispossessed by the terrible upheaval caused by World War Two, eventuating in him leaving his homeland and never seeing his family again. We can all share intimate stories of dispossession and loss, and it is no accident that our key Mercy values are Compassion, Mercy, Respect and Hospitality. It is appropriate to conclude with a quote by Henri Nouwen, arguably one of the twentieth century’s most influential spiritual writers whose following quote highlights the importance of ‘compassion’ as being intrinsic to the ever-present topic of reconciliation, “Compassion - which means, literally, "to suffer with"- is the way to the truth that we are most ourselves, not when we differ from others, but when we are the same. Indeed the main spiritual question is not, "What difference do you make?" but "What do you have in common?" It is not "excelling" but "serving" that makes us most human. It is not proving ourselves to be better than others but confessing to be just like others that is the way to healing and reconciliation.”

Thank you to all in our school community who are ‘brave in being agents of change’ when being asked to support what is ‘good’ – a sense of values in action - rather than what is deemed ‘right’ – the sense of procedural correctness, which is extremely important as we all appreciate, however, not if it comes at the cost of human dignity.

Regards,

Rod Linhart

(Principal)

Term 1 - Thursday 3rd February - Thursday 14th April

Term 2 - Monday 2nd May - *Friday 8th July

Term 3 - Monday 25th July - Friday 30th September

Term 4 - Monday 17th October - Thursday 15th December

*Student Free Day Friday 8th July 2022

June

July 

Literacy-The Big 6

Research has shown that there are six key components that contribute to successful reading and because of the importance of these components, they have become known as the 'Big Six’: oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. The reading components of our school reading program focus on the Big Six.

Fluency

Reading fluency refers to three components: accuracy, rate and prosody). Accuracy is the ability name words effortlessly or to draw on skills that allow students to process unknown words. A solid knowledge of phonemic awareness, letter-sound relationships and sight words allows students to become fluent readers. Rate refers to the speed used to read although speed cannot increase to a rate that will compromise comprehension. For example, students begin by sounding out individual letters to blend words, move to reading word to word, phrases and then sentences as they increase their reading rate. Prosody is “how” words are interpreted and read and it reflects the understanding that students have of what they are reading. Students learn to use intonation to vary the pitch of their voices, respond to punctuation, read clusters of phrases and place stress on parts of speech as they develop their prosody.

How does fluency contribute to reading success? Fluent reading is an important skill for students to develop as they move through primary school and they increasingly use longer textbooks, read lengthier narratives, read poetry and read to research topics. Fluent readers read more words and because of this they have increased opportunities to develop their word recognition skills and increase their vocabulary. Fluent reading particularly supports students to read for meaning so it has an important link to comprehension skills.

Fluency at school: Fluency is developed by explicit instruction, modelling and practise through the following:

• Explicit instruction on letter-sound relationships
• Learning the Oxford 500 words.
• Reading aloud.
• Listening to teachers, students and online audio.
• Participating in Reader’s Theatre.

What can parents and caregivers do at home to encourage vocabulary development? Children's reading fluency development is dependent on consistent, nurturing and interacting learning experiences with adults and peers. Here are some ways parents and caregivers can encourage fluency:

• Read to and with children.
• Model fluency when reading by including expression while reading and modelling appropriate phrasing.
• Allow students to read the same text many times.
• Encourage new readers to track words with their finger.
• Focus on learning sight words, the Oxford 500.

Congratulations to the following students who have received Student of the Week.

Prep: Harlyn Newitt for your positive approach towards your school work and towards your classmates. You are a kind and caring friend.

Year 1: Bruce Cheuk for making very pleasing progress this term with your engagement and relationships with others. 

Year 2: Archer Parry for demonstrating an improvement in reading his sight words with Mrs Lamprey. 

Year 3:Aleks O'Toole for her creative ideas and for her application and towards completing writing tasks.

Year 4:Amelia Willis for her consistent effort with Home Reading and her positive and friendly attitude in the classroom.

Year 5: Zarna Bakes for being an enthusiastic & creative student who always works hard to achieve her best results.

Year 6: Lincoln McQueen for regularly showing hospitality through the witnessing of and the sharing of Spirit of Jesus moments.

Congratulations to our House Raffle winners this week: 

Dooley - Charlie Jones   Martyn - Jed Atkins   Byrne - Alivia Dewrance-Milligan

Whole school assemblies have commenced again each morning – parents are welcome; please follow the COVID Safety Plan protocols – sanitize and face masks indoors.

Karlie offers discrete counselling services to students upon both parent's signed request. Request forms are available from the school office or can be downloaded from the school website.

Nominations are called for the St Patrick’s Catholic School Board. A brief outline of the role and structure of the school Board is available from the school office and via our school website. The school Board usually meets for approximately two hours on a Monday evening six or seven times a year and discusses a range of topics including school policies, finances, buildings and facilities, promotion of the Catholic ethos and future directions. The role of the Board is viewed as being integral in sharing the responsibility of the overall wellbeing of the school. Our current school Board membership consists of the Parish Priest, Father Jaison and the principal, Rod Linhart, and Deputy Principal, Kurt Atkins, as ex-officio members, Felicity Derin-Reeves (Chair), Carl Garrad (Treasurer), Julie Fawkner (Secretary), Bev Sullivan (Deputy Chair), Belinda Kelly and Nicholas O’Toole. If you are interested in becoming a member of the school Board, we invite you to contact one of the School Board members or the school office staff as soon as possible. Please feel welcome to sit in on any School Board member as an observer if you wish to.

Thank you to the many students (and their families) who have a commitment to participate in school representative sport – representing St Patrick’s in soccer and basketball school teams allow for character development, a physical outlet and an appreciation of what it means to be a team player. Parents are asked to contact their child’s coach or Mr Linhart (6426 1626) if their child is unable to play on the day – this action shows respect for the generosity of time exhibited by our many volunteer coaches and helps support positive team dynamics.

• We would like to introduce a new member of our school community, Sully; Sully will be here on Thursdays and Fridays as a therapy dog who works with our school counsellor, Karlie Lawson.
• Sully enjoys meeting children and especially listening to them read stories, or being outside with children.
• The value of pet ‘therapy’ is widely accepted as an aid to stimulation and communication. The presence of companion animals can also improve the well-being of children and lower the rate of anxiety.
• Animals are not generally allowed on school premises. Appropriate consideration and consultation was undertaken for this activity.
• Whilst inherent risks will remain, and some people will choose not to participate, our school supports this activity occurring. Sully is a well-behaved friend, has passed required temperament testing, and has all the expected vaccinations and routinely visits the vet for normal check-ups.
• Sully will spend his day with Karlie as she goes about her student support duties. Children, at times, will have a chance to interact with Sully either with Karlie and, as they grow, independently. Please also note children will not be allowed to feed Sully.
• If you do not want your child to interact with Sully, please email Mr Linhart no later than 20/5/22 via stpatslat@catholic.tas.edu.au We will assume that no reply by the given date, allows interaction with Sully.
• If you have any questions, please contact Mr Linhart.

‘Inquiring Minds’ Birth to 5 program - a ‘Set-Up for Success’ Catholic Education Tasmania initiative.

our ‘Inquiring Minds’ birth to 5 program operates each Friday during school term time from 9.00am to 10.30am;This program involves a considerable focus on communicating to parents the learning intentions of important activities that are associated with early years learning. Mrs Klug will be working to engage parents in early years learning experiences that will ensure children who are enrolling in Kindergarten, will be informed in regards to developing key social, emotional, physical and cognitive skills and understandings.