We must teach more by example than by words. (Mary MacKillop)

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1 IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY CATHOLIC SCHOOL NEWSLETTER McCann Crescent, Lenah Valley Phone web: PO Box 429 Lenah Valley 7008 No st February 2019 We must teach more by example than by words. (Mary MacKillop) Dear Community Members, It has been a great pleasure to see how all the children have settled back beautifully into the school year. When I have wandered around the classrooms it has been great to see the students working hard and getting into the routine of their new classroom. Welcoming Mass Yesterday (Wednesday 20 th February) we celebrated our Welcoming Mass in the Hall. This was a special Mass as the Grade 6 leaders were commissioned and their badges were blessed. The children were superbly behaved and were very reverent during the entire Mass. A massive thank you goes to Mrs Therese Kelly for her organisation of the Mass and Father Emmanuel for celebrating with us. Farewell Father Emmanuel Last Sunday, it was announced that our Priest and friend Fr Emmanuel Ibeke will complete his 4 year contract in Tasmania and return home to Nigeria. Fr Emmanuel s last day will be Sunday March 10 th, where we will celebrate a special afternoon tea for him immediately following the 10.30am Mass at St Mary s Cathedral. Fr Emmanuel has given four years of his life for the committed service of the Tasmanian Catholic Church and we sincerely acknowledge his dedication, friendship, pastoral and priestly ministry among us during the last four years. Personally, I would like to thank him for his dedication, commitment and the friendship he has offered me and our fabulous school. He will be missed by our school community. Swimming Carnival - Monday 25th February Our Annual Swimming Carnival will be held next Monday 25th February for all students from Prep to Grade 6 at the Glenorchy Aquatic Centre. Important information was handed out to students last week in regard to this. The Prep to Grade 2 carnival will be from 9.30am to 11.30am (approx.) and the Primary Swimming Carnival will start at 11.15am and conclude at approximately 2.00pm. Buses will leave at 9.00am and return at 12.00pm for the Early Years classes and 10.45am from school and return at approx. 2:45pm for the students from Grade 3 to 6. This should be a fun and entertaining day. If you have any questions in regard to this please direct them to Mr Eric Monaghan at eric.monaghan@catholic.tas.edu.au The weather is meant to be very warm so I am requesting that all students turn up with their hat and sunscreen!!!!!

2 Grade 5/6 Parliament Last week, Mr Paul Egan and I spent one whole day with the Grade 5 and 6 s to prepare them for their leadership roles in the school. At Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School our student leadership program is modelled on the Australian Federal Parliament (without the fights and arguments). Students are elected to a portfolio and given specific jobs throughout the school. It was great to see members of the Environment team in action at lunch yesterday. Well done to Mercy, Maddy, Sarah and Bella from Grade 5 for your excellent initiative. AUSLANKA Today, 10 students from Immaculate Heart of Mary participated in the very first Skype activity between us and a school in Sri Lanka. The program is entitled AUSLANKA and will involve our students interacting via Skype with children from Holy Cross College, Sri Lanka. The children will have the opportunity to prepare and discuss aspects of life in Australia including: Sports, Festivals, Major Religions/Ethnic Communities, Places of Interest and History. This wonderful opportunity was initiated by Father Shammi, our Parish Priest. I thank Mrs Therese Kelly for being the wonderful mentor and the ten students for preparing and practising for these lessons. EduCat Yesterday and today the entire school participated in a program to encourage responsible cat ownership. This program is called Edu.Cat. It is organised by TenLives. This program is a STEM program (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). All classes participated in a 1 hour session and gained information on what to do and what not to do with cats. Hear and Learn Technology Next Monday (25 th February) the Grade 3, 4, 5 and 6 class are having the Activate - Hear and Learn System installed in their classrooms. The Activate System is a series of microphones and speakers in the classroom. Last year in Term 3, Grades 3 and 4 trialled this system and both the students and teachers found it very beneficial. We are spending approximately $30,000 to install this technology in these classrooms. We will eventually be installing this technology throughout the entire school. The Activate system addresses three main challenges for learning: 1. Engaging the whole class. The technology improves speech intelligibility and provides an even distribution of sound so that students hear the teacher s voice, understand, and gain insights - even in a less than perfect acoustic environment. In other words, ensuring that every student can hear every word.

3 2. Activating group learning. Teachers must be able to listen to learn as well. This is particularly difficult in today s active, flexible classroom. Activating learning can only come from receiving important feedback from students on how they are progressing. The Activate System gives teachers the tools to listen in on student groups, while teaching out of earshot of these groups, providing them with the insights they need to assess student needs in real-time. Audio and Video of discussions of these student groups can be digitally recorded by the Activate System. These files can then be stored in a school s reporting system or in student electronic portfolios and used for assessment, or evidence of learning. Teachers can also record student interactions to facilitate assessment (including student self-assessment) and reporting of important aspects of the Australian Curriculum: English (Speaking and Listening) which are currently difficult to capture and report on effectively. 3. Collaboration. Teachers need the ability to listen to their own teaching for self-reflection and listen to the teaching of others to apply effective strategies. Insights shared amongst teachers through coaching, exemplars and professional learning communities help to build collective efficacy. When speaking to the students and teachers about this install they were very excited and cannot wait to use the system. Welcome BBQ - Tonight - Thursday 21st February (4.30pm to 6.30pm) Our excellent Welcome BBQ is tonight and the weather is meant to be great! This a brilliant community builder and is usually well attended. This is an event not to miss. It s a good opportunity to meet all the staff as well as many parents in a social setting. It would be great to see you all there! Parent Handbook Next week all parents will receive a information on how to access the Parent Information Booklet. This booklet will have important information about your child s class. Please take the time to read the document. There will be a link on our website that will allow all parents to download this booklet. Grade 4 Camp - Wednesday 27th February to Friday 1st March Next week, the Grade 4 s will venture to Port Arthur for their two night camp. Some of the activities they will be involved in are: volcanoes at the beach, exploring the sand dunes and Port Arthur Historic Site, a visit to Inflatable World, Unzoo etc. I would like to thank Mrs Jane Davies and Mr Paul Egan for organising this camp for the Grade 4s. Have a great couple of weeks. Take care and God Bless Mr Nick McGann Principal

4 Asthma/Anaphylaxis Medical Action Plans Schools need to have current medical action plans for students with asthma & anaphylaxis. Medical action plans remain current for two years. If your child requires an updated medical action plan for asthma or anaphylaxis, please forward to the school office at your earliest convenience. We still have two dishes that were left in the office after our meal roster last year and we re not sure who they belong to do these look familiar to anyone? Thursday 21 st February Monday 25 th February Monday 25 th February Wed 27 th Feb Friday 1 st March Wednesday 27 th February Wednesday 27 th February Thursday 28 th February Monday 4 th March Friday 8 th March Monday 11 th March Tuesday 12 th March Thursday 14 th March Mon 18 th Friday 29 th March CALENDAR OF EVENTS Welcome BBQ pm Nurturing Hearts (Birth 4 Program) 9am 11am Swimming Carnival Grade 4 Camp Canteen orders due by 3pm (for lunch tomorrow) Canteen Nurturing Hearts (Birth 4 Program) 9am 11am Ash Wednesday Liturgy Assembly G3 Prayer - P, G2, G4 & G6 to share 1.50pm Fr Emmanuel s Farewell Party - 1pm 8 Hour Day Public Holiday no school today Parent/Teacher Interviews G5 Mass at SHC Canteen orders due by 3pm (for lunch tomorrow) Parent/Teacher Interviews Canteen Learn to Swim Sessions

5 Donations Please School Board are holding an EASTER RAFFLE Donations of an Easter egg to make up the prizes would be greatly appreciated. Please send your Easter egg to the school office by Friday 5 Th April Proceeds from the raffle will go towards adding to our school play equipment. The raffle will be drawn at the Awards Assembly on 10 th April Tickets available at the school office $2 each or 3 for $5