8 May 2020 - Newsletter (Vol 37 No 7)
WELCOME BACK!
I want to start by saying how much I am looking forward to ‘returning to normal’ over the next few weeks. Much has been written about time in isolation, the various impacts on the economy, the health system, societal impacts and so on, many just theories at this stage. Some include good news stories but much of what is out there is negative and with little cause to celebrate.
Having students and staff return is something to celebrate. We celebrate our relationships with one another, our dependence on one another and we are thankful for all our interactions which we probably took for granted prior to isolation.
I want to acknowledge our marvellous staff here at SJPC, all of them. The work they did in preparing for and delivering through the learning from home period was simply amazing. Teachers, administration and support staff all kept the place going while also juggling their own personal circumstances. One thing I am sure of is that this experience of remote learning will impact on what learning and teaching looks like in schools and how things might be done differently into the future.
Thank you to our parents and carers who helped the students through the online learning experience. Many have sent messages of good will and appreciation for the staff and what they do on a daily basis.
MOVING FORWARD
- You will have received a letter from me earlier in the week with the return dates for individual year groups. The same information was also posted on our College Facebook page and our new Schoolzine app.
- When your child returns, it will be business as usual for the most part, normal rules will apply and students will be expected to be in correct uniform and ready with all their learning materials as per their timetable.
- There will still be cancellations and changes to the calendar of events and we will of course keep you updated as they occur.
- For students who experience difficulty in transitioning back to school, our counsellors and wellbeing team are here to help. Please contact them or the Year coordinator.
Bring on the laughter, the excitement of the kids and our community. I know a lot of us are looking forward to their return.
Michael Carniato
Principal
With many families spending more time together at present, this ‘Parenting Ideas’ article focuses on the development of leadership skills at home. All students possess the necessary skills to lead, for some it just takes a little longer for these to come to the surface. Now might be the right time for your child to discover the hidden leader inside them.
As students return to the College on a more permanent basis, they are reminded of the importance of wearing the correct College uniform. Non College designed jumpers and hoodies are not acceptable and students will be asked to remove them as well as being presented with a lunch time detention. Just as students will be busily organising their school books, uniform should also come into the calculation.
Until next week:
Assistant Principal - Mission
Staff and Student Wellbeing
Welcome to Term 2 and the continuation of remote learning.
From a Learning and Teaching perspective, remote learning has provided many possibilities (and frustrations) in terms of student learning and new methods of engaging with course materials.
The following is from our online Study Skills Handbook subscription:
STUDY SKILLS TIP FOR MAY – TOP TIPS FOR STAYING FOCUSED IN AN ONLINE LESSON
By now we are all starting to get a bit more used to different modes of learning. If you are still finding it challenging to stay focused in online lessons, here are some tips to help you:
- Have clear distinctions between schoolwork time and your personal time. If you let those two worlds collide you will end up never really feeling like you can have time to yourself without feeling guilty. Then in the learning times you can make a more conscious effort to stay on track.
- If you know you can’t stay focused in your bedroom, then do your learning in another part of the house where someone can check up on you. Working in an area of the house where you will be supervised can help you stay on track.
- Take notes when you are listening to the teacher talk or make a mind map about what is being discussed in the lesson. If you are writing about what you are learning it will help you to be more focused.
- Turn off all notifications and make sure your mobile is on silent (or preferably in another room). Don't have other windows or applications open on your computer. Take away the temptation so you don't send messages to other students or work on other tasks during a lesson when you are meant to be focused.
- Every 20 minutes look away at something 20 feet (about 6 metres) away for 20 seconds to reduce eye strain. Stand up and stretch if you need to.
Visit Study Skills to learn more about how you can make your life easier by being a more effective and efficient learner:
Username: stjohnpaul
Password: 89success
In addition, our subscription to Elevate offered a free webinar this week.
This 60-minute webinar, which delved into practical strategies for parents on how to boost their child’s motivation, and keep them organised and engaged with their education.
Elevate also offers online 1:1 support for their children, should the parents feel their child needs some extra support staying on top of their workload and building effective study habits over this time. Visit Elevate Coaching.
Event Title: How to help your child study effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic (Yr 7-12 Parents)
Sign-Up Link: Elevate Coaching - Parent Webinar
Next Webinar Date: Tuesday, 12 May 2020
Time: 6pm
Cost: Free
James Furey
Assistant Principal
Learning and Teaching
Although the Youth Ministry Team look forward to college life returning to normal, we have been finding ways to share prayers, reflections and online media using our social media platforms. I encourage staff, students and parents to check out the following social media platforms.
Facebook SJPC Youth Ministry
Instagram sjpcyouthministry
As an example of what you might find on these pages, please take a look at this short interview between Hannah, one of our Youth Ministry Officers, and Mr Carniato, our College Principal.
Youth Ministry interview with Mr Carniato
Conversation
First, have a conversation to talk with your child about what they are looking forward to. Give some time to talk about the positive things like catching up with friends and learning at school face to face with teachers. Many students and teachers are looking forward to doing experiments in science, doing P.E, and other activities that can only happen at school.
Ask your child if they have any worries and consider with them what things they can do, and what things you can do to make it easier. The return to school will be for one day for Years 7-10 so there will be opportunity for students in these years to get back into the groove.
Ideas to help with some difficulties
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Out of practice with contact with friends face to face |
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Change in routine |
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Concerns about safety with Covid-19 |
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Concerns about their learning, what they might have missed. |
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We look forward to seeing all the students as they return. If you need support with adjusting back to school, you can speak with your homeroom teacher, year coordinator and to your school counsellors.
Andrew Hart andrew.hart@lism.catholic.edu.au
Denise Andrade denise.andrade@lism.catholic.edu.au
We have commenced using the Schoolzine app to send messages to parents and students. We will still be using email and Facebook to communicate to our community. However, the Schoolzine app allows easy access to all messages and provides links to our newsletter, college website, documents and calendar in the one place.
If you haven't already done so, please download the Schoolzine app onto your smartphone.
Sharon Brennan
Teacher Librarian/LTC
SJPC Pets Learn Japanese
In the past month, students at SJPC have been adjusting to learning online and as part of that they have been sharing their experiences with their family members.
In the Languages department, students in Years 8 and 10 were set a challenge to see if they could teach their pets to follow instructions such as “sit”, “stand”, “lie down” in Japanese.
Many students took up this challenge with great enthusiasm and here is a compilation of their work. Enjoy!!!
Kirsten Binnie
Leader of Learning - Languages
Year 12
- 2021 UAC Guides
- Virtual Careers Expo
- Free Webinars for HSC Subjects
- The latest NESA updates
- Early Entry Guidelines
Mark Coster
Year 12 Coordinator
Office
Early Leave Pass and collecting your student from the College Office
Please remember if your child is leaving the college early please contact the office or arrange for your child to have a note with them in the morning or email the school directly jpccoffs@lism.catholic.edu.au / Tel: 6653 3155.
The note must clearly state the student's name, homeroom, time and reason for the pass. It must be signed by a parent or guardian. A phone call is not accepted for an early leave pass.
The office will process the early leave pass before school, recess or lunch. If the student returns to the college later in the day, the student must sign in at the office.
Feeling Sick
If a student is feeling sick at school, they must not call a parent/carer to collect them from school. Students need to inform their class teacher or come directly to the office for the office staff to contact parent/carer to arrange collection or administer first aid.
Uniform
New school hats are now available and cost $20.00.
Please be aware there will only be 4 people permitted in the Uniform shop at a time.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Canteen
- Hot food - pre-order before school for recess or lunch
- 3 lines only - Pre-Orders, Cash/Card and Card only
- Only 1 student only per line at counter