Term 4 Week 1 - Friday 8th October 2021
From Our Principal
WELCOME
We welcome Rheannon Owen to our staff team. Rheannon has been appointed to a Pastoral Care role at St Mary’s. Rheannon will be working closely with teachers to support student wellbeing as they transition back to school this term. Rheannon has experience in mental health, supporting children in residential care and she is also completing a degree in Teaching.
Please see the table below that outlines when each year level will be onsite for learning prior to all students returning on the 26th.
School Closure Day - Friday 22nd October
School-Wide Positive Behaviours
The School-wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) framework is used to develop positive, safe, supportive learning cultures. The SWPBS framework will help us to improve social, emotional, behavioural and academic outcomes for students in our community.
The intention is that teachers and students have more time to focus on relationships and classroom instruction. Students and staff will benefit from:
Increased respectful and positive behaviour
Improved social-emotional wellbeing
Positive and respectful relationships among students and staff
Increased adoption of evidence-based instructional practices
Key features of SWPBS;
- To establish a common philosophy and purpose: Staff and students use a common language to discuss behaviour and explicitly teach appropriate behaviour.
- To establish a team at the school leads implementation by creating, reviewing and monitoring an action plan. The work is done in collaboration by the whole staff with input from parents, students and the community.
- To clearly define a set of expected behaviours: The school identifies behavioural expectations that apply at all times. Clear, positively stated examples are identified and displayed in different school settings.
- To establish procedures for teaching and practising expected behaviours: A school-wide plan is developed to ensure behavioural expectations are taught to all students by all staff.
- To implement a continuum of procedures to encourage expected behaviours:
- To use procedures for record-keeping, decision making and ongoing monitoring:
- To Support staff to use effective classroom practices: Schools establish systems to support staff to adopt evidence-based instructional practices associated with reductions in inappropriate behaviour.
Upcoming Dates
GRADE 3/4 STUDENTS - RETURN TO SCHOOL DATES
Tuesday 12th October, Wednesday 13th October
Tuesday 19th October, Wednesday 20th October
GRADE 5/6 STUDENTS - RETURN TO SCHOOL DATES
Thursday 14th October, Friday 15th October
Monday 18th October, Thursday 21st October
FRIDAY 22 OCTOBER - SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY
TUESDAY 26 OCTOBER
All students return to school full time
THERE WILL BE NO LUNCH ORDERS UNTIL WE ARE FURTHER ADVISED. MARIAN COLLEGE ARE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE AT THIS TIME.
Happy Birthday!
Wishing the following students a happy birthday from over the school holidays:
Miley T, Dustin P, Jake O & Jack P
And a happy birthday for this week to:
Patrick D, Scarlett P, Eva B & Lachlan B
Mental Health Week & Resilient Ararat
St Mary’s Supporting Mental Health Week (Sunday 10th October - Sunday 17th October)
Central Grampians LLEN are launching a campaign this Sunday 10th of October to kick off World Mental Health Week!
The campaign is aptly called ‘Random Acts of Kindness in the Rat!’
The aim of the campaign is to emphasise the importance of practicing empathy through kindness and encourages members of the community to share a random act of kindness with another person, using the ‘pay it forward’ cards that have been distributed around the town.
St Mary’s are excited to be involved in such an amazing project! Keep your eyes peeled for our #kindararat activities next week.