In these unprecedented times in education, traditional direct instruction has been altered due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Determining academic mastery is challenging in remote learning environments as conversations, observations and assessments are limited. For Semester One students will be receiving an Interim Update Report that reflects the engagement in learning undertaken during classroom and remote learning over the course of Term 1 up until the later stages of Term 2, 2020. The Key Learning Areas of Religious Education, English and Mathematics have been the focus for many of the classroom and remote learning experiences delivered during Terms 1 and 2. 

In previous years we have reported on student progress and their achievement, against a five point A-E grading scale, twice per year. Due to the current circumstances and the need for schools to teach remotely, valid assessment of student learning has been challenging. Therefore, it seems more appropriate that student engagement in learning in the three Key Learning Areas is reported on at this time. 

The interim Update Report will reflect teacher’s professional judgements regarding a student's learning engagement, effort and key learning indicators for each of the three key learning areas. The student’s learning engagement will reflect the level of commitment the student has displayed, using a rating scale of exceeding expectations, meeting expectations or working towards expectations. 

In regards to the judgements regarding a student’s effort, teachers have been asked to consider in which context they have the strongest evidence of a student’s effort related to their work input and will use a rating scale of extensive, moderate or needs improvement. For each of the key learning areas of Religious Education, English and Mathematics teachers will also list five key indicators that reflect an overview of some key aspects of their learning in Semester One. We need to be mindful that these judgements were made in very different learning conditions and as educators, our teachers have responded to these challenges with a high degree of professionalism and dedication.

Now that all students have returned to school it is very important that if parents are dropping off or picking up students via the back gate or side gate, we ask that parents do not remain onsite and leave the school in a timely manner. This way, as a school community, we are all being respectful to our COVID-19 social distancing safe procedures. 

When the bell goes in the morning, students will assemble in their class groups. We will say our school prayer and then move off to classrooms.

At afternoon dismissal, for the parents picking up their children at the back gate can you please stay behind the small markers that have been placed at the end of the basketball court and wait for your child to walk to you. Please do not enter the playground any further than these markers. 

Thank you for your cooperation.

Mr Justin Devlin

Principal

Listed below are some important dates for Term 2 & Term3

Grade Mass 

Grade Mass has been postponed for the students until further notice. 

Assembly

Assemblies have been postponed until further notice.

Awards

Congratulations to the following students who will receive an award for being a great learner and wonderful community member. These awards will be handed out in class by Mr Devlin and Mr Crawford until assemblies resume.

I would like to invite Year 6 parents to meet in the school library on Friday 19 June at 2:00 pm. This meeting will involve the discussion and coordination of the Year 6 farewell activities. Please keep in mind that this will be a general conversation regarding ideas and parents will be able to nominate themselves to coordinate different activities towards the end of year. At this unpredictable time with COVID-19 we will not be booking in any dates or times for these activities but can be prepared to do so in the future.

Congratulations to the following students who received a St Anthony's Award for doing good for others.

KR - Khloe Kovacevic

KW - Jennifer Condous

1R - Emmeline Magee

1W - Hazel Kyle

2R - Mya Rae

2W - Ben McMullen

3R - Bella Noble

3W - Lachlan Jones

4R - Nicholas Garner-Haddad

4W - Eliza Deas

4B - Alex Lapic

5W - Bella Kostopoulos

5R - Emily Collins

6W - Jessica Fiumara

6R - Alex Xuereb

St Anthony's students participated in a variety of activities to promote World Environment Day which is an international day of environmental awareness and action that happens on 5 June each year. Ever since its creation, the United Nations has emphasised that WED should be seen as the "people's day" for doing something to take care of the Earth. This year's theme is biodiversity, which is the range of different living ecosystems on earth, including plant and animal species. Recent events from the bushfires in Brazil, Australia and America, to locust swarms destroying food supply across East Africa, and the current corona-virus pandemic, highlight how our changing environment is threatening biodiversity on a huge scale.

At our school some students learnt about different plants and animals that live in various ecosystems across the globe. Year One created their own animals from natural materials and made bird seed feeders from recycled materials. In Year Five, the focus was on Rainforests and the destruction that threatens the biodiversity of these very important ecosystems. Mrs Cordingley organised lots of books for the children to read that were focused on the environment. The library even sold many books to the students for a gold coin as a way of encouraging reusing books that the library no longer needed. Lastly, the whole school participated in a nude food day. We had students using containers and beeswax wraps rather than cling wrap. There were more drink bottles used and fresh fruit eaten which means less packaging going to landfill. 

Our Environment Group spoke to each class to remind the students about our recycling and composting systems. They then went during their lunch break with some infant children to clean the car park and boardwalk outside our school.

Thank you to all of the staff and students for participating in such an important day in the year. 

Mrs Knight and Mrs Newton

Sacramental Programs

Parish Sacramental Programs have been postponed to later in the year, if possible. In order for the Parish to be prepared, the Parish is asking parents to register your child's name and the Sacramental program they will be completing. It is important that you register as there may not be a great deal of time for preparing programs later in the year. Please see attached note with all the details.

Please find attached some Frequentley Asked Questions regarding School Fees and COVID-19.

A consent form for use of student's images was sent home to every family. Parents signing this form gives St Anthony's permission to celebrate their child's achievements in our newsletters, allows parents to view their child at sporting events or excursions, on posters around the school and Facebook with discretion. If you wish NOT to give permission for your child's image to be used in any of the points 1-6 please tick the NO box, sign and return the form back to school. If this option is picked OR if we Do Not receive a form back for your child, we will remove your child's image from any photo that will be used by St Anthony's. If you require another form please see attached.