On Friday 11 November, our school will acknowledge, remember and give thanks to those who have served and sacrificed in all wars and conflicts. 

It was a Canadian doctor, Major John McCrae, who penned the poem first associated poppies with remembrance. Devastated by the death of a young soldier, Major McCrae wrote the poem during the second battle of Ypres in 1915, and it was eventually published in Punch.

His words are still read each year on Remembrance Day: 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: 

To you from failing hands we throw 

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

We have a wide range of Rememberance Day items to purchase from the Highett RSL. Items are on display in the office and the year 6's will also be selling pens, pins, keyrings etc during school hours and prices range from $2 - $10. If you wish for your child to make a purchase, please remember to send them to school with some money.  

Staff 2023

At the end of this year we say farewell to Joyce Henderson. Joyce has been teaching Japanese at our school for the last four years. Joyce is reducing her work hours next year. I would like to acknowledge and give thanks for the contribution Joyce has made to our school. In particular she has engaged our students in cultural and language experiences that have greatly enriched their learning. We wish Joyce all the best for the future.

I am pleased to announce that Helene Lionakis will be our new Japanese teacher in 2023. Helen currently works at Our Lady of Assumption in Cheltenham and is looking forward to also working at St Catherine’s next year. Helene brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of teaching language and culture to students.

Grandparents Day

It was so lovely to see so many grandparents and special friends attend school and mass last week. Thank you to families for supporting this event. We were so pleased to welcome extended family and friends to our beautiful school and for them to participate in classroom activities.

Athletics Day- Friday 25 November

Our school athletics day is coming up and we invite family and friends along to the Athletics Track at Bricker Reserve on Friday 25 November from 9:00-11:00am. 

Thanks to our Parents and Friends (Angelina Piccolo) who have organised at BBQ lunch for students back at school on this day. Hard copy order forms will be sent home with each student tomorrow.

Swimming Program

Information regarding the  F-4  swimming program will be sent to parents via Operoo this week. A hard copy swimming self assessment form will be sent home with each student tomorrow. Parents are asked to complete this form as soon as possible and return to school, so that we can pass on this information to AQUAstar.

Australian Teachers Day

While the title of this event mentions teachers, last Friday we acknowledged all our staff who support student learning in our school. Thank you to our Parents and Friends (Natalie Taff) who delivered some yummy cookies for each staff member. Our staff were also treated to a fish and chip lunch, which was  very much appreciated  on a cold day. Our student voice group made cards for staff and put together a short video, thanking staff for the work they do.

Online Safety Basics

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/online-safety-basics

Kids 5-12 

As children start to navigate the online world and interact with others more independently, they are more likely to be exposed to risks of bullying or unwanted contact, accidentally coming across inappropriate content or racking up bills through in-app purchases.

Your guidance can help them be aware of the risks and understand what is expected of them. Let them know you are always there to support them. 

Advice for parents and carers 

• Keep the computer or device in an area of your home that can be supervised. And check in regularly with your child to see what they are viewing.
• Stay engaged with their online activity. If they agree, consider setting up your own accounts with the sites they use most so you can see how they work and understand the risks. 
• Explore the online world with them to help establish that this is not just a solitary activity. Play games with them. Do a creative project together.
• Think about social media readiness. Most social media sites require users to be at least 13 years of age before they can register, although some sites are created especially for children under 13. See are they old enough?
• Encourage respect and empathy. Teach them to avoid sharing or posting things that may upset others. See good habits start young.
• Start building resilience. Teach your child that there are ways they can deal with material that worries or frightens them. This includes immediately telling you or another trusted adult of any concerns or uncomfortable material. See good habits start young.
• Encourage them to learn about online safety by exploring the kids section of this site.

Review your rules as your child grows older

• Be clear about how much time they can spend online, the apps they can use, the websites they can visit and what they can share or post online. 
• Refer to our advice about screen time and online gaming if these are of concern.

Technology tips for parents of kids 5 to 12

• Ensure your own devices are protected by a password or pin, so your child cannot accidentally come across inappropriate content.
• If you are thinking about giving them their own tablet or smartphone, check out are they old enough?
• Use parental control tools appropriate for the age and experience of your child. Be upfront and get your child on board. Let them know that these can be reviewed and changed as they get older and they continue to demonstrate responsible behaviour. Consider installing a ‘child-friendly’ search engine that will allow them to explore a limited number of sites. See parental controls.
• Check out Raising Children Network's healthy screen time and quality media choices: 6-11 years.

Grandparents and Special Friends

Day

Grandparents and special friends day was a wonderful experience for both young and old. The excitement levels in each class was contagious. Each class completed an activity or two which saw fantastic conversations between the students and their guests. This year we saw many visitors meeting face to face and others connecting via facetime reaching out to grandparents in Ireland, Russia and the Caribbean in Foundation alone. 

Classes interviewed grandparents about when they were at school and shared the differences that happen today. Some were very creative and made handprint collages, photo frames and some designed a keepsake mug. Others taught their grandparents and special friends how to make agamograph pop art.

Attending Mass together was a very special celebration. We had two grandmother’s share their experiences about what they love about being a grandparent. Many of the students shared with the community about what they love about their grandparents. There was a recurring theme of being spoilt by their grandparents by watching movies and eating treats. There was a sense of reverence and excitement in the church and the sounds of everyone singing was electric.

The grandparents and special friends ended their morning with a well deserved cup of tea and refreshments. We would like to thank everyone for their attendance. Celebrating our grandparents and special friends day is a lovely way to connect with family members and the day was cherished by all.

Mum’s Time Out Paint and Sip

Thanks to all the Mums who attended the Paint and Sip on Thursday! It was a great night, lots of creativity and concentration! It was nice to bring together a group of Mums with students in all different classes! We probably won’t have another event this year, but definitely will plan a dinner or drinks in February to celebrate and welcome 2023!
Thanks to all the Mums of St Cath’s for growing the group!
For more information or join, please contact Natalie Taffe on 0438548739 or nattaffe@gmail.com

In FMH we have been revising how to write a recount text. We have written many stories about events we have experienced this term like our recent long weekend and our visit to Como House. The students have been focusing on sharing with the reader information they want to share about their special events. They wrote some amazing stories about what they saw and did at Como House.

We have all been working towards adding a capital letter at the start of our sentences and making sure we leave spaces between our words. The students have been clapping out the number of syllables in words to help them hear the sounds they need to write when attempting unknown words. We have also been learning about adjectives and how they can make our sentences more interesting.

Last week we began learning about persuasive texts. The students listened to the story “Hey Little Ant.” After listening to the story they needed to think about their opinion to the question, “Is it okay to step on ants?” The students then created an illustration of a foot about to step on an ant and then wrote their opinion sharing one or two reasons why they should or should not step on ants. The students have also written their opinions about whether they prefer a cat or dog as a pet and if they would prefer to swim in a pool or at the beach. 

In Grade 1, we have been learning all about poetry in writing. When we are learning about poetry in grade one we listen to, recite and perform poems, chants, rhymes and songs, imitating and inventing sound patterns including alliteration and rhyme. Last week we were specifically learning about rhyming poems. Students completed a matching up activity where they had to cut out and match pictures that rhymed with each other.

Year 2’s have been learning about the authors purpose using the acronym PIE (persuade, inform or entertain). We have looked at examples of persuasive writing and the students have been enjoying writing their own persuasive pieces. The students have been following the writers process of planning, drafting, revising, editing and publishing. 

Year 3/4's have been busy learning about and writing amazing poetry. We have written haiku, shape poems, odes, personification, and limerick poems to date. Poetry is a fabulous way to express many emotions. Combine this with the power of words, metaphor and similes, poetry really does help us to better express ourselves and make sense of the world and our place in it.

I have learnt more about how to structure a poem and use similes, metaphors and personification to make my poems more interesting - Lachie P, Year 4. 

I think it is interesting how there are lots of different types of poems which means lots of different way to express emotions - Gus W, Year 4

Here is some of our amazing poetry - 

LACHIE’S ODE TO HIS GRANDPARENTS

GUS’ ODE TO HIS GRANDPARENTS

PERSONIFICATION POEMS

The Pig

 There once lived a pig called King, 

He really liked to sing loudly. 

His lovely wife died, 

He sat and cried. 

While cuddling her bling ring.

By Eve

The Boy

There once lived a boy called Jake,

Who got quite fat eating a cake.

He could not move a bit, 

But he would mostly sit.

A terrible runner he’d make.

By Dom

About OzHarvest.

I would like to share some core & key things that OzHarvest focuses on in their recipes to make them easy to follow for all ages. Such as simplicity, and reusability. OzHarvest recipes are short, simple and immersive, using things the average household may have left over in their fridges and pantries.

I learnt that food can be reused to make delicious meals and snacks in surprisingly simple ways.

The recipe I loved the most, was the pickle. First, we cut the cucumbers in half, then into semi-circles. After that, we made a mixture out of vinegar, salt, sugar and water so the pickles wouldn’t go off in the jars. It did smell like vinegar really badly. When I got home, my parents said I could make burgers on Friday, and put the pickles in them!

Overall, I thought OzHarvest was worth it, even though we were Stuck in a Pickle a few times! (get it?)

By Jackson, 5/6 AT

OzHarvest Cooking

The Ozharvest cooking program has really made me think twice about throwing away foods. For example, did you know that it takes 25 years for lettuce to decompose in a rubbish bag?

I learnt how much food was wasted per year (1.3 billion tonnes of food) and how to make breakfast, lunch and dinner and even the occasional dessert, like peach crumble and peach parfait!

My favourite recipe was peach parfait because it was really easy to make and it was delicious! 

By Albie, 5/6 AT

OzHarvest

Now that we have been taking part in the Ozharvest program for four weeks, I would like to say it has definitely been a different experience but a fun one! We have learnt a lot of different skills that we can also use in everyday life. Like draining fruit, measuring and the difference between tablespoons and teaspoons! OzHarvest has not only given us amazing recipes, but they also taught us how to use the foods that you would most likely not eat or forget about. My favourite recipe was the peach parfait. It was so fun to make. It used peaches, oats and yoghurt.  It looked really pretty because we layered all the food. It looked like and tasted like we were on a tropical island.

Thank you Ozharvest for teaching us how to reduce waste and for the amazing recipes!

OzHarvest Reflection

I would like to share about how we as a team can work together to make a certain recipe, while also being efficient and reducing food waste.

We have learnt that the OzHarvest program is a non-profit business, and are doing the best they can when it comes to reducing food waste, while also feeding people in need, who don't have that much. 

We have also learnt how to make some really nice recipes during this process.. 

The recipe that was my favourite at the time was the peach parfait because it was the one that tasted the nicest out of all the recipes we did so far. 

By Nathan, 5/6 AT   

OzHarvest

Throughout the OzHarvest program I have learnt a lot, and had heaps of fun. I have learnt from the OzHarvest program how to reduce food waste. We really take food for granted  and it needs to change. Food waste is bad and needs to be stopped. 

The recipe I loved the most was the peach crumble, Because it was fun. It had many elements and we got to enjoy it after. The recipe was easy and something you could  do at home.

OzHarvest is amazing. You should try it out!

Over all four weeks I have collected a few fun tips and tricks,for when you are cooking.

Number #1, When we are finished with one of our gourmet meals, we have left over ingredients. Well, you could always find another recipe.If it uses up the same ingredients, that is perfect.

Number #2, You know, veggies, the ones in the back of your fridge? Well there’s another use for them. Pickle them!It's easy, fun and tastes great.

Number #3, When you're measuring, it might be tricky. So I’ve  got a hack for that. When measuring sticky things like oil or honey, simply spray a bit of baking oil on your measuring cup. Now your sticky substance slides right off.

I hope you enjoyed  these fun tricks.

Happy cooking.

By Cristina!

OzHarvest

I would like to share that for 4 weeks ,the food has been tasty and delicious. Plus, it has been fun and interesting. 

I have learnt a lot from cooking. I have learnt that you can save a lot of food/money, if you reuse your leftover ingredients. People save a lot more  money and can use the extra money for different recipes.

My favourite recipe has to be the peach crumble because it was a crumbly oat topping, with toasted peaches,  and a scoop of ice-cream. The best part is that it was fresh out of the oven.

By Rebecca, 5/6 AT :)

                                     

Congratulations to the following students who achieved their shiroi obi (white belt) for their Hiragana Karate Reading and Writing Challenge. 

• Analia (3/4MR)
• Cameron (3/4MR)
• Cooper (3/4MR)
• Harlan (3/4MR)
• Jensen (3/4MR)
• Dylan (3/4JB)
• Harry (3/4JB)

These students are able to read and write the first 10 characters.

Scholastic Book Fair