St. Malachy's School Edenhope eNewsletter

Prayer

Dear God,
We pray for our students, families and staff during the holiday break.
May this time be safe, restful and renewing and may everyone return refreshed and ready for the learning and opportunities of Term 4.
- Amen

From the Principals

Dear Families,

As Term 3 comes to a close, I want to thank our families for their wonderful support throughout a busy and exciting term. Highlights included the introduction of Sounds Write spelling, 100 Days of School, African Cultural Day, Book Week, Father’s Day, student artworks displayed at the Red Tail Gallery, the Year 5/6 Western Trinity Poetry Day in Harrow and our Athletics carnival.

It has been a Term full of learning, creativity and community spirit. We wish everyone a safe and restful break and look forward to a great Term 4 ahead. A reminder that hats are needed for playtime during Term 4 and students will also be busy with our school production and rehearsals, as well as Bike Ed and Swimming programs.

Please also notify the office of any changes to end-of-day transport before 2.30 p.m., given the change of seasons and sports being played.

Thanks,

- Gorgia + Sherryn

Around the rooms

Foundation - Mrs. Craig

Over the past few weeks, Foundation students have shown great progress in their reading and spelling as they confidently sound out words. They enjoyed finishing Fern Gully which led to learning about the Daintree Rainforest. In Maths, they have been working on telling the time to the hour. What a fantastic finish to Term 3!

Year 1/2 - Mrs. Stringer

The Year 1/2 students have been busy and enthusiastic learners over the past few weeks!

Numeracy
We have explored multiplication, division, and fractions, building our understanding of how numbers connect and work together. Students are now turning their focus to money, learning to recognise coins, count amounts and solve simple money problems.

Inquiry
Across Foundation to Year 2, students have been discovering the beauty of Australia’s natural landmarks. We have linked this learning to the stories and knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, gaining a deeper appreciation for our land and its rich history.

Literacy
In Literacy, students have been working extra hard on using conjunctions to extend their writing and create more detailed sentences. They have been exploring how adjectives and verbs can bring their ideas to life. A highlight has been finishing our class novel, Matilda by Roald Dahl. To celebrate, students are creating dioramas of their favourite scenes, showcasing both their creativity and their comprehension of the story.

It has been a wonderful time of learning and we are so proud of the curiosity, effort and imagination our students continue to show each day.

Year 3/4 - Mrs. Robinson

The Year 3/4 class have been travelling around Australia to find their lost items.

Indie has lost a jigsaw puzzle piece called Darwin. Darwin has travelled to Uluru and the Daintree Rainforest.
Codey and Macca have lost their marbles in the Northern Territory. What an adventure they have been on!
Harriett lost her car keys. The keys have travelled to the Great Barrier Reef.

In Year 3/4, we have been looking at angles in Maths.

In Inquiry, we have continued learning about Australian Legends. We enjoyed researching about the Puma of the Grampians, the Bunyip, the Min Min Lights and the Yowie.

In Reading, we have researched about Australian Landmarks.

In Handwriting, we have been working on achieving our pen licenses.

Year 5/6 - students

Last day of School Term 3 - On the last day of school, we encourage students to wear sports colours, whether that be a favourite football team, netball team or other. We are going to have lunch orders and many fun sports themed activities to keep the students and teachers entertained throughout the day. At the end of the day, we will finish up with an assembly. It has been such an amazing term with you all, we wish everyone lots of fun on the holidays and can't wait to see you all for the beginning of Term 4.

- Milly & John

Production Update - This year for our production, we have chosen Arthur and the Sword in the Stone. The Foundation class has been practising their dances for the play and are looking fabulous. Year 1 and 2s have been practising their stage roles as extra villagers and knights. In Year 3 & 4, they have finished two dances. The 5/6 have been rehearsing their lines and practicing their stage movement and positioning.

- Rhianna & Maggie

Welcome to new Foundation Students - Last Tuesday night, we held a Transition Information Evening, where the kinder kids and their parents came to see the school for next year. The year 5 and 6's welcomed the guests and gave a tour of the school. Beforehand, they made food and playdough for the kinder kids. While they were playing, the parents had a chat with the teachers. We are going to have around 10 students next year.

- Elena and Connor

Harrow Excursion - Year 5 & 6 - On Monday the 15th, the 5/6 students from Coleraine and Casterton joined us and participated in presenting our Literacy work, where we wrote a poem and paired it with song. We all made our own poem and picked 3 or 4 to share with the other schools as well as a class one. It was a fun day seeing all the effort and work that went into the poems and to see the creative ways of thinking. We had a nice walk to calm down our nerves and get to know people before the poems. After the poems had finished, we had a treasure hunt all around Harrow then we had some delicious hot chips. We had a play, then we did a meditation with chocolate on our tongue. We also completed literacy rebus puzzles. It was a great way to celebrate our term's work.

- Jade and Connor

Last day of term

For the last day of term, students and staff came to school in their favourite sports team colours. We had A.F.L., local football/netball teams, team St. Malachy's along with other sports codes.

From the sports desk

Little Desert Aths @ Stawell

On Wednesday, 10th September, 11 St. Malachy’s students went to Stawell to participate in the Little Desert Athletics. Archer, Felix, Markus, Rhianna, Thomas, Milly, Maggie, Lucy, Lucius, Roy and Sarah had a variety of track and field events to complete. On a cold and windy day, our athletes competed fiercely. Congratulations to Lucius who has qualified for Regionals. Many thanks to the parents who took us down. It was a great day and we achieved more than you could believe.

- Archer and Markus

Making the most of the holidays: the importance of family time

The coming holiday provides the perfect opportunity for families to slow down, reconnect, and enjoy meaningful time together. Research shows that quality family time contributes significantly to children's emotional well-being, self-esteem, and academic success.

Spending time together doesn’t need to be expensive or complicated. In fact, the simplest activities often create the most lasting memories. Here are a few ideas to help you make the most of the school holidays:

Cooking or baking together: Involve your children in preparing a meal or baking treats. It’s not only fun, but also helps build important life skills like following instructions and measuring ingredients. You can also share them with the residents at Lakeside Living.
Outdoor adventures: Take a walk in a local park, go on a nature scavenger hunt, or visit a local garden or beach. Time in nature helps reduce stress and improves overall well-being for both adults and children.
Game or movie nights: Set aside one night a week for a family board game or a cozy movie night with homemade popcorn. These traditions foster a sense of belonging and joy.
Creative projects: Encourage creativity through arts and crafts, building puzzles, or even starting a family scrapbook of your holiday memories.
Volunteering together: Participating in community service or donating to a local charity can help children develop empathy and a sense of purpose.
For more ideas read the blog “45 New Family Holiday Traditions” (link below)

Ultimately, it’s not about how much time you spend, but how present and engaged you are during that time. These shared experiences provide children with a sense of stability and connection, which are vital to their development.

We hope you have a joyful and restful holiday break, filled with meaningful moments together!

References:

Li, D., & Guo, X. (2023). The effect of the time parents spend with children on children's well-being. Frontiers in psychology, 14, 1096128. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1096128
Children & Nature Network. (2019). Benefits of Nature for Children
https://biglifejournal.com/blogs/blog/new-holiday-traditions?_pos=2&_sid=4a8b920d9&_ss=r

Child safety

Name calling is never a ‘joke’

You probably think name calling is something only children do. After all, name calling is one of the most common ways that conflict starts between children, especially on the playground out of the eye of the teacher.

However, name calling doesn’t start on the playground. It pervades our society. We hear athletes called names when they miss a throw or lose. We hear protesters on opposite sides of an issue call each other names. TV characters and comedians call each other names. Even our politicians use name calling against their opponents.

Name calling may just be words and is often dismissed with phrases like “It’s just a joke”, “Everyone says it”, “Teasing is part of growing up”, etc., but it is a very dangerous practice. Being called a name HURTS! And that hurt can lead to anger and violence or withdrawal and fear. Because our youth live in a sea of name calling, it is essential for families and educational institutions to teach students that name calling is not only wrong, but also a source of hurt and conflict.

What's coming up

Hats on Heads for Term 4

School hats are required to be worn in Term 4 so if your child has lost, misplaced or can't find their hat, they can be purchased from the office for $10.

Thursday, 18th September - Last day of term for students
Friday, 19th September - Staff P.D. Structured Literacy - PUPIL FREE DAY
Monday, 6th October - Term 4 begins
Wednesday, 22nd October - Little Desert Cricket @ Horsham (Year 5/6)
Monday, 3rd November - PUPIL FREE DAY - staff P.D.
Tuesday, 4th November - Melbourne Cup Day - PUPIL FREE DAY
Wednesday, 5th November - Feast Day (pet blessing/Mission Day)
Thursday, 6th - Friday, 7th November - F-2 Naracoorte excursion and sleepover @ school
Tuesday, 11th November - Remembrance Day
Thursday, 20th November - School Production @ Apsley
Thursday, 4th December - Year 3/4 Cultural Day
Friday, 5th December - F-2 Lake Bike Ride, 3-4 Big Bike Bonanza Ride, 5-6 T.B.C.
Tuesday, 9th December - Statewide Transition Day
Friday, 12th December - Year 5 Leadership Speeches
Tuesday, 16th December - End of Year Mass @ 5 p.m.
Thursday, 18th December - Last day for students