SCAS News

What an exciting year we have ahead! The highlights of Term 1 include Primary Swimming and Cross Country carnivals, Years 3 to 5 camps, Grandparents Day, SCAS Public Speaking competition and our biannual Easter Hat Parade! Don’t forget to wait for information about Easter hats as they are made at school with their buddies. 

We are delighted to introduce two new staff members to the Primary team as well as welcoming Secondary teachers who will join us as K-12 staff in 2020.  Mrs Christine Nicholson is teaching our wonderful Kindergarten students and joins us from the United States. Mrs Elisa Pringle is joining our Performing Arts core team of Mrs Lukes, Mrs Finnecy and Mrs Bush. We are fortunate to have her vast dance experience at our disposal. Mrs Mistry, Mrs Grootenboer and Mrs Lakin will also work with our students. Mr Brown and Mr Blackmore from the Secondary Music Department will also join Mrs Finnecy in teaching our Year 5 Band program. For more information about staff for 2020 please see here.

Meet the Teacher evening is a fantastic opportunity to meet the staff and other parents from your child’s grade. Please see here for details of this important evening. The Performing Arts staff are also available to discuss Music programs, Performing Arts Hour and Co-curricular.   

Parent-teacher interviews are later this term. We have exciting plans for the improvement of our assessment and reporting formats in 2020 as a response to the parent and staff survey that was taken in 2019. Look out for correspondence from Mrs Stephanie Cairns, our Coordinator of Literacy and Numeracy at St Columba.  

This year our school is introducing a number of initiatives to improve and extend our students’ learning. 

The 6Cs of Deeper Learning

The Ignite workshop was a huge success. Thank you to all the parents who joined our staff to share their experiences as educators and carers of children at SCAS. It was very reaffirming to hear the stories of pride, success and care that were shared. The 6C presentation by Mr Chris Delaney and Mr Paul Rikmanis was just a snapshot of the expertise and the passion of our director team.  

Primary Learning Behaviours

‘Wellbeing is a state of health, happiness and positive engagement that arises from membership of an equitable, inclusive and cohesive environment’ (Helen Street 2016). At St Columba, we are focused on developing the skills that will ensure our students are supported in becoming well adjusted, valued and valuable members of society, content within themselves.

Housekeeping

Communication

• Please read SCAS Express and ExplainSCAS
• The Student Diary is being used for K – 6 students. Please sign regularly. 
• Email primaryschool@scas.nsw.edu.au for changes to routines as teachers are not checking emails throughout the day.
• Staff are not required to respond to emails in the evenings or on weekends.
• Class Dojo will not be used in 2020 as we move to new parent engagement tools in 2020. Look out for updates!

After School Routines

• Students and siblings do not have permission to play in the playground. 
• The Canteen area is the allocated space for collection as this helps our staff supervise children.
• Primary students do not have permission to use mobile phones at school. This includes after school.

Our car line will flow more quickly if a few simple rules are followed:

• Do not get out of your car. Staff will assist students. 
• Do not ask children to get into the car prior to the line moving to the top of Kiss and Drop.
• Only Stage 1 parents can wait in Kiss and Drop prior to 3:15pm.
• Have a name sign in your visor. Please contact Reception if you need a replacement. 
• Students entering cars on the outside lane are at risk of buses and car driving past. Use the left side doors only.

The staff and students had a wonderful first week and I look forward to seeing all of our parents at the Stage 1 and Primary Twilight Cocktail evenings in a couple of weeks time.