Term 4, Week 3 2024

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome back to Term 4.  I hope you all had some time to rest and recharge during the holidays and are ready for a busy, but exciting term of new learning and exploration.

This term we have many exciting things happening across the school, and some of these include: Quiz Night, Semaphore Street Fair, School Christmas Concert, Year 6 Graduation, as well as many school, class and year level activities. Please refer to our school calendar for all other important school dates.

SWIMMING

We kicked off the term with a SPLASH! All students from Rec to Year 5 thoroughly enjoyed their swimming lessons at Immanuel College. Swimming week is an excellent chance for students to not only enhance their swimming skills but also to learn about water safety. The excitement in the air at the start of the week was unmistakable, but by the end, it was clear that the students were feeling exhausted. I’m sure they all had a restful weekend!

A huge thank you to Matt Annetta for his hard work in organising this fantastic learning experience, to all staff for supporting this excursion and to the many parent volunteers who lent their support each day. Without the right student-to-adult ratios, opportunities like this wouldn't be possible.

WORLD TEAHERS DAY 2024 - FRIDAY 25 OCTOBER

Last Friday, we celebrated World Teacher’s Day across Australia! This year’s theme was ‘Hats off to teachers’ 🤠. It’s a special occasion to express our gratitude for the amazing contributions our teachers make. At Dominican, we are fortunate to have an exceptional team of educators working in our classrooms, specialist programs, intervention, and leadership roles. Our students thrive under their guidance, so it was a great opportunity to recognise their dedication and hard work last Friday!

Thank you to our wonderful teachers for continually inspiring our students to be their best! #WorldTeachersDay2024

CELEBRATING OUR FAITH

We are blessed to be able to share in the celebration of Mass with our Lefevre Catholic Parish. This term we will gather for parish masses at 12.00pm at Sacred Heart Church on:

Week 2 Friday October 25
RS, RN, 5/6T & 5/6AO Parish Mass

Week 3 Friday November 1
R-6 Parish Mass – All Saints Day

Week 4 Friday November 8
RM, 2K, 1A & 3/4S Parish Mass

Week 6 Friday November 8
1F & 3/4H Parish Mass

Week 8 Friday December 6 at 9.30am
R-6 End of Year Thanksgiving Mass

For all Masses, students will walk to and from the Church supervised by their teachers.

These celebrations provide us with the opportunity to gather in faith, hope and love, and we look forward to sharing our Masses with parishioners and families. All families are very welcome to attend.

CATHOLIC MISSION APPEAL

Each October we celebrate Catholic Mission month to support the important work of Catholic Mission to reach out and make a difference to those in need. This year we are KICKING GOALS FOR GOOD with our Socktober Shootout Fundraiser and our focus on the Don Bosco Caring Centre in Mongolia. We aim raise money to provide disadvantaged and vulnerable children with nutritious meals, essential school supplies and warm winter clothing for the cold Mongolian winters. Our Justice Leaders have been actively involved in raising awareness of Catholic Mission month with all classes. Today they held their Soctober Shootout to fundraise for the appeal, with all students wearing crazy socks and participating in a fun soccer goal kicking challenge. We are thrilled to share that we have raised over $380.00 for children in Mongolia. Thank you for your generosity and supporting us in KICKING GOALS FOR GOOD!

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM

The next cycle of the Sacramental Program will commence early next year and we are seeking expressions of interest.  Our Family Faith Formation Program involves children from Dominican School, Our Lady of the Visitation School and the Lefevre Catholic Parish to prepare for and celebrate the Sacraments of First Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Holy Communion.  The program is for Catholic children who are 8 years or over.

For further details access the Sacraments Brochure. We invite and welcome all children who would like to be a part of this program to support them on their faith journey.

Martina Kovacev
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION COORDINATOR

NEURODIVERSITY STUDENT PRESENTATION

At the end of Term 3, Georgia Payze, Director of Sunny Day Speech, presented to our Year 2 – Year 6 students about neurodiversity to inform students of how this differentiates the way some students learn and interact with one another. Georgia is a speech pathologist who works with one of our extensive students and provided this opportunity for our students to better understand neurodiversity and promote a sense of inclusion for our students at Dominican School.

Neurodiversity refers to the concept that neurological differences—such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and others—are natural variations of the human brain rather than deficits or disorders to be "fixed." Embracing neurodiversity means recognizing and valuing these differences, understanding that diverse cognitive styles contribute to varied ways of learning, thinking, and interacting with the world. The neurodiversity movement advocates for inclusive environments that support individuals’ unique strengths and challenges, emphasizing respect, understanding, and tailored approaches to education, work, and social settings to empower all individuals to thrive.

Earlier in the year, Georgia worked with our staff to develop a better understanding of the type of language used to support neurodiverse learners and how to encourage the participation in learning activities and social settings with their peers. This information was well received and in building upon this opportunity, Georgia wanted to extend the inclusion by presenting to students to build their awareness and acceptance of all students in our community.

Some of the topics that Georgia presented to students was the different ways in which neurodiverse students may choose to communicate to others, such as with visual prompts and actions rather than the use of words. Georgia also encouraged students to see this as an opportunity to share their strengths and passions as neurodiverse learners are often some of the most creative thinkers.

Georgia is keen to continue to collaborate with the Dominican community to continue to build an inclusive environment for all with students having a better understanding of the diversity and strengths of all individuals. In 2025, we look forward to continuing to develop an inclusive environment for all, and would like to investigate the potential of hosting a parent session on neurodiversity to support parent engagement and awareness in this domain.

WHOLE-SCHOOL DATA COLLECTION

During Term 4, we will finalise our whole-school data collection cycle to inform our whole-school practices and provide insight into student academic achievement. This data is used to inform practice, target specific student needs, and celebrate the successes of our students throughout the year.

In Term 3, our Year 1 students completed the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check. The Year 1 Phonics Screening Check is a national assessment aimed at measuring Year 1 students' phonics knowledge, essential for early reading development. Conducted annually, the check assesses students' ability to decode and blend sounds in both real and pseudo-words, providing insights into their phonological awareness. Students are scored against a benchmark, allowing schools to identify those needing additional support in foundational literacy skills.

This graph shows our school’s performance from 2023 to 2024. This shows that we have had a 4.1% increase of students who have been able to achieve above the benchmarks for this assessment. Students who achieved below the benchmarks were already known to require supports for literacy and are involved in school-based intervention programs to support their literacy development.

In Term 4, student will participate in the final collection of the DIBELS assessments (Dynamic Indictors of Basic Early Literacy Skills) and the Progressive Achievement Testing (PAT). These data sets are used to support staff discussions regarding targeted support, whole-school learning initiatives, as well as identify students who may require additional supports.

Along with this academic data, student wellbeing data is also collected to ensure the wellbeing of the student is also being reflected upon. Academic success and student wellbeing are closely linked, with each influencing and reinforcing the other. When students experience positive wellbeing—defined by emotional stability, resilience, social connection, and self-esteem—they are better positioned to engage in learning, concentrate, and perform academically. Positive wellbeing fosters motivation, persistence, and a growth mindset, which are critical for academic achievement. This is a key value of our PBIS whole-school initiative.

SEQTA ENGAGE

SEQTA Engage is the parent portal within SEQTA, designed to give parents real-time access to their child’s educational journey. Through SEQTA Engage, parents can view their child’s timetable, academic reports, attendance records, homework, and teacher feedback. This portal also facilitates direct communication with teachers, allowing parents to stay informed and engaged in their child’s progress.

Due to this being the first year of utilising SETQA Engage, the only portals that are available for parents is the portal page and the Reports page. This is to allow parents to access student reports for each semester. Parents can then choose to download or print these documents at their or leisure.

A letter will be going home in the coming weeks to families new to the Dominican Community to ensure you are aware of this platform in preparation for end of year reporting. All reports will be released on Monday 9^th of December through SEQTA Engage. If you did not created an account during Semester 1 to access SEQTA Engage, please see Kim Murphy at the Front Office who will be able to assist you in accessing this platform. Mid-Year Reception Parents will receive further information in the coming weeks.

Nick Ryan
LEADER OF LEARNING

VISUAL ARTS IN YEAR 3/4

This term, our Year 3/4 students are exploring Aboriginal history, arts, and culture. In Visual Arts, we are learning how Aboriginal artworks signify landmarks, tell stories, and connect people to their ancestors. Aboriginal sand drawings are a ritual using symbolic images to tell stories, mark landmarks, and connect with ancestors, with leaders narrating as they draw, then smoothing the sand to protect sacred sites. Last week, 3/4S enjoyed creating their own interpretations of sand drawings to communicate a story and message.

OSHC OCTOBER HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

The October school holidays were packed with exciting activities in OSHC! Students enjoyed a variety of engaging programs, from creative arts and crafts to outdoor adventures and group games, making the holiday period a memorable experience for everyone involved. A big thank you to our OSHC team for providing such a fun-filled break!

CLICK HERE to view October OSHC Holiday Highlights

IMPORTANT REMINDER  
Please note that Friday, 13 December (Week 9) will be a whole school closure day. This includes OSHC, meaning there will be no OSHC service available on that day. We kindly ask families to make alternate care arrangements for this date.

Thank you for your understanding and support!

Paula Northeast
OSHC DIRECTOR

SAPSASA REPRESENTATIVES

Congratulations to Oliver B, Isaac S and Zane T who were selected in the Port SAPSASA Boys Cricket Team. The boys will be participating in the upcoming carnival in Week 4. We wish the boys all the best.

We are also thrilled to announce that three of our talented students, Isabella H, Tiger M, and Alyssa H, were selected in the Port SAPSASA Athletics team last term! They competed at the State Carnival held on September 17th.

The State Carnival is a significant event that showcases the best young athletes from across the Adelaide region. Isabella, Tiger, and Alyssa each participated in a variety of events, demonstrating exceptional skill and sportsmanship. 

SPECIAL SPORTS ASSEMBLY – Wednesday 4 December

We are excited to announce a special sports assembly scheduled for Wednesday, December 4th, during Week 8 of Term 4. This assembly will be held at 9:00 AM and promises to be a special occasion as we come together to celebrate the achievements of our students who represented Dominican School in the after-school basketball and soccer competitions.

This is a fantastic opportunity to acknowledge the dedication, teamwork, and sportsmanship displayed by our students throughout the season. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and commitment, and we look forward to honoring their efforts.

In addition to celebrating our students, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the parent volunteers who generously dedicated their time and energy to coach our school teams. Your commitment and support have made a significant impact on our students' sporting experiences, and we want to recognise your invaluable contributions.

If you are a coach of one of our basketball or soccer teams, please consider this as a warm invitation to join us for this special assembly. 

We encourage all members of our school community to attend this assembly as we come together to celebrate the spirit of sport at Dominican.

Matthew Annetta
PE TEACHER AND SPORTS COORDINATOR

This term Courtney Quigley is running parent workshops called the Strength Switch about helping to spot your child’s strengths and using them to help your child solve problems and issues that arise. Students have learnt about some of these character strengths in their classes. We can practise strength spotting in characters in book, in our family members and with our friends. Try giving a compliment to someone about how they are using these strengths.

Lisa Osborne
SCHOOL COUNSELLOR

2025 SCHOOL FEES
We are pleased to inform our school families that there will not be an increase in school fees for the 2025 school year.

It is at the heart of Catholic education that our schools are affordable and accessible to all.

If any family has financial concerns, we ask them to contact Angela Scodella, Principal, or Jo Freer, Finance Officer, to confidentially discuss additional support through fee remissions.

Jo Freer
FINANCE OFFICER