Term 1 Week 8 of 10
Friday, 21st March 2025
Message from the Principal
Dear parents and carers,
In this newsletter I want to highlight one of the amazing things our parish is doing in partnership with our school. You may not be aware of this but there is a school in Bugaya, Uganda named Resurrection School.
The initial planning of the school begun around 2018 when Father Gerard went to Uganda and met up with Father Nestus where they discussed the need for a school. With the support of our parish and community a new school was built that now has 300 students in attendance. Our parish has set up child sponsorship, for $10 a month this will cover the student’s education, food & shelter. Child Sponsorship and other donations can be organised through the parish, and they are tax deductible. The school will be donating a percentage of our fundraising as well. Over the coming months we will keep you updated about this great initiative.
Best wishes,
Deputy Principal: Learning & Organisation
Take Home Readers
📚 Why We’re Moving Away from Predictable (or Levelled) Texts in Early Reading
Dear Families,
You may have noticed some changes in how we teach reading, especially in the early years. Many of the books and strategies we’ve used in the past—like predictable texts or encouraging children to “guess” words by looking at pictures—are being phased out. These changes are part of the new 2.0 Victorian Curriculum, and there’s a very good reason behind them!
Let’s explain why this shift is happening and how it helps your child become a confident, skilled reader.
🚫 What Are Predictable or ‘Levelled’ Texts, and Why Aren’t They Helpful?
Predictable texts are books where the same sentence repeats on every page, with just one word changing. They often rely on children memorising the sentences or using the pictures to “guess” unfamiliar words.
For example:
I can see a tiger.
I can see a lion.
I can see a giraffe.
While these books might seem easy and fun, they don’t actually help children learn the most important reading skill—decoding words using letter sounds. Many of the words in these texts are tricky and include sounds (like “sh” or “ch”) that children haven’t learned yet. So instead of sounding out the word, they end up guessing or memorising, which doesn’t build real reading skills.
*Example of a predictable text
📖 What Kind of Books Do Help?
Instead, we use decodable texts. These are books carefully designed to match what your child has learned in phonics lessons. The words in these books only use the letter-sound patterns your child already knows, allowing them to practise blending sounds together and build their decoding skills.
As your child learns more letter-sound relationships, they can move on to more complex decodable books.
*Example of a decodable text
👍 Helpful Reading Strategies You Can Use at Home:
Here’s how you can support your child when reading together:
Point to each letter or chunk of the word.
Say each sound.
Blend the sounds together to read the word.
Check that the word makes sense in the sentence.
🖼️ Are Pictures Still Important?
Absolutely! Some parents wonder if focusing on decodable texts means we’re ignoring the role of pictures in reading. Rest assured—pictures are still important for developing language comprehension, imagination, and understanding stories.
But when it comes to teaching your child how to read words, it’s best to focus first on phonics and decoding. Once your child’s decoding skills are solid, we continue building their comprehension skills using rich stories, picture books, and discussions.
💡 In Summary:
We are moving away from predictable texts to focus on decodable books.
We want your child to learn to read by decoding, not guessing.
You can support your child by encouraging sound-blending at home.
Once students have mastered the code and no longer need decodable texts, they will choose texts to read independently that are of interest to them, both fiction and nonfiction (from the school library)!
Thank you for your support in helping our young learners become strong, confident readers!
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher—we’re always happy to help!
Use of student toilets before and after school!
A friendly reminder that families including younger or older siblings of students should not be using the student toilets before and after school so as to ensure our students are safe. If you need to use the bathrooms, please use the toilets located in the hall. A staff member will ensure these toilets are open before and after school for your use. Thank you for your understanding!
Congratulations - NAPLAN
A big congratulations to our Year 3 and Year 5 students for finishing their four NAPLAN assessments this week. We are so proud of their efforts and resilience they displayed throughout the testing period. There will be a catch-up session held on Monday 24th March for those students who were absent for any of the tests. Well done everyone!
Wellbeing, Child Safety & Community Leader
We know if we want to be truly kind and empathetic, we will have positive relationships and improve our overall wellbeing. It’s important to make time to connect with people and show a genuine interest in their lives. This will come easier to us if we practise being present when we’re with others, actively listen during conversations, and minimise those distractions which try and take our attention away (we’re looking at you, phones). While it’s not easy, the benefits of doing this are massive – for us and for the people we’re connecting with!
The science behind empathy:
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others and is strongly linked to kindness. When you do something kind for someone, you make them feel great and you also feel amazing because of your body releasing oxytocin. Now, if you’re wondering what oxytocin is, it’s a hormone which boosts your energy levels and self-esteem. When we produce more oxytocin, it can help reduce stress, increase positive emotions and improve overall life satisfaction. And this is all on top of those stronger, more compassionate relationships that come from those empathetic conversations. How great is that?!
If you’re searching for inspiration, here are some ideas on ways you can practise empathy in your daily life:
Actively listening One of the most important ways to practise empathy is by actively listening to others. This means giving them your full attention, asking clarifying questions, and truly trying to understand their perspective.
Put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Try to imagine what it would be like to be in the other person’s situation. This can help you to understand their feelings and respond in a more compassionate way.
Show understanding and validation. Let the person know that you understand and validate their feelings. This can help them to feel heard and supported.
Do it in your everyday interactions. Empathy is not just for big or serious situations; you can practise it every day and with
literally anyone. Being kind towards a cashier, a friend or a family member can make a difference and improve your wellbeing.
Be a role model. This stuff rubs off, and in the best possible way. Lead by example, show empathy towards others and encourage others to do the same.
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL WORLD IT WOULD BE IF WE ALL PRACTISED EMPATHY EVERYDAY
Hot Cross Bun Fundraiser
On offer this year for ordering will be
Traditional Hot Cross Buns ($10.00 per 6-Pack)
Apple & Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns ($10.00 per 6-Pack)
Choc Chip Hot Cross Buns ($10.00 per 6-Pack)
Orders can be made via the following link: http://resurrection-catholic-primary-school.square.site/ and will close on Monday, 24th March. The Hot Cross Buns will be distributed on Wednesday 2nd April.
Please note there will be no cash payments accepted, nor late orders accepted
Easter Hampers
The fundraising committee are asking all students to bring in donations of the following items:
Chocolate Easter Eggs
Hampers or Baskets
Ribbons / Cellophane
Anything else Easter related!
We are asking students to bring these items into school by Monday 31st of March. The raffle will be drawn after Mass on Friday 4th April.
Learning Diversity Leader
Neurodiversity Celebration Week: 17th – 23rd March
Next week, we are proud to join the global celebration of Neurodiversity Celebration Week — a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences. This important week encourages us to recognise and appreciate the many strengths and talents of neurodivergent individuals, including those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and Tourette Syndrome.
Neurodiversity Celebration Week is about transforming how we perceive and support neurodivergent individuals. It’s a reminder that while we all have differences and face challenges, everyone also has their own unique strengths and talents. Many successful individuals have shared that their achievements stem from their unique way of thinking — a direct result of their neurodivergence.
Personalised Learning Plans
During Week 9, you will receive your child’s Personalised Learning Plan (PLP). Please take a moment to read and review it carefully. We ask that you sign and return one copy to the school, while the other copy is for you to keep. These plans are designed to support your child’s individual learning journey and ensure they are set up for success.
Let’s use this week to celebrate differences, foster understanding, and create a more inclusive and supportive environment for everyone.
Athletics Day - Parent Helpers
We are excited to announce that our annual Athletics Day will be held on Monday 31st of March during Term 1 Week 10! This day promises to be filled with fun, friendly competition, and memorable moments as our students showcase their athletic skills.
To make this event a success, we will be calling on parents to assist with the smooth running of the day. Parents will be contacted based on the ‘Operoo Request for Assistance’ responses to support our school on the day, including:
Assisting with event setup and pack-up.
Helping to manage event stations and cooperation with staff.
Encouraging and cheering on our students.
*Parent helpers will be required to have a valid Working with Children’s Check.
Your support will be invaluable in ensuring that the event runs smoothly and that all students have an enjoyable and memorable experience. We will provide parent helpers with the information for the day, and you will be supported by our teaching staff and student community.
We look forward to seeing you there and thank you in advance for your help!
.
The highlight of the visit was exploring the fire truck and even getting a turn to use the hose! It was an exciting and educational experience, helping the children feel more confident about staying safe. A big thank you to our firefighters for their time and dedication!
Religious Education
Catholic Education Week 2025
Catholic Education Week was celebrated across the Archdiocese of Melbourne from Sunday 16 March to Sunday 23 March.
Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne to celebrate their Catholic identity, the pivotal role they play within their local community and the strength of the sector. Catholic education is committed to delivering enriching and high-quality learning experiences, guided by the teaching of Jesus Christ. Our school is very proud to be a Catholic Parish Primary School.
The theme for 2025 is ‘Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you’ (Isa 60: 1).
This week, the students of Resurrection completed a range of artistic activities in their classrooms to celebrate Catholic Education Week. We hope to share some of these with you soon. Here is a sneak of some other displays students have competed throughout the term.
St. Vincent de Paul
During Religious Education, our students have been learning about the three pillars of Lent: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. These pillars help us journey together to develop a closer relationship to God. Almsgiving, or charitable giving, is a way to show compassion and love for others, especially those in need, by donating time, resources, or money to those less fortunate.
Working in partnership with our Parish, we are asking for donations of non-perishable food items such as canned food, pasta to pass on to our local St. Vincent de Paul group. These items will be distributed to families in need in our local area. Each year level has a container where the students can place donations.
To help the students visualise our goal, we are trying to collect enough items to spell the word Lent. We have 3 letters to go!
SUNDAY GOSPEL
This Sunday’s reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Luke 13:1-9
Unless you repent you will all perish as they did.
Some people arrived and told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. At this he said to them, ‘Do you suppose these Galileans who suffered like that were greater sinners than any other Galileans? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen on whom the tower at Siloam fell and killed them? Do you suppose that they were more guilty than all the other people living in Jerusalem? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did.’
He told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it but found none. He said to the man who looked after the vineyard, “Look here, for three years now I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Cut it down: why should it be taking up the ground?” “Sir,” the man replied “leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it: it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.”’
Gospel Reflection
When Jesus is asked about the deaths of some Galileans and some residents of Jerusalem, he seizes the opportunity to remind his audience that their obsession with the ‘sin’ of the victims is misplaced. He challenges all who are listening that unless they repent, they will all perish in a similar fashion. This would have been very confronting to those in the audience who were ingrained in the thinking that ‘bad things only happen to bad people’. The purity codes of the day stated that if one maintained purity of action – obeying the Law and respecting the prohibitions on certain actions – then one was fulfilling one’s duty and maintaining right relationship with God. Jesus chastises the people for this attitude and tells them that they all must ‘repent’. For 1st Century Jews, the word ‘repent’ had a greater depth of meaning than our current understanding. Rather than simply ‘being sorry’, to repent meant to completely turn life around – both individually and as a society. His injunction to repent would be seen as a challenge to question motives and actions and set a new direction.
To follow this up, Jesus tells his audience a parable about a fig tree that has not borne fruit after three years. There are many interpretations of this parable and it is often interpreted in isolation from the gospel passage that immediately precedes it. Given the challenge to ‘repent’ that is given so strongly, we can see the parable as an example to the listeners that their time for repenting is running out. The one year reprieve for the fig tree is an indication to the listeners that their change of heart and change of spirit had better take shape in the very near future.
Scriptural context - Parables
The parable of the unproductive fig tree at the end of today’s passage is not a straightforward story with a clear message. Indeed, this is a hallmark of the style of storytelling that we call ‘parable’. A parable is deliberately open to interpretation at different levels. In the first instance, today’s parable is a simple farming story. However, the original audience knew (as we know) that there had to be more to the story. Parables use metaphoric and symbolic language that invites the listener or reader to explore deeper and find a meaning that lies beyond the literal.
Living the Gospel - Bad Things / Good People
Today’s gospel taps in to the vexing question: ‘Why do bad things happen to good people?’ The question implies that God is punishing good people. Surprisingly, this attitude continues and one only has to watch news coverage of a tragedy to hear someone ask, ‘How could God let this happen?’ The very question suggests a belief in a God who interferes in our lives and manipulates events. Jesus suggests that tragic events are not punishment from God, but the accidental, deliberate or natural event does provide a reminder to turn our lives around and live lives that matter.
Gospel Focus - Repent
Throughout the gospels, Jesus challenged the prevailing ‘purity codes’ that separated and classified people. The Jewish religious officials of the day were obsessed with the ‘letter of the Law’ as it applied to purity observance. Jesus told them that a spirit of compassion was much more important than the blind adherence to the Law. He suggests that it is not the lack of observance of purity codes that makes a person ‘unclean’ or ‘sinful’; rather, it is lack of compassion informing their actions towards others. The call to ‘repent’ is a call to complete conversion of heart – to take on an attitude of compassion.
St Vincent de Paul
As we approach Easter, we ask again for your kindness by asking for shopping bags to be filled with non-perishable items to distribute to the families in our area.
These bags will be available from the Church on Ash Wednesday onwards and we ask for you to return them to the office or at the Holy Thursday Mass.
Please take home a Project Compassion box to support Caritas Australia this Lenten season and help support vulnerable people around the world, now and For All Future Generations.
Reminder: Reconciliation Grade 4
Our First Reconciliations have been scheduled for Friday, 28th March 2025, after the Middle School Year Level Mass.
Details for the Sacrament of First Reconciliation are as follows:
· Students will partake in their Middle School Mass at 9am, allowing them to reflect and prepare before their Sacrament
· Students will then have some quite meditation time in the church while students are having their first reconciliation
· Children will be called one at a time to receive their Sacrament with Fr. Gerard next to the fire pit (weather permitting)
Student of the Week Awards
Week 8
Five C
Lavina Stewart
Alyssia P - For being a caring and respectful member of 5C, showing kindness to all her peers and making everyone feel welcomed. Well done Alyssia!
Rhys S - For demonstrating resilience when attempting to complete all maths tasks independently. Keep up the amazing learning Rhys!
Kaira K - For always listening to instructions and following directions in the classroom. Keep up the great work Kaira!!
Six A
Katherine Salloum
Kevin N - For displaying his understanding of how to solve mathematical equations using the order of operations.
Charlotte T - For persisting and showing resilience when solving how to find the area of a rectangle.
Six B
Jane Huang
Chris Q - For continuing to demonstrate enthusiasm toward learning and always trying her best in study.
Thao N - For being a resilient learner by always trying to solve the challenged tasks and seeking help when needed.
Six C
Rosie Nojdek
Dean M - For working diligently and with focus when producing your social story using slides. Well done!
Japanese:
Yumiko Aiki
Noah S (6A) - For taking responsibility for his Japanese learning by putting in his best effort and participating excellently in class. Well done Noah!
Performing Arts:
Jody Banks
James K (6C) - For displaying creativity when creating his own lyrical raps and having the confidence to perform his ideas in front of a variety of class audiences. Keep up the creativity and great performance skills, James!
Visual Arts:
Emma Lyons-Pell & Tosh Kaan
Cung Nan (6C) - For creating colourful and textured painted pieces of paper for your animal collage. You experimented with different tools to get rough, smooth and bumpy looking surfaces.
S T E M:
Joanne Abos-Padilla
James R (4A) - For his dedication during STEM class when coding using Spheros. You are an expert at navigating coding challenges, and you support your team with fairness and kindness.
P.E:
Nathan Koprek
Za Lian 5C - For performing challenging skills with ease during basketball sessions such as crossover dribbles. You display a high level of sport talent and continue to master the skills of basketball.
Three A
Claudette Petruccelli
Thadeus - For being a respectful and responsible learner, participating in class discussions and helping others with their learning. Well done Thadeus!
Josipa - For showing resilience with her learning and giving new concepts a go. Keep it up Josipa!
Three B
Enza La Rosa
Mia B - For demonstrating resilience and risk taking in Literacy, by developing a well structured persuasive piece to the best of her ability. Well done Mia!
Ava P - For building up the courage to participat in whole class class discussions and for showing kindness towards her friends. Well done Ava!
Three C
Joss Coaley
Mary C - For your determination and resilience to complete your learning in the classroom. Keep it up!
Kai N - For your amazing efforts with your learning, completing tasks focusing on Universal Animation Studios. Well done!
Four A
Lena Aloi
Khen M - For always being ready to learn and demonstrating a willingness to challenge himself in each lesson. Well done!
Sui Ding T - For showing initiative in her learning by always asking for help when you need it. Well done!
Fourth B
Ella Nowak
Moses T - For being a respectful and responsible student in all areas of his learning and always striving to work to the best of his ability.
Four C
Georgia Tankey
Biephatha A - For demonstrating his great understanding of the class’ new vocabulary words when writing his narrative ‘action’ paragraph. Great job!
Nyakiir M - For consistently participating in class discussions, demonstrating her focus, passion and attention to learning. Great job Nyakiir!
Five A
Jake Moloney
Dawt T - For showcasing her amazing character analysis during a small focus group, using a wide range of descriptive language.
Well done Dawt!
Five B
Malae Suaesi
Ebenezer L - For being a knowledgeable learner when solving four digit and beyond numbers using the Area Model Method. Well done!
TERM 0NE DATES 2025
Week 10
Monday - 31/3
Years 3-6 Athletics Carnival - Parents Welcome
No Assembly today due to the Athletics Carnival
Tuesday - 1/4
Wednesday - 2/4
Thursday - 3/4
Whole School: Stations of the Cross run by Year 5. Parents Welcome
Friday - 4/4
End of Term Whole School Mass at 9am
Last Day of Term 1 - Students finish at 3.15pm
Saturday - 5/4
Sunday - 6/4
Fifth Sunday in Lent
Week 9
Monday - 24/3
Prep - Year 2 Assembly at 2.30pm
Tuesday - 25/3
Wednesday - 26/3
Thursday - 27/3
Year 5 Interrelate program session 3 of 3
Friday - 28/3
Middle School Year Level Mass 9am (Reconciliation focus) Reconciliation Grade 4
Saturday - 29/3
Sunday - 30/3
Fourth Sunday of LentSaturday - 22/3
Sunday - 23/3
Third Sunday in Lent
