A warm welcome to our new families and our returning families to Holy Name School for 2023. I hope that everyone enjoyed their Summer break and you had some great times with family and friends! I am looking forward to another great year at school both as a classroom teacher and school leader.

For those who don’t know, I am teaching Year 4 this year after many years teaching Year 6. I am getting used to the change in curriculum and working with the younger students but I am already enjoying the change and my new students. I continue in my role as Assistant Principal, supporting Mrs Stephens and the HNS staff and students.

Positive Behaviour for Learning

This Term, we are reviving our PBL framework at Holy Name. We have formed a PBL committee and have a number of keen staff onboard.

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) is an evidence-based framework that brings together the whole-school community to contribute to developing a positive, safe and supportive learning culture. The framework assists schools to improve social, emotional, behavioural and academic outcomes for children and young people.

When PBL is implemented well, teachers and students have more time to focus on relationships and classroom instruction.

Students and staff benefit from:

• reduced inappropriate behaviour
• increased time focused on instruction
• improved social-emotional wellbeing
• positive and respectful relationships among students and staff
• support for teachers to teach, model and respond effectively to student need
• a predictable learning environment where staff and students know what is expected to deliver effective practices that can be sustained over time 

Each fortnight there will be a different behaviour focus that the children will learn about in their classrooms on Monday mornings.

The focus for the next fortnight will be Wearing our School Uniform with Pride.  School uniforms provide a strong sense of identity and contribute to inclusiveness and equity in schools. It is a significant expectation that all students will wear the correct uniform and are supported by their parents/carers.  

Selection of uniforms provides parents with appropriate clothing that is serviceable and durable for a variety of school activities and is considerate of the financial constraints of families in both design and options. The uniform reflects school community standards and expectations. The uniform includes the school emblem to reflect the Catholic ethos of the school. 

We have a uniform policy at Holy Name that families are expected to adhere to. I have included the summer uniform guidelines and a photo of the correct uniform.

Girls Summer Uniform

Maroon polo shirt with maroon and white checked skort. 

Black joggers with short plain black socks. 

Girls Sport

Maroon sport shorts. 

Maroon and gold polo shirt with school logo. 

Black joggers and short plain black socks. 

Boys Summer Uniform                       

Grey – traditional style – mid length shorts. No Cargo shorts or board shorts.

Maroon Polo Shirt with school logo. 

Black joggers with short plain black socks. 

Boys Sport:                           

Maroon sports shorts. 

Maroon and gold polo with school logo. 

Black joggers and short plain black socks.

School Hat                         

The school hat is a compulsory part of our school uniform.  The only hat to be worn is the ‘wide brim soft hat for boys and girls available from the school office.  The school employs a ‘No Hat – No Play’ policy ie children who do not have a hat must stay in a designated shaded area during Morning Tea and Lunchtimes. 

• Hair is to be clean, neat and well groomed.  Long hair (below the collar) must be secured back from the face for Work, Health and Safety reasons.
• Ribbons, scrunchies and scarves etc must be either maroon or gold or in material to match the summer skort or winter culottes.
• Extremes of style or the colouring of hair is unacceptable.
• Sports uniform is to be worn only on Sports Day.
• Makeup and nail polish are unacceptable.
• Jewellery is not part of the school uniform.  Wristwatches may be worn.  Children with pierced ears may wear one pair of studs or small sleepers.  Nose piercings are not encouraged.

Some of the areas we notice are students wearing shoes other than a black jogger, wearing socks with logos on them, students wearing inappropriate jewellery, having hair coloured and even wearing nail polish or false nails.

Over the next 2 weeks, students will be given surfboard tokens when they are “caught” wearing the correct uniform and hat. Each Friday of even school weeks, the students with the most tokens for that particular behaviour in each class will be given a PBL Award at the morning assembly.

As children reach different levels of surfboard tokens, they can choose and in class reward from the Class Menu. At certain levels, the students will be eligible for a Principal’s Award and silver and gold badges.

Thank you in advance for your support in this area.

Sport

Next Thursday, February 9^th, our swimming team will travel to Gloucester for the Manning Region Swimming carnival. We wish all our swimmers the best of luck and we know they will represent Holy Name School to the best of their ability.

Safety News

Please be aware of the appropriate drop off and collection zones at Holy Name. Children catching buses and walking or riding to the YMCA or home exit through the Lake street entrance. We encourage parents who collect their children in the afternoon to use Carawa street. There is a kiss and ride section available in Carawa street in the mornings. Parking is very limited on the Lake street side, especially with the construction work taking place.

We continue to have students using technology inappropriately both at school and at home. Children are on Apps they legally should not be on and some of the chats that are brought to our attention contain very inappropriate language and adult themes. Children need to be closely supervised in the online world to ensure their safety. Over the next 2 weeks, classes will undertake lessons in cybersafety and sign our School Cybersafety agreements. Students that break these agreements will not be able to access technology at school for periods of time depending on the level of the breach.

Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok all have 13 years old as the age required to use their apps. Also, many online games the children play are not at age appropriate levels and the children can be exposed to extreme violence and sexual content as well as inappropriate chat features.