Your child becoming the best they can be TERM TWO NEWSLETTER 4 From the Principal’s Desk… Coming into week three, we still have plenty to look forward to this term; from fire engines visiting the early years classes to a Busy Bee, Dads and Daughters camp and College Sunday … and of course NAPLAN! More about that a bit further down the page. Please check the website information about events. for dates and The previous newsletter included a segment talking about a circle of essentials, with one of the ideas being that we need to be able to focus on essential aspects while being able to agree to disagree about peripheral aspects. This is not the same as saying that we should ignore what we see as peripherals that we disagree about, nor blindly go along with what we see as essentials. A healthy community is one in which the essentials are clearly understood and firmly held, while peripheral things can be discussed and understood so that we can go along with them as need be. Reading through the College Vison and Mission and the Statement of Belief you can get a feel for the essentials at FCC: take a few minutes to read and then find opportunities to discuss these. The more we understand what we’re about, the better we can focus on achieving the goals we have for our students and the College community. It is a privilege for the teachers and other staff to partner with you in educating with excellence as preparation for life, and we see on a daily basis the benefits to the children of parent community involvement in College activities! I believe that educating and raising our children is a work God has given us, so “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain” [1 Corinthians 1558]. NAPLAN The National Assessment Program – Literacy And Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests run during week four, from 12 – 14 May, for all students in years 3 4 MAY 2015 and 5. There will be some other tasks for the year 2 and 4 students while NAPLAN tests are taken. These tests tend to produce a range of sometimes strongly held opinions and certainly receive a lot of attention in the press. So what are they about? And how should we treat them? I can’t dictate what anyone else’s opinion ought to be, but I can outline the how we view and use NAPLAN at FCC. The tests are useful in two ways, which I’ll call school-wide and individual. At a school-wide level, the test results give us an indication year to year how effectively the programs and strategies teachers implement are working. If the strategies are working, then we see a trend of improvement in the average results for the College versus the state and national averages and against our own previous results. If the trend is not an improvement, then it would indicate that the strategies might not be working and they are reviewed. During the last three to four years of NAPLAN testing, our results indicate a trend of improvement, which means that your teachers have been doing a great job of educating your children! At an individual level, each student’s results are reviewed against the suite of assessments that are carried out during the year. If individual results are different from expected, then we determine why and factor this into the students’ teaching plan. The NAPLAN result doesn’t contribute to the students’ grades in any way. My recommendation is … make sure your child has a good night’s sleep before the tests, encourage them to put their best effort into them (as in all things) and don’t worry about them (the tests, that is, not the children!) All About Anger- working with Parents and Teenagers. Thursday 14th May 6.30-9. $35 per family. Anger Management for Teen Boys - 16 to 18 years of age. Saturday 16th May 9.30-4.30. $50 per person. Fremantle Christian College Website Please visit the website for up to date event news and general information about the College at fremantlecc.wa.edu.au. Besides this newsletter, you will find dates and information about upcoming events, High School development news, the term planner, College policies and other information. Uniforms We have 9 weeks left of the old New Life uniforms, so if you are still using them occasionally, now is the time to ensure that you have ordered for next term, when the changeover period is finished and we are once again a single-uniform school! Come into the Admin office to see us about your uniform requirements. The Morning Catch-Up Wednesdays. Down at the canteen. Tea, coffee food and a chat. What more can you need? 9am. Finances and Fees If you have any queries or concerns about your fees or related issues, please contact Amy Lew via the reception Wed - Fri, or email finance@fremantlecc.wa.edu.au Better Mums Conference 2015 Better Mums make a Better World is the MOPS motto and purpose. We believe that by encouraging, equipping and developing our mums we can change families and communities for the better. So the Better Mums conference is a day where you can come and relax, be inspired, be encouraged, have fun and enjoy a day without the kids that is all about you! So gather your girlfriends and plan to come to this conference that is just for mums! Topics include- ‘How to love the man in your life’, ‘Help with those pesky toddler problems’, ‘Better Friendships’, ‘Being brave- my struggle with depression’, and a speaker from the Fathering Project. There will be a market place where you can shop in peace, prizes, giveaways, a great welcome bag and loads of fun! Date: Saturday May 16 Venue: Mount Pleasant Baptist Church- 497 Marmion St Booragoon Time: 8.30- 9.30 registration - 4.00 finish Cost: $50.00 including morning tea and lunch For further details go to: http://www.mops.goregister.com.au/ Find us at facebook/bettermums For more information contact: Cherie Macchiusi- MOPS State Coordinator Fantastic4@iinet.net.au 0417 869 480 The Better Mums conference is an initiative of MOPS Australia Inc.