ORIENTATION MORNING

• Prayer

• Parish Co-ordinator-Michelle Abbey

• Practical hints-getting ready for Kinder

• Reading readiness

• Socialising and Building Relationships

• Uniforms

Sunday 9.00am ~

Family Mass

Sunday – Family Mass 9.00am

▪ This mass is a wonderful opportunity

for our Community to get involved in

a lively tradition at St Marys.

▪ Our community encourages the

participation of children and their

families in all aspects of the liturgy.

▪ It is through the strong involvement

of our parishioners that makes this

mass a wonderful success.

▪ We are always looking at ways to

further get our Community involved

and we would love for you to join us

each Sunday with your family

▶ Welcoming families to mass

▶ Communion minister

▶ Sacristy Sunday helper – helping to

teach the word of god through

activities and relevant discussion

▶ Acolyte – assist the priest

throughout the mass

▶ Readings and prayers of the

faithful

▶ Choir and music – singing in the

children’s choir or playing an

instrument during mass

How can you and your family

get involved

How can you and your family

get involved

▶ Gospel Dramatisation

▶ Key celebrations

▶ Stations of the Cross

▶ Easter

▶ Christmas

▶ Mothers Day

▶ Fathers Day

▶ Sacraments – First

Reconciliation and First Holy

Communion

Where can I find out more

information

▶ If you would like more information or

would like to participate please contact:

▶ Michelle Abbey –

michelle.abbey@ampcapital or

▶ Ignatius Mendonca -

iggymen@bigpond.com

▶ Visit the St Mary’s Church website:

http://www.northsydneycatholics.com/spi

rituality/liturgy/family-mass

Practical Hints-Getting Ready for Kinder

• Practise writing their name

• Label everything

• Using scissors

• Pack their own school bag

• undo containers

• Identification labels on bags

• Toilet procedure

• Velcro shoes preferred –practise taking on and off

• Dressing themselves

• Spare undies and socks, raincoat, paint-shirt, headphones

• Academic expectations.. It is not the HSC

• School stationery is supplied

• No toys at school

• For an anxious child-hanky or tissue with scent on it

Reading ReadinessInterest in Reading

• Does your child :

■Ask you to read stories to them?■Ask you, “What does that say?”■Willingly participate when you read to

them?■Want to try and read things themselves?■Have an interest in letters or words?■Sometimes “read” books you’ve read to

them?

Listening ComprehensionWhen you read to your child, do they actively participate? E.g.

• Make predictions based on the front cover

• Predict what might happen next in the story

• Ask about the story while you’re reading

• Comment on a part of the story how it ended

Can your child answer simple questions about what you have read? E.g

• What happened….• Which person…• What do you think about...

Can your child retell a story after hearing it? E.g.

• Retell in sequence and include major events of the story

Book & Print Awareness

• Can identify the front & back of a book

• Open to where you start to read• Show where the picture is • Where the print starts• Left to right • One to one matching

Recognising & Producing Rhyming Words

• Say a word and try together top- hop… because they sound the same at the end

• Try these- bug-hug, big-dig, big-little• Can you tell me a • Games like I Spy• Moving towards them producing a

rhyming word

Letter Identification

• Writing their name using upper and lower case letters appropriately

• Identifying the upper and lower case letters e.g. using magnetic letters or in books

• Knowing letter names and sounds

Make it all fun Don’t teach -incidental

• ENCOURAGE READING:

• find brand names

• read signs and posters

• follow street signs

• check the television guide

• choosing a DVD/Movie

• reading a recipe

• reading the newspaper together aloud

• reading the cartoons/comics together

• playing word games or doing crosswords and puzzles

• join the library

• let them see you reading

• label clothes – help your child recognises their name

• play games involving reading-monopoly

• play memory games – cards are great for this

• get your children to write a list for the shopping

• play word games-e.g eye spy (use letter and sound)

• play rhyming games

Socialising

and

Building Relationships

Teach your child basic social skills.

Children need to learn the basics of social interaction: •how to say hello, goodbye, thank you •answer a question with a sentence and not just a word •using eye contact •the importance of letting a person finish what they say before speaking.

Don't answer for a shy child.

If your child is overly timid or shy

•Be supportive but don't always step in and answer for them

•Give your child the opportunity to answer and gently encourage them to do so if they remain quiet.

•Taking small steps to learn to speak for themselves is the path to overcoming shyness.

Find like minded friends

•Joining an extra curricular activity will offer your child the opportunity to spend time with like-minded children and is a great way to form friendships.

•A team sport is another quick route to making new friends

Encouraging your child to talk about their experiences.

During the drive home from school or over dinner, chat to your child about their day but rather than asking, "What did you do today" talk about what you did during the day. This will make it easier for your child to join in with what they did during their day.

Listen: don't do.

Sometimes your child just needs to talk about their feelings and experiences and don't always need or want you to solve their problems.

Often it's best if you don't step in to solve peer problems, rather help your child to feel less anxious about the pressure to be popular.

Invite children over

You need to make time to have children over for a play. Keep an eye on the kids without interfering.

At the School

• Bounce back –Resilience Program• Variety of play –passive,

Buddies• Use of Puppets and role plays• Support staff• Small group – socialising skills

HEALTHY FOOD

FOR SCHOOL

Important lunch box tips

NB: WE ARE A NUT FREE SCHOOLBest choices:• Vegetables • Fresh fruit –CUT UP-fruit break• Dairy food – cheese or yoghurt • Protein food – slice of lean meat,hard-boiled egg or beans • Starchy foods – bread, rice or pasta

(only 1 sandwich)• Water.

Foods best left out :

•Muesli and chocolate bars

•Potato crisps and oven baked savoury biscuits

•Sweet drinks

•Donuts and cakes

•Lollies, honey and jams

•Fatty meats such as salami and Strasbourg.

Medication and Anaphylactic Policy

• ALL MEDICATION TO THE OFFICE

• Medication form on school intranet (log in

details next year

• Asthma medication: spare puffer with child’s name on it and instructions in the office (Asthma action plan)

• EpiPen