From the Principal

Yulmburral

This Newsletter is the first since returning from the Home Learning experience. We should feel very proud of what we achieved together. Teachers provided continuous learning aligned to the curriculum. School Officers provided continuous supervision for students who attended school. CES provided continuous advice regarding State directives and Parents provided assistance and supervision for students who undertook home learning.

This same spirit of working together is now required to help support students make the transition back to school routines and learning. I thank the many parents who continue to support the teachers and follow through with our policies and procedures and read the communications from the school. Teachers and Parents being on the same page provides consistency which ensures students have clarity of expectations with uniform, attendance, behaviour and classroom effort. I encourage parents to have a conversation with their children about school expectations and what is required to be a Saint’s student.

On Wednesday was International School Officer Day. Our school thanks Tanya, Tess, Sharon, Amanda, Ruth, Leah and Richelle for their dedication and service for the students and staff.

2021 Enrolments are being processed. If you know anyone in our community who is keen to enrol please direct them to our website and let them know enrolments applications are due. All new Prep students receive a FREE T-shirt on completion of their 2021 enrolment.

Current CES advice is for parents to still remain off site. Any parent who is required to be at school will need to arrange an interview.

The trial departure procedure has been successful however there is a need to make some minor tweaks. The safety of the Jack St departure can be improved by parents supporting  the following adjustments;

• Students at Jack St depart through either of the two gates in the Junior Playground
• Students are not to walk behind cars
• Parents please meet your child on the school side footpath and escort them to your car
• Parents who collect their children on Grogan St please do a U-Turn at the Showground and drive away along Grogan St. This will assist in reducing any unsafe traffic congestion in Jack St.

Any parent experiencing financial hardship paying school fees please make an appointment to discuss the variety of discounts available. No student will have their enrolment at risk due to any genuine financial hardship. 

Library Assistant Mrs Houghton, has advised many books are signed out and have not made their way back to the Library.There is a GENERAL  AMNESTY open  for the remainder of the term. I encourage all children and parents to check every room at home and return any resources found to either the classroom teacher, the school library or the Front Office.

School Reports for Semester One will be statements of ‘indicative grades’ in five subject areas. CES has developed a statement informing the reader of the changed report structure. The simplified version of the School Report is a system wide response to assessing student progress and is considered a one-off version for student reporting. High School Principals in our sector have made a commitment not to make judgements on future enrolments based upon 2020 Semester One reports. It is important reports are read through a lens of where the student is currently tracking in respect to the curriculum achievement standard. Report grades may or may not reflect past performances. If grades are lower than expected do not be overly concerned given the recent challenges in education. If you wish to discuss grades with your classroom teacher feel very welcome to make an appointment to discuss progress.  

Playground behaviour is generally happy and friendly  and safe, however games that are competitive ( eg Handball ) have caused some concerns recently. Staff have identified some students are struggling with the reality of losing and/or losing regularly. We are addressing this life skill through our Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) strategies and we encourage parents to have a conversation at home about the nature of being a good winner and a good loser. Together – parents and the school –  we can help students to develop the ability to handle both prospects. It truly is a skill and quality necessary to navigate life’s journey.

Thank you Parents for your ongoing support of all staff. This term has been a real challenge in delivering both a home and school based learning platform. Our teachers have done a tremendous job and we can be grateful for the professionalism of every teacher who makes a difference in the lives of every student here at Saints.

Enjoy the upcoming school holidays. Continue to read the School Broadcasts / Portal announcements for up to date information regarding school matters.

Together for Saints

Paul