Newsletter Term 2 Week 5

Dear Families

We have held our AGM, which reviewed the 2022 year and I am pleased to announce that you can read all the reports which are now on our website.  Thank you to everyone that contributed to the reports and to all the School Board members who graciously give of their time.

The new School Board will gather for their first meeting on Monday June 19th.  We welcome new member Amy Diggins who will be joining continuing elected members Dave Slovinec, Brad Dunstan, Nathan Foulis, Elizabeth Sarris, Katerina Andrushenko and Kirsty McCulloch.  Our two continuing nominated members are Emma Marsden and Kopano Shepheard.  The other members are Ex-Officio, being the Parish Priest Father Manu and School Leadership Damian Weeks and Kelly Manera.

Personalised Plans for Learning (PPLs)

We have slightly refined the dates for the signing of the PPL, this will be sent via email on June 6th, with a request for a signature to be returned by June 13th.

School Reports

As you know we are moving to a new Student Reporting System that will be somewhat consistent across CESA.  The new report will provide an A-E grade for the nine subject areas, remember this is complimented by our continuous reporting that has been coming home throughout term 1 & 2.  The grade will also be complemented by a separate document that outlines the learning outcomes for semester 1 (this will be a separate sheet that we have developed at our school).

Each of nine subject areas will also indicate a student’s “Approach to Learning” (Excellent, good, satisfactory, inconsistent).

The next section will indicate a student’s “Learner disposition” (works collaboratively with others, is organised for learning, maintains positive and respectful relationships makes safe and responsible choices, and is resilient)

Extra curricular activities that the student has been involved in will be listed.

The report will conclude with a general comment from the teacher.

Matt Perry Farewell

As you would be aware Matt has won the substantive position of Principal at Christ the King, Warradale.  On Wednesday June 7th, our whole school assembly will be to farewell Matt from our school.  All parents are invited to attend the assembly which will start at 2pm in the church, to be followed by afternoon tea in the hall from 2:30pm.

SACPPA Conference

Kelly and I are attending the Annual SA Catholic Primary Principals Association Conference this week May 31- June 2nd.  During this time Domenique Laurendi will be holding the reigns, with support from our Leaders of Learning. 

The theme of the conference is Building Leadership Capacity…

Principals and Deputies are called to be brave, courageous, hopeful and open-minded leaders so that they continue to provide the holistic and high-quality outcomes to educational development for students in our schools.  The structure of the program and our focus for the conference is two-fold. Through the Keynote presentations, we hope to help build leadership capacity and understanding of what educational experts are saying about relevant and high-quality school focus points. The Workshops are designed to provide space for dialogue and to hear about the practical application of these ideas and sources of information about a particular topic of interest to help enhance implementation in your school.

The conference will allow us to engage with some nationally and internationally renowned presenters, three-time Paralympic gold medallist Kurt Fearnley AO (Writer, Presenter, Advocate), Dr Lea Waters, AM, PhD (Psychologist, Researcher, Speaker, author), Dr Simon Breakspear (Researcher, policy advisor and speaker), and Zen student, Shakuhachi learner and inspirational thinker Lee Crockett (Future Focussed Learning).

In our next newsletter I look forward to sharing more about the conference.

Regards
Damian Weeks

What is Reconciliation? 

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. 

Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

National Reconciliation Week is a powerful reminder of the importance of reflecting on the teachings of Jesus, particularly forgiveness. Jesus taught us to forgive others, and to extend compassion towards everyone. By embracing forgiveness, we can begin to pave the way for healing wounds, fostering unity, and creating a brighter future for all.

Winter Dignity Drive

Thank you to all the families who have already begun to send in items to support Catherine House and Hutt Street Centre in their Winter Dignity Drive. We still need more items. Please continue to send these into school over the next few weeks.

With Gratitude,

Domenique Laurendi
APRIM | Leader of Learning