Dear Parents and Caregivers
His Excellency Speaks to Year 6 and Year 7 Students
In Week 2 our Year 6 and Year 7 students were in Canberra, which was an absolute highlight and wonderful learning experience for them. This school trip was supported by PACER, which subsidises all Australian students to be able to have such an experience in the ACT.
As Parliament reconvenes in Canberra today, there were no politicians sitting while we were in Parliament House, however our students have a far greater understanding of the democratic processes behind our Australian political system as a result of their trip to Canberra. While in Canberra the students also visited the Australian Mint, Australian Institute of Sport, Embassies, Questacon, Parliament Houses – both ‘old’ and ‘new’ and Government House.
The Year 6/7 students were privileged to have the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), speak to them while visiting Government House. Our students did a wonderful job conducting themselves in His Excellency’s presence, asking many higher order questions. In this newsletter there are some wonderful images captured of student learning occurring while we were in Canberra.
To ensure every student at St Joseph’s Memorial School experiences this wonderful opportunity, our Year 6s (current Year 5 students) will attend next year. In the coming week our current Year 5 families will receive a letter inviting them to an Information Evening.
SACPPA Conference
Last week I attended the South Australian Catholic Primary Principals Conference, where there were a range of key-note speakers. Of particular interest was Lisa Rodgers, CEO of AITSL (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership), who spoke about the significant factors that make a difference in Education, particularly being at school on time and quality teaching and covering the curriculum as the two most significant factors that contribute towards student success.
Aside from the immediate impact on learning and social development, there are longer term outcomes around the impact that lateness has on student learning. In 2013 the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations published a report called “Student attendance and educational outcomes: Every day counts”. This report was the outcome of a four-year study on how patterns of school attendance over time contribute to student outcomes. The findings from the study emphasise the connection between attendance, academic, developmental and social growth with improved life chances including better health outcomes, better employment outcomes, and higher incomes across their lives. The importance of developing the habit of regular attendance at an early age is paramount in this process. As we know, much learning in school takes place beyond the classroom and thus school participation is important as it maximises life opportunities for children and young people, providing them with education and support networks. School helps people to develop important skills, knowledge and values which set them up for further learning and participation in their community. The converse, unfortunately however, is also true with limited school participation being associated with disruptive and delinquent behaviour and involvement in the justice system into adult life. This is a message that we need to keep at the fore of our thoughts.
Early Arrivals
Active supervision in the school yard is provided from 8:20am at William St and 8:30am at Bridge St each morning and until 3:30pm each afternoon. Families are encouraged not to drop students at school before active supervision begins, nor to allow students to remain on the premises (without organised supervision) after 3:30pm. St Joseph’s Memorial School values the relationships between all members of the school community. As well as the educational, spiritual and social aspects of these relationships, the school is also aware of its legal and ethical responsibilities in regard to the children in its care. I have noted that some students are habitually arriving at school from 8am and waiting around the William Street Gate. I am seeking your renewed support in this, purely in the interests of keeping our children safe in the community.
ReLAT
This Wednesday our Year 4 students will undertake a trial-assessment, known as ReLAT (Religious Literacy Assessment Tool), in preparation for completing the official assessment on 29 August. This assessment is an online multiple choice test with 35 questions and is designed for students in Year 4 who are nearing the completion of Standard 2 of Crossways, the Religious Education Framework for Catholic schools in South Australia, and is based on the learning outcomes identified in Crossways. ReLAT is designed to assess some of the basic knowledge taught in Religious Education lessons. Please note that the assessment is not a measure of a child’s faith or their participation in the broader life of the Catholic community. The data from the ReLAT assessment will be collated and solely used by the school to inform whole-of-school professional learning needs and the continuous improvement of teaching in Religious Education.
NAPLAN Online Trial (SRT - System Readiness Test)
Students in Years 4 and 6 will be participating in a NAPLAN Online School Readiness Test on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 August. The SRT will be conducted nationally between 21 August to 30 August.
The focus of this test is school readiness (SR). The SRT is an assessment of St Joseph’s Memorial ICT capacity, logistics and administration processes.
SRT is not NAPLAN as such, and it does not measure the Literacy and Numeracy of students. SRTs will not be marked. The SRT includes a 45 minute omnibus test with Numeracy, Conventions of Language and Reading Questions. These tests are also an opportunity to become familiar with the NAPLAN online mode of assessment, hence we have chosen students who will experience the online format of NAPLAN next year to participate in the trial. There will be further information distributed this week to parents with children in Year 4 and Year 6.
Book Week
Book Week will be celebrated across Australia in most schools and libraries from Saturday 18 August concluding Friday 24th August. The 2018 Book Week theme is ‘Find your treasure’. On Friday 24 August we celebrate 2018 Book Week with our St Joseph’s Memorial Book Week Parade. This will be held at William Street from 9:30am. Students will participate in various activities over the next week to celebrate Book Week. It is always wonderful to see Parents and Caregivers around the school during this week, reading books and modelling the enjoyment that reading brings! If you haven’t done so, and you have a Catholic School Police Clearance, ask your child’s teacher how you can be involved.
God Bless
Brady Stallard