PRINCIPAL'S PEN

Dear members of the Saints family

Welcome back to Semester 2. The first two weeks have been productive and settled with highlights across all aspects of the College. Our First XIII rugby league side participated in the Confraternity Shield, many students are involved in the combined college’s production of Hating Alison Ashley on at CPAC tonight with a matinee and evening performance tomorrow, JSS sport is underway and the Lavalla Stage 2 building project has begun. Some of these matters are covered elsewhere in this newsletter, but considering yesterday’s Academic Awards Assembly, I want to reflect on teaching and learning, and the challenges faced last semester. 

As Covid restrictions in Queensland were lifted, it was incredible to note the amount of illness that swept through the state, and St Augustine’s was not immune. Various illnesses, that we had not seen for close to two years, spread rapidly. Seven-day isolation if Covid positive remained in place, coupled with advice to stay home if ill. As a result, Term 2 absenteeism became the highest in memory at St Augustine’s. This is not to forget the shortening of Term 1 by two weeks due to lockdown.

Despite high absenteeism and a reduction of lessons, excuses that could have been used to lower our standards, our academic performance in Semester 1 was remarkable. One-hundred-and-seventy-five boys crossed the stage at yesterday’s assembly to accept an academic award. That’s over 22% of our student body who achieved a grade point average of over 4.25. These are figures that any school would be proud of. So, the question has to be asked: why can Saints maintain such high academic standards despite such disruptions? While there are many reasons why our students have continued to excel, below are four areas that enable them to work towards academic success:

A Culture of Academic Excellence: While 175 boys crossed the stage, most who didn’t still value hard work. It is a demonstration of great character to persevere and continue striving for improvement even when your efforts may not be recognised. It is acceptable at St Augustine’s to work hard and aspire to have a good education, while not necessarily gaining recognition. This is not always the case among teenagers, but when it is the culture, our mission of developing “strong minds and gentle hearts” is nearing fruition.

Click below to view the Academic Awards Semester 1 Assembly. Photos can be viewed on the Parent Portal.

Sustain the Change: This project was a response to the pandemic that had the added benefit of transforming our teaching and in the case of absence, gave students the tools to not fall behind. They had access to every lesson, every day. If absent, it was simple for boys to catch up on work that was posted on OneNote and communicate quickly with teachers via Teams. If a teacher was absent, all work was readily available and instructions clear and consistent across classes for students to access.

Expert Teaching Team: Our teachers are outstanding at what they do. They run tutorials, answer messages on Teams, prepare engaging lessons and share responsibility for student learning. They understand boys, value their relationships with them and work hard to ensure they have every opportunity to achieve. It was our teachers that invested much time and energy throughout the pandemic to make Sustain the Change a success.

Supportive Parents: We are fortunate to have parents that back the College and value education. Studies show that parents are the most significant influence on their child’s success. From supervising your child’s homework, helping set goals, listening to them read and simply having high expectations, our parents, as the research suggests, should take credit for their children’s success.

Thank you to everyone in our community who works effectively to make teaching and learning at St Augustine’s so rewarding.

Staff Update

We welcome back Mr Rob Anderson. He is working in the Maths Department while Mrs Oldfield is on long-service leave, and during her absence Mr Michael James is acting Head of Mathematics. We also welcome Mrs Keely Hutchinson who is working in the student office this term while Mrs Maree McCormack is on long-service leave.

Covid Vigilance

On our return to school there has been a surge of Covid and flu cases across Queensland. It is a timely reminder of our need to continue with our Covid-safe practices. Please remember the following:

1. Do not send your child to school if unwell and test.
2. If your child is a close contact:

• test every second day (day 0, 2, 4 and 6)
• wear a mask
• inform the school

      3. If your child tests positive, isolate for seven days.

Further information and advice about close contacts is available at Guidelines for close contacts in Queensland.