Acting Assistant Principal

70th Birthday Celebrations

On Friday, St Margaret Mary’s celebrated a very special milestone, 70 years of Catholic education. It was a wonderful day of celebration, gratitude and community, beginning with Mass and continuing with morning tea, Margaret Mary enrichment activities, and finishing with our Family Feast picnic.

It was particularly special to welcome past students, staff, parishioners and community members who have all played a part in the rich story of our school. Together, we gave thanks for the generations of families, staff and students whose faith, dedication and commitment have shaped St Margaret Mary's into the vibrant community it is today.

A heartfelt thank you to Fr Pat for celebrating Mass with us and for his ongoing support of our school and parish community. His presence helped make the day even more meaningful as we reflected on our past, celebrated our present and looked with hope to the future. 

Thank you also to everyone who joined us in some way. Whether you attended the Mass, the Family Feast, sent a message of congratulations, or simply kept our community in your thoughts, your support helped make this milestone celebration so special.

If you would like a copy of our 70th Anniversary Book, lovingly created by a group of our students with the support of Ms Clayton, please don't hesitate to contact the school. We would be delighted to share this special keepsake and piece of St Margaret Mary’s history with you.

Explicit Teaching - What is it and why does it work?

With so much discussion in the media recently about how Australian children are being taught, many parents may be wondering what this means for their own child's learning. One approach that continues to be highlighted by educational researchers 

and experts is explicit teaching. 

Why Explicit Teaching Matters

Think about the last time you learnt something completely new. Perhaps it was learning a new technology, following a recipe or assembling furniture. Chances are you appreciated clear instructions, demonstrations and guidance before being expected to do it independently.

Children learn in much the same way.

Research shows that our brains can only process a limited amount of new information at one time. When students are expected to work out a new and complex concept without sufficient guidance, they can become overwhelmed and frustrated. Explicit teaching helps by breaking learning into smaller, manageable steps, allowing students to build confidence and understanding along the way.

What Does This Look Like in the Classroom?

Research shows that students learn best when new concepts are taught in small, manageable steps. In the classroom, this often follows the "I Do, We Do, You Do" approach:

• I Do – The teacher models a new skill or concept.

• We Do – Students practise with guidance and feedback.

• You Do – Students apply their learning independently.

Whether learning to write a persuasive paragraph or solve a maths problem, explicit teaching helps students build confidence and understanding before tackling tasks on their own.

Importantly, explicit teaching is not just about memorisation. By providing strong foundations, it equips students with the knowledge and skills they need to think critically, solve problems creatively and succeed across all areas of learning.

At St Margaret Mary's, explicit teaching is one of the evidence-informed practices we use to support student growth, confidence and success. By making learning clear and purposeful, we help every child develop the skills they need to thrive both at school and beyond.