Week Five Newsletter

It’s hard to believe that, as of today, we have reached the halfway point of Term Two. The first five weeks have gone incredibly quickly, but they have been filled with so much learning, growth and achievement across our school community. Term Two is traditionally a time when schools are able to really settle into the rhythm of teaching and learning. Relationships have been established, classroom routines are embedded, and teachers have developed a strong understanding of each student’s learning needs and starting points.

Despite the colder weather well and truly arriving over the past few weeks, it has been so pleasing during my daily walks around the school to see students engaged, focused and working hard in their learning. I have also been incredibly impressed by the consistency and high expectations our teachers continue to maintain in every classroom, while providing targeted, engaging and high-quality learning experiences for all students.

This time of year is also an incredibly demanding period for our staff. Alongside full days of teaching, teachers are spending many hours assessing student work, analysing data and preparing Semester One reports. Despite these additional demands, the quality of teaching and learning taking place across the school has remained exceptionally high, and I could not be more proud of the dedication, professionalism and care shown by our staff each and every day.

Assessment Weeks

The past fortnight has provided an important opportunity for us to measure, reflect on and celebrate the growth our students have made across the first half of the year. Our Teaching and Learning Leadership Team of Mrs Baker, Mr Otto and Mrs Gorski have put an enormous amount of work into refining our assessment schedule, analysing data and evaluating student progress across all learning areas. It is always an exciting time in a school, as it allows us to clearly see the impact of the hard work being undertaken by students, teachers and LSOs each day.

Since arriving at St Agnes’, I have been incredibly impressed by the thoroughness, consistency and accountability of our assessment and progress monitoring processes. It is wonderful to see our teachers and LSOs continually tracking student growth and using this information to evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching and support strategies. This ongoing monitoring ensures we maintain a strong understanding of each student’s progress and allows us to respond quickly and effectively when adjustments or interventions are needed. The strong systems and processes we have in place are largely due to the outstanding leadership and work of Mrs Baker in her role as Teaching and Learning Leader.

Over the past two weeks, staff have also participated in a number of data and moderation meetings designed to support accurate and consistent teacher judgement in preparation for Semester One reporting. Last week, our teachers took part in a whole-school writing moderation session, where writing samples were analysed and compared across year levels. These discussions not only support teachers in assessing students against curriculum standards, but also deepen staff understanding of learning progression across the school. Our LSOs have also spent time reviewing the progress of their focus students, celebrating growth and identifying the next steps in learning and support.

Over the coming weeks, our leadership team will continue working closely with assessment data to help guide future professional learning priorities and whole-school improvement initiatives. It also provides us with an opportunity to identify classes and groups demonstrating particularly strong growth and to learn from the effective practices and routines taking place within those classrooms. As part of this process, we will also meet with all classroom teachers to reflect on student progress and identify future goals and areas for growth across Semester Two.

While the assessment and reporting process requires a significant investment of time and energy from every educator in our school, it is also an incredibly valuable opportunity to celebrate the growth, achievements and successes of our students, while continuing to reflect on how we can further strengthen teaching and learning across St Agnes’.

Novel Studies

This term our students have once again jumped into their novel studies. All of our students from Years 2–6 take part in a novel study each term, providing rich opportunities to engage deeply with high-quality literature and develop a love of reading. Throughout each novel, students regularly stop at planned ‘pause points’ where teachers guide rich discussion and ask carefully designed questions about the text. These pause points encourage students to think deeply, share perspectives, make predictions, infer meaning and justify their thinking using evidence from the novel. They also provide valuable opportunities for teachers to clarify misunderstandings, extend student thinking and continually check for understanding throughout the learning process. This consistent discussion and feedback helps strengthen comprehension, vocabulary, critical thinking and students’ confidence in communicating their ideas.

This week I had the pleasure of joining our Year Six students during their novel study of 'Once'. It was incredibly encouraging to listen to the rich discussions taking place, with students thoughtfully clarifying ideas, building on one another’s responses and using evidence from the text to support their thinking. I also spent time with our Year Four students during their discussion on Dirrarn, where students were unpacking the complex social dynamics and relationships within the story.

These discussions are such a powerful part of our novel study approach. They provide students with opportunities to deepen their comprehension, develop empathy, consider different perspectives and strengthen their confidence in communicating their ideas. It is wonderful to see students so engaged and invested in the texts they are reading.

Our Teaching and Learning Team and classroom teachers put a great deal of thought into selecting novels that are both engaging and purposeful, ensuring students are exposed to high-quality literature that challenges their thinking while fostering a genuine love of reading. This careful selection process adds so much richness to the learning experience for our students.

Next term, our Year One students will begin their very first novel study experience, an exciting milestone in their literacy journey. We look forward to continuing to build a strong culture of reading and discussion at St Agnes’, with literature remaining such an important and celebrated part of learning across our school.

Artist in Residence

Last week our Year Five and Six students took part in a fantastic Artist in Residence experience with Bayley Mifsud, a proud Peek Whurrong woman and contemporary Aboriginal artist. Bayley worked closely with our students to explore the meaning behind the signs, symbols and storytelling traditions found within Aboriginal artwork, helping students develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of First Nations culture and perspectives.

It was particularly exciting to welcome Bayley to St Agnes’ during such a significant week, as she was featured in the media for her work connected to the AFL’s Sir Doug Nicholls Round, having designed the artwork displayed on the official footballs used across the round. Our students were incredibly engaged and inspired by the opportunity to learn directly from such a respected artist.

Throughout the workshops, students not only learned about the symbolism and meaning embedded within Aboriginal art, but also had the opportunity to apply this knowledge in creating their own pieces. Our two senior classes collaboratively produced two beautiful artworks that reflect their learning and creativity. One piece will proudly be displayed in our office foyer, while the second will be auctioned to our community at our Art Show later in the year.

A sincere thank you to Mrs Murdoch for the wonderful work she continues to do in promoting and celebrating the arts at St Agnes’, and for creating such meaningful learning opportunities for our students.

Rippon Lea Gardens Excursion

This week our Year One and Two students took part in an exciting excursion to Rippon Lea Estate. This term, our students in the junior school have been learning about the history of our local community and exploring how daily life has changed from the time their parents and grandparents were growing up. Rippon Lea provided a rich and engaging learning experience, allowing students to step back in time and gain a deeper understanding of what life was like in the late 1800s.

Throughout the day, students explored how many everyday jobs and household tasks that are now automated were once completed entirely by hand. They learned about how families lived, worked and entertained themselves before the existence of screens and modern technology, while also developing an appreciation for the significant changes that have occurred over time. Students particularly enjoyed the hands-on elements of the excursion, even having the opportunity to try some of the household chores themselves, many of which they were very grateful no longer form part of daily life!

The students represented St Agnes’ beautifully and had a fantastic day of learning and exploration. A big thank you to our teachers and staff for supporting the excursion, as well as to the parents who generously gave up their time to assist on the day. Thank you also to Mrs Barton for the wonderful work she did organising such a valuable learning experience for our students.

Firefighters Visit

It was wonderful to welcome a team of firefighters to St Agnes’ this week to educate our students about fire safety, emergency response and the important role firefighters play in our community. The visit was made extra special for our students as one of the firefighters was Max’s dad, Michael. Our students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the work firefighters do each day to keep our community safe. We are also very excited that the team will be returning next week to give students a closer look at some of the fire truck’s features and equipment. A huge thank you to Michael and the crew for giving up their time to provide such a valuable and engaging experience for our students.

Eucharist Family Faith Night

Last Wednesday evening it was wonderful to welcome our Year Four students and their families to school for our Eucharist Family Faith Night. Led by our Religious Education Leader, Mrs Gorski, alongside our parish priest, Father Fox, the evening provided families with an opportunity to reflect on the meaning and importance of the Eucharist within our Catholic faith journey. Through shared learning, students and families deepened their understanding as they continue preparing for this important sacrament. Thank you to Mrs Gorski and Father Fox for the care and preparation that went into creating such a meaningful evening for our students and families.

Happy Families Resource

We're pleased to share with our school community that we have signed up to the Happy Families website, run by renowned parenting expert and psychologist Dr Justin Coulson. Happy Families provides practical, evidence-informed advice and resources to support parents in raising happy, resilient and confident children. As part of our partnership, we will have access to a range of articles, podcasts and parenting resources covering topics such as wellbeing, behaviour, friendships, resilience, anxiety, routines and supporting children through the different stages of development.

We look forward to sharing these resources with our community throughout the year as we continue to strengthen the important partnership between home and school. We encourage families to visit our ‘Happy Families’ page to read the first article, Resilience is Relational. We hope these articles become a valuable addition to our newsletters across the year and that families benefit from the expertise and practical insights shared by Dr Coulson.

Biggest Morning Tea

Next Thursday, 28th May, we will proudly host our 10th annual Biggest Morning Tea at St Agnes’. We warmly invite all members of our community to join us for morning tea in the hall from 10:15am as we come together to support such an important cause.

A huge thank you to Ms Miller, Mrs Phyland, Shannon, Naomi and our SRC students for the incredible work they have already put into preparing for the event. It has been wonderful to see our SRC representatives and school captains enthusiastically selling raffle tickets before school each morning and helping build excitement within the community.

We are also incredibly grateful to the many local businesses who have generously donated hampers, prizes and vouchers for our raffle, including: Bare Laser and Skin, The Little Elephant, Very Zen Candle and Co, Active Feet, MOPA, Royal Stacks, Bunnings Warehouse, Jump Central, Live Wire Park, Amcal, Hunky Dory, Chocablock Chocolate, Ella Baché Hampton, Chicken Lads, Spring Park Golf Course, Dilmah, Luna Park Melbourne, Puffing Billy Railway, Hologram Zoo, Toby Haenen Swim Centre, Gravity Zone, Inflatable World, Super Zoo Play Centre, Twisted Science, Ballarat Wildlife Park, NOONE and Power Play. Their support and generosity is greatly appreciated.

Thank you also to Mrs G, Sabrenka and the team for the wonderful work they have done preparing our talented choir students, who will be performing during the morning tea. We look forward to another fantastic community event and hope to see many of our families there. Please head over to our Biggest Morning Tea page for further information.

P&F Meeting and Events

This week we met as a P&F to reflect on the many successful events already held throughout Term Two and to look ahead to the exciting events still to come across the remainder of the term. Our P&F continue to do an incredible job at St Agnes’, creating valuable opportunities for our families to connect, our students to build friendships and memories, and our wider community to come together. Their efforts not only help strengthen the sense of community that makes St Agnes’ so special, but also provide important fundraising support for our school. A few exciting events to look forward to over the coming weeks include:

Fun Lunch: A huge thank you to Kate Hulsman, who will once again coordinate our Term Two Fun Lunch, taking place on Tuesday, 9th June. These days are always a highlight for our students and we are very grateful for the time and effort that goes into organising them.

Student Disco: On Friday, 19th June, our much-anticipated Student Disco will take place in the school hall. Our junior disco for Prep to Year 2 students will begin at 6:00pm, followed by the senior disco for Years 3–6 students from 7:30pm–8:45pm. A sincere thank you to Sarah and Bree, our P&F Co-Presidents, for their work preparing this exciting event for our students. We know it will be another fantastic evening filled with fun, music and community spirit.

Friday BBQs: Thank you to Amy Anderson for her work coordinating the Friday afternoon BBQ. This week our Prep H families take on the tongs. Thank you to those families who are able to volunteer and support this lovely tradition at St Agnes'.

Please head over to our P&F page for further information about these upcoming events and the many ways our families can continue to get involved across the remainder of the year.

Interschool Sport

It has been great to see our senior students continue to take part in their weekly Friday afternoon interschool sport. The past two weeks have seen us take on St James' in Brighton and St Columbas' in Elwood, with wins in both the football and netball. This week our students take on local rivals St Catherine's, Morrabbin for the Kost Cup. It's been so pleasing to see our staff members Mr Otto, Mrs Miller, Mrs Gorski and Mrs Moloney working with our students before and during the games, especially supporting those students who are new to their relative sport. It was also lovely to see so many parents down watching our first home game last week.

Ethical Olympiad

It has been fantastic to see our Ethical Olympiad debating team really building momentum in their preparation sessions this week. The Ethical Olympiad is a unique debating competition that provides students with the opportunity to explore and discuss complex, age-appropriate ethical questions, encouraging critical thinking, respectful dialogue and collaboration.

This year, our students will take part in three debates via Zoom against schools from across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. It has already been wonderful to see the students engaging so thoughtfully with challenging ideas and learning how to articulate and defend their perspectives respectfully and confidently.

We wish Paddy, Leo, Noah, Sophie and Jackson all the very best for the competition in the coming weeks. We know they will represent St Agnes’ with pride.

Maths Superstars

It was wonderful to have Lewis and Georgia visit my office this week to proudly share some of the exceptional work they have been completing on area with Mrs Gorski. Their confidence in explaining their thinking and the high quality of their work was fantastic to see.

The work that Mr Otto, our Mathematics Leader, and Mrs Gorski, our Learning Enhancement Leader, do to ensure our Mathematics teaching meets the needs of all learners is outstanding. Their commitment to providing targeted support, extension opportunities and high-quality learning experiences helps ensure every student is challenged, supported and able to experience success in Mathematics.

Congratulations Miss Mair

Congratulations to our wonderful Year Three teacher, Miss Mair, who last week celebrated her graduation from Monash University with a double degree in Education and Arts.

We have been incredibly impressed by the way Miss Mair has settled into her teaching career during her first semester at St Agnes’. It is not often you see someone transition so naturally and confidently into the profession. Her calm and caring nature, strong classroom teaching, ability to build positive relationships with students and involvement with our school community have already made such a positive impact.

Miss Mair has been an excellent role model for her students and a highly valued member of our staff team. We feel very fortunate to have her as part of the St Agnes’ community and look forward to watching her continue to grow and flourish as an educator in the years ahead.

Have a lovely and restful weekend and I will see you all on the gate come Monday morning.

Tom.

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