Learning & Teaching 

TEACHING & LEARNING - Vira Pirrotta

End-of-Semester Student Reports: What You Need to Know

At St. Fidelis Primary School, reporting is essential to communicating the insights teachers gain from assessing your child's learning. It fosters learning-focused relationships and supports meaningful, data-informed conversations between:

• Teachers and students
• Teachers and parents/carers
• Parents/carers and students

While formal written reports are an essential element, they are just one of many ways teachers share student progress. Other practices include:

• Formative assessment feedback
• Summative assessment feedback
• Student/teacher/parent conferences

Reports provide information about what has been taught and assessed. For students in Years F to 10, they include an objective and balanced summary of your child’s progress and achievement in each subject area for the reporting period.

At St. Fidelis Primary School, our reporting emphasises open communication between students, teachers, and parents to support improved learning outcomes.

This semester’s reports will indicate your child’s progress against the achievement standards outlined in the Victorian Curriculum. Learning areas covered include:

• English
• Mathematics
• Science
• Health and Physical Education
• Humanities
• The Arts
• Technologies
• Languages

Important Dates and Access Information

Your child’s report will be available online via the nForma app on Wednesday, 11th December 2024. One week prior, you will receive an email with details on accessing the report, including login instructions and a user guide for the app.

Action Required:

Please ensure we have your current email address on file. If your email has changed since the start of the school year, contact the office as soon as possible to update your details.

We look forward to continuing to partner with you to support your child’s learning journey.

Vira 

SPORT & PE NEWS - Michael Jennings

Dear Parents

As you know, the St. Fidelis Annual Athletics/Sports Carnival was to be held on Friday, 22 November 2024, at Coburg Athletics Track. Unfortunately, it had to be postponed due to the extreme heat forecast for this day (37oC in the Coburg area). It has been decided that an Athletics/Sports Carnival in a modified form will be held for all F-6 students this week. It will be held at Benny Courts. The events will remain as outlined in the previous program at the Coburg Athletics Track.

Therefore, your child will still have the opportunity to participate in the following events:

Sprint, Baton Relay, Long Jump, Discus & Tunnel Ball. Please refer to the accompanying timetable for each year level.

ON THE DAY ALLOCATED TO YOUR CHILD’S YEAR LEVEL

ALL STUDENTS NEED TO WEAR SPORTS UNIFORM

HATS ARE COMPULSORY

PARENTS & FAMILIES ARE MOST WELCOME TO ATTEND TO SUPPORT THE STUDENTS AND THEIR TEAMS

To distinguish the teams, the students can wear coloured socks or ribbons in their hair, on their hats, or on their T-shirts. It is advisable that students wear sunscreen. Sunscreen can be in the colours of the teams.

Yours sincerely

Michael Jennings

Sports/Athletics Day Coordinator

STEM NEWS - Joe Frazzetto

St Fidelis Shines at the STEM MAD National Student Showcase

On Tuesday, 19th November 2024, four of our Year 5/6 students—Anthony, Zara, Gemma, and Alexander, proudly represented St Fidelis at the STEMMAD National Student Showcase held at the Brisbane Convention Centre. The team showcased and pitched their innovative prototype, The EaziPour, which had already won first place for the “Scienceworks - STEM by Design Award” at the Melbourne STEMMAD Showcase last September.

The students, along with their families and three staff members, travelled to Brisbane on Monday, 18th November, to present their project on the national stage. The EaziPour was designed to address real world challenges, specifically assisting the elderly and individuals with arthritis. It demonstrated how STEM can Make a Difference (MAD) by promoting justice and contributing to the common good.

Their presentation was a resounding success, with judges and other schools alike impressed by the team’s ability to explain and demonstrate the practical applications of their prototype. It was inspiring to see their confidence, teamwork, and passion shine through as they explained how their innovation could improve lives.

The Brisbane Convention Centre was buzzing with energy and creativity as students from across Australia shared their remarkable ideas. Witnessing the future of STEM in action was both uplifting and inspiring. A highlight of the event was reconnecting with Shelley Waldon from MACS, known affectionately as the “Godmother of STEM.” Shelley, who founded STEMMAD in 2018, continues to champion the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in preparing students for a rapidly evolving technological world.

STEMMAD National celebrates excellence in Catholic Education, bringing together the top primary and secondary student teams from across the country. It was an incredible achievement for St Fidelis to be one of only six Victorian Catholic primary schools represented at the showcase.

We are incredibly proud of Anthony, Zara, Gemma, and Alexander for their dedication, collaboration, and ability to communicate their ideas so passionately. Their efforts remind us of the power of innovation and how STEM can truly make a difference in the world.

Below, you’ll find recounts from our national representatives, along with photos and a YouTube video capturing St Fidelis’ journey at the STEM MAD National Showcase.

Congratulations once again to our talented students - you’ve made St Fidelis proud!

Gemma 

This year, the STEM MAD Nationals took place in Brisbane on Tuesday, November 19, 2024. The day began with an opening ceremony, setting the tone for an exciting event. We kicked things off as the first showcase, which lasted for an hour and 15 minutes. During this time, we presented the EaziPour to a range of judges and STEM teachers, receiving valuable feedback and insights. 

Following our showcase, we had the chance to explore the second session, where we saw a variety of impressive projects and prototypes created by other participants. It was inspiring to see the creativity and innovation on display. 

Later in the day, we joined in some hands-on activities, including trying out VR goggles, which was a fun and new experience for many of us. The awards ceremony began at 2:45pm. Although we didn’t take home an award, the day was still a fantastic celebration of STEM and an amazing experience in Brisbane. 

And no, Mr. Frazzetto, this wasn’t written on potato paper!

Alexander

Hi, I’m Alexander, and I’m thrilled to share that our team was accepted into the STEM MAD Nationals! 

The event was held on November 19 at the Brisbane Convention Centre. Our group of four Zara, Gemma, Anthony, and I was accompanied by our teachers: Ms. Vira Pirrotta, Mrs.Manuela Watson, our STEM teacher, Mr. Joe Frazzetto and a parent. 

On that day, I was excited to participate in the showcase. The event began with a Welcome to Country, followed by a powerful Aboriginal dance performance by secondary students. We also listened to a presentation by Luke, who introduced Orange Sky, a foundation providing free laundry services to those in need.

During the showcase, my favourite moment was sharing Danni the Bunny. Everyone loved Danni so much that they kept borrowing it - and to this day, Zara still has my Danni! One of the funniest memories from the trip happened at the airport when our group dubbed Anthony “Anthony Seconds.” It was such a fun experience and one I’ll always remember fondly.

Zara 

Hi, I’m Zara, and I’m excited to share my experience at the STEM MAD Nationals. The event took place on November 19 at the Brisbane Convention Centre, where we represented St Fidelis Primary School with our project, the EaziPour. 

Our teachers - Mr. Frazzetto, Miss Pirrotta, and Miss Watson - joined us in Brisbane, along with our supportive parents. The day began with a Welcome to Country, featuring an incredible Indigenous dance performance. We also listened to a presentation about Orange Sky, a foundation started by its founder at just 15 years old to help homeless people by providing free laundry services. 

Then the STEM MAD Nationals officially began. We participated in Showcase 1, where we presented the EaziPour to judges, students, and teachers. I felt both excited and nervous, but my favorite moment was when I got interviewed - it was such a proud experience! 

At the end of the day, we felt a great sense of achievement just being in Brisbane for such an incredible event. One of the funniest moments was when Anthony earned the nickname “Anthony Seconds” - we couldn’t stop laughing! 

And to top it all off, Mr. Frazzetto found a Superman sculpture and joked about making it our school mascot. He even said that if Superman were principal, he’d add capes to our uniforms! 

Overall, it was an unforgettable experience. 

Anthony 

Hi, I’m Anthony, and here’s my reflection on the STEM MAD Nationals. 

The event took place on November 19 at the Brisbane Convention Centre, where we represented our school, St Fidelis, on the national stage. Our group - Zara, Gemma, Alex, and I - had worked hard to get here, and we were excited to showcase our project. 

When we arrived, Miss Pirrotta, Miss Watson, Mr. Frazzetto, and our supportive parents helped us set up for the presentation. They also captured plenty of photos to remember the day! During the showcase, we presented for an hour straight to parents, judges, and other students, many of whom seemed impressed with our work. Although we didn’t win, I’m incredibly proud of my team for making it this far - it’s a huge achievement. 

Throughout the day, I felt fine, but as the awards ceremony approached, I started to feel nervous. The Presentation was both exciting and scary, as I kept worrying about making a mistake. Despite those nerves, I loved the entire experience of being at the event.

My favourite part was simply being there, seeing the amazing work of other teams, and knowing we were part of something so special. It made me feel really happy, especially being with my friends and sharing this incredible experience together. 

The funniest moment of the day was when we got a fidget spinner and kept throwing it around until it broke in half. We couldn’t stop laughing as we tried throwing the broken half around, eventually losing it for good. In the end, Alex’s half ended up in the bin! 

Overall, it was an unforgettable experience, and I’m so grateful we had the chance to represent our school. 

ITALIAN NEWS - Rosa Fokianos

BUONGIORNO!    

Ciao a tutti! (Hi everyone!) 

Mamma mia! It seems like only yesterday that I was welcoming new families to the St Fidelis' community via the school newsletter and with a blink of an eye, we are fast approaching la fine dell'anno, (the end of the year).

Firstly, I’d like to remind everyone that the children will be singing an Italian canzone (song) at the Christmas End of Year concert, on 12 dicembre. At this stage grades F-2 will be singing una canzone and grades 3-6 will be singing a different canzone. I hope your child/ren have told you about it by now and have been practising at home, as well as we will continue at school. I can’t wait to see their performance on the night. 😃

Secondly, I’m not too sure if anyone watched this season’s MKR TV show. If so, you’ll know who I’m talking about…I just wanted to congratulate Simone e Viviana on winning the Grand Finals last week. Bravissimi!! They made some amazing Italian dishes over the course of the season. If you did get to watch the show, I wonder what your favourite Italian dish they created was? One day I hope to go visit their restaurant up in Brisbane.  Mmm..buonissimo!! 

Alla prossima volta…Until next time.

Saluti da signora Rosa 🌹