From the Principal's Desk

It is hard to believe that we are now in week 8 of this 11-week term. As always, the term seems to be flying by, and there is certainly no shortage of activity around the school. Between classroom learning, community events, excursions, report writing and the many other opportunities our students are involved in, it has been another busy and productive fortnight at All Saints'.

On Tuesday, students put on their best smiles for our annual school photo day. Thank you to all families for ensuring students arrived looking neat and presentable and ready for their photographs. School photos are always a special tradition and provide a wonderful snapshot of our students and school community each year. We look forward to receiving the finished photos in the coming months.

Thank you to everyone who attended our Casserole Night on Thursday evening. It was wonderful to see so many families come together to share a meal and enjoy each other's company. Sometimes the simplest events are the best, and it was great to see students enjoying the movie screenings while parents had the opportunity to connect with one another.

A special thank you must go to Susan Cox and Janine Barclay for their work in coordinating the evening and ensuring everything ran smoothly behind the scenes. Events such as these rely heavily on the generosity and commitment of staff and volunteers, and their efforts were greatly appreciated.

Our teachers are currently working hard to finalise Semester 1 reports. Report writing is a significant undertaking, requiring staff to carefully reflect on each student's learning progress, achievements and areas for future growth. Reports will be distributed by the end of term and will provide families with a detailed overview of student achievement across all learning areas.

Families will also notice a slight change to reporting this semester, with all subjects now featuring an overall A to E grade (except for Kindergarten students). This adjustment is designed to provide a clearer summary of each student's overall achievement in these key learning areas.

One point worth noting about the A to E grading scale, which has understandably caused some anxiety for families in the past, is that a C grade represents achievement at the expected standard for that year level. In other words, a student receiving a C has successfully demonstrated the knowledge, skills and understandings expected of them at this point in their learning. This can be quite different from how many of us remember grading during our own school years, where a C was often viewed as below expectations. Under the current reporting framework, a C is a positive result that indicates a student is achieving the outcomes expected for their stage of learning.

Recently, some families received attendance notifications. I would like to clarify that attendance rates for students at school, as defined by CEDWW, are in the table below. For any students whose attendance was below 90% with exceptions, a letter was sent out.

As always, attendance data is considered alongside individual circumstances. We understand that illness, family commitments and other genuine reasons can impact attendance. Our goal is not simply to monitor numbers, but to ensure that students are attending regularly enough to fully engage with their learning and achieve their potential.

It is also important for families to understand that, as Principal, I have a legal responsibility to monitor and address ongoing attendance concerns. Where attendance does not improve and there is no satisfactory explanation for continued absences, the next step is to meet with parents or carers to develop an Attendance Improvement Plan. This plan is designed to identify barriers to attendance and establish strategies to support regular school attendance.

If attendance concerns persist and the agreed plan is not implemented or followed, I am required to report to the Department of Education and the Department of Communities and Justice. My preference is always to work collaboratively with families to address concerns early and ensure that every student has the best opportunity to succeed through regular attendance at school.

Last Friday was a Pupil Free Day as staff participated in our annual Staff Spirituality Day. These days provide an important opportunity for us to step away from the busyness of school life, spend time in reflection, and continue to grow in our understanding of the mission and purpose of Catholic education.

This year, our focus was on the Gospel of Matthew and what it teaches us about discipleship, service and community. Throughout the day, staff explored how these teachings can continue to shape the way we interact with one another, support our students and families, and live out our faith in the everyday life of our school.

A highlight of the day was celebrating Mass together with Father Michael Perry. I would like to thank Father Michael for his ongoing support of our school and parish community. We are fortunate to benefit from his wisdom, guidance and presence in the life of All Saints'. Days such as these remind us that while academic achievement is important, our work as a Catholic school is also centred on nurturing faith, values and a strong sense of community.

Congratulations to our school Chess Team, who recently travelled to Tumut to compete in the chess competition and achieved an outstanding second-place finish.

The students represented All Saints' exceptionally well throughout the day, demonstrating patience, strategic thinking and excellent sportsmanship. We are incredibly proud of their efforts and the way they conducted themselves.

Thank you also to Mrs Middleton for organising the team's participation and accompanying the students to the competition.

As we move towards the final weeks of the term, I would like to thank our students, staff and families for their continued support of our school. There is still plenty happening before the end of term, and I look forward to sharing more of our students' successes with you in the coming weeks.

God bless and enjoy the weekend ahead.

Daniel Francis 

Principal