Dear Families and Community of Blackfriars Priory School,

By the time you receive this newsletter, the Student/Parent/Teacher Learning Conversations will have been conducted. I hope the direct personal feedback from teachers, in addition to the end of Term 1 Report provide illumination and guidance for students and parents/guardians on the progress and engagement of your son in his learning, wellbeing and co-curricular activities. Please be assured that parents/caregivers can make direct email contact with teachers or telephone contact with the School to make suitable times to meet with teachers beyond the structured framework of the formal Student/Parent/Teacher Learning Conversations.

The use of SEQTA as the major communication tool for learning is also a useful means for parents to access ongoing and current information about your son’s curriculum, his assignments/assessments and the feedback for improvement he has received from his teachers on each major assessment. Parents who make use of SEQTA will always have up to date information from teachers and the opportunity to open up dialogue with your son about his learning.

Most importantly, to be a successful learner in today’s world, students need to reflect on their own learning progress, to assess what they know, how they best learn and what they need to do to improve as a learner in each subject. Reflection on learning, known as “meta cognition” or “thinking about thinking” has been identified by researchers as one of the major keys to success in further study (University, TAFE) and in any career. The best approach for parents of boys is to ask questions that require your son to think about his learning, what he can do to improve his understanding of the concepts and his work habits. Make sure you allow your son time to think and respond, that is, don’t expect an immediate response but allow your son the time and space to process his thinking and then discuss his ideas with you at a later time.

Enrolment Contract at Blackfriars

It is my sincere hope that Blackfriars is the school of choice for boys and families and remains the school of choice unless families move interstate or to a distant suburb where transport to Blackfriars is difficult. However, if you are considering a move of school for your son during the year or for 2019 for any reason, I encourage you to contact me to confidentially discuss your individual circumstances and the reasons for your consideration of a move of school. Contact can also be made with Mr Frank Ali, Head of Primary or Mr David Ruggiero, [Acting] Deputy Principal of the Secondary School.

Please be reminded of the Enrolment Contract you have signed and the agreement within the contract that when a student leaves the School, the family must provide a minimum of one Term’s notice in writing addressed to the Principal. In the event that a student leaves prior to the one Term’s notice, a fee is payable which is the equivalent of one Term’s Tuition Fee. The reason for this notice period is that Blackfriars, like any school establishes class sizes, senior SACE subjects and electives based on the enrolment information received from parents during Term 4 of any given year. The major cost to our annual budget is the employment of staff which we systematically align to student numbers and classes as calculated in Term 4 for the following year. Hence, late decisions by families to leave our school become a major financial problem for Blackfriars as our costs are locked in for the year.

Japanese Tour

Bon voyage to Ms Chikako Oguma, Mr Dan Winter and the 14 students who are travelling to Japan for the biennial exchange with Nagoya Otani Senior High School. The touring party leaves on Wednesday 11 April and returns before the beginning of Term 2. We wish them safe travels and a wonderful experience of Japanese customs, language and culture.

Lands off Dominic Pilgrimage

We offer our prayers and good wishes to Ms Cathie Oswald (School Counsellor) and her Dominican companions taking part in the Dominican pilgrimage who departed Australia on Wednesday 4 April, for 24 days. The community of Blackfriars will be with Cathie in spirit as she visits Dominican heartland – Madrid, Segovia, Salamanca, Caleruega, Aza, Osma, Toulouse, Fanjeaux, Prouilhe, Carcassonne, Bologna, Florence, Siena, Orvieto, Rome. We pray for Cathie’s safe travel and return to us.

Australian Asian Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Earlier this week, I met with President of the Australian Asian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Mr Ivan Kaukov, and Mr David O'Loughlin, Chair of the Blackfriars Priory School Board and Mayor of Prospect. During this meeting, we signed an agreement that will provide enhanced International Student opportunities at Blackfriars for students and their families from China. We look forward to working with Ivan and his team to further enhance cultural Study Tours at Blackfriars and the enrolment of long-term International Students.

Term Conclusion

Term 1 is the longest school term of the year. Within the 11 weeks of this term students have experienced many changes, their first time in a new class, for some, first time in a new school, new expectations, commencement of a new curriculum, new friends to make and new teachers to get to know. For everyone it is also a calendar phase of many notable changes. The weather changing from a climate of summer to autumn, expressed in the landscape of nature itself as we witness the leaves of trees transitioning from the lush green of summer sunshine to the radiant glow of autumn colours. Following the sorrow of Easter and the elation of the Resurrection of Jesus, the Church liturgy now moves us to experience the Ascension of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost before moving to 'Ordinary' time.

While it has been an exciting and moving time to date, it is little wonder we all feel some level of exhaustion and ready for the Term holidays to begin so that we can take time out to relax, reflect and plan for the next Term. I am looking forward to the energy of the last week of Term and hope that students will be inspired by the highly anticipated break to stay focused and complete all the curriculum requirements expected of them; ensuring their learning journey at Blackfriars upholds our prescribed Dominican Pillar of Study.

With best wishes,

Mr Simon Cobiac

PRINCIPAL

School Photographs

They are on their way