Principals News

Dear Parents,

It has been estimated that ninety to ninety-five percent of all human behaviours are learned through modelling. Modelled learning is largely unconscious, picked up from non-verbal behaviour and is strongly influenced by the quality of the relationship that exists between the learner and the model. The higher the regard, the more likely a person is to follow an example, which makes parents such influential models.

This makes it a little scary being a parent or teacher. Someone is watching and perhaps copying every move we make: the good and the bad - behaviours we are proud of and behaviours we may like to forget. For healthy development, children need to be surrounded by adults who model responsible, caring behaviour. If they experience nurture, they are more likely to be nurturing. If they experience encouragement, they are more likely to encourage others and if they experience optimism, they are more likely to develop a positive view of the world and themselves.

Twentieth Century poet Edgar Guest best expressed the power of modelling in his poem “The Living Sermon”.

All the lectures you deliver may be very wise and true,

But I’d rather get my lesson by observing what you do.

Though I might not understand you and the fine advice you give.

There’s no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.

As significant adults in children’s lives, parents and teachers must not leave modelling to chance. We need to harness its power and consciously model behaviours and language we want children to learn before they move into adolescence. For example, if we want children to resolve conflict in a civil way they need to see adults do the same. If we want children to watch less television and read more, we must set the example ourselves.

The period of life before puberty offers the prime opportunity for parents to model prosocial behaviours that often last a lifetime. Parents, teachers and other significant adults need to be mindful of the profound impact that they have on the young through what they model.

It has been a very busy time at St Mary’s over the past few weeks and the next few weeks will be no different with the Year 5 Camp to take place from Wednesday 14th August, rehearsals for the school production, Cybersafety night, Centenary Celebration, Science Week Incursions, Book Week and many other events. 

The highlight of the time has been the Centenary Ball which took place on Saturday 20th July. There were approximately 120 parents and staff in attendance and the feedback received is that everyone enjoyed their night. Many parents danced the night away and everyone seemed to enjoy their time.

The fundraising part of the night was also successful with a total of $6 900 raised. Once again I would like to thank the organisers Marissa Vincent and Clare Kroussoratis, Marnie Benfold for MC’ing and our live auctioneers, Lyndon Vincent, James Kroussoratis and Marcus Quinn for the wonderful job they did with the organisation. 

The term is in full swing with numerous events taking place and a great deal of diligent work occurring in all classrooms. In recent weeks, the teachers have been actively engaged in Peer Observations in Writing. This program spans several weeks, during which time teachers observe and provide feedback on instructional practices, while also supporting each other in developing effective strategies for writing. As a result, students have benefited from explicit instruction provided by multiple teachers and receive timely, personalised, and authentic feedback on their writing.

Next week, on Friday the 9th of August, the school will be celebrating the centenary of St Mary’s school. To celebrate this milestone, the teachers have planned an exciting day filled with rotations, guest speakers and market stalls.  On Friday 9th August the children are invited to dress up in costumes to showcase how they think the children at St Mary’s may have dressed a 100 years ago. They may also like to dress up to celebrate the number 100. If the children would prefer not to dress up, we ask that they wear their school uniform as normal. The students have also been busy behind the scenes planning, creating and preparing to run a market stall for the rest of the school. These market stalls will be set up for the children to explore from 2pm. Students will be encouraged to bring $10 so that they can participate and purchase items from the market stalls. More information will be provided on Operoo.

Science Week will be celebrated in week 5 with incursions based around Physical Science and the theme, "Species Survival More Than Just Sustainability". Prep-Year 2 & Year 5& 6 will have their incursions on Monday August 8th and Years 3-4 will have theirs on Friday August 16th.

In week 6, during Book Week, our teachers will be organising various book-related activities and discussions in the classrooms. As always the week will begin with a dress up parade. We encourage you to engage with your child about the books they are reading and the magic they discover within the pages. It is worthwhile reflecting on the importance of Literacy especially in primary schools, as strong Literacy skills allow our students to access other literacies in secondary school. Your investment in reading with your child is certainly a blue chip investment in your child’s education.

In my experience, the importance of developing an early love of reading to enhance success in later years of schooling is very evident. Reading ability in the early years is a great indicator of success in later years of schooling. This is why it is so important that children develop lifelong habits with their reading at home. In some classrooms, the children will take any opportunity to pick up a book they are reading and immerse themselves in the book. However, we also know there are so many more distractions for our children such as devices that can possibly distract them from reading.

I would like to highlight the importance of children reading each night. Even though most children truly learn how to read in school, the importance of reading at home should never be underestimated. Children need positive role models for reading in their homes. The most significant factor in determining a child’s success in reading is the parents’ attitudes about reading. Therefore, it is up to the parents to provide an environment for the child in which they are surrounded by books and reading. If a child sees the importance of reading in their home through their parents’ actions, it will most likely transfer to their own life.

Reading at home aids children in developing important skills and habits that will lead them to success in school and in life. The first of these types of skills are language skills. When reading aloud to a child, they will develop knowledge about language, context, sentence structure, grammar, syntax, and other components of language. In addition, reading to a child promotes the value of education and knowledge in a child. The children will learn how important it is to succeed well in school and will have a stronger desire to do so. Reading at home encourages a special bond between the parent and child. Through reading with a child, a parent is able to impart their thoughts and feelings, lessons, and beliefs. The child and the parents are able to develop an emotional bond through reading and sharing their thoughts on stories. This emotional bond gives children precious memories to reflect on and foster positive thoughts on the stories read to them. 

Finally, reading at home allows children to practise what they have been learning in school.  Throughout the school day, children may not receive ample time to practise what they are being taught in class. At home, parents can help provide one-on-one instruction to their children. During this time, children can be free to ask as many questions as they want without infringing on anybody else’s time. Without reading at home, it is difficult for children to develop a love for reading. It is a simple way for a parent to contribute and ensure success for their child in the classroom and beyond. In fact, it can be the greatest investment in your child’s education and just think it costs you very little other than some time.

Personally, I had the chance to work with Year 4 students during Peer Observations this term and it is an incredibly gratifying experience witnessing their growth in writing stamina, writing quality, and, most importantly, the student's confidence as writers. I have also been impressed with the unwavering dedication to academic progress by all teaching staff. This teaching method used is based on explicit and carefully sequenced instruction, starting from sentences and progressing towards compositions.

Feedback and observations from both teachers and students throughout the school have highlighted an increased level of engagement. Many students have expressed their enjoyment of having different teachers in the classroom and have appreciated the feedback they receive, as it helps them understand their next steps in learning.

One of our main goals at St Mary’s is to enhance learning for every student. Peer Observation in Writing has proven to be a transformative practice at our school. It not only supports our teachers in refining their instructional strategies but also empowers our students to become confident and proficient writers. At St. Mary’s, we remain committed to fostering academic growth and cultivating a caring and inclusive community that values both educational excellence and the wellbeing of our students.

National Schools Swimming Championships 

Congratulations to Lucy Dolan who competed for Victoria in the National School Sport Swimming Championships on the Gold Coast Last week. She was very proud to represent Victoria and to compete with some fantastic athletes from all over Australia. Lucy had some terrific results swimming in a number of events. The following are her results:

• 200m Freestyle: 3rd
• 200m Individual Medley: 5th
• 100m Freestyle: 4th
• 4x50m Freestyle relay: 5th
• 4x 50 Medley relay: 5th

Well done Lucy, we are proud of your achievements.

Division Netball Championships

Congratulations to our mixed Netball team who won the Division Championships! 

Enrolments Intentions for 2025

Next week all families will receive a notification from Operoo to indicate whether their children would be returning to St. Mary’s in 2025. I would ask that parents please make an effort to complete this form so we can commence planning for 2025.

Cybersafety Night

On Wednesday 7th August at 6:00pm we will be holding a Cybersafety night for all children in Years 3-6 and their parents. There is an expectation that all children form these year levels attend along with a parent. We will be bringing in a speaker for our parents who will talk to the parents about the trends and dangers with technology in 2024 as it changes on a regular basis. The children will be in their classrooms and will complete work in this area being led by the Year 6 children. The session will last approximately 75 minutes and will take place in the hall for parents. The children may wear casual clothes and will head straight to their classrooms. 

At Mary’s, we always take a proactive stance in providing our school community with current and relevant information relating to the cyber safety of the children. This area is an extremely complex one for families to navigate and is causing issues with children at home which is impacting on their relationships at school. Therefore we are asking that all families are receiving the same information so that we are all up to date with the online space that the children are accessing.

Holiday Program Survey from TheirCare

Thank you to the parents who completed the survey in regards to the possibility of a holiday program being run at St Mary’s. There has been enough interest to go ahead for the Summer Holidays in January. More details will be available next term.   

Tony McMahon

Principal

School Refusal, School Can’t and School Avoidance Event

Parents are invited to join a Victorian Parents Council Zoom event on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, at 7pm. A distinguished panel will discuss pathways and educational alternatives to support students with school attendance challenges, including School Refusal, School Can’t and School Avoidance. The panel includes parents, educators, psychologists, researchers, and government agencies.

The Victorian Parents Council recognises the significant impact of school attendance issues and is convening an expert panel to explore solutions for affected families.

Register at https://vicparentscouncil.vic.edu.au/events/ 

Semester Two SRC Members 

Congratulations to our newly elected Student Representatives for this Semester!