Learning and Teaching

While we have entered the final term of the school year, the learning at St Mary's is certainly far from complete! Our classrooms continue to be places of purposeful, engaging and high-quality teaching and learning, with every day providing valuable opportunities for our students to grow, consolidate their understanding and build upon their achievements. 

Throughout Term 4, our teachers will continue to deliver consistent, evidence-based teaching, alongside regular progress monitoring and assessment. These practices are an essential part of our approach to teaching and learning, allowing teachers to develop a clear and accurate understanding of each student's progress, identify areas of strength and respond promptly to any gaps in learning. 

Learning and Teaching – Celebrating Growth and Achievement 

As we move through Term 4, our students continue to engage in high-quality, explicit instruction across our core learning areas. Our teaching and learning programs, including InitialLit, Impact Assessment English, Impact Assessment Mathematics, MacqLit and MiniLit Sage, remain central to ensuring every student receives targeted, evidence-based instruction that supports their individual learning needs. 

Over recent weeks, students in Years 2 to 6 have also participated in Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) in Reading and Mathematics. With only a small number of students yet to complete their assessments, we are already seeing some very pleasing results. 

At this week's staff meeting, our teachers came together to carefully analyse and discuss the assessment data. It was incredibly rewarding to see the growth demonstrated by our students across all areas of learning. These results reflect the consistent effort of our students and the dedication of our teachers to providing purposeful, explicit and responsive teaching. 

Perhaps even more valuable were the professional conversations that emerged as teachers explored patterns and trends within the data. We were able to identify the positive impact of targeted literacy interventions on reading achievement, consider the relationship between student attendance and learning growth, and reflect on how students' engagement and participation in classroom learning are reflected in their assessment outcomes. 

These discussions reinforce something we value deeply at St Mary's: no single test, assessment or work sample tells the whole story of a child's learning. 

Effective teaching is about much more than simply looking at a score. Our teachers strategically bring together multiple sources of evidence, including standardised assessments, classroom observations, student work samples, intervention data and their professional knowledge of each learner. This careful analysis ensures that teaching decisions are informed, individualised and responsive to the needs of every child. 

It is this commitment to understanding the whole learner that allows us to identify strengths, recognise areas for further development and determine the most effective next steps in learning. We leave no stone unturned in our efforts to ensure every student has the opportunity to experience success. 

I am incredibly proud of the professional commitment our teachers demonstrate in continually reflecting on their practice and using evidence to strengthen student learning outcomes. 

Well done to our students for their hard work, persistence and growth, and congratulations to our teachers for their dedication, expertise and unwavering commitment to making a difference. 

At St Mary's, we know that great teaching makes a difference, and it is wonderful to see the evidence of this in the progress our students are making. 

Every lesson matter, every step forward counts, and every child deserves the opportunity to flourish. 

Learning Together 

Angela Fiske-Kealy