Principal's News

Many thanks to all of our families who contributed to Feast of the Sacred Heart.  There were so many food items donated to this very important initiative make a difference to those in need in our community.

I hope that all families had a wonderful long weekend (two weeks ago) and managed to find some time to recharge for the remaining two weeks of Term Two. We are starting to see some fatigue in the students as we edge closer to the end of an eleven week Term. 

Last week, I had the privilege of reading all of our end of semester reports, due to be sent home to families at the start of Week 11.  There is certainly a sense of pride when reading about all of the meaningful achievements from our children in the first semester of 2024. Whether it be improvements in reading fluency or social skills; all of our students have made terrific progress across the first two terms. We know that a child’s academic achievement is not linear and there will be ebbs and flows as they progress through the continuum of learning. As parents, it’s important that we understand and expect that. There is more information attached to the report about reading and understanding this years report.

Teaching and Learning next newsletter Literacy and Numeracy

In recent weeks in the media there have been news stories on how Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools (MACS) has changed its focus in the Teaching and Learning area with an emphasis on getting back to basics. It is interesting to note that some of what MACS is introducing has already been in place at St Kevin’s but we will need to continue to make some changes to how we teach these important areas. This is quite a change from the previous model and it is not an approach being adopted by the education department, just Catholic schools and I feel it will give our schools a big advantage over other schools. 

The MACS Flourishing Learners position statement, Vision for Instruction, is a key document aligned with the MACS 2030 strategic plan. It has been developed to communicate MACS’ preferred system-wide approach to achieving teaching and learning excellence. The Vision for Instruction is firmly grounded in the evidence of how students learn most effectively and efficiently, offering explicit guidance for MACS schools on instructional best practice.

Following is the link to a story that Channel Seven ran last week: https://fb.watch/sjxMp8ix4u/

Student, Parent & Teacher Conversations

Parent, Teacher, Student Conversations will take place on Wednesday 26th of June between 12:30pm and 5:30pm. All students will finish school at 12pm on that day.  All students are required to attend the conversations as this is a perfect opportunity to review achievements so far and then set goals.  

Please go to https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/  and use code f4ywu 

Reports will be sent to the Compass Parent Portal on Monday 24th  June. Please ensure you can log in and receive messages etc. 

Any parents that have attended a PSG (Parent Support Group) meeting for their child, do not need to schedule a Parent, Teacher, Student Conversation.

3/4F Student, Parent and Teacher Conversations will take place on Wednesday 19th of June between 12:30pm and 5:30pm.

Please go to https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/  and use code 6qej5  

2024 School Fees

Thank you to all the parents and carers who have made a School Fees payment in the last fortnight.  Cathy (Our Bursar) and Hesti (Financial Partner) both commented that we have had a boost in fee payments.  Thank you to all who have made a payment.  Please let me know if you have any difficulties or questions.

Administration Area

Any visitors (e.g. parents or contractors) visiting the school please wait in the foyer of the office. A staff member will welcome you into this internal office or sickbay.

Cross Country

Congratulations Cleo!   Thank you for representing St Kevin’s! You are a legend!

Staff News

Leeanne O’Meara has resigned from her position as Performing Arts Teacher at St. Kevin’s.  She has decided to continue her work at the Tertiary Level.  We thank Leeanne for her work at St Kevin’s and we wish her well for her future adventures in education.  

Resources for Parents

Maggie Dent is a parenting and childhood expert who is often interviewed across various Australian media outlets. Maggie’s website https://www.maggiedent.com/ provides links to a number of resources dealing with a variety of topics around childhood.  

Cyber-Safety: eSafety Parents is an Australian Government Resource that has guidelines and advice for parents around navigating the internet, social media and being safe online. https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents

Reminders

School Photos will take place on Friday 21/06

Final Assembly for Term 2   Week 11 -  Monday  24/06    Whole School Assembly  2:30pm in Church

I hope everyone has a wonderful last week of term 2!

All my blessing, Gabee Leone