Principals Report

Dear Parents, Carers and Friends of St Brendan’s,

Welcome to Week Six and to Book Week.

This is always a wonderful week in schools as teachers, children and their families across the country celebrate all things books and reading. The theme for Book Week this year is ‘Reading is Magic’ and by the look of the photos from yesterday’s celebrations , there was certainly magic in the air!

Thank you to all parents and carers who got involved in the spirit of the day. Thank you also to those who showed understanding when the Audiri message went out to say that we were without power. I’m sure you can all appreciate that when things like this happen, the people in charge need to make quick decisions always with safety  in mind as the first priority.

I hope you enjoy the photos of this wonderful day. 

School Closure Day - Friday 23rd August

This Friday, the staff of St Brendan’s school will engage in a day of professional learning in the area of English literacy. Together we will continue our deep dive into theThe Science of Reading/The Science of Learning.

The Science of Reading is a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically-based research about reading and issues related to reading and writing. This research has been conducted over the last five decades across the world, and it is derived from thousands of studies conducted in multiple languages.

The Science of Learning is concerned with explicit instruction of a well-sequenced, knowledge-focused curriculum. Some key features of explicit instruction include:

• Careful ordering of curriculum content so that new information and concepts are built sequentially;
• Explanation of new information in small steps, taught through modelling and worked examples, with student practice after each step;
• Asking questions and checking for all students’ understanding of what has been taught before gradual release of students for independent work and more complex tasks; and
• Regular review of previous content to ensure retention.

As we work together as a team of educators, we are learning together how to best implement these two sciences to bring about deep learning in our students. We look forward to continuing to implement new and more effective evidence based teaching methods that will benefit all students.

School Uniform

Thank you to the many parents and students who have made adjustments to their uniform after my communication last week. I have visited Year 5/6 students to check uniforms and have been really pleased with their response. I will visit other classes in the coming days to ensure that our school uniform is being worn correctly. If ever your child/children need to be out of uniform, please send a note of explanation to their class teacher/teachers.

Wishing you all a wonderful week.

Sue Carr

We are so proud to announce the latest addition to the St Brendan's community:

Miles Andrew Reed

Born 9th August 2024, 50cms and 3.09kg

Congratulations Nicole and Kyle