From Brad Downie

The past three weeks have continued to be a busy time for students and staff. On the teaching and learning front, there have been a number of significant events reflecting on the academic progress of students across the year, the day-to-day learning in the classroom and planning ahead for the future.

Thank you to all those families who took the opportunity to meet with teachers in our recent Subject Teacher Conversations. The positive engagement demonstrated by families in attending these meetings reinforces the vital link between the school and students’ homes in building confident and capable students who value the supportive partnership between school and home.

Learning is not only for students. The curriculum leaders on staff have also been engaged in their own learning. Continuing our connection with the Step Lab organisation, several of our staff had the opportunity to continue their professional learning as they undertook training in Instructional Coaching. This program is aimed at reinforcing and enhancing best practice classroom teaching techniques and honing the ability of teachers to reflect and improve upon their practice through collegiate support and coaching. It is never too late to further our understanding of the ways we learn and teach, and to develop new skills and reinforce best practice in the classroom.

Striving for best practice in the classroom and enhancing the learning experience for all members of the Sandhurst learning community, is the ultimate goal of Magnify. To that end, learning leaders have also attended a seminar in which a wide range of data and metrics were explored, with the goal of using the learnings from this data to help drive further improvement in education across the Catholic Education Sandhurst communities.

Looking forward, there are a number of things that students may be eagerly anticipating. The completion of the ICAS Maths tests brought the ICAS testing period to an end for 2025. The results will be available to students and families in the coming weeks. Year 10C will be undertaking work experience in the last week of term. The Years 11 and 12 students are rapidly nearing the end of their Units 3 and 4 subject studies, with only a few weeks of formal classes left once we return from the break. Units 3/4 subject teachers will be preparing students with a comprehensive 'holiday’ study and revision program. More details of those programs will be made available through Mrs Katelyn McIntyre, the 9-12 Community Leader for Student Learning.

While it has not strictly been learning ‘in the classroom’, the experience of rehearsing and performing the musical production Shrek the Musical Jnr, has no doubt been a fantastic, and fun, learning experience for all our students who have been involved, both on the stage and behind the scenes. I was lucky enough to see the performance on Thursday; congratulations to all involved.

Brad Downie

Deputy Principal 

Student Learning and Professional Practice