Learning and Teaching News

Reporting on Student Progress and Achievement

Communicating student progress, growth, and areas for improvement is a vital part of the education process. At St Martin's, we provide a formal and consistent structure to support this communication.

Written Reports

Written reports are provided twice a year:

• At the end of Semester One

• At the end of Semester Two

These reports provide a comprehensive summary of each student's progress in relation to the Victorian Curriculum.

Three-Way Learning Conversations

To support the Semester One written report, compulsory Three-Way Learning Conversations take place. These are focused 15-minute discussions involving the student, their teacher, and their parent/carer.

Three-Way Learning Conversations aim to:

• Help students present evidence of their learning

• Encourage students to articulate the next steps in their learning journey

• Teach students to reflect on and evaluate their own progress

• Support the development of students' organisational and oral communication skills

• Build student confidence through active participation in the conversation

• Foster open, honest dialogue between students, parents, and teachers

• Encourage students to take personal responsibility for their learning

• Improve parent understanding of their child’s learning by increasing attendance and satisfaction with the reporting process

These conversations are centered around the student, who is the most important person in the process. Teachers work closely with students beforehand to support them in leading the conversation with confidence and purpose.

Some guiding prompts used during conversations include:

• As a learner, what are you most proud of and why?

• What do you still need help with next semester to move your learning forward?

• How can we turn that into a goal for next semester?(Prep) What has been the best thing at school?

• (Prep) What can you make, say, do or write now that you couldn't before starting Prep?

Save the Date: Learning Conversations

For most students, learning conversations will be held on:

• Thursday, 3rd July - 3:30pm – 7:30pm

• Friday, 4th July - 8:30am – 1:00pm

Please note: Students taught by Alli F/Tessa and Sarah will be offered alternative days and times, as these teachers will be on leave during the allocated three way learning conversation dates. Below are the available sessions for these teachers:

• Tuesday, 1st July – 1:00pm - 6:00pm - Alli & Tessa 

• Wednesday, 23rd July - 1:00pm - 6:00pm - Sarah 

All other teachers will be available during the regular three way learning conversation times on Thursday 3rd July  and 4th July .

Program Support Group (PSG) Meetings

If your child is part of a Program Support Group (PSG), a meeting time will be arranged by Chiara, our Learning Diversity Leader. During this meeting, your child will lead the conversation for approximately 10 minutes.

You do not need to book an additional Three-Way Learning Conversation, as the class teacher will be present at the PSG meeting.

Booking Details

Bookings will open at 4:00pm on Monday 2nd June via School Interviews using the link or QR code provided below.

https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/wnnc6

Science Inquiry Focus – Term Overview (Prep – Year 4)

This term in Inquiry Learning our students across Prep to Year 4 will be engaging in exciting, hands-on Science learning experiences as they explore key concepts from the Australian Science Curriculum.

Prep students will be diving into the world of Biological Sciences, exploring living things through the lens of farm animals. They will learn to identify the basic needs of animals, observe their features, and understand how we care for them. Through interactive activities and real-world experiences our youngest scientists will develop an appreciation for the diversity of life on the farm.

Years 1 to 4 will be investigating Chemical Sciences, with a focus on how materials can change. Students will become young experimenters as they explore the properties of everyday materials and conduct hands-on experiments to see how these materials can be mixed, heated, cooled, or combined to create physical changes. These experiences will help develop their questioning, predicting, observing and recording skills while nurturing their curiosity about the world around them.

We look forward to a term full of discovery, wonder and scientific thinking!

Inquiry Units for Term 2 

Elise Coghlan

Learning and Teaching Leader