PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Term 2 - Week 1

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Welcome back to Term Two! I trust that your family had a restful Easter holiday break and are recharged and ready for another term of learning, fun, community and connection. Consisting of eleven weeks, it promises to be a reasonably uninterrupted term, with some excellent opportunities for sustained teaching, learning and then assessment, in preparation for Semester One Reporting. 

Being the first newsletter of the term, this edition outlines many of the events and experiences happening in our school from now until the end of June. I encourage you to get your family calendar ready and mark the important dates referenced for ease of planning. Soon to follow will be Class Newsletters from your child’s teacher, with more specific information about curriculum foci and key dates for your year level(s).

Thank you for your understanding around our Term Two School Closure Day being an extension of the holidays. The staff professional learning activity on Monday was one of the most worthwhile we have been involved in for some time. Learning with and from Professors Pam Snow, Tanya Serry and Dr Nathanial Swain from LaTrobe University provided excellent opportunities for our staff to grow their knowledge around Literacy instruction, but it was also a very affirming day for our school as much of what we have implemented over the past two years is well aligned with the most recent educational research. We were confident in this as it stood, but it is always nice to hear it affirmed. We are very proud to have a highly engaged staff group, always trying to improve what they are doing for the benefit of St Agnes’ students.

Knowledge Rich Curriculum - Reading comprehension

Traditionally, schools have spent time teaching reading comprehension strategies and skills such as ‘Finding the Main Idea’ or ‘Drawing Conclusions and Making Inferences’. The main focus of the teaching was always on the strategy, not the content. What is now clear is the importance of a broad knowledge base being imparted to our students, so they have a greater breadth to their vocabulary and knowledge base and can therefore read/understand a greater range of content. Dr Swain spent some significant time on this area on Monday, emphasising this notion through a passage about baseball. As an Australian typically interested in football, cricket and basketball, my knowledge of baseball is very limited. So, if you were to present me with a summary of a baseball game written by an American journalist for fans of Major League Baseball, chances are I’ll be able to read the passage, but have very little chance of understanding it. I would need to develop some background knowledge first. The same premise applies for our children. In our reading block at St Agnes’, much of the text read is focused on building a broad range of background knowledge across a range of content areas throughout each year. In Term Two, it’s focused on History. To reflect this, you should be able to ask your child some questions about what they are learning about in Reading and there should be some interesting answers!

Parish Amalgamation Process

At present, St Agnes’ Parish and Our Lady of the Assumption Parish (Cheltenham) are going through a process of amalgamation. As part of this process, the next phase of consultation is happening this week. The dates, times and venues, for the upcoming ‘Discernment Sessions’ to discuss and plan for this are as follows: Session One: 7–8.30pm on Thursday 18th April at St Agnes’ Hall. Session Two: 7–8.30pm on Thursday 2nd May at Brigid Hall – OLA, 9 Centre Dandenong Rd Cheltenham. The invitation is open to all parishioners of OLA and St Agnes’, including the staff of both our parish schools, as well as all school families. Please register using the TryBooking.com link: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1211612.

Staffing Adjustments and Appointments

Louisa Di Pietro is due to commence her parental leave in the next couple of weeks, as she prepares for the birth of her child. We wish her and her partner Paolo all the best for a safe arrival and look forward to meeting the little one in due course. As such, we have some staffing adjustments happening.

• Amanda Baker will step into the role of Deputy Principal - Learning, Teaching and Diversity. This includes supporting staff with the delivery of our curriculum, ongoing professional learning for teachers and support staff, staffing organsation, compliance and diversity. The Deputy Principal role is a key one within the school and we know Amanda is well-placed to do it well in Louisa’s absence. Louisa is expecting to return at the beginning of 2025.
• Louisa has been teaching Year 6 on a Friday this year and from this week onwards, a new staff member - Kate Newey - will join our staff and teach this class on Friday’s. Kate is an experienced teacher and leader, having spent a significant part of her career at Valkstone Primary School in East Bentleigh. Thank you in advance for making Kate feel welcome.
• With Amanda as Deputy Principal, Judith Barton will assume the role of Junior Leader (Literacy) for the remainder of the year.

Winter Uniform

There have been a number of questions regarding uniform transition from Summer to Winter. All students are expected to be in full Winter uniform from the beginning of May. A reminder that the maroon spray jacket is to be worn over the top of the school jumper, not instead of. Please visit the uniform page for more details.

SSV Soccer Lightning Premiership - Friday 19th April

This Friday, we have two teams of senior school students heading to Caulfield Park to represent our school at the District Soccer Lightning Premiership. The children will need to be wearing their full sports uniform and dressing appropriately for the weather. If families could please provide shin guards and a mouthguard (optional). Soccer boots are not compulsory and children can simply wear runners if needed. Parents are welcome to attend.

Program  Support Group (PSG) Meetings - Commencing Monday 22nd April

Program Support Group Meetings will be held next week. Louisa Di Pietro has contacted families directly about appointments for these meetings. Amanda Baker will be present at these meetings, as part of her transition into the Leader of Learning Diversity role.

Parents and Friends Committee Meeting - Tuesday 23rd April at 7.30pm

The Parents and Friends Committee will meet for the first time in Term Two at school on Tuesday 23rd April at 7.30pm in the Staffroom. All parents are welcome to attend and we ask our Class Reps to please make a special effort to be there.

Open Day and 2025/2026 Prep Enrolments

We have an Open Day on Tuesday 23rd April and prospective families are welcome to come along any time between 9am and 3pm on this day. No appointments are necessary. We continue to experience a higher-than-usual enrolment demand for Prep next year, which is terrific. Thank you to all who are advocating for our school in the local community, especially amongst the kinders. We are currently accepting applications for Prep 2025 and 2026.

St Agnes’ Playgroup - Friday 26th April

On Friday 26th April from 9am-10am, we have our first Playgroup for the term. Playgroup occurs fortnightly on a Friday and is led by Mrs Baker. There are five sessions this term and thank you to those who have already registered. It is a lovely way to connect the little ones together and to our school. There will be are play based activities set up for the children to participate in, but it is generally an informal play and catch up. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided for the adults.

Year 5/6 Winter Sport - Football and Netball

On Friday afternoons during Term Two, our Year 5/6 students will play either Football or Netball against other schools from our local area. This will commence on Friday 26th April and all students require a numbered Sports Top, which is available from uniform supplier, Noone. The focus of this is on participation and sportsmanship. More information to follow via Operoo.

Anzac Day Ceremony

Our School Captains, Arabella and Callan are busily preparing an Anzac Day Ceremony to mark this occasion at assembly on Wednesday 24th April. Our captains will then proudly represent the school at the Highett RSL Dawn Service on Anzac Day, reading poems and laying a wreath during the service. This is a partnership we are proud to continue.

SAC Meeting - Tuesday 30th April

The School Advisory Council will meet on two occasions this term, the first of which is Tuesday 30th April at 7.30pm.

SSV District Cross-Country

Yesterday our Year 3-6 Cross Country Team was ‘pounding the pavement’ around the school, training for the District Cross Country on Wednesday 1st May at Bald Hill Park in Clarinda. These training sessions will continue at 8am on Tuesday mornings for the next two weeks and to be part of the Cross Country Team, students need to attend at least two training sessions. Further details regarding the event will be communicated via Operoo closer to time.

Mother’s Day Activities

As we do every year, we mark Mother’s Day with a number of special events and 2024 is no different. It is vitally important that we celebrate our special ladies, including mums, grandmothers and special female figures in the lives of the children. Below is an outline of what we have planned for this year and we hope you can get along to most of it!

• Mother’s Day Stall - Friday 3rd May - The children will have the opportunity to purchase a gift for their mum or special lady at this stall. The children can bring up to $10 and will shop with siblings so there is no double up! It would be terrific to have some Dads running our stall this year. Please contact Lauren to dob yourself in dads: laurenkarpathakis@hotmail.com.
• P&F Mother’s Day Dinner - Friday 3rd May - The St Agnes’ P&F are hosting a Mother’s Day Dinner at the Half Moon Hotel in Brighton. All mothers and special ladies are invited to this event. Tickets to go on sale soon - watch this space.
• Mother’s and Special Friends Breakfast - Thursday 9th May at 7.30am - Held in the School Hall; all Mothers and special ladies are invited to come along to this event. There will be breakfast options for the mums and children, with the Dad’s doing all the work. Head across to the P&F page of this newsletter for more information.
• Mother’s and Special Friends Liturgy - Thursday 9th May at 08.50am - Over the next three weeks the children will be working hard to bring together this celebration for our special ladies. It will be entirely led by the children and I strongly encourage all mums  and special ladies to take an hour out of your day to come along for this. Each of the classes is preparing a small element of the liturgy to share.We know that there are ‘busy’ times in the lives of our families, but mothers and special ladies/friends do so much for their children and this is your turn to enjoy the spoils for once.

Cybersafety - Inform and Empower - Wednesday 5th June at 6.30pm

I would kindly ask all Year 3-6 parents to mark this important date in your calendar. We have reengaged Marty and Carly from Inform and Empower to deliver an onsite parent information session on digital safety for all Year 3-6 parents. We will also be asking all Year 3-6 students to be onsite for this evening as well, because the school will run student sessions parallel to the parent seminar. The digital world our children live in has many benefits, but also lots of challenges too. Marty and Carly are well-regarded experts in this space and have plenty of wonderful tips to share.

Term Two School Fees

Term Two School Fees are now payable. Updated fee statements will be sent out in the next week. Please ensure prompt payment and contact Shannon Shine (sshine@sahighett.catholic.edu.au) if you would like to set up a direct debit or payment plan.

Tuckshop Commencement

Tuckshop will commence this week, Friday 19th April. Orders can be placed online.

Assembly

Assemblies are in the Hall on Wednesday afternoons at 2.40pm. Parents are welcome to attend. At assembly, there will be presentations from classes, student awards, birthday acknowledgements and special announcements from student leaders.

Wed 17th Apr - No class item

Wed 24th Apr - Anzac Day Ceremony - School Captains

Wed 1st May - SRC - Child Safety

Wed 8th May - Year 3

Wed 15th May - Year 6

Wed 22nd May - Prep

Wed 29th May - Year 5

Wed 5th June - Year 1

Wed 12th June - Year 4

Wed 19th June - Year 2

Wednesday 26th June - No class item