Learning and Teaching
A New Year of Learning & Growth at St Peter’s
Welcome to 2025! The children have had a settled and positive start to the school year, and there’s already a great energy in our classrooms. This year, we are focused on strong, evidence-based teaching to help every child succeed.
We are continuing to develop our approach to explicit instruction at St Peter's, which is part of the MACS Vision for Instruction. Research shows that children learn best when teaching is clear, structured, and broken into manageable steps. This helps them retain information, avoid feeling overwhelmed, and build confidence in their learning.
As part of this, teachers have begun start-of-year assessments to gain a clear understanding of where each student is in their learning. These assessments provide a starting point and help us determine the next steps to support growth and progress. Daily Review is also a key focus this year—an important part of explicit instruction that helps students consolidate prior learning, strengthen recall, and deepen their understanding of key concepts.
You can read more about the MACS Vision for Instruction and find ideas on how to support your child’s learning at home here:
Never Stop Learning!
As always, we are committed to ongoing professional learning for our teachers, with January closure days focused on the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM). During this time, we explored strategies to build stamina and engagement, equipping all staff with tools to support student wellbeing, active participation, and effective learning in the classroom. It was a brilliant and valuable session, and we thank Phil from BSEM for his expertise and Mrs Natasha Franchina, whose efforts were instrumental in bringing Berry Street to our school.
A Great Start, with More to Come
We have an incredible team of educators at St Peter's—both familiar faces and new members—who bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm to our school. The excitement across the classrooms has been fantastic, with staff and students alike eager to learn, grow, and make the most of the year ahead.
How lucky are we to be part of this wonderful community!
Belinda Mihalicek
Deputy Principal /Curriculum Leader: Learning and Teaching