Week 9 Newsletter

It honestly feels as though Term Two has passed in the blink of an eye. It seems like only yesterday that we returned to school in mid-April and gathered as a community to commemorate ANZAC Day, and yet here we are approaching the end of another busy and rewarding term.

Over the past nine weeks, there has been so much to celebrate and be proud of across our school community. From faith celebrations, sacramental programs and family prayer evenings, to interschool football, netball, soccer and cross country, Mother’s Day celebrations, the Biggest Morning Tea, excursions, incursions, our Artist in Residence program, debating and a fantastic school disco, our students have embraced every opportunity with enthusiasm and spirit. And with one week still remaining, there is even more to look forward to.

Alongside these rich learning and community experiences, we are incredibly proud of the growth and progress our students have made in their learning. Term Two has provided an invaluable opportunity for our teachers to deeply engage with the curriculum, carefully assess student learning, reflect on teaching practices and prepare comprehensive reports that celebrate each student's achievements and identify their next steps for growth.

Today, our Semester One reports will be sent home, marking the culmination of months of dedicated work by our staff and students. I would like to sincerely thank our entire teaching team for the enormous effort they have invested in planning, teaching, assessing and reporting throughout the semester. This work begins well before reports are written. In fact, the process starts in late Term One, when our curriculum leaders: Mrs Baker, Mr Otto and Mrs Gorski, work collaboratively to develop a clear and rigorous assessment schedule for the term, ensuring that student reports are grounded in meaningful evidence gathered across a carefully planned sequence of learning.

I continue to be so grateful for the professionalism, passion and commitment of our staff. The care they take in analysing student progress, moderating assessment data and thoughtfully discussing each child’s achievements is a testament to their dedication to providing the very best education for our students. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a talented and hardworking team at St Agnes’, and I thank them for their tireless efforts throughout what has been a highly successful first semester.

Data Chats

In addition to this, Mrs Baker and I had the pleasure this week of meeting with each of our classroom teachers for our mid-year data conversations. These meetings provide a valuable opportunity to take a personalised look at each class's data to celebrate the successes of the semester, acknowledge the growth our students have made, identify cohort trends that can inform future teaching and learning, and discuss the next steps for both individual students and curriculum areas where we are striving for continued improvement.

These conversations were an absolute pleasure to be part of. They provided a wonderful insight into the dedication, expertise and passion of our teaching staff, as well as their willingness to reflect on their practice, embrace feedback and continually seek ways to improve outcomes for students. The level of professional dialogue, collaboration and commitment to student growth was truly impressive.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank Mrs Baker for the tremendous work she undertakes in collating, analysing and presenting our student achievement data. Her attention to detail and deep understanding of the data ensures that these conversations move well beyond simply reviewing results. Instead, they become purposeful, reflective and highly evaluative discussions that help us identify strengths, respond to challenges and make informed decisions about the next stage of learning for our students.

Learning Support Staff

Alongside our teachers, another wonderful group of educators plays a vital role in the success of our students each and every day, our Learning Support Officers. This week, our LSO team met with Mrs Baker and our Learning Diversity Leader, Mrs Phyland, to unpack the semester’s data, reflect on student growth and celebrate the many successes already achieved this year.

In all my years in education, I can honestly say I have never worked with a Learning Support Officer team quite like the one we have at St Agnes’. We truly have the A-team. Their dedication, professionalism and unwavering commitment to our students is exceptional. They consistently go above and beyond to ensure every child feels supported, encouraged and capable of success.

In my nearly six months as Principal, I have never walked through a classroom and found one of our LSOs anything less than fully engaged. Whether working with small groups, supporting individual students in breakout spaces, revising key concepts, providing additional opportunities for learning, or offering gentle encouragement to help students remain focused and confident, their impact is evident in every corner of our school.

The relationships they build with students, the care they show and the expertise they bring to their work each day are invaluable. The academic growth, confidence and wellbeing gains we have seen across our students this semester would simply not be possible without their contribution. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a talented and dedicated team supporting our learners, and I am deeply grateful for everything they do to make St Agnes’ such a special place to learn and grow.

Not only do our Learning Support Officers play a critical role in supporting learning within our classrooms, but they also generously give of their time to support many of the programs and opportunities that enrich life at St Agnes’.

Whether it is Mrs Jamison and Miss Eterovic quietly spending Thursday afternoons assisting Mrs Murdoch in preparing for our upcoming Art Show, Mrs Moloney giving up her lunch breaks to coach our netball teams and facilitate the Peaceful Kids program, or Ms Miller opening the library every lunchtime to provide a calm, welcoming space for students to connect, read and, more recently, catch a few minutes of the World Cup, our LSOs continually go above and beyond for our school community.

These examples represent just a small snapshot of the generosity, goodwill and commitment shown by our Learning Support Officer team every day. Much of what they do happens behind the scenes and without recognition, yet their willingness to contribute wherever needed plays a significant role in creating the strong sense of community, belonging and care that makes St Agnes’ such a special place. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated team supporting our students, staff and families.

SSV Football and Netball

Last week, our senior students represented St Agnes’ in the HOLT SSV Football and Netball competitions. After a term of competition against local Catholic schools, our students were ready for the challenge.

Our three netball teams all progressed through to their respective grand finals. While we were unable to secure a premiership, the determination, teamwork and sportsmanship displayed by our students was outstanding, and we could not be prouder of their efforts.

The following day, our football team finished second in their pool before taking on St Joseph’s, Malvern, in a thrilling semi-final. The teams could not be separated at full time or after extra time, with St Joseph’s progressing on pool position. Our team responded strongly, defeating St Columba’s, Elwood, to finish third overall.

We congratulate all of our students for the way they represented St Agnes’ throughout the season. Their commitment, resilience and sportsmanship were a credit to our school community.

A sincere thank you to Mr Otto, Mrs Miller and Mrs Moloney for coaching our teams throughout the term, and to Mr Kost for the significant work he undertakes behind the scenes to coordinate fixtures and create these valuable sporting opportunities for our students.

Eucharist Reflection Day

On Wednesday, our Year Four students took part in their Eucharist Reflection Day as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of First Eucharist this weekend. Through prayer, discussion and a range of engaging activities, students explored the significance of the Eucharist and reflected on what it means to receive Jesus in Holy Communion for the first time.

We thank Mrs Gorski, Mrs Law and all staff involved in providing such a meaningful experience for our students. We keep our Year Four students and their families in our prayers as they prepare to celebrate this special milestone in their faith journey on Saturday evening.

Junior Faith Night

Last week it was wonderful to welcome our Year 1 and 2 students and their families to school for our Family Faith Night. The evening focused on our role as stewards of God's creation and the responsibility we all share in caring for the world around us. Through prayer, discussion and hands-on activities, students and families explored the beauty of God's creation and reflected on practical ways they can care for our common home.

One of the highlights of the evening was seeing students use play-doh to create and reflect on different aspects of God's creation, sparking thoughtful conversations about gratitude, wonder and stewardship. Thank you to Mrs Gorski, Miss Bell, Mrs Hampson, Mrs Georgiou and Mrs Murphy for creating such a meaningful experience for our families and for continuing to strengthen the important partnership between home, school and parish.

Ethical Olympiad

This year, for the first time, a team of St Agnes’ students took part in the Ethical Olympiad competition. The Ethical Olympiad provides students with the opportunity to engage in thoughtful ethical discussions and debates with schools from across Australia and the Pacific via Zoom.

Paddy, Sophie, Leo, Jackson and Noah represented our school exceptionally well, participating in debates against schools including Newcastle Grammar, The Lakes College in Queensland and St Dominic’s, Adelaide. Throughout the day, they demonstrated outstanding critical thinking, respectful dialogue and a willingness to consider a range of perspectives on complex ethical issues.

The team should be incredibly proud of their efforts and achievements, which were recognised with an Honourable Mention Award. We are extremely proud of the way they represented St Agnes’ and congratulate them on embracing such a challenging and rewarding opportunity.

Gracelyn you Star!

Congratulations to Gracelyn in Year Four, who this week achieved an outstanding result by winning the Regional Cross Country Championship. This is a remarkable achievement and one that our entire school community is incredibly proud of.

To put this accomplishment into perspective, Gracelyn has now won the HOLT District Cross Country, the Beachside Division Championship and the Regional Championship, progressing through each stage of competition with determination and excellence.

Gracelyn will now go on to represent St Agnes’ at the State Cross Country Championships early next term. We wish her every success as she takes on the best runners from across Victoria and look forward to celebrating this incredible achievement with our school community.

Friday Fun Lunch

When greeting families on the Tuesday following the long weekend, I was met by many grateful parents, and it wasn’t because of the extra day off! Instead, they were thrilled that our first Fun Lunch for the year had arrived, providing a welcome break from preparing lunches for our students.

A huge thank you to Kate Hulsman for the tremendous work she put into organising the event. We are also incredibly grateful to Jenni Cummings, Lucy Churchill, Amy Anderson and Jess Cox for generously giving their time to prepare and distribute lunches to our lucky students. Events like these rely on the support of our wonderful parent community, and we are so appreciative of the many volunteers who help make them possible.

Class Liturgies

One of the wonderful traditions at St Agnes’ is our class liturgy program, which provides students and families with the opportunity to come together in prayer and reflection throughout the year. These liturgies allow students to actively participate in and lead prayer, share their learning and deepen their understanding of the Gospel message.

It has been wonderful to welcome so many family members to these celebrations. Seeing our students confidently lead prayers, readings and reflections is always a source of great pride and highlights the important partnership between home, school and parish.

We thank our teachers for the care and preparation that goes into these liturgies and our families for their ongoing support. Together, these special gatherings help nurture the faith life of our community and remind us of the values that unite us.

School Building Fund

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all members of our community who have contributed to our School Building Fund so far. While these donations are entirely voluntary, every contribution makes a difference, and we are incredibly grateful for the generosity already shown by our families and supporters.

We are proud to share that, in a relatively short period of time, the fund has already raised several thousand dollars. For a school our size, this is a significant achievement and will go a long way towards supporting and furnishing the building works planned for later this year and beyond.

For families who may be considering making a contribution, further information can be found on our Building Update page. Given the time of year, it is also worth noting that all donations to the School Building Fund are tax deductible.

Thank you once again for your ongoing support as we continue to invest in the future of St Agnes’ and create the very best learning environments for our students.

Golf and Soccer Programs

It has been fantastic to see our after-school golf program so well supported and enjoyed by the students who have taken part. This week, James Hartley, our PGA professional coach, also joined us during PE lessons, providing students in Years 2, 3, 4 and 6 with the opportunity to further develop their golfing skills and experience the sport in a fun and engaging way.

A reminder that the golf program will continue throughout Term Three, with further details available on the Golf page of this newsletter.

We are also excited to be launching our new after-school soccer program next week. The program will run on Thursday afternoons and be led by Coach Paolo, who is generously offering a free trial session this coming Thursday. Families are reminded that bookings are still required to attend the trial. Further information and booking details can be found on the Soccer page of this newsletter.

A reminder to our families that Kelly Sports will be running their holiday program again at St Agnes'. Please see the flyer in the community news section.

We encourage as many families as possible to support these wonderful opportunities. Programs such as these provide students with valuable experiences, help develop new skills, encourage participation in physical activity and allow students to explore a range of sporting interests in a supportive environment.

Upcoming Events: Term Two

While there are only a few days remaining in Term Two, we still have several important events to look forward to:

School Disco: A huge thank you to our P&F for organising tonight’s School Disco for our students. Our Prep to Year 2 students will take to the dance floor from 6:00pm to 7:00pm, before our Year 3 to 6 students enjoy their disco from 7:30pm to 8:45pm. We thank our parent volunteers for their time and effort in making this much-loved event possible.

First Eucharist: We keep our Year Four students and their families in our prayers this weekend as they celebrate their First Eucharist on Saturday evening at St Agnes’ Church. This is a significant milestone in their faith journey, and we wish them every blessing as they receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist for the first time.

Parent/Teacher Interviews: Parent/Teacher Interviews will take place on Tuesday 23 June. School will conclude at 1:00pm, with interviews commencing from 1:30pm. These meetings provide a valuable opportunity for parents and teachers to celebrate student growth, discuss progress and work together to support future learning. We thank families for their support of the early finish. The booking link was sent home earlier this week. If you require assistance with bookings, please contact the school office. Extend will be available from 1:00pm for families requiring care.

Last Day of Term Two / Social Justice Day: We will finish the term with our Social Justice Day, which this year has a soccer theme chosen by our Social Justice Leaders. Students are invited to wear casual clothes and bring a gold coin donation to support our chosen cause. As a reminder, the final day of Term Two concludes at 1:30pm, with Extend available for families who require supervision after school.

Thank you to everyone for a wonderful term. As this is our final newsletter for Term Two, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our families a safe, restful and enjoyable holiday break.

I hope families have the chance to sit down this weekend and reflect on the growth, achievements and progress their children have made throughout Semester One as they read their school reports. There is so much to celebrate, and we are incredibly proud of all that our students have accomplished during the first half of the year.

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership throughout the term. We look forward to finishing the term strongly over the coming days before welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for an exciting Semester Two.

Have a wonderful weekend and we look forward to seeing you on Monday for the final 4.5 days of the semester.

Tom

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