From the Director of Teaching and Learning K–12

As we begin a new school year, I warmly welcome all families to what promises to be a purposeful and enriching year of learning. The energy of a new beginning brings great opportunity, and our staff have been working hard to ensure strong foundations are in place for your daughters.

During Week 0, teachers engaged in focused professional learning to prepare for our Term 1 teaching sprints. A teaching sprint is a short, targeted cycle of improvement where teachers identify a clear instructional focus, apply evidence-informed strategies in their classrooms and closely monitor the impact on student learning. This term, our collective focus is on modelling as a high-impact teaching practice.

Explicit modelling plays a critical role in student success. When teachers clearly demonstrate how to approach a task, think through a problem, or structure a response, students gain clarity about expectations and understand what quality work looks like. 

Alongside this focus, staff reviewed high-impact teaching strategies and refined our engagement norms, drawing on the Science of Learning. Research in this field shows that students learn best through structured instruction, retrieval and deliberate practice, timely feedback and opportunities to connect new knowledge to prior understanding. By strengthening the consistency of these approaches across classrooms, we are supporting students to build confidence, develop independence and achieve at higher levels. 

Strong partnerships between school and home are essential to this work. Our Learning Management System, Connect, remains our one-stop shop for communication. Connect is where families can access important notices, assessment information, ongoing feedback and formal reports. It provides valuable insight into your daughter’s learning progress and upcoming tasks, allowing for meaningful conversations and timely support at home. 

If you are experiencing any difficulties accessing Connect, please contact the Coll promptly so we can assist you. Ensuring every family can engage with this platform is a priority. Further information on Connect can be found on the College website. 

Later this term, students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will participate in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). NAPLAN assesses students’ skills in reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy, providing a snapshot of achievement that helps inform future teaching and learning.

Students will complete practice tests before the assessment window to familiarise themselves with the online platform and question formats. Families can best support their children by maintaining consistent routines, encouraging a calm and positive mindset, and ensuring adequate rest. It is important to remember that NAPLAN is just one measure of learning and does not define a student’s abilities or potential.

We are grateful for your ongoing partnership and look forward to a year of growth, collaboration and continued learning within our supportive Catholic community.