Learning & Teaching 

LEARNING & TEACHING - Vira Pirrotta

Semester Reports and Learning Conversations – Understanding Your Child’s Progress

Our Semester reports keep families informed and involved in their Child’s learning journey. They are issued twice a year, in July and December.

These reports are essential for tracking your child’s progress and celebrating their growth across the curriculum.

This semester’s report will outline your child’s achievements and progress in line with the Victorian Curriculum, covering both Learning Areas and Capabilities. You’ll be able to see how your child is progressing against the expected achievement standards for their year level.

Your child’s report will include a progression point for this semester's learning areas: English, Mathematics, Health and Physical Education, Humanities, The Arts, Italian, Intercultural Understanding, and Personal and Social Capabilities. 

We encourage you to read through your child’s report, celebrate their successes, and discuss their next steps with them. Reports will be available on the nForma portal on Monday, June 30th, ahead of our Learning Conversations on Thursday, July 3rd.

The student-led Learning Conversations will take place on Thursday, 3rd July. This is a special opportunity for students to take the lead in sharing their learning with you!

During these conversations, your child will present a piece of work and talk about their learning journey so far. It's a chance for them to reflect on their progress, celebrate achievements, and set goals for the future, with support from both you and their teacher.

These conversations aim to: 

• Build student confidence and responsibility for their learning
• Develop communication and reflection skills.
• Strengthen the partnership between home and school.
• Give you a clear picture of your child’s progress.

What to expect:

• Students will share and explain their work, reflect on their learning, and discuss what they’re working on next.
• Teachers will help guide the discussion and offer insights and support.
• Parents are encouraged to listen, ask questions, and celebrate their child’s efforts and growth.

The semester reports and the upcoming student-led conversations will help create a complete picture of your child’s learning and support a strong partnership between home and school.

Parent Helpers – Join Us in Supporting Our Students!

Dear Parents, 

Just a reminder that this Wednesday, we are running our Child Safety Training for Parent Volunteers. To ensure the safety and well-being of every child in our care, all classroom volunteers must attend a Child Safety Session before beginning their volunteer duties. This session is part of our school’s ongoing commitment to maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive student environment. 

During this session, we will cover:

• School policies and expectations for volunteers
• Procedures for maintaining student privacy and safety
• Appropriate ways to support students in a classroom setting

All volunteers must also hold a current Working with Children Check and complete the Child Safety Volunteer Code of Conduct.  Your time and support make a real difference - we are so grateful for any help you can offer!

If you are unable to attend or have questions or require further information, don't hesitate to get in touch with Ms Vira Pirrotta atvpirrotta@sfmoreland.catholic.edu.au

LITERACY NEWS - Bernadette Parnis

National Simultaneous Storytime – Wednesday 21 May 2025 at 12:00 pm

What is National Simultaneous Storytime?

National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is a nationwide event organised each year by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Its aim is to inspire children across Australia to develop a love of reading through a shared storytelling experience.

Each year, a picture book created by an Australian author and illustrator is chosen to be read aloud at the same time in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, bookshops, and homes all around the country. Now in its 25th year, NSS is a lively and engaging celebration of reading, promoting literacy and learning through stories that are suitable for young audiences and support elements of the Australian Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6.

https://alia.org.au/Web/Web/Events/Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=NSS25 

This free event encourages communities to come together and share in the joy of books and storytelling. In 2024, NSS saw its biggest turnout yet, with over 2.3 million participants taking part across more than 21,000 locations.

The 2025 NSS Book

The featured book for 2025 is The Truck Cat, written by Deborah Frenkel and illustrated by Danny Snell, published by Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing.

This story follows a cat named Tinka and his human, Yacoub, as they travel far and wide. Their journey explores themes of belonging, identity, and finding home in unexpected places. When they are suddenly separated, their determination to reunite leads to a heartwarming tale of resilience and connection.

https://www.alia.org.au/nss 

St Fidelis School is Registered!

We’re excited to share that St Fidelis School is officially registered to take part in this wonderful national event. Our Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2 students will join children across the country in reading The Truck Cat at exactly 12:00 pm on Wednesday 21 May 2025.

Bernadette Parnis

Literacy Leader

bparnis@sfmoreland.catholic.edu.au

NUMERACY NEWS - Colleen Monaghan

REMINDER: Maths Workshop 

“Helping your child with their times tables” 

Repeat session Tuesday 20th May 9am- 10am.

RSVP- cmonaghan@sfmoreland.catholic.edu.au

In our recent maths lessons, junior students have been diving into the world of measurement by doing what young mathematicians do best – learning by doing! Instead of simply reading about centimetres and metres in a textbook, we’ve been busy exploring the concept of length through practical, hands-on experiences that are both fun and meaningful.

One exciting activity involved students designing and creating their own rulers. By using paper strips, students measured out consistent increments and marked their own units of measurement. This helped them understand that measurement tools are designed with equal, predictable spaces, and allowed them to see first-hand how important it is to be accurate and consistent when measuring.

Through this process, students also began to appreciate that rulers don’t just appear in the classroom – they’re tools designed with a purpose, and they can even be created from everyday materials. By constructing their own measurement tools, students deepened their understanding of units, intervals, and the importance of precision.

Once our homemade rulers were ready, we put them to work! We explored the concept of increments – those small, equal parts on a ruler – and practised estimating lengths before checking them. This sparked some great mathematical thinking as students predicted, compared, and reasoned about different lengths.

We even discussed when to use centimetres versus metres, and students practised choosing the most appropriate unit for measuring everything from the width of a book to the length of the classroom!

Students then moved around the learning  spaces measuring all sorts of objects – books, pencils, tables, their own heads, and even stools and tubs. They recorded their results and compared measurements with their peers, developing skills in both accuracy and communication.

These real-world activities helped students see that measurement is everywhere – from cooking at home to building things, buying materials, or organising furniture.

How You Can Help at Home

To build on this learning at home, we encourage you to explore measurement in everyday life. Here are a few simple ideas:

• Have your child estimate and measure items around the house using a ruler or tape measure.
• Create your own measuring tool together using string, paper strips, or even LEGO blocks.
• Discuss which unit of measurement would be most appropriate for different objects.
• Involve your child when reading measurements on packaging or during DIY projects.

PE & SPORT NEWS - Michael Jennings

INTERSCHOOL SPORT

SCHOOL SPORT VICTORIA

St Fidelis Primary School is an affiliated member of School Sport Victoria and competes in various sports within the Coburg District. The Coburg District aims to provide the children with the opportunity to participate in well-organised and enjoyable sporting events that are an extension of school based Sport & Physical Education programs. It is our school’s belief that children benefit greatly from visiting and competing with other schools within the Coburg District.

TERM 2 EVENTS

SSV COBURG DISTRICT WINTER SPORT COMPETITION

Friday, May 2 - Friday, June 27

ELIGIBILITY

Grade 6 (priority) and Grade 5 students

SPORTS:

Boys/Mixed AFL 9s Football, Girls AFL 9s Football, 

Boys/Mixed Soccer, Girls Soccer, 

Boys/Mixed Netball & Girls Netball.

Round 1 Results

AFL9’s Boys/Mixed

St Fidelis 15 16 106 defeated Coburg 1 1 7

Soccer Boys/Mixed

St Fidelis 3 goals defeated Coburg 0

Soccer Girls

Coburg 7 goals defeated St Fidelis 0

Netball Boys/Mixed

Coburg 11 goals defeated St Fidelis 9 goals

Netball Girls

St Fidelis 22 goals defeated Coburg 7 goals 

SSV COBURG DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Annual SSV Coburg District Cross Country Championships is to be held at Jackson Reserve, Coburg (Coburg Athletics Track) today,  Monday 19 May 2025, commencing at 9.45 a.m. and concluding by 12.15 pm (Back-up day: Wednesday 21 May 2025).

Events will be conducted for boys and girls in the 10, 11 and 12/13 year age groups. Good luck to our competitors.