From the Head of Junior School

Dear Parents, Carers and members of the St Gregory’s College family,

We are back! It has been lovely to move around the Junior School and witness classrooms that are back in action with face to face teaching. I know the staff have really missed this interaction and it has been a week of readjusting back to life at the Junior School and putting in place great learning experiences! The students I’m sure have missed one another over the last few months, so it has been so nice to see so many smiling faces this week!

Back to Face to Face Teaching

As the teachers began to shift their thinking back towards face to face learning in anticipation for all students this week, they have been attempting to embrace the disruption and use it as an opportunity for professional reflection. Online learning was very different. Whilst we (students, staff and parents) have collectively worked through many challenges, there have also been some moments of inspiration and revelation worthy of consideration before simply resuming our regular practice.

We have witnessed some students ‘come out of their shell’ more than ever before. We have seen students as young as Kindergarten, demonstrate incredible levels of independence and ICT literacy. We have seen students engage more thoroughly in their teachers’ feedback and use this to grow in their learning. We have seen new levels of self-management skills being demonstrated as students have managed check-ins and the submission of tasks. We have seen shifts in the way students communicate with one another and their teacher. There has been a far greater level of transparency about student learning for parents.

Having said that, we have really enjoyed having the students back this week. I know that the biggest challenge for us all has not been having the students back in the classrooms, but the number of cars entering the car park! Fingers crossed we have refined the situation and made the process a lot easier on you all!

Drop Off and Pick Up Zones

I am sure you are clearly aware, we have made adjustments over the past week to refine the Drop Off and Pick Up Zones. I want to thank you all for your patience and your agility as we try to refine this process to make it as safe and time-efficient as possible. I have even had some really positive feedback about how lovely it has been to drive into the Drop Off Zone and witness such a large number of smiling staff faces in yellow vests! We will continue to refine, monitor and make adjustments to these new practices over the coming weeks to ensure that we get it right.

A reminder that:

K-2 Pick Up is from 2:45-3:00pm
3-6 and Siblings from 3:00pm – 3:15pm
All other K-6 Pick Ups from 3:15pm-3:25pm

Semester 1 Reporting in the Junior School

As I mentioned in the Parent Forum a couple of weeks ago, we have decided to push our Semester One Reports back to Week 3 of Term 3. The reason for this is to ensure that we are providing accurate data on each student.

This week that has just come and gone has had to be an adjustment period and we will look to start to assess all the students’ knowledge and understanding in coming weeks as to where they currently sit in each Key Learning Area.

Junior School Interviews – Monday 15 to Thursday 25 June

Interviews for this term will be in Weeks 8 and 9 (Monday 15 – Thursday 25 June). In the coming days, I will be sending a letter to all parents in regard to signing up for an interview time-slot with your child’s teacher. Due to the parameters around COVID-19, the interviews for this term, will be via phone conference. If your phone number has changed recently, please ensure that the College has the correct and up to date information.

Thanks everyone for a great first week back – that is a wrap for Week 4!

As our St Gregory’s College motto states, ‘You will reap what you sow"

Joel Weekes

Head of Junior School