From the Director of Primary

Mid-Year Reports will be released to students and parents today.  In conjunction with online reporting, they provide feedback about your son or daughter’s progress and achievement across the curriculum.  The conversation that you may have with your child about where they are at with their learning, where they need to go and how they will get there, is of paramount importance. Useful tips when discussing the reports are:

1. Be positive: Note the improvements and achievements made by your child.
2. Focus on the effort: Praise your child for their attitude and application to learning.
3. Every child is different: It is very easy to compare reports with siblings or other children.  Instead, affirm your child for the things that he or she is doing well – their persistence, willingness to make mistakes and contributions, for example.
4. Feed forward: In light of the feedback provided on the report, discuss where he or she needs to go next to improve their learning and most importantly, how will they get there.  A key part of this process will be the shared conversations between parents, teachers and students at the Learning Conferences.

The Learning Conferences are scheduled for Thursday 3 September and Tuesday 8 September with the bookings made via Parent Teacher Online. Login details will be communicated to parents and carers via EdSmart.  Please note that the booking system will cease at 8.00am on the day prior to each round.  I strongly encourage parents to make appointments with Class Teachers so that everyone is working together to optimise your child’s learning.  

Learn to Swim

As part of the Health and Physical Education Program, next week (August 31 – September) students from Years 1, 2, 4 & 6 will participate in the Learn to Swim Program at St Michael’s Collegiate Swimming Pool.  

All students need to wear their full school tracksuit to and from school each day with their bathers underneath.  They will also need to bring with them a swimming cap (compulsory), two towels, a plastic bag (for wet gear), a change of underwear and goggles (if required).  These items must either be carried in the navy sports bag or the school bag.  With so many students in tracksuits and changing out of bathers, it is imperative that all items are clearly named.  Swimming programs help instil a healthy sense of water confidence and help students learn a skill for life.  

Students in Kinder Prep, Grades 3 and 5 will participate in the program in the final week of the term, September 21 - 25. 

Student Leaders

It is my pleasure to announce the following students who have been elected to the positions of Year 6 Leaders or House Captain for Semester 2.   

Year 6 Leaders: Lucia Devine, Clara Hurd, Elizabeth Ims and Madeline Lowe

Carmel House Captains: Ruby Baker and Phoebe Gatehouse 

Loreto House Captains: Madeline Cooling and Sofia Hollingsworth 

Lourdes House Captains: Arabella Barton Johnson and Hannah Mahmoud 

I would like to thank the outgoing Leaders for the enormous work that they undertaken during Semester 1 and at the beginning of this term, running regular activities at lunch time and facilitating various initiatives across the Primary school. 

Book Week Dress-Up and Assembly - Change of Date

In light of the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, the date for Book Week has changed to October 17 – 23.

This year’s theme is Curious Creatures, Wild Minds with a number of activities planned for Book Week including the ever popular Book Week Parade.  More details of these events will be provided early next term.  The following link will enable students and parents to access the 2020 CBCA Shortlisted titles.