9-12 Community News
As we quickly come to the end of what has been another very busy (and unusual) term at St Augustine’s College, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our families for your continued support throughout this term. As we reflect on the past 11 weeks, we look back and think “Wow, what a term!” The world of education and, for that matter, the world in general, has changed for all of us in a very short time. The staff and students in the 9-12 Community all adapted so quickly to the changing landscape. And, now, here we are at the end of this challenging and unique period of our school year. We would like to thank our dedicated staff who so willingly adapted to developing a new way of delivering the curriculum and supporting your children. We would also like to thank the students, who adapted to the new way of learning during this term. And finally, thank you to our families. The support and positive feedback we received from families was reassuring and made our role as educators just that little bit easier.
It has been pleasing to see so many happy students engaging positively in their academic studies in the 9-12 Community. It is important that this positive engagement continues to help set students up for future success when starting Term 3. As a term comes to an end, it is always good to reflect upon the great things that have been achieved during the term and think about areas in our day to day schooling that we may be able to improve upon in preparation for Semester Two.
Students, this week you will have received your reports. During the term break, we encourage you to reflect upon the feedback and look at opportunities to improve and grow. Learn the lessons of what has created success and what has held you back. When you return for Term 3, build on the good habits and consider what makes for success in the classroom.
You are encouraged to ensure you listen carefully to instructions, be a positive learner in class, contribute respectfully to class activities and discussions and treat your educators and each other with respect. Staff spend many hours preparing classes and lessons to ensure fun, relevant and engaging learning opportunities for all students. An area of frustration for staff is when students fail to come equipped with the necessary tools and equipment for class, or fail to hand in work or make good use of their time in class to complete set tasks. Make sure that you don’t let yourself down by falling into bad study habits.
For education to be successful it must work as a partnership. This partnership between the school, the student and parents is crucial for ensuring positive and successful outcomes. When a teacher sets homework, assignments or a task to be completed, the expectation is that students complete this to the best of their ability, to demonstrate their skills, knowledge and understanding, so formative or summative assessment can take place. If a student fails to submit the work or fully complete the task, it makes assessing, grading and reporting very difficult. As parents and carers, we can play an important supportive role by having conversations with our children about school work, assignments and homework and help support and encourage them to complete these requirements in a timely manner.
Research suggests that children are more successful in school if parents are able to take an active interest in their education as it demonstrates to the child that what they do is important. As parents and carers, you can support you child/ren by demonstrating what good organisation looks like and helping them with some study skills. You can also assist by simply encouraging your child/ren to have a break if they have been stuck on the same question or task for an extended period of time. The way in which families and teachers worked together through the remote learning period is reflective of the supportive framework that will enable students to develop to be the best they can be.
We trust you all have a restful break and stay safe. We look forward to working with you in Term 3.
Michelle Downie Brad Downie
9-12 Community Leader 9-12 Community Leader
Wellbeing Student Learning & Professional Practice