Junior School

Parent/Teacher Interviews

A friendly reminder that the Year 5 and Year 6 Parent/Teacher Interviews will be held on Monday 20 June between 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM and on Tuesday 21 June between 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM. 

Bookings are made via the Parent Lounge and there is an expectation that all parents/carers will make an interview with their son’s classroom teacher. If for some reason the allocated days/times which have been set aside for the interviews to take place are not suitable, parents/carers are asked to please email their son’s classroom teacher to make alternative arrangements that are mutually convenient.   

Interviews for parents/carers of students in both 6 Gold and 6 Red will take place on Friday 17 June (between 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM), due to the absence of Mr Shore and Mr van der Meer during Week 9 of this term.

Further information regarding the upcoming Parent/Teacher Interviews can be found in the email communication sent to parents and carers last week.

Thank you in advance for setting aside time to speak with our Junior School classroom teachers about your son in support of his education.

Self-Regulation

As we all encourage the Junior School boys to grow and develop into respectful young men, it is important that we set and maintain high expectations, as well as work together to support them on their educational journey. The significance of self-regulation is key to developing lifelong learning skills in students.

Self-regulation ensures that we have the ability to control our behaviours in order to make good decisions for the long-term, rather than just doing what we want in the moment. It also allows us to manage our emotions when we are feeling worried, upset, disappointed or angry. While challenging for adults, it is significantly more challenging for children and young men, as their brains are still growing and developing.

There are significant benefits to helping children improve their self-regulation skills. Overall, it supports them in building both their sense of independence and responsibility. More specifically, it enables them to complete set tasks at home and school, aids them in maintaining lasting and meaningful friendships, assists them in making safe choices or stopping themselves from breaking a rule and helps them to work through challenges when they feel like giving up.

Each person is likely to lead happier and healthier lives when their self-regulation skills are strengthened. That being said, the ability to self-regulate doesn’t just develop overnight; it is a skill that can be worked on and improved over time. 

A large factor in improving self-regulation is being able to get past the ‘right now.’ Students sometimes need to be able to see what is in it for them. Both at school and at home, it is important to take the time to identify how the boys can develop as learners and as individuals, particularly in regard to self-regulation. Perhaps they need to:

• raise their hand when they have a comment to share or a question to ask
• exercise self-control and not use their device at inappropriate times or in inappropriate ways
• show restraint and refrain from holding their own conversations while others are talking
• work on using appropriate language in the classroom or playground
• improve the number, speed or quality of the tasks they complete.

For students, all of this involves considering their past behaviours and choices, as well as identifying next steps for how they can do better or improve in the future. This can be a particularly hard skill for our boys to learn, especially because it can be quite personal to acknowledge where they might have gone wrong.

When we reflect on what has already happened, it allows us to consider the areas which may be in need of improvement. For some boys, they might need to focus on regulating behaviours for learning so that they can demonstrate their personal best as learners. For others, they may need to focus more on their behaviour and/or interactions with others in a social context or within group environments. Regularly revisiting and discussing their goals will assist the boys in reviewing the progress they are making and identifying the challenges they are facing, as well as ascertaining their next steps for improvement. This will slowly help them to develop their ability to self-reflect and self-regulate more independently in the future.

Parents and carers are encouraged to take some time throughout the week to discuss the importance of self-regulation at home with their son/s. Challenge your boys to consider the areas in which they may need to show a greater level of self-regulation, both at home and at school. Then most importantly, collectively work with them to set small, achievable goals to strive towards reaching.

As always, if you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me via email (glenn.stephenson@spc.nsw.edu.au) or phone (8705 9247) and I will endeavour to assist you in any way that I can.

May God bless you,

Glenn Stephenson

Director of Junior School

Junior School Academic Excellence Awards Semester 1 2022

The following students were recognised at last week’s College Assembly for their academic excellence. The academic performance and dedication to self-improvement demonstrated by these students is exemplary, and they stand as true examples of what it means to be a St Patrick’s College learner. We congratulate them on their achievements this semester and look forward to their continued success.

Daniel Fields

Junior School Curriculum Coordinator