From the Principal

Benvenuto - Welcome

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the election of Pope Francis as pontiff. Pope Francis is often referred to as "the Green Pope"; reflecting on the encyclical ‘Ladauto Si’ we are certainly made aware of the importance of care for the earth for Pope Francis. The Catholic Social Teaching principles of care for our common home, the common good and solidarity, further highlight the importance in the Catholic tradition of caring for the earth. Each time we read about, experience or reflect on our impact on the environment, we become more aware, more conscious of our actions and their impact – when we are more conscious of something, we will make more informed choices about our behaviour. I wonder what behaviours you or your families have changed as we, as a Catholic community, have become more conscious of the importance of caring for our earth?

NAPLAN

Next week our Years 3, 7 and 9 students will undertake the National Assessment Program (more commonly known as NAPLAN). NAPLAN is an annual national assessment across the areas of literacy and numeracy. All Australian students in these year levels have the opportunity to participate and it is a way to track the progression of reading, writing and numeracy skills over time. NAPLAN is just one aspect of our assessment and reporting process that can also provide the college with information around how our educational programs are working and how young people across the country are progressing overall.

Learning conversations

Each semester we offer the opportunity for families to engage in learning conversations around how a child or young person is progressing in their learning. The conversation is structured to allow an opportunity to celebrate the things that are going well, identify areas of challenge and reflect on possible goals and ways to support growth moving forward. It is an integral conversation for partnership, growth and development. Semester 1 learning conversations will take place in Term 1, Week 10. Bookings will be released through PAM in the coming weeks and families will be able to book a conversation time for Monday, April 3 or Tuesday, April 4, between 3:30pm and 6:30pm. We will offer the option of online or in-person bookings. Please keep an eye on PAM and Facebook for further information in the coming weeks.

Recruitment

We continue to work through recruitment and attraction of teaching staff at St Anne’s College. You are probably well aware of the current teacher shortage, as with many other employment sectors. We have pursued multiple avenues and strategies for attraction and continue to do so. You may see advertisements through Facebook or on different platforms; this is part of our continuous strategy to attract teaching staff. Please see the 'Our Staff' page in this edition of il giornale to view the many employment opportunities available at our college.

So, as we head into a long weekend, I hope there is an opportunity for you to stop and take a moment to enjoy the wonder of creation and the opportunity to spend quality time with family and friends.

- Susan Carroll, Principal