Secondary Report
It has been a whirlwind of learning this term and the last ten weeks have flown by. Walking around the school it is evident that these holidays have come at a much needed time for both students and staff...and probably parents!
It was great to see the participation and performance that our students put into the athletic sports and Mr McMahon and the rest of the school staff must be congratulated for running an outstanding carnival. Well done to Meninya on their victory. I know the students were looking forward to the celebration assembly with their house captains.
On Wednesday we had James Mawson (our Meninya House Captain) run a whole-school game of Capture the Flag. Well done to James and the other leaders for initiating this activity. James was very pleased with the participation with all students, and even more pleased that Meninya won. Next term we will have a year level dance/lip sync performance to see which year level is the best at the creative arts. I am sure the staff will also have to get a performance organised!
Year 8 camp is early in Term 2 and we have the opportunity for some of our aspiring Year 10 leaders to attend. All Year 10 students have been emailed an application form to fill in and submit back to school by the start of Term 2 if they would like to be considered for the role.
I had the pleasure of undertaking my first student enrolment interviews this week. It was a new experience for me to show prospective students and parents around our school, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Being able to spend time sharing our school with potential new Moama Anglican Grammar community members was an uplifting experience where you realise how lucky our students and staff are to be able to call our school home.
During the interview one of the questions that stood out to me was around parents being supportive of the high standards in presentation, commitment to the school and all round participation, required at our school. I advised the prospective parents not to take this question lightly, and thought that it would be good to share as a timely reminder of what we are trying to achieve at our school. We are working hard to ensure that the learning environment is a place where all students have the opportunity to achieve their best. This is an area that we want to excel at and we ask for your support when we are working with your child around this. We also need your support to ensure your child has access to correct uniform and to ensure they wear it correctly. As we end the term please take the time to talk to your child on how they have performed. It has been a tough transition from the last two years, especially around meeting deadlines.
There will be an opportunity to get formal feedback in the first few weeks of Term 2 when our Parent Teacher Interviews will be held. If you have any concerns or feedback please do not hesitate to email or phone me at school. Open communication is essential for a productive relationship and teamwork.
Mr Greg Cadd
Head of Secondary
Stage Four Report
Term one is in the books for our Year 7 and 8 students! Our Year 7 students have had a great start to the year relatively uninterrupted, including embarking on an amazing camp. Both year levels have started the year on the front foot, handing in assessments, completing PAT testing, participating in house carnivals and growing into model Moama Grammar citizens.
Next term we can look forward to Year 8 camp, Cross Country, and welcoming Success Integrated to come to talk to us about study skills. The Tutor Group Challenges continue to get bigger and better and there is also NAPLAN scheduled for the Year 7 students. At Stage Four (Year 7 and 8) we are striving to represent the school with pride and uphold the school's values, something which I believe we have been able to do through our participation in the School Sports carnival and at the Swimming and Athletics sports. I have been impressed and proud with the students so far and cannot wait to continue to work with them all to strive to be our best for the remainder of the year.
Darcy Hall
Stage 4 Coordinator
From the Head of Teaching and Learning
As a parent and as a person responsible for so many aspects of your child’s academic journey, I often find myself thinking… has this been enough? As I reflect on what we have achieved this term I can confidently say that I back what we have implemented with full confidence. Our learning environments are developing, and our student-teacher relationships have taken center stage - we are here to offer the best journey for your student.
Please be aware of the following:
Earlier in the term I indicated to our stakeholders that students would undertake Progressive Achievement Testing (PAT). This was conducted during Week 5 and most recently staff have been using the data attained in many ways.
- To support and extent learning journeys
- To use in conjunction with teacher observation to ensure the academic goals are set and achieved.
With the above two points in mind, this data has been most recently used to guide NAPLAN and classroom practice. It is important to remember that when taking the “test” that students apply themselves as rigorously as possible to demonstrate ability. This in turn ensures we target and support learning appropriately. I ask that as stakeholders in learning, parents have conversations about taking such testing (PAT/NAPLAN) seriously, and that our students demonstrate their personal best in all aspects in what we collectively do.
To further assist this, we will be holding two Parent-Teacher-Student Interview (PSTI) sessions at the start of Term 2. Correspondence regarding this was sent to parents and caregivers. I hope that this opportunity to discuss the progress of your child/ren is embraced and we can discuss their educational journey so far for 2022.
I hope that this upcoming break serves you well. Rest, recharge and reflect - how can the next period of time at school serve as an opportunity for growth?
Mrs Hayley Catt
Head of Teaching and Learning (Secondary)
PDHPE News
Over the previous 3 weeks, the Year 9 PDHPE classes aimed to enhance their overall understanding and skills in tennis, competing in a variety of challenges such as naughts and crosses, horse, around the world and finally the all-important doubles tournament to finish the week at the Rich River Courts.
The Year 8 PDHPE classes also travelled down to the Rich River Driving Range, although their challenge was slightly different focusing on their golf swing!
The Year 8 and 9 students enjoyed their time learning about Tennis and Golf and being able to utilise the Rich River facilities.
Year 10 students put their knowledge of Sports Medicine and protective equipment to the test last week, having to create their own protective equipment for a range of sports. It was fantastic to see them tackle the challenge and work out the best way to protect their athletes!
Mrs Bri Brewis
Head of PDHPE