From the Principal
We'll be There For You
I am sure like our staff you are waiting for the news that school is back!! I know that this last extension of a week is not want you or we want to hear. At this stage we are praying that numbers in Melbourne get under control, and we can get back to school by next week Friday 20th August or at least by Monday 23 August. We will all be jumping for joy once Lockdown No:6 is over.
Our staff wanted to reach out to all our students and to our parents at this time and hopefully put a little smile on your faces. So this week we created a new video. The title says it all, we can get through this together and there is support, just reach out and let us know. We may not be able to fix the Lockdown and the compulsory restrictions but we can help in some way as we navigate this time together. We hope you like our version of...
I'll Be There For You
School Review
We have had to make some changes to our School Review as a result of the extension to this Lockdown. It certainly is now clear that the review will need to occur online rather than having Christine Wakeling visit our school.
In addition there is further difficulties with the fact that the children are not at school. Thus with the permission of MACS Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools our first day of the review on Tuesday 17 August has been changed to Tuesday 24 August.
We really pray we are back at school so that we can showcase the school and the teaching that occurs when we work with children at school. We do not want to think about any lockdown extension, however we have a plan C!! Plan C, if required will involve Christine Wakeling participating in Goggle Meets to see teachers and students engaging in learning and chat to staff and students. We are proud of the work that our school is providing students and have no problem if this should occur. However we would really like Christine is see how we work in our Learning Spaces in the reality of our teaching day.
We will be going ahead with Day 2 of the Review on Thursday 19 August. We have scheduled Zoom and Google Meets for this day for Christine Wakeling to talk to representative members of staff, parents and students in Year 5/6 and Yr 4.
Day 3 is scheduled for 16 September, the Dialogue & Engagement Session, on this day we will start to consider our goals for our next improvement cycle.
MACSSIS 21 Survey - We Invite ALL families
Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS), formerly known as CEMSIS, are conducted annually for schools in the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. The next MACSSIS survey window will be 30 August–17 September 2021.
At St Francis de Sales we invite all our families to participate in this survey and help inform how our learning community is travelling and our improvement plans.
Dear students, families and staff,
Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS): 30 August – 17 September 2021
Throughout each year, we pause to listen to our students, families and staff to gauge how our learning community is travelling. This feedback is invaluable to our progress as effective school communities and is backed by evidence-based research and best practices.
A significant and formal way in which we engage and gather data is through MACSSIS, the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys.
MACSSIS is a set of surveys that have been built specifically for Catholic schools in Melbourne by the Learning Services team at MACS, in partnership with researchers at Learning First and in wide consultation with principals in our schools.
In 2021, students, families and staff are invited to participate in MACSSIS via our secure and purpose-built online platform. The online platform is where our school leaders will access the summary reports that visualise the results of the student, family and staff surveys.
The MACSSIS survey platform is operated by an independent supplier, ORIMA Research Pty Ltd. The platform meets with the high security and privacy standards for handling student and school data. Participating schools are in the process of updating their privacy policy to ensure school communities are fully informed and protected.
Students at our school will be provided with supervised sessions, where teachers are on hand to help and answer any questions. Families and staff can complete the survey anytime over the three-week window via an emailed link and password. Feedback has indicated that previous surveys were completed across a range of mobile devices and different web browsers. Schools will be providing more information about MACSSIS throughout Term 3, via newsletters and social media.
Our community’s opinions are critical to understanding how our school is performing – MACSSIS is a key data source for guiding the ongoing work to improve our school.
All participation is invited, welcomed and 100 per cent voluntary. The surveys are not a test; they are an inclusive way to support the work we are already doing to improve our school. Everyone has the right to refuse to participate, or withdraw from the survey at any point before, during or after completion of the survey. Please notify the school if your child in Year 6, Year 5 or Year 4 does not wish to participate.
If you would like more information, please contact the school.
Yours sincerely
Christine White
Principal