Good afternoon families,

It was lovely to have prep orientation this week. We welcomed 95 preps who will start at St Louis in 2023. Our garden was a beautiful place to meet with all the parents and have a morning tea and an opportunity meet many new families. Thank you to the current prep mums who helped serve food and mingled to answer any questions the new families might have had about starting school at St Louis.

Today was Remembrance Day and the School Captains represented the school at the Chelsea District RSL and were able to place 2 roses onto Centraph.

Year 3 Sacrament of Reconciliation

Congratulations to our Year 3 students who received the Sacrament of Reconciliation this week. Thank you to the Year 3 teachers for preparing their students so well and to Father Andrew, Father Ignatius and Father Kevin for their support.

Parents and Friends Social Night

The Parents and Friends social night has been postponed. There were only 35 parents who indicated their participation in this event. Hopefully we can try again in Term one.

Review Summary

In the last review period, St Louis de Montfort’s School sustained its alignment to its motto, ‘Through Christ, Dare to Love, Dare to Learn, Dare to Lead’. The school demonstrated its commitment to its values (collaboration, community, respect, innovation) and its school vision as a faith community, fostering a culture of deep learning and having a positive impact on students’ lives. The school made progress towards the achievement of its improvement goals outlined in its School Improvement plan (SIP).

Religious Education (RE) is delivered through purposeful encounter in questioning and dialogue. The school’s commitment to building the capabilities of teachers to link expectations, student wellbeing and student learning is exemplified by collaborative planning, using high impact teaching strategies and establishing a common understanding of assessment practices.

The teachers at St Louis de Montfort’s School have a deep understanding of the Victorian Curriculum and been supported by the school’s leadership to strengthen their understanding of data analysis in collaborative teams.

The school implemented programs in wellbeing, student engagement, teaching and leadership programs and continued to maintain strong connections to the broader school community.

Parents and students attending St Louis de Montfort’s affirmed the importance of the school’s Catholic identity and felt that pandemic restrictions may have attributed to the downward trend in the MACSSIS survey. The school is encouraged to continue strengthening its ties with Catholic traditions and school values to further engage students and families in recontextualisation. Student leadership could play a role by presenting the links between faith formation, social teachings and the school’s values when participating and leading school events such as assemblies, theme days and charities.

In Learning and Teaching, the SIP prioritised improving the capacity of teachers in curriculum expertise, planning, pedagogy and data analysis together with high expectations of student performance. Professional learning for leaders and aspiring leaders in coaching and mentoring could support teachers to implement a school-wide instructional model for effective teaching and learning and streamline planning.

Encourage student feedback to inform teaching.

The school’s suite of wellbeing programs, leadership support and engagement programs are a strength of the school. Leaders provide strong support to teachers in assisting them to cater for additional learning needs of students.

Other ongoing support includes learning support officers (LSOs), a sensory room, a pastoral care worker and para-professional support.

There is a strong student leadership focus aimed at developing student voice and agency. Continuing to refine and embed a consistent whole school approach to support student behaviour, student engagement, wellbeing, sustainability and social justice programs is encouraged.

The school has a strong commitment to the surrounding community, offering sustainability and community-based programs.

Parents acknowledged the support given by the school leadership team and valued the school’s welcoming presence, timely communications, accessible technologies and the inclusive community culture.

As St Louis de Montfort’s School engages in the process of strategic thinking and planning, manifesting in the development of its School Improvement Plan for the next four years, the reviewer recommends that the school:

• Builds strong connections with the school community in developing the school’s Catholic identity

• Builds the capacity of all leaders to support whole school in learning and teaching practices

• Builds the capabilities of all teachers to improve learning and teaching pedagogy and practice

• Enhances voice and agency in all students in school programs and initiatives.

Key Dates this Term

Friday 11 November - Year 5 Excursion to Shrine
Friday 11 November - Year 2 Excursion to Melbourne City Walk
Friday 11 November - School Captains to Chelsea District Remembrance Day ceremony.
Monday 14 November - Big Green School Conference St Louis Hosting
Wednesday 16 November - Year 1 Excursion to Eureka and the Shrine
Friday 18 November - Year 3 Excursion Legoland Discovery Park
Wednesday 23 November - Prep Orientation 1.30-3.00
Wednesday 30 November- Friday 2 December - Y6 Camp to Tynong
Monday 12 December - Move up day
Tuesday 12 December - Y3 -Y5 Swimming Carnival
Wednesday 14 December - Y6 Graduation 5-7 pm
Thursday 15 December - Y6 Big Day Out - Luna Park
Thursday 15 December - End of Year Mass
Friday 16 December - Students break up 1 pm
Monday 31 January- Students resume to the 2023 school year

Enjoy your weekend

Carmel Stutterd

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