PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Dear Parents/Carers,

Soon, we will have completed a renovation of 70% of our school and I think I might be the most excited person in the place, which is surprising given all of the action lately. I honestly thought the students would be more interested in all of the works. Kids being kids though, they are focused on their games, their learning and having fun with their friends; which is exactly what we want them to be doing. There is much anticipation amongst the adults in the school though and it will be amazing to have first-class facilities for our students and staff to learn and work in. Recently as a staff group, we have been talking alot about momentum and controlling what we can to generate momentum as a school. Having flash new facilities will certainly help us to generate this momentum, but the more we talked about it, the more we settled on the notion that no matter how amazing our facilities are, relationships are the foundation upon which our core business of teaching and learning is built.

I was recently made aware of some thoughts from a book called An Intelligent Person's Guide to Education, written by Mr Tony Little, ex-Headmaster of Eton College in England. Eton was founded by King Henry VI in 1440 and boasts 19 Prime Ministers amongst its alumni, state-of-the-art facilities and outstanding academic results. But Mr Little's advice to parents when looking to select a school for their children was to "ignore the prospectus" and instead take a stroll around the school where they were to pay attention to the feel of any given school community which would be made obvious in the relational aspects - via sustained eye contact, the ease with which people smile and the warmth with which students and teachers greet each other. According to Mr Little, what really matters in a school are the people and the quality of their relationships. These ideas strongly resonated with me and apply so very well to our context. While we have recently invested significant time and money into improving our facilities, it is the people of the St Agnes’ community that make this place special. It is the beaming smiles and good mornings as the children bound through the gate each day. It is the care they show one another when a friend is injured. And it is the respectful and engaging interactions with their teachers.

When a strong relationship between teacher and student is established, students feel comfortable in their environment and are able to learn and flourish. Some of the keys to supporting children to thrive in the classroom include:

• High expectations - When expectations are made clear and the children know exactly what is expected of them in the classroom, there is safety in that. When expectations of a learner are set high, yet attainable (to stretch), children rise to meet these expectations and they engage at a deeper level. High expectations are a feature of our approach to learning and behaviour management at St Agnes’.
• Connection - The 15 minutes from 8.30am-8.45am in the morning before the first bell at our school is a wonderful opportunity for teachers and students to chat informally and share things about the weekend, sporting pursuits, friendships or generally how they are feeling. This connection is pivotal when teachers have challenging conversations with children. 
• Challenge - It is a teacher's job to challenge students and take them out of their comfort zone. At times this can be hard for the children to navigate, as often their emotions take over. Knowing when to continue challenging and when not to, is all in the nuance of a classroom teacher's daily role.
• Consistency - Provides security and safety in that the children know what to expect from their teacher on a day-to-day basis. Children need to know that we say what we mean and we do as we say we will do.
• Accountability - If the first key is about clear, high expectations, the last key must be about accountability. To ensure productive learning environments where all children have an equal opportunity to learn, students need to know that their teacher will ensure they are accountable for completing their work to the best of their ability and also, that they will made accountable for behaving appropriately.

Last night, our Parent/Teacher Exchanges provided the opportunity for another key relational aspect centered around the children and their learning. These meetings provide the chance for teachers to connect with parents and for parents to share some insights into what makes their child unique and what helps them to function at their optimum level. We know that there will be ups and downs throughout the year, but maintaining a positive relationship and clear lines of communication between parent/teacher helps the children to be successful in their social, emotional, spiritual and academic pursuits.

Student Leadership at St Agnes’

Last Wednesday morning, our Year Six students presented their Leadership Speeches to the Year Three, Four, Five and Six students, their parents and teachers. Once again, the quality of these presentations was of a very high standard and reinforces the incredible benefits provided by our Public Speaking program, now offered annually in the senior years. The Year Six students nominated their preferred roles, wrote a letter to me applying for these roles and then presented their refined speeches. After the speeches, the students from Year Three up voted on School Captain and Sports Captaincy roles. Teachers placed the remaining Year Six students in the other leadership positions. Aggie Gorski and Josie Miller are to be commended for their work in preparing the children. We have spoken with the children about how some may feel disappointed about their role, but there is a great opportunity for leadership and success, no matter the role. One of the great things about being in a school our size is that all students have significant opportunities for leadership and all students have a specific role in Year Six.

School Captains for 2023

Alannah Harris and Hugh Clark

Welcome Picnic - Change of date

Due to the timing of the Year 5 and 6 Canberra Camp, the Parents and Friends Executive Committee has moved to change the date of the Welcome Picnic to Friday 3rd March. This year, the Welcome Picnic will be held at the Highett Bowls Club from 5.30-8.00pm. It is a picnic style event, with oversized board games for the children and bowling available for the parents. Families are welcome to BYO food, however drinks are only available for purchase through the Bowls Club bar. We are really excited to be connecting with a community facility such as the Highett Bowls Club for this school event. We encourage all families to get along to catch up with other families - It has been a mainstay of our school calendar for many years and I’m sure it will be a terrific evening!

Year 5 and 6 Canberra Camp

On Monday morning just after the sun comes up, our Year 5 and 6 students will board the bus, headed for our nation's capital - Canberra. Here they will spend the week visiting some of our most famous landmarks including Parliament House, the AIS and my personal favourite, the Australian War Memorial. This week is about many things, but most of all its about learning, connection, resilience and independence. For some children (and even for some parents), it will be challenging being away from home for four nights. But this is where some amazing learning happens. The children are required to organise their belongings, roll sleeping bags amongst many other tasks that help foster the aforementioned skills and characteristics. I thank Aggie Gorski, Josie Miller, Georgia Pafumi and Louisa Di Pietro for sacrificing their personal/family time to take the children away on camp. Watch social media for updates on their adventures!

St Agnes’ Swimming Team

Due to the unavailability of our Year Five and Six students away at Canberra Camp, we have a small but committed team of swimmers heading off to the District Swimming Carnival on Tuesday 21st February. Congratulations to Gemma Clark, Mackenzie Duddy, Lachlan Henebery, Mia Inwood, Bill Lucas, Niamh McGoldrick, Isabel Monahan, Ashton O’Brien, Charlotte Puli, Paddy Styles and Estelle Warnes. We know you will give your absolute best effort and represent St Agnes’ with pride! Go go go!

School Closure Days - Extend OHSC

Our school is closed on Thursday 9th and Friday 10th March for staff professional learning. Extend OHSC have confirmed they are definitely offering care for Thursday 9th March for any families who require supervision for their children on this day. Extend will also run care on Friday 10th March, if there are 10+ bookings for this day by Friday 3rd March. Please contact Extend directly regarding your bookings for these days.

Before and after school care - Monday and Tuesday

Extend are currently offering before-school care on Monday and Tuesday mornings and after school care every day. Please complete your enrolment and bookings via https://www.extend.com.au/school/st-agnes-primary-school/.

Open Days and School Tours

We are very grateful to all of our parents for advocating for our school in the local community. We have had a number of enquiries for Prep in 2024, which is a really positive sign for our school. This year, we will be holding four Open Days, where prospective families can come and tour our school to see and hear from the students and staff. The dates for school tours are below:

• Wednesday, 1st March
• Wednesday, 29th March
• Wednesday, 3rd May
• Wednesday, 31st May

2024 sibling enrolments

We are asking those current families to complete the enrolment process for any siblings who will join our school in Prep in 2024. We are expecting a large sibling cohort, so we need all families to enrol as soon as possible so we know how many places we have to offer new families. Forms can be downloaded from our website or you can pick one up from the office.

St Agnes’ Dads - Pot and Parma Night - Thursday 23rd March

All St Agnes’ Dads are invited to the inaugural Pot and Parma night at the Highett RSL on Thursday 23rd March. Tables have been tentatively reserved for all dads to catch up for a Steak, Parma, a drink and some footy on the big screen. Please RSVP to Bart Caroll (0421 877 991) so numbers can be confirmed. All dads, new and ‘not so new’, please come along.

2024 Fete Committee Meeting - Tuesday 28th March at 7.30pm

Yes, it’s time to start getting organised for the 2024 St Agnes’ School Fete. We have locked in Saturday 16th March 2024 for the big day. We are looking to put together a large team of parents, with well-defined roles to lead our fete in 2024. Our last fete gave an amazing ‘lift’ to all in our community after two very tough years, but it also helped raise close to $30000, which is going straight back into our classrooms in the form of new furniture when our renovation is finished. The meeting will be held in the staffroom and all parents are welcome to attend. Your contribution is valued and appreciated.

Mother’s Day Activities - Save the Date(s)

Each year in the first two weeks of May, we celebrate all Mother’s and special ladies in the lives of our students. This year sees the return of some old favourites in terms of events, but also a new addition:

1. Mother's and Special Friend's Day Breakfast & Liturgy - Thursday 11th May: Breakfast from 7.30-8.30am in the hall, followed by a whole school liturgy to celebrate our special ladies in the church from 9.00am-10.00am.
2. Mother’s Day Lunch - Friday 5th May- All St Agnes’ mothers and special ladies are invited to an offsite lunch on this day. Pencil in the afternoon off and organise dad or another family member to pick up the children from school! This day is a day just for mums to have fun with other mums! Details to follow - Head across to the P&F page for the invitation.

Term 1 school fees

2023 school fee invoices have been sent out and are due to be paid by Friday 24th February. Please contact Shannon in the office to set up a direct debit or to make payments.

Assembly

For the duration of the renovation project, Wednesday afternoon assemblies will be held in the Church from 2.40pm. Parents are welcome to attend. We will continue to have class presentations, awards, birthdays and special announcements each week.

Wed 15th Feb - Year 2

Wed 22nd Feb - No Assembly

Wed 1st March - Year 5/6

Wed 8th March - Year 3

Wed 15th March - Year 4

Wed 22nd March - Year Six Leaders

Wed 29th March - Year 1

Wed 5th April - Prep

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Kind regards,

Lachie.