Reports, Profile Books and Parent - Teacher Conversations

The students’ progress reports will be ready for you this Friday afternoon. 

The Written Report is one part of the broader assessment and reporting regime at St Joseph’s along with the Profile Book and the Parent-Teacher Conversation.  These three elements aim to provide you with an accurate picture of your child’s progress as well as insights into the broad content of classroom curriculum.  The written report provides a record of achievement standards as well as a description of the curriculum outcomes that each child has met.  The Profile Book is a collection of work samples that provide examples of student learning.  The Parent-Teacher Conversation allows for teachers and parents to discuss each child’s progress and identify opportunities for future learning.  These three elements work together and each is diminished without the others.

Sadly, due to Covid restrictions we are unable to welcome parents and carers into the school for the important Parent -Teacher Conversations.  In order to facilitate these meetings we will proceed via phone calls.  I acknowledge that this arrangement is not as personable as a face to face meeting but under the circumstances I am confident that they will be beneficial for teachers and parents. 

Mrs Grant, Mrs Evans, Mr Allan and I spent a deal of the long weekend reading over the reports and agree that the students should be congratulated for their excellent progress and effort this year.  We would also like to commend the teachers for their diligence in preparing the reports for you which paint a very positive picture of life at school here at St Joes.

Winter Sports

Good luck to all of the children who are participating in the Winter Sports this Friday.  On your behalf I would like to thank the teachers who have coached the teams during lunch times so that the children will be well prepared for a fun day. 

ReLATE

This year St Joseph’s are partnering with Catholic Education Ballarat and MacKillop Family Services in furthering our Wellbeing initiatives through the ReLATE Program.  The following is lifted from the MAcKillop Family Services Website.  

ReLATE combines educational research, social science, behavioural theory and neuroscience and applies a trauma informed lens, to bring practical strategies to schools to embed in their daily practice. ReLATE positions schools and systems, to create safe, supportive and predictable environments, enhance teachers’ understanding and responses to behaviour and improve student learning and wellbeing outcomes.

ReLATE was developed in Australia by MacKillop Family Services, drawing on the practice model implemented in our schools and delivered by The MacKillop Institute. At its core, ReLATE promotes transformational relationships, not only for students, but also for school leaders, teachers and other staff working with children, young people and families.

The ReLATE model is a commitment, as a school community or system, to sustainable and positive cultural change.

Within ReLATE, wellbeing is understood as an essential pre-condition for quality teaching and learning. Safe, predictable and supportive learning environments are created and maintained in classrooms where students are not just known, but deeply understood. School leaders and staff are supported both on their professional learning and development journey and in their wellbeing

We have already experienced the “Discovery Day” and have two more full school professional development days this year. Day 1 Term 3, July 12th and Friday, October 15th (Week 2, Term 4).  I am looking forward to sharing more about this important school development.

Matthew O'Brien, Principal.