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 Josephs 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

Well done to all of the children who participated in the Winter Sports last Friday.  On your behalf of the school I would like to thank the teachers who have coached the teams during lunch times so that the children were 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 with you about this important school development.

Staffing Update

Maryanne Evans is taking long service leave for the first eight weeks next term. We wish her an enjoyable and refreshing break.

Michelle McIntyre Hand will fill the role of Assistant Principal - Wellbeing. Michelle has great experience and passion in this area having undertaken a Graduate Diploma in Wellbeing and prior experience in the role. 

Kate McGrath has accepted the position in E1. Kate is well known to our school community as  is a regular Casual Relief Teacher 

School Review 

We welcome Ben Van De Camp (Principal, St John’s Dennington), Mary Lovelock (External Reviewer), Sue Paulka (Teaching and Learning Leaders Catholic Education Ballarat) and Lee Schlooz (Educational Consultant, Catholic Education Ballarat) to St Joseph’s this week to undertake the validation of our school review.  This review is the final stage in a lengthy and detailed process that began in 2019.  This week the review panel will meet with students, staff and parents to validate the review document.  At the conclusion of this process the panel, along with the school leadership team will write the final report.  This report is designed to celebrate the successes of the school and identify future directions and opportunities for growth over the next five years. 

I would particularly like to acknowledge the work of Jim Guinan in coordinating the writing of our School Reflection Report.  As the final dates were changed and Michael Gray finished up this detailed task became Jim’s responsibility which he did with his usual good humour and diligence. 

I am looking to sharing the recommendations from the review with you next term.

School Advisory Council AGM 

On Wednesday night we farewelled Sean Mueglitz as the outgoing chair of the SAC. Sean had been a member of the SAC for four years and chair for two years.  I would like to thank Sean for his support of the school in this important role.

I would like to congratulate Mark Koch who was elected unopposed as the new chair.  I look forward to working with Mark in the coming years.  We also welcomed Melissa Happ to the group and thank her for her willingness to get involved.  Chris McGrath, Peter Furphy and Donna Monaghan continue in their roles also. 

The Annual Report to the School Community was tabled at this meeting. This report has been uploaded to our website. I commend it to you, particularly Michael Gray’s final Principals Report.

St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal

This week we are having a Pyjama Day and supporting St Vincent de Paul. They work with our Parish Community and below are some figures that were presented at Mass over the weekend of amazing work they are acheiving within the community

St Vinnies Warrnambool – Total Assistance for year

Holidays

Finally, I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday. Particularly our hard working, dedicated staff.