Dear Parents and Carers,

A warm welcome back for Term 3.

I hope you were able to have some ‘down time’ or at least a sleep in if that was possible during the school break.

The 2023 theme for NAIDOC Week is For Our Elders.

As NAIDOC Week occurs in the school break, we will be celebrating with our students this week. Students will be reflecting on the concept of ‘Elders’ in many cultures and how they continue to play a prominent role in our communities and families.

NAIDOC Week is a time to reflect and celebrate the histories, cultures, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, recognising them as the ongoing Custodians of the land.

 

NAPLAN

We have been advised that 2023 NAPLAN student reports will be provided to schools for distribution to parents/carers from Tuesday 25 July. Last term I included information to parents via the newsletter about changes to the NAPLAN reporting system. I have included this information in today’s newsletter.

Catalyst at St Michael’s

At St Michael’s we have been working with Catholic Education and our Western Australian team to equip our teachers to deliver an excellent curriculum using the most skillful, evidenced based teaching practices.  CE refer to the initiative as Catalyst.

“Catalyst encompasses the teaching and learning approach of Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn. Informed by the Science of Learning and Science of Reading, Catalyst delivers excellent learning experiences for students through evidence-based teaching practice and high-quality resources.” https://catalyst.cg.catholic.edu.au/

In 2023, St Michael’s teaching staff have developed Professional Learning Teams that assist us to reflect on our teaching, gather data, examine research, and work smarter to improve our student outcomes. On Monday this week, we looked at anecdotal data we had gathered during classroom visits and compared this with student achievement. We watched videos of excellent teaching practice and discussed ways we could continue to engage our students for continuous growth.  

I thank our school families for supporting our staff to participate in professional Learning and Planning on Monday 17 July as I appreciate this provides challenges for families. 

I look forward to a busy and exciting term building positive relationships with you and your children and encourage you to keep an eye out for upcoming events.

Thank you to all our families for your continued support.

Many Blessings,

Judy Egan

Principal