SIP Focus for 2023

Every year the staff collaborate in developing a Strategic Plan that will guide our effort for the following years. It is not always set in stone so that response can be made as needs arise.

One of our focus areas in our School Improvement Plan is Reading and inparticular - COMPREHENSION. Throughout this year teachers will participate in Professional Learning around the teaching of reading and how to help their students to become skilful readers.

With the help of our P&F, last year the school was able to purchase decodable readers. I would like to share the following article about the tope five reasons you should use decodable texts.

https://www.theliteracynest.com/2020/11/the-top-5-reasons-you-should-use-decodable-text-with-your-students.html

In summary:

1. Decodable text forces readers to practice their decoding skills.
2. It helps strengthen orthographic memory.
3. Children learn to apply their knowledge of explicitly taught phonics skills or spelling concepts.
4. Good decodable texts follow a systematic progression and won’t teach specific phonics skills or spelling concepts in a disjointed manner.
5. Decodable texts are a big step toward fluent independent reading.

The P&F have also committed a significant amount of funds in the past for MiniLit in the infants and more readers for the middle school. We look forward to successful readers developing their skills.

5 Important Questions to ask your child/ren

When my children were little, and even now that they are not, it is often difficult to get any sort of detail from them about their day with the way we usually phrase our questions. The usual “How was your day?” is met with a monosyllabic response or a shrug of the shoulders. “What did you do today?” receives the same or similar response. This often ends in multiple more questions being asked, with not much more information being divulged.

So, how do we find out more without asking more? One suggestion is to try these questions instead. Have your child focus on just one aspect/subject. It may feel really ‘clunky’ and awkward at first, and your child may not have detailed answers at first, but it will become more natural over time.

1. What did you learn about today?
2. How did you do?
3. What did you do (or would you do) if you didn’t understand?
4. How can you improve on your learning?
5. What are you most proud of?

(Lyn Sharratt, 2019, Clarity: What Matters Most in Learning, Teaching and Leading, p65)

I would love to get some feedback as to how these questions were received by your child and what their responses were.

NAPLAN

The children in Year 3 & 5 will be participating in the annual NAPLAN Assessments in March this year (changed from May). The tests will be conducted over a number of days between 15 & 27 March. It is important that your child is at school for these tests as valuable data can be gleaned from the results. The tests are done online and a timetable is being drawn up for your child's participation. It is not meant to be a stressful time for the children and does not let knowledge and skills that they not learnt.

INFORMATION SESSIONS

Thanks to all the parents that were able to get to our class information sessions this week. The teachers were very happy to spend some time with you. If you have any issues with which you wish to follow up or would like some clarification, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher

CHURCH CARPARK           

Whilst it is great to be able to catch up with friends and others after school, please be mindful of where your children are. The church car park and surrounds are not a playground. Please be mindful of the neighbours’ gardens and respect the surround of the car park as well. We have had issues with things being moved from the gardens to play with and damaged and not returned. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

PRINCIPAL LEAVE

For those who know me well, would know I am a bit of a pilgrim in my life’s journey. And the call for pilgrimage is strong again. To ease the nagging I will be taking Sabbatical Leave next term to complete a pilgrimage called the Camino de Santiago de Compostella. This will be an 800km walk across northern Spain from a village in the Pyrenees to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostella where the remains of St Matthew (one of the Apostles) are said to be interred.

It will take 40days after which I will be taking Long Service Leave for the remainder of the term.

What are the benefits?

When leading a school, the principal is seen as a leader of wide experience and wisdom. The leadership of the principal is continually evolving and being reshaped by the experiences encountered throughout their professional, personal and spiritual lives. The mission of the Church is a key to how that experience can be shaped. Spiritual renewal gives leaders new purpose, renewed energy and a deeper understanding of God and the love for the faith community.

The Epistle of James written by the James the Greater (Apostle of Christ) calls men (and women) to show patience, perseverance during trials and temptations and encourages his readers to live consistently with what they have learned in Christ. The Camino de Santiago is a veneration of this message in a physical, spiritual and emotion context.

It is within this context, that the Camino de Santiago, the Pilgrimage of St James, could enhance my growth as a Principal and provide valuable insight to the Mission of the Church which we deliver in our schools and community.