Welcome to Term 4 Week 1 2022
Deputy Principal Report
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Welcome back to Term Four. As always, it will be an exciting term with lots of opportunity for celebration.
In the coming weeks our Prep-Grade Six students will be sitting Progress Achievement Testing (PAT) assessments in core learning areas such as mathematics and reading. This testing occurs annually and provides teachers with a snapshot of a child's achievement at a point in time. The saying ‘you don’t fatten pigs by weighing them’ is very relevant here as children’s learning does not improve just by sitting the test. It is the exploration of individual results and class/school wide gaps or patterns that gives us valuable information to support our curriculum design and decision making. These assessments can also help us measure the impact of our teaching and affirms where the strengths have been in our programs and approaches.
Annual formal testing such as NAPLAN and PAT is common practice across all education sectors and is worthwhile as described above. Although, it is important to acknowledge that it is the daily and weekly assessments and observations of students that give us the timely feedback back we need to respond to student needs and to provide the instruction required to move learning forward. Attuned knowledge of our students and responsiveness to their needs is what makes the greatest difference.
Families are always welcomed to engage their child’s teacher in a conversation not only about their child’s performance against national standards but also about their child’s growth in any particular academic area.
Kind regards
Ben McCulloch
Deputy Principal
RE News
October- The Month of the Rosary
October is traditionally the month of the Rosary. This form of prayer has been
part of the Catholic tradition for hundreds of years. The beads used in this
prayer help us to focus on the sequence of important events in the life of Mary
and Jesus, and the significance these events have for us in our spiritual lives.
The Rosary consists of five decades of Hail Marys, with each decade separated
by a bead for the Our Father. Each decade commences with the naming up of a
particular event (mystery), in sequence, followed by a particular need being
prayed for.. Through praying The Rosary, we can ask Mary, the Mother of God,
to intercede for our needs. The Rosary is often used to pray for peace in the
world!
Some of the students have been learning about The Rosary in their Godly Play
sessions or in the RE class lessons.
School News
PREPARING FOR 2023
CLASS PLACEMENTS: When we are working out the students’ class groupings each year, we take many factors into consideration e.g: ability groupings, gender balance, special needs, and groupings. If parents have specific requests they wish to be considered as well, please put these in writing addressed to Mrs Christina Gretton and leave them at the office or with the class teachers by no later than 11 th November 2022. The request should be clearly stated with a reason for making that request. As you would appreciate, it is a difficult task and impossible to keep everyone happy.
I ask you to remember 3 things:
- Children adapt more easily than parents
- We consider all factors thoroughly
- In the end the leadership team make the final decision.
If you wish your child to repeat a year, or you are consider relocating or will not be attending Stella Maris in 2023, could you please inform the school office in writing as per the Terms and Conditions on your child’s signed Enrolment Acceptance.
Athletics Carnival
Our annual athletics carnival will be held soon, it would be lovely to see parents and guardians come along and support students
Prep to Grade 6 - Thursday 3rd November
9.00 am - 12.30 pm Venue : Marist Oval
Kindergarten - Tuesday 8th November
2.00 pm Venue : Marist Oval
* The order of event times are approximates and may change slightly on the day
Student Acheivment
Congratulations to Jakai, Rhys and Archie who placed 3rd in the 11 year old boys team event at the All Schools Primary Cross Country in June, what a wonderful acheivement
Resources For Parents
Outside News
Entries for the Athletics Tasmania All Schools Track & Field Championships close on Wednesday next week!
Make sure you register to represent your school and compete in the premiere school athletics event on the calendar, and even gain selection to represent your state at one of the upcoming national championships.
For more information, and to register, visit the link below:
https://www.tasathletics.org.au/events/158312/