FAMILY FUN NIGHT

Thank you to our Parents and Friends and to the St Peter’s staff for all the work that went in to ensuring last Friday's Family Fun Night was such a success.

NAPLAN - Our approach

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is currently being completed by our Year 3 and Year 5 students. At St Peter’s we value the data obtained via this test. It is used to compare results with our own data and to follow up where needed. It is also valuable in measuring state and national education but I do not believe that it should be used to rank schools. This is nothing to do with the results but with the way students are prepared for these tests. 

At St Peter’s students complete one practice test prior to the actual tests. This practice ensures that our system is ready to go and provides students with an experience of the way these tests are conducted. During the actual tests each student is provided with a juice box and a packet of jelly beans, not because they are required but because we want them to enjoy the experience.

As your principal I am vigilant in making myself aware of what is happening in other schools when their academic results seem disproportionately higher than ours. If there are good practices that are improving learning outcomes, not just test results I seek more information. What I will not do is spend inordinate amounts of time practising for Naplan tests. 

There are schools that feature in the media for their results and when I look into what they are doing I learned that some of these schools practise Naplan a couple of times a week in the months leading up to Naplan. They also use the actual testing time to begin practising Naplan tests for the current Year 2 and Year 4 students in preparation for the following years tests. If any student completes many hours of practice tests then their results should be good. 

I do not believe this is good teaching and it will not be a path we will pursue. We will continue to focus on improving each child’s learning as a result of good teaching and appropriate interventions.

STUDENT ILLNESS - Stay home

Last week I emailed you regarding an increase in staff reporting positive to COVID. One of the reasons for that is that staff have to be vigilant and must test when symptomatic and must report, while families do not have these requirements. At the same time I have five Junior school staff absent with gastrointestinal infections.

I ask that all families treat COVID like symptoms and other illnesses seriously and keep children home if they have any symptoms of any infectious diseases.

At school we continue to use air purifiers, ventilation and hand washing as means to minimise spread of any infections.

THANKYOU

In today’s Herald Sun there is an article detailing results of an annual survey of School Principals. It is with a combination of sadness and gratitude that I read this article. The sadness comes from the reality that some of my colleagues in Principalship do experience behaviours, both physical and emotional, that are not acceptable.

The gratitude comes from the fact that I work at St Peter’s Primary school where students and families are respectful and considerate. I participate in this study every year and while workload is an issue my experience of interactions with parents and students has always been recorded as being very positive. I am very grateful for this community and want you to know that I do not take this for granted.

PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS 

Parent Teacher Interviews will take place on Tuesday, 4th April. Students will finish school at 1.00pm on this day. Interviews will commence at 1.30pm and conclude at 8.00pm. Interviews will be offered either online or face to face. Details regarding booking interviews have been sent to families in a separate email.

ENHANCING CATHOLIC SCHOOL IDENTITY

As part of our school review  that will be taking place in 2024 I am required to seek parent / guardian input on the Catholic Identity of St Peter's. The tool used to obtain this information is an Enhancing Catholic School Identity (ECSI) survey.

A school of our size is provided with 50 online surveys. As the survey should be allocated randomly I have identified every 8th or 9th family on our alphabetical list of 430 families and your family has been identified as one to be sent the survey.

If you have been chosen to complete the survey you will receive a separate email at 3.00pm today with details of the survey and how to log in to complete the survey. 

FOOTY COLOURS

If your child’s AFL football team wins or draws on the weekend then they are able to wear  a scarf, jumper or footy colours on the first day back at school after the weekend. It is just a way to have a bit of fun.

PUPIL FREE DAY

Monday, 24th April will be a Pupil Free day for students at St Peter’s.  OSHC will continue its Vacation Care Program on this day. Staff will be undertaking professional learning at school on this day. As Tuesday, 25th April is the Anzac Day Public Holiday the first day back for students in Term Three will be Wednesday, 26th April.

EARLY FINISH -  TUESDAY 4th APRIL

Students will finish school at 1.00pm on this day for Parent Teacher Interviews which will commence at 1.30pm and conclude at 8.00pm.

END OF TERM 1

Students will finish at 2:30pm on Thursday the 6th of April. OSHC will be operation from this time for families that need it.

START OF TERM TWO

Students will return to school for term two on Wednesday the 26th of April.

UPCOMING DATES

P&F Meeting - Tonight, Monday, 20th March - 7.00pm

P&F Sausage Sizzle and Casual Clothes day - Monday, 27th March

End of Term Mass -  Friday, 31st March - 10.00am

Year 3-6 House Cross Country -  Friday, 31st March

Parent Teacher Interviews - Tuesday, 4th April - 1:30pm - 8:00pm   

Last day of Term 1 - Thursday, 6th April - Students Finish at 2.30pm

TERM TWO

Monday, 24th April - Pupil Free Day

Tuesday, 25th April - Anzac Day

Wednesday, 26th April - First day of school for students for Term Two

CONGRATULATIONS

“Live Your Best Life in Love”

Every relationship is a journey and the grind of everyday life can cause you to lose touch with your spouse.

This experience gives married couples the tools to keep your passion alive in a gentle, nurturing environment, away from pressures and distractions of daily living.

The weekend is based around Catholic values and couples of all faiths are welcome.

 Please check our website for more details.

 28-30 April 2023 in  Melbourne

(Book early to avoid disappointment)

Information/Bookings: Phone Mercy & James 0409 183 676 or

Email: vicbookings@wwme.org.au    Website: wwme.org.au

WEEK 8

Tuesday, 21st March - NAPLAN / YEAR 6 CANBERRA CAMP / Year 3 - Year 5 Swimming Program

Wednesday, 22nd March - NAPLAN / YEAR 6 CANBERRA CAMP / Year 3 - Year 5 Swimming Program 

Thursday, 23rd March -NAPLAN / YEAR 6 CANBERRA CAMP / Year 3 - Year 5 Swimming Program / FEDPAS - 4.00pm - 6.00pm

Monday, 27 March - P & F Sausage Sizzle & Casual Day

Tuesday, 28th March -

Wednesday, 29th March - 

Anna Mihelis 0427 584 849

www.instagram.com/annahairmelb

John Mavriopoulos

1300 393 417

build@blackbirdbd.com.au