Dear Parents,

It was wonderful to see a great group of parents come to school and help Kinder give Mrs Meincke a fitting farewell to 17 plus tremendous years at St Mary’s. The guard of honour formed by the whole school was a great opportunity for all the community of the school to say their goodbyes.

Both Kindergarten and Year 4 have had a very positive start to the adjustments that have been made. Thankfully the High Impact Teaching Practices programs that we have implemented will ensure a consistent approach to learning. Both classes will continue the fantastic learning that has already taken place so far this year. A huge thank you to Mrs Cuthbertson and Mrs Nielsen for making the adjustment from their original positions.

The contract situation for the new Year 4 teacher is progressing well and an announcement will be coming in the next few days.

Student Reports

Catholic Education Canberra-Goulburn (CECG) has communicated to schools regarding reporting to parents/guardians. CE has advised schools that general comments will not be required on Semester 1, 2023 reports, but to prioritise Parent/Teacher Conferences for every family. These meetings provide an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress, their strengths, challenges and future areas of focus. A Semester Report will still be sent home as in previous Semesters providing A-E grading and attendance information.

CECG has advised schools that Semester 2, 2023 reports will require a general comment for all children. This general comment will provide a summative comment for the year, areas of achievement and areas to focus on for the following year. A-E grading and attendance information will remain as normal.

We would encourage all parents/guardians to engage regularly with their child/ren’s learning, connecting with their class teacher/s regularly to discuss learning progress.

Regards,

Phil Nielsen