Dear Parents, Carers and Friends,

2018 My School Survey report

This week we would like to present key student survey results carried out this year by the independent Myschool survey group. The purpose of this data is to provide direction for improving educational outcomes for all students, teaching practices, curriculum delivery, and school-community partnerships.

Students and Parents were asked to express their satisfaction in response to a

number of statements. Their responses were scored as follows: -

Strongly Disagree = 0

Disagree = 1

Agree = 2

Strongly Agree = 3

Student Satisfaction Survey St Patrick’s Primary Gundagai

Average Summary

2.4 I like being at our school

2.7 I feel safe at our school

2.3 I feel accepted by other students at our school

2.8 I would recommend our school to others

2.4 My teachers care about me

2.7 All of my teachers encourage me to do my best

2.5 The school Principal and other leaders in our school are approachable

2.2 My lessons are interesting

2.3 My teachers tell us what we are learning and why

2.5 Our school gives me opportunities to do interesting activities

2.5 My teacher/s help me to set learning goals

2.3 My teacher/s suggests ways to improve my learning

2.2 I receive feedback from my teacher/s to improve my learning

2.4 My teacher/s helps me to achieve my learning goals

2.7 I regularly use technology at our school to help me learn

2.1 The homework we do helps me learn

2.5 Our school celebrates student achievements

2.2 Our school takes students' opinions seriously

2.5 Our school encourages me to be a good community member

2.5 I value the Religious Education taught at our school

2.5 Our school helps me to be more involved in prayer

2.5 I am encouraged to care for others

2.5 I enjoy the prayer life at our school

Parent Satisfaction Survey School St Patrick’s Primary Gundagai

Average Summary

2.6 School is a safe place for my child

2.5 The staff at our school take an interest in my child

2.5 Most teachers in our school make learning really satisfying and engaging for my child

2.4 I am happy with my child's learning progress

2.3 I feel my child is being challenged to improve

2.2 The school communicates clearly that it has high expectations for student attendance, engagement and outcomes

2.5 I would recommend our school to others

2.2 I am happy with the school's facilities

2.3 Our school is well maintained e.g. clean, buildings painted etc

2.2 Communication between the home and school is effective

2.5 I can make contact with my child's teacher or other staff easily

2.4 Our school responds quickly to my concerns

2.4 Parent/teacher conferences are helpful at our school

2.2 Our school's reporting processes give me a good understanding of my child's progress and areas forimprovement

2.4 Our school celebrates student achievements

2.1 Our school manages behaviour incidents well

2.4 The use of technology (iPads, computers) enhances my child's learning

2.4 I am happy with my child's access to technology in our school

2.2 Change initiatives are well managed at our school

2.2 Our school has explicit, clearly communicated school-wide targets for improvement

2.1 Our school promotes and sets targets for improving student outcomes

2.6 I feel welcome and a part of our school community

2.6 I have opportunities to be involved in the life of our school

2.5 Catholic religious identity is a strong focus in our school

2.3 Staff, students and parents are actively involved in the prayer life of our school

2.2 There is a strong partnership between the parish/Chaplain and our school

2.2 The School Board/Community Council is effective at our school

From the above data, we have 100% of our students and parents responding between the range of agree or strongly agree to the above statements when surveyed.

As we near the end of the school year, staff are busy planning strategies that will ensure a continuous learning focus throughout next year. To achieve this goal, we use the National School Improvement Tool as the key driver for continuous improvement.

The Tool, developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research, helps schools to review and reflect on current practices, and to use this information to plan specific and targeted improvements.  It adopts an evidenced-based approach to making judgements about the school’s performance, allowing for assessments to be made of where the school is at, and where it needs to be.  Performance levels are then used as the foundation for whole-school planning that is evidence-based, future-focused, and improvement-oriented.

The purpose of using the National School Improvement Tool is to improve educational outcomes for all students, involving decisions on student learning, teaching practices, curriculum delivery, and school-community partnerships.

Listed below are a list of this year’s key areas of School Improvement. 

                St Patrick’s will continue to improve student outcomes by:

• Collaborating, implementing and communicating a systematic and explicit learning agenda
• teachers deepening their understanding of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
• creation of Professional Learning Plans that articulate SMART goals
• targeted professional NESA approved learning opportunities supporting best practice Pedagogy
• Continue to employ Hattie’s Visible Learning-High Impact strategies building the five components of an expert teaching team
• Continue to build a culture of high expectations through learning intentions, success criteria and teacher/student goal setting.
• Continue to make differentiation visible in all teaching and learning
• Embedded a “Feedback / Feedforward” culture across the school
• Continue work collaboratively with the parish to develop a mutually supportive relationship that will enhance Catholic identity and spiritual faith formation amongst students, staff, parents and parishioners
• Continue to acquire and use resources that support best practice pedagogy
• Continue plotting student learning on Literacy and Numeracy learning progressions. The progressions will inform “where to next” learning
• Continue developing the use of rubrics and FOR and AS assessment
• Focus on higher order thinking, inquiry, deeper/ richer reading comprehension, vocabulary and oral language experiences, spelling in context and student writing experiences incorporating purpose, function and audience
• Continue weekly learning support meetings to plan and implement Personalised Plans, learning intervention sequences and “front loading” of students.
• Continue to strengthen partnerships and relationships within the context of the school and community through revisiting the school Vision statement and the community building role of the School Community Council
• Continue to build relationships with pre-school agencies, teachers and their parents through visits, Supportive Playgroups, Little Learners and Parent Information sessions.

If you have any questions regarding the Survey Reports or School Improvement Plan, please contact me as I would only be too happy to discuss this with you.

You can’t hit the target if you don’t know what you’re aiming for.

If you do not change direction you may end up where your heading.

2017 School Captains selection

This week is a very special week at St Patrick’s as we begin the selection process for our 2019 School Captains. On Tuesday and Wednesday, a group of our Year Five students are presenting their leadership speeches at our morning assemblies. After this, the students will select from the year five presentations a group that will then be interviewed by the teachers of St Patrick’s. Congratulations parents and teachers for the great results you have achieved in preparing the children for future leadership roles. At St Patrick’s, we aim to develop resilient, self-confident and informed individuals. Individuals who are able to voice their opinions in order to make a positive difference in society as young people and as adults. I wish all the year five students the very best in the selection process for our 2019 School Captains. 

Semester Two Reports and Interviews

At present, our teachers are finalising the Semester Two student reports to be sent home on the 7thof December. Parents and Caregivers are invited to attend Parent/teacher Interviews on the 17th and 18^th of December. Supervision will be provided in the library for children to wait whilst parents attend interviews.

End of year Interviews are an opportunity for you to discuss any concerns you may have with your child’s report with their teacher. Each interview is 10min minutes in duration and we encourage your child to be present during this interview.

NAPLAN 2018 Results

I wish to congratulate our teachers, parents and students for achieving great results in this year’s NAPLAN. I would like to share some snapshots of St Patrick’s 2018 NAPLAN results which affirm this.  The below table shows the % achievement for the top 2 bands reported for NAPLAN testing in Year 3.

• Our Year 3 were ranked in the achievement above state range for Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar and punctuation and Numeracy.

(% in the top 2 bands above the State average – Year 3 = Bands 5 and 6)   

Enjoy the week ahead,

Vincent Powell

Principal

All Saints Mass

On Thursday the 1^st November, Kinder, Year 1 and Year 2 attended the parish All Saints day Mass.

It was a lovely Mass with Father George engaging the children during his Homily and asking them questions.

All Souls Day

On Friday the 2^nd November, Mr Ferguson and Years 3 and 4 led a special Mass for All Souls. Many parishioners attended and the music was lovely with Mr Ferguson and William Gaskin playing the guitar and Sarah Scott playing her flute.

Thoughts/ Questions / Reflection for the week: Visio Divina 

Use the image below to encounter the divine.

1. Study the picture slowly, taking a first glance noting the colours, people, places and things.  Remain with the image for one to two minutes. If you would like, jot down a few words about the image.
2. Take a second, deeper, look. Where is there movement? What relationships do you see? Engage your imagination. Where are you in the artwork? What do you see from that perspective? What deeper meaning emerges?
3. Respond to the image with prayer. Did the image remind you of an experience, person or issue for which you’d like to offer thanksgiving? In what way does God’s promise change, or not change how you visualize your relationship with the earth, each other, and God? Offer your thoughts as prayer to God.
4. Find your quiet centre. Breathe deeply. Relax your shoulders, arms and legs. Rest in this quiet. Let God pray in you. God prays beyond words.

Dates to mark on your calendar:

16/11- Mass led by Years 3 and 4 (12pm).

23/11- Liturgy led by Kinder (12pm).

30/11- Mass led by Years 5 and 6 (12pm).

07/12- No Mass or Liturgy

13/12(Thursday)- School Nativity (6pm)

14/12- End of Year Mass led by SRC (12pm).

God Bless, Mrs Flanagan REC

Week 3 Term 4

KINDERGARTEN: Riley Smith: Working so hard to use effective reading strategies 

YEAR 1/2: Charlie Hindmarsh: Excellent work in number pattern.

YEAR 3/4:  Harry Crowe: Persisting with challenges when completing his tapestry

YEAR 5/6: Sam Crane: Mature and independent work ethic

Week 4 Term 4

KINDERGARTEN: Skye Somerville: Great writing - Keep it up Skye

YEAR 1/2: Amy Cotterill: Showing kindness and consideration to others always

YEAR 3/4:  Josie Quine: Displaying greater independence and longer concentration spans 

YEAR 5/6: Charlotte Curtis: Persisting with challenging fractions and mathematical problems

Week 3 Term 4:

RESPECTFUL:  Zoe Naughton, Bonnie Wooderson, Mia Naughton, Sophie Graham, Jack Paton

Week 4 Term 4:

SAFE: Ella Nugent, Hugh Ryan 

Happy birthday to the following people who celebrate their birthday

Benji Leane celebrated his birthday on Friday 9th November 

Tennis

We will continue this week with Tennis for all grades across Thursday morning. Please ensure that your children have their sports uniform and sunscreen.

Remembrance Day

We would like to thank Allie Sullivan, Hugh Graham and Thomas Scott for accompanying Mrs Howe to represent the staff and students of St Patrick's at yesterdays 100 year anniversary of the signing of the armistice. The captains joined other members of the community to lay a sheath of flowers in tribute to the men and woman who gave their lives during the conflict of World War One.

Lest we forget.