K-6 Semester 1 Student Reports - new format

As you may be aware, the NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA) have undertaken a comprehensive review of the NSW Curriculum, leading to curriculum reform and subsequent implementation of a reformed curriculum which commenced in 2023. In response to the curriculum changes, Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong has made significant modifications to student semester reports for Primary schools to better reflect your child's academic progress at key points throughout the year and provide parents and carers with a clear picture of their child’s strengths and areas for improvement in specific subject areas.

The following changes will be evident in your child’s semester report from Semester 1 2024: 

• A ‘new look’ report format released via Compass reflecting the outcomes of the new K-10 English and Mathematics syllabuses providing a descriptor for each of the focus areas of the respective syllabuses
• All Kindergarten students will now receive a written report in Semester 1 and Semester 2 with a three-point grade scale used to report student achievement using the following performance descriptors:
• Thorough
• Sound 
• Basic
• Students in Year 1 - Year 6 will continue to receive semester reports twice a year with a five-point grade scale used to report student achievement using the following performance descriptors: 
• Extensive
• Thorough
• Sound
• Basic
• Elementary 

Report formats are also available for students who are working towards outcomes by which a graded report will not accurately represent their learning progress. As an alternative to a graded report, a comment is provided for each Key Learning Area in line with the student’s goals identified in their Personalised Plan. These reports are only used following consultation between school and parents/carers. 

We look forward to this positive shift in our reporting system and appreciate your continued support in your child's educational journey. A supportive video is provided to help you understand the new report format. Parent Video - Academic Reports.mp4

Tips and Tricks to support you child in English Maths 

If you would like to know how you can support your child with the content of the new English and Mathematics syllabuses, please refer to the NESA parent guides 

RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS NEWS

The Student Advisory Group (SAG) met last week to analyse the student voice data. The results revealed that our first RESPECT FOCUS is It’s NOT kind, iT’S NOT true!

What it is…

-Saying unkind things about others (mean words)

-Saying untrue things about others (rumours)

-ignoring untrue and  unkind things that people say

-joining in when others say unkind and untrue things

What it is not….

- Saying kind things to others

- Telling the truth about others

- Calling it out when people say untrue and unkind things

The SAG team will launch this focus at the Friday assembly along with role plays for everyone to practise. We will be encouraging ‘calling out’ unkind words and untrue words for the next 2 weeks. Peer support groups will also begin in Week 5 where students form small groups across the grades, Stage 3 will lead the groups and students will have an opportunity to work together on all things related to respectful relationships.

Waste Free Wednesday News

Congratulations to all students who ditched the plastic and came waste free to Wednesday these past 2 weeks. Let’s aim for all classes to be above 60% waste free.

Here are the results for Week 1

• Kindergarten: 72%

• Year 1: 80%

• Year 2: 72%

• Year 3: 83%

• Year 4: 60%

• Year 5: 86%

• Year 6: 40%

So the Gold Waste Free Warriors for Week 1 were:Year 5

and the Silver Waste Free Warriors for Week 7 were: Year 3. 

Here are the results for Week 2:

Kindergarten: 78 %

Year 1: 81%

Year 2:86 %

Year 3: 89%

Year 4:74 %

Year 5:95 %

Year 6: 36%

So the GOLD waste free warriors for Week 2 were: Year 5 and the silver WFW were Year 3 again.  Congratulations to both these classes.

Mrs Amy Sammut - Assistant Principal

Vision In Action Awards

We are thrilled to announce the launch of a new award within our school community: The 'Vision in Action' Award. 

This award will recognise students who embody our school's vision statement: "Inspired by Christ, we aspire to excellence in learning, living fully in community."

Every day, we witness students bringing our vision to life through their actions and words. As a school community, we believe it's essential to acknowledge and honour these outstanding students not only at the end of the term but on a weekly basis. 

Any member of our dedicated staff can nominate a student for the Vision in Action Award, identifying moments where our vision shines through actions that truly make a difference. Criteria for this award may include acts of kindness, inclusivity, sharing, empathy, gratitude, initiative, perseverance, and resilience.

These awards are held in equal esteem to our Superstar awards and contribute to a student's "big 5," leading to a Principal's Award. Recipients will be announced during our Monday morning assembly each week.

We look forward to recognising the little actions that make a difference at our beautiful school. 

Below is a breakdown of our awards structure.

Awards Breakdown

Frequently asked question:

My child was previously at a different school. Can any of their previous awards be recognised at St Michael’s?

If your child has awards from a previous school setting, we ask that you send them in accompanied by an explanation of their award structures. If there is alignment between our structures, the Principal will have discretion as to whether these previous awards contribute to our school award structure. 

daVinci Decathlon

Last term our school participated in the da Vinci Decathlon which was held at the Illawarra Christian school. The da Vinci decathlon is an academic competition designed to challenge and stimulate the minds of students.

Before the big day, our students dedicated themselves to workshops, sharpening their skills and getting ready to face the challenges ahead. The students competed in teams across 10 disciplines: Engineering, mathematics, code breaking, art and poetry, science, English, ideation, creative producers, cartography and legacy. 

On the day itself, our teams demonstrated remarkable teamwork and determination, filling both myself and Mrs. Sammutt with immense pride as we witnessed them collaborate and uplift one another.

I'm thrilled to share some fantastic news with you all: our school received two awards! We came in 2nd place for Creative Producers and 3rd place for Engineering. What an amazing achievement!

Congratulations to all the students who took part. Your effort, resilience, and talents truly shone brightly, making us all proud. Let's celebrate not just the awards, but also the friendships made and the lessons learned along the way.

Here's to our incredible students and to many more successes in the future!

Chelsea McLeod - Diverse Learning Coordinator - High Potential and Gifted Students