Students Bring "Zen zone" to Life, Inspired by Christ's Compassion

It has been wonderful to see a number of students using our new zen zone. It has been a welcome addition to our school community, where students can go to relax, recharge, and reset during break times. Please see below an image of this new space in full swing. 

Zooming in on school policy and procedure- the little and big things that make a difference

Over the past few years we have seen continued improvement in academic achievement and collectively built a connected school community. 

Recently, parents were provided with the opportunity to provide feedback on our school via the Tell Them From Me Survey. It provided our team with a boost, hearing all of the positive experiences many students and families have had in our beautiful little school. This data also validated an area for further development. We have noted that we are well overdue to tighten and provide clearer communication around our school policies and procedures. These key documents are critical in ensuring we maintain high standards across all areas of our school community. This in turn helps to continue to shape culture and equip our students in developing high personal standards that they carry with them throughout their lives. In each newsletter, we will be zooming in on some amendments to our policies and key reminders to ensure together we foster a school we can all be proud of. Please see below the areas of policy and procedure that we will be zooming in on. 

POSITIVE BEHAVIOURS 4 LEARNING (PB4L)- High behaviours
Our school follows a PB4L Framework to:

• effectively manage problem behaviours at all levels; 
• Offer evidence-based interventions that provide additional support for students with more difficult behaviours, and
• Work in partnership with families to address high-risk and challenging behaviours. 

To determine the support and response, our teachers use a correction sequence with the intention to redirect and support student behaviour. To determine the response to behaviours, we utilise low and high behaviour definitions. Low behaviours are managed by teachers, whereas high behaviours are managed by leadership. 

The following amendment has been made to our PB4L policy to ensure we continue to uphold the reputation of the school and ensure the safety of all students:

MANAGING RISK AT DIOCESAN, REPRESENTATIVE OR OFFSITE EVENTS

If a student has a high behaviour following  High and Low behaviour definitions in the two week period leading up to an offsite event and the school holds concerns about the student’s ability to act in a safe, respectful and responsible manner, upholding the school’s vision and expectations, the student will generally be unable to attend. A discernment process involving all stakeholders may take place to make an informed decision to ensure minimised risk to all students and staff and to uphold the reputation of the school.

If students have received a High Behaviour aligned to the High and Low behaviour definitions within a two week period leading up to an awards assembly, they will not be awarded a superstar award. This award will be held over until the following awards assembly.

Staffing update
With Mrs Griggs and Mrs Sepple taking carriage of the Year 1 classroom teaching position, we recently engaged in a recruitment process to find a suitable applicant to step into the additional teacher role. I am pleased to announce that Mrs Josephine Hill was the successful applicant. Josephine comes to our school bringing years of experience in diverse learning, particularly in years K-2. I am confident that Josephine will fit perfectly into our culture and add value to our school community in many ways. 

With the announcement of our amazing Amy Sammut stepping into the acting Principal role for weeks 1-6 at St Brigid’s, we have made some short-term refinements to our staffing model. Our model aims to ensure as much cohesion and consistency as possible within our school community. Please see below the amendments made:

Acting Assistant Principal- Mrs Chelsea McLeod
Middle Leader 2- Mr David Ryan
Additional Teacher (Years 1 and 2): Mrs Josephine Hill (Wednesday- Friday)

During Amy’s leave we will also be recruiting an additional teacher to provide extra support for students with diverse learning needs. We hope to communicate our new staff member to the community in the coming week. 

 Principal Appraisal
Thank you to those who have taken the time to complete the survey as a part of my Principal appraisal. I know how busy your family lives are, and I appreciate your insights and feedback. I look forward to reviewing this as a part of my appraisal. 

The spirit of St Michael’s
I have received a number of beautiful emails from parents after the recent netball gala day, describing how proud they were of our wonderful students. There were countless displays of kindness, humility, compassion, and connection evident throughout the day. Thank you also to our parents who volunteered to coach the teams. We wouldn’t be able to provide this opportunity for such a large proportion of our students without your support. 

Parent teacher interviews
We look forward to trialling our new interview structure on Wednesday 2 July. As previously communicated, we will be running some fun sporting games for school aged students throughout the day. These activities will occur on the top playground and commence at 9am. 

Grandparents Day
Please communicate our upcoming Grandparents Day to all of our wonderful Grandparents (Friday 25 July). The events will occur during the morning session. Additional information will be shared in the coming week, inclusive of the finer details. 

Calendar overview 

Pupil Free Days

Mr James Bryce - Principal