St Francis of Assisi College - Term 3 Week 8

From the Principal

Staff Retreat Day

All staff gathered last Friday at Banrock Station to engage in a day of reflection and dialogue. We were joined by Jacqui Remond, who guided staff through the day.

The purpose of the retreat day was for the staff of St Francis of Assisi College to engage with Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ – On Care For Our Common Home, to deepen our individual and collective understanding of Integral Ecology in response to the ecological, economic, cultural and social crises and discern the implications and co-creative responses for the common good. The day focused on Laudato Si’ Goals 1, 2 and 4: Responding to the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor, Ecological Spirituality.

The day finished with staff re-visiting some of our agreed priorities that will embed our commitment to Laudato Si’ as a school community. These priorities are:

Bookmark Creek – ongoing engagement with stakeholders to grow our student engagement with Bookmark Creek in a range of ways.
‘Empow-her’ – wellbeing initiatives catering for specific needs of our female students.
The Community Garden – developing beyond the kitchen garden aspect, and engaging with key stakeholders to engage with our regions First Nations people, agricultural and industry links, and bringing the local community in to our College.
First Nations Partnership - An ongoing relationship with the Meru/ Erawirung people is a critical element of the Laudato Si’ vision.
The Laudato Si’ approach for engaging students in social justice issues

R U OK? DAY 2023 – I am here to hear

This week we celebrated R U OK? Day on Thursday 14 September. The message this year is “I am here to hear.” The message appreciates that life's ups and downs happen to all of us and R U OK? is calling on all of us to let the people you care about know you're here, to really hear them. So chances are someone we know might be struggling, and our genuine support can make a difference with whatever they are facing, big or small. R U OK? Day encourages us not to wait until someone is visibly distressed or in crisis. Rather we are urged to make a moment meaningful and ask them how they’re really going. I take this opportunity to reiterate that St Francis of Assisi College has a strong commitment to wellbeing, using trauma informed, scientific methodology of Positive Psychology, which is designed to guide and strengthen relationships. All staff are trained in the Resilient IMPACT program of intentional practice, which is carried out with our partner, Life Buoyancy Institute and focuses on adults being mindful teachers, who intentionally respond to individual and student growth needs.

At St Francis of Assisi College we also use Orah wellbeing check-ins twice per week during Home Group, we want to know if our students are ok every day.

Season of Creation

We have entered the Season of Creation which will end on 4 October, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron Saint of Ecology.

This week you might like to ponder these questions as a family:

1. Can we be more mindful in the way we reduce, reuse and recycle?

2. How can we live more simply and incorporate time in nature into our day?

‘…Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature…’ (Excerpt from the 2023 Laudato Si’ Prayer)

Nathan Hayes, Principal

Leader of Learning

High Impact Teaching Strategies – Explicit teaching

For our collaborative and reflective practices cycle this term, teachers have been asked to focus on the high impact teaching strategy of explicit teaching. When teachers adopt explicit teaching practices they clearly show students what to do and how to do it. The teacher decides on learning intentions and success criteria, makes them transparent to students, and demonstrates them by modelling. The teacher checks for understanding, and at the end of each lesson revisits what was covered and ties it all together. Providing explicit instruction to students limits the mental effort for students allowing them to process new information more effectively. It also improves students’ ability to recall previously learnt knowledge and provides opportunities for students to achieve learning outcomes efficiently and effectively.

Showcase of Learning

On Monday 25 September, from 5-7pm, the College will be holding our annual Showcase of Learning evening. Following last year’s great success, we have combined our Showcase of Learning, $20 Boss Expo and Limitless Possibilities Business Expo into one evening of community fun. This night will showcase students learning and their achievements across all year levels, with year 8 $20 boss business products available to purchase. Also, thanks to our amazing Industry and Community engagement sub-committee, BBQ, salads and drinks will be provided. Please join us and celebrate in our students’ successes.

Term 3 Learner Conversations

Student/Parent/Teacher conversations will occur Tuesday 19 September and Wednesday 20 September from 4pm-6:30 pm at the College. This term these conversations will occur with your child’s subject teacher. Your child is an important part of this conversation as they reflect on their strengths and needs as they become a capable learner.

Student progress update reports were released through SEQTA on Thursday 7 September. To access these reports, click on assessments and the relevant subject. Please view these reports, as a subject teacher may have identified an interview would be beneficial to discuss your child's learning and to support their progress.

If your child has a teacher for multiple subjects, could you please make one booking time slot with that teacher. This will ensure there is enough booking times available for all parents.

Bookings are made online through School Interviews

To log on, please use the link

https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/wc256

If you are unable to book an appointment but would still like to meet with a teacher, please contact the school on 8595 4500. Please contact the College if you have any questions.

Natalie Meuret, Leader of Learning