From the Principal
My time away on Long Service Leave for the first three weeks of the term feels like a distant memory but one that will stay with both Joanne and I, as we experienced a trip of a lifetime to Canada, Alaska and Hawaii. I would like to thank the staff, in particular Sharyn Black as Acting Principal, for working so well together to keep things running so smoothly in my absence and leaving a short to do list upon my return.
The reality is we have now reached the half way point of the third term where the student learning programme is in full swing. Father’s Day is a week away (including the Dad’s Golf Day), as is the Royal Adelaide Show and the students are busily preparing for Grandparents and Special Friends Day in the last week of the term. There is letter coming home next week with all the details for tickets and the arrangements including an extra performance to accommodate the growing support of this event within the community. This year’s theme is ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go’, once again promises to entertain you all. It is important the every family familiarise themselves with the instructions on how to order tickets and understand the arrangements for the day.
A reminder that Monday 2 September is a Campus Closure Day. The Nativity teachers are involved in staff training day on Visible Learning. We are working with two other schools in South West Adelaide cluster (St Teresa’s, Brighton and St Anthony’s, Edwardstown) to work through the concept about student learning by evidence and design. This is an ongoing project through an arrangement with the Corwin Institute. The outcome of the training is for our teachers to have a better understanding of student agency in the learning process. For teachers to be very explicit about their teaching so students know what they are supposed be learning, not by chance but by design. The training day is the first step of the project that is quite involved with mentoring, coaching, external validation and a strong focus upon teachers and their planning of the learning experiences.
Congratulations to everyone involved in the Performing Arts Showcase. The choirs, the band, dancers, instrumentalists and vocalists were exceptional and a great advertisement of the Campus Performing Arts Programme. I would like to thank our music teachers, Ally Cunningham and Rachel Baverstock for coordinating the evening and the staff from the three schools for supporting the students during the performances.
Kind regards
Greg Haynes
Principal