No 17. Term 4 Week 1, 11th October 2024

Principal's News

Welcome back to Term 4, everyone! I hope you've all returned feeling refreshed and ready for the new adventures and opportunities ahead. This term promises to be filled with growth, learning, and community spirit.

During the last week of Term 3, I had the privilege of travelling to New Zealand with 11 other Melbourne Catholic school principals to attend the Trans-Tasman Principal's Conference. It was an extraordinary experience that left me feeling inspired and energised about the work we do here at St. Kevin’s.

One of the most captivating speakers at the conference was Gilbert Enoka, a mental skills coach known for his work with New Zealand’s top sports teams, including the All Blacks. His insights into the power of resilience, discipline, and teamwork left a lasting impression. His message about the importance of building supportive networks and fostering "energized committed stars" really struck a chord. It reinforced for me why we place such value on nurturing each student's unique potential. The passion Enoka exuded for growth and self-expectation was contagious—and it’s a message I look forward to weaving into our own approach at St. Kevin's.

Another memorable part of my trip was visiting Marian College. Imagine this—a fully functional school within a warehouse! It’s like a vibrant little village, all contained within one earthquake-proof structure. Walking through it was nothing short of remarkable. The way they’ve adapted their environment to foster learning, collaboration, and resilience is inspiring. It’s the kind of forward-thinking approach that excites me about the possibilities for creating dynamic learning spaces that truly cater to the needs of today’s students. I couldn’t help but think of how innovative design can play such a crucial role in shaping the way we engage with education.

Another key takeaway was the profound integration of Maori culture into everyday life in New Zealand. Everywhere I went, I was struck by how fluently people spoke Maori and how seamlessly cultural practices were woven into daily routines. This inclusivity is something we can certainly learn from as we continue striving for greater harmony and the full inclusion of Indigenous Australian culture here at St. Kevin’s. The sense of shared identity and respect for heritage is a powerful example for us to consider in building an even more welcoming and inclusive community.

Lastly, the resilience of the people in Christchurch—still deeply affected by the earthquakes—is a humbling reminder of the strength that comes from unity and community. Their ongoing recovery has shaped a unique sense of identity, one grounded in hope and perseverance. It’s a lesson we can all carry forward as we continue to build our own strong, supportive environment at St. Kevin’s.

I’m feeling incredibly optimistic about what we can achieve this term. Let’s keep the momentum going, support one another, and make this a term to remember!

Jason Micallef,
Principal

Leadership & Management

Carpark Safety

As we continue to ensure the safety of our students, we kindly ask for your patience and care when driving in the school carpark, particularly during drop-off and pick-up times.

Lately, we have noticed many drivers taking unnecessary risks as they turn right into the school from Hallam Road without properly giving way to oncoming traffic and cars turning into the school. Please remember that all drivers turning right, must give way to oncoming traffic and traffic turning left into the school.

Please help us to keep our carpark safe for everyone by following the road rules and being patient with one another. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated!

Term 4 Uniform Reminder

As we begin Term 4, we remind everyone about our school uniform expectations. Both summer and winter uniforms are permitted during this term, depending on the weather. However, please ensure that the full uniform, either summer or winter, is worn—mixing items from the two is not allowed (for example, tights under a summer dress).

Also, don’t forget that a school hat is required whenever students are outside. "No hat, no play" remains in effect throughout the term.

Thank you for helping us maintain our uniform standards.

Student Placement for 2025

One of the important tasks we will undertake very shortly is the creation of 2025 class lists. This is a very complex yet important task. Our ultimate goal is to create well-balanced communities of learning.

Some of the factors considered when allocating students to classes include:
(a) Balanced number of boys and girls
(b) Even distribution of academic needs
(c) Social compatibility (avoiding potential conflicts between individuals or groups of students)
(f) Students with particular learning needs or behavioural concerns
(g) Varying degrees of independence and maturity
(h) The separation of twins and other siblings. 

We take this task very seriously and take the time to discuss every single student's needs before they are placed. So we ask that parents please trust the school’s judgement and professionalism in making a decision that is in each child’s best interest.

Parents can help us in this endeavour by communicating any relevant information that might help us achieve our intention to create balanced learning groups. If parents have information that will help us to achieve this, please contact Mr Micallef by email, no later than Friday October 25th to share what you know. Please note that this is not an opportunity to make requests for which teacher your child should be placed with. Rather, we would appreciate information that might help us to make the decision.

If your family’s circumstances have changed and you won’t be returning in 2025, please contact the office at your earliest convenience.

Planning Extended Absences

We would like to remind families that if you are planning any trips in the future it’s important to remember that you must request permission for an extended absence in writing BEFORE making bookings. When considering such requests, we take into account your child’s overall attendance rate and the potential impact on their development.

We understand that family time is precious, but we kindly ask that extended absences during the term be avoided wherever possible. School holidays are designed to provide the perfect opportunity for family trips and breaks without affecting your child’s learning.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we work together to support your child’s education.

Tickets on Sale Now for Our School Performance!

We are thrilled to announce that tickets for our much-anticipated school performance are now on sale!  With limited seating, each family can purchase two tickets for $15 each. Children who will sit on a parent's knee do not need a ticket.

If your children are performing on separate nights, you’ll need to book tickets for both evenings. However, by entering the code twonights at checkout, your second night’s tickets will be free!

To book your tickets, simply scan the QR code below or follow the link. Don’t wait too long—tickets will sell fast!

We can’t wait to see you there!

https://www.trybooking.com/CWFSR

Education in Faith

Supporting Your Child’s Faith: Learning from the Gospel

A popular Gospel story we can draw inspiration from is the Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matthew 22:1-14). In the story, Jesus tells of a king who invites many guests to his son’s wedding banquet. Some refuse the invitation, and others treat the king’s servants badly. So, the king invites everyone from the streets to join the feast. However, one guest shows up without proper attire and is asked to leave.

What Can We Learn?
This parable teaches us about God’s generous invitation to all of us to join His kingdom. It reminds us that God invites everyone to follow Him, but we must respond in the right way by living according to His teachings. The wedding garment symbolises the way we live our lives – our attitudes, behaviours, and readiness to embrace God’s love.

5 Ways to Talk to Your Children About the Gospel
Here are some simple ways to guide your children in understanding the message of this week’s Gospel:

1. Explain God's Invitation: Talk to your child about how God invites everyone to be part of His family, just like the king invited guests to the wedding. Ask them how they feel about being part of God's special invitation.

2. Discuss How We Respond: Explain that accepting God's invitation isn't just about saying "yes," but about living in a way that shows love, kindness, and care for others. Ask your child how they can show kindness today.

3. Talk About Being Prepared: Just like the wedding guest needed to be dressed appropriately, we need to be prepared in our hearts to follow God. Discuss what it means to prepare our hearts for God through prayer, good choices, and being kind to others.

4. Reflect on Gratitude: Highlight the importance of being grateful for God's invitation. Encourage your child to think about something they are thankful for, especially in their relationship with God.

5. Practice Generosity: The king welcomed people from all walks of life to the banquet. Use this as an opportunity to talk about being generous and welcoming to others, even those who are different from us.

By reflecting on this Gospel as a family, you can help your child understand the importance of living a life full of faith, love, and kindness. These simple conversations can deepen their connection with the teachings of Jesus and help them grow spiritually.

Faith Formation Night with Fr. Fabian

On Tuesday evening, we were blessed to have Fr. Fabian lead a beautiful and insightful Faith Formation night for the parents of children preparing to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It was a wonderful opportunity for families to reflect on the significance of this sacrament and the deep sense of healing and grace that comes with it.

Fr. Fabian spoke about the importance of Reconciliation as a moment for children to experience God's unconditional love and forgiveness. He guided parents in how to support their children through this special journey, emphasising the power of open conversations about forgiveness, love, and making things right with others.

A sincere thank you to all the parents who joined us for this night of faith, reflection, and preparation. We look forward to continuing this spiritual journey with your children as they take this important step in their faith life.

Learning & Teaching

Learning growth through teacher growth

We would like to extend our sincere thanks for your support during our school closure day on Monday. Your cooperation allowed our staff to come together for valuable professional development, which will directly benefit our students' learning.

Throughout the day, our team focused on reviewing Dan Wilingham’s simple memory model and model of cognition, which help us better understand how humans learn and process information. These models connect the visible classroom activities we see every day with the hidden processes happening in our students' brains. By understanding this model, teachers can better shape lessons to help students retain what they learn.

Thinking and Memory

A key idea we explored is that thinking drives learning. The things we think about are what we remember, so it's crucial for teachers to design lessons that make students think deeply. Thinking helps students build connections between new knowledge and what they already know, gradually strengthening their understanding. In fact, understanding is simply remembering more connections between ideas.

Building Knowledge: From Shallow to Deep

Students begin with what’s called shallow knowledge, which is knowing facts and simple concepts. As they practice and engage with these ideas over time, they start to develop deep knowledge, where they can explain patterns and apply what they've learned in different situations. For example, they might start by memorizing a poem and then, with deeper knowledge, they’ll be able to identify themes or structural elements that apply across different types of literature.

Practice Makes Learning Last

Practice is essential for making learning stick. Through varied and repetitive practice, students can make knowledge more automatic, freeing up their brains to build on what they already know. This repeated practice also makes it more likely that they’ll be able to use their knowledge in new situations, a crucial part of real-world learning.

By focusing on these principles, our teaching team is excited to create lessons that not only engage students but also help them build long-lasting knowledge that they can apply throughout their lives. 

Explicit Teaching

We also deepened our knowledge of explicit teaching principles and strategies. These strategies are designed to make learning clearer and more effective, supporting students in every step of their educational journey. Explicit teaching is simple yet powerful: it involves teachers clearly showing students what to do and how to think when they’re solving problems or learning new skills. Here’s why it works so well and why it’s a core part of our approach.

Why Explicit Teaching is Effective

Research has shown that explicit teaching can lead to:

• 35% to 60% more learning in 25% to 75% less time than other methods.
• Long-lasting retention of knowledge.
• Positive outcomes for all students, across all subjects and grade levels.

From physical education to math and science, explicit teaching works because it aligns with how our brains process and store information. When new information is presented in manageable steps, students can more easily transfer it to their long-term memory, making it easier to recall and use later.

Grade 1 News

St Kevin’s School Value focus is

Service

with an action focus on ‘Encouraging and Supporting Others’ 

                  This means we at St. Kevin’s serve others when we recognise and appreciate their strengths                                 and support them when we can.

To serve others, we look for opportunities to motivate and celebrate each other.

In Grade 1LO we asked the questions:

How does it feel when someone helps you with things that challenge you?

What are examples of times you might be about to encourage and support others?

What does encouraging and supporting others sound and look like?

Together, we created artwork to display in our classroom, reminding us of what encouraging and supporting others sounds and looks like.  

We created colourful posters featuring uplifting phrases that represent unity and support.  We made a Supportive Hands Collage by writing encouraging messages on each hand. 

We put together an Encouragement Jar and added notes with encouraging messages or compliments that students can pick from when they need a boost.

In doing this, we have created a positive environment where everyone feels valued, encouraged, and motivated to support one another. It’s been a great way to celebrate kindness too and build a strong community within our AMAZING school!

Have a look at some of our work

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Grade 4 Cardboard Arcade – A Showcase of Innovation and Creativity!

This week, our Grade 4 students amazed us with their incredible Cardboard Arcade! Using only recycled materials, they designed and built an array of fun and interactive arcade games for their peers to enjoy. Their creativity truly shone through, with games ranging from skill challenges to imaginative puzzles, all brought to life with a bit of cardboard and a lot of ingenuity.

It was fantastic to see their innovation in action, as they worked together to create a fun, hands-on experience that showcased their problem-solving skills and teamwork. A huge congratulations to our Grade 4s for their hard work and enthusiasm – what a brilliant way to show how learning can be fun and creative!

Student Wellbeing

Our Focus on Service: Through Encouragement and Support

At St. Kevin’s, our current value focus is Service, and the way we are choosing to live out this value is through Encouragement and Support. Service is about helping and supporting others without being asked or expecting anything in return. As 1 Peter 4:10 beautifully reminds us, "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another."

Our students are encouraged to show service by actively supporting and motivating their peers. Whether it’s celebrating a friend's success, lending a helping hand, or offering kind words, every act of encouragement and support builds a stronger, more compassionate school community.

By focusing on these simple yet powerful actions, we aim to foster a culture of care and generosity that reflects the values we hold dear at St. Kevin’s.

Community