Dear Parents and Caregivers

On Friday, 27 June the student’s half yearly school reports will be distributed using the Compass Parent Portal.

To access the report:

Your child’s achievement for each key learning area is reported using a five point scale (Elementary, Basic, Sound, Thorough, Extensive).

The five point scale lets teachers report student academic achievements at any point in time using clear standards. The teachers have made a professional on-balance judgement to decide which grade best matches the standards your child has achieved, based on assessment information they have collected. An on-balance judgement does not just focus on a single piece of work.

The standards have two important components. These can be thought of in terms of what students are expected to learn and how well they have achieved.

The outcomes in the NSW syllabuses state what students at each stage are expected to learn. The five point scale describes how well students achieve.

What is the five point scale?

The five point scale summarises the standard (or quality) of achievement associated with each scale. The scale describes:

• the depth of knowledge and understanding and
• the range of skills that students working at that standard typically show.

Your child will get the achievement scale that best matches the standard of their achievement. Teachers are not limited to set numbers of each scale within their class or school.

Scales are one aspect of school reporting to parents. Other important tools include:

• teacher comments and feedback
• parent-teacher interviews
• information about student effort and application
• the work samples, and
• the scale descriptors

Parent/Teacher Interviews

The half yearly reports do not have a general comment. This is consistent with all schools across the Wollongong diocese. However, what is equally beneficial is the opportunity for you to meet with your child’s classroom teacher and it is an important part of the half yearly reporting process.

Parent/Teacher Interviews provide an important opportunity for teachers, students and parents to acknowledge student progress and achievement and discuss some clear steps forward for future growth.

Following are some tips offered by Michael Grose – Australia’s leading parenting educator - to help make the interview a successful experience for everyone involved:

1. Prepare well

Before the meeting, list any questions that you want to raise. Writing information down in advance ensures that your point of view is expressed and that critical information is covered. You may also like to take notes during the meeting so that vital information isn’t missed.

2. Stay solution-focused

When your child’s learning challenges are discussed it can be difficult not to become defensive or sceptical however, it is important to stay open-minded. Try to view the information shared as an opportunity to discuss your child’s strengths and needs as well as any further support required.

3. Trust the teacher

Teachers view your child through a different lens than you and their conclusions and solutions can seem at odds with your own views. At these times you need to trust the professionalism of your child’s teacher who has more than likely experienced these same challenges before.

4. Ask what you can do

Show your commitment to supporting your child’s progress by asking about ways you can best support your child at home. 

Information on how to book your appointment online has been posted on Compass.

Our Stages 2 and 3 Parish Mass was held on the weekend. Thank you to our Choir who led the music, the students who lead the special jobs and to all our families who were able to join us. 

Corpus Christi Mass

The annual Corpus Christi Mass will be celebrated tomorrow, Friday 20th June at 10am. This is an opportunity for students and staff from both STA and St Michael’s School at Mittagong to join together to celebrate our Parish feast day. We are looking forward to celebrating Mass together. All welcome. Our Year 5 students will then lead us in prayer at afternoon assembly and continue the theme of Corpus Christi.

Children's Liturgy

Children’s Liturgy is on this Sunday 22nd and the following Sunday 29th June, before it breaks for the holidays. All welcome to join Children’s Liturgy at the 9:30 am Mass.

Winter Fundraiser

On Friday 27th June (Week 9) STA are raising money for our local St Vincent de Paul Conference this Winter. We are asking students to wear pyjamas to school and bring with them a paper note. Our donation will be accepted by a member of our local Vinnies conference at our final assembly this term, to purchase much needed items for people in our local community.

We are encouraging our students to ask to do extra chores at home in order to raise their donation!

Renee McFayden

Religious Education Co-ordinator

Year 6 Canberra Excursion

On Friday, the 30th of May, the Year Six students of St Thomas Aquinas were given the exciting opportunity to visit three incredible places in the heart of Canberra: The Australian Electoral Commission in Old Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial, and Parliament House. To make it on time for our busy day, the class had to wake up bright and early, ready for the two-hour bus ride ahead. The journey was anything but quiet — the bus was filled with laughter, singing, chatting, and even a few fun games that made the time fly by. It was the beginning of a memorable adventure we won’t soon forget.

Australian Electoral Commission (AEC)

Year 6 had an absolutely amazing time visiting the Australian Electoral Commission. It was both incredibly fun, and super interesting! As soon as we arrived, we were shown a jam-packed video with holographics, full of fascinating information about the history of the Australian parliament. It wasn’t just any boring presentation — it had awesome effects, music, and holographics that made everything come to life, and kept the whole grade completely entertained from start to finish. After the video, we paired up with a classmate to try out a super cool interactive activity on gigantic screens.They were the size of us! On the screens, we had to help virtual people who were asking all sorts of questions about how voting works, and we had to give them the right advice to guide them through the system. It felt like we were real election helpers! Then came one of the best parts — we all took part in a mock election using the preferential voting system. Instead of politicians, we voted for our favourite fruit from a short list, and we used actual ballot papers just like in a real election. After everyone voted, we counted every single vote together as a year group to see which fruit won — and it was so exciting to watch it all unfold. The whole experience was not only packed with learning, but also filled with laughter, teamwork, and fun.

The War Memorial

After visiting the AEC, we travelled to The Australian War Memorial, and learned about all the past soldiers and their tragic stories about fighting in war. Year 6 learned about many different and unique soldiers who fought for their lives during the many wars, and we were informed about many of their amazing stories. We first watched an educational video about war, and following this, we were split into four groups to explore the War Memorial. We all viewed a plane that was actually from the war period. We then all walked to a large wall full of all the soldiers names and poppies. After, we walked into a room full of silence, and in the centre of the room, was the body of the Unknown Soldier, representing all the unknown soldiers lost to war. On the very top of the ceiling was a beautiful stained glass mural. We then watched the eternal flame which had been alight for over 35 years. We had a great time learning about all the different soldiers and how they fought for our country during their time at war.

Parliament House

Following lunch outside The War Memorial, Year 6 proceeded to Parliament House where we reenacted passing a bill, visited the House of Representatives and the Senate, and received some hospitality before travelling home. After entering Parliament House, Year 6 were guided to a room that resembled the House of Representatives, in which we were given roles such as the Speaker, The Sergeant-at-Arms and The Clerk. Next, we were directed to a viewing room in the House of Representatives and our guide pointed out some key features that we had previously learnt during History lessons at school. Year 6 were then escorted to a similar room, this time overviewing the Senate. Whilst observing their surroundings, Year 6 had fun spotting differences and similarities between the House of Representatives and the Senate. At last, it was time for some hospitality, where Year 6 were supplied with frozen yoghurt and a rest. In closing, Year 6 had a terrific experience visiting Parliament House and learning more deeply about how parliament is run.

Thank you

The Federal Government recognises the importance of young Australians being able to visit Canberra as part of our unit of work exploring the factors that led to Federation and tracing experiences of democracy and citizenship over time.  We are very lucky that the Government provides a PACER (Parliament and Civics Education Rebate) grant of $30 per student which supplemented the cost of the day. The grant is paid directly to the school at the completion of the excursion and is factored into the school fees paid for the excursion.

We really enjoyed our trip to Canberra because it was a lot of fun and a great experience for our class. Overall it was an amazing day!

Georgie Z, Hayden C and Liliana M (Year 6 students)

Policies

Please find below a link to our Policies, Procedures & Forms that can also be found on the website:

https://stabdow.catholic.edu.au/parents/policies-procedures-forms/Attendance

Attendance

If your child is away for any reason, can you please enter the absence in Compass.  Otherwise you will receive an automatic notification at 12 pm that day to justify the absence.  Thank you.

Contacting staff

If you need to email a staff member, could you please use the email address:  info@stabdow.catholic.edu.au and your email will be directed to the relevant staff member for you.

• If you would like to make an appointment with a staff member (including the Principal and Assistant Principal) could you please contact the office to organise a convenient time.