St Matthew’s Primary School

Principal Talk with Mrs Lowe

Opening and Blessing of the Stage One and Stage Two Building Project

It was wonderful to welcome school community members and special guests to St Matthew’s for the Official Opening and Blessing of the Stage One and Stage Two Building Projects last Friday. The special guests commented on the beautiful learning spaces and how exceptionally well-behaved the students were during the ceremony. I was certainly very proud of them and their excellent participation in this event.

We are blessed to have such a beautiful learning environment at St Matthew's, which was made possible by the collaborative effort of many. I would like to thank everyone involved!

St Matthew's is well equipped for 21st-century learning!

Uniform Matters

It is time for our students to be wearing their winter uniforms. Ensuring that our students are appropriately dressed not only keeps them warm but also maintains the standard of our school community.

Students are required to wear long pants and long-sleeved tops as part of the winter uniform. These items help keep our students warm and comfortable during the school day.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, students must wear black school shoes. This is an important part of our dress code and contributes to the uniform appearance of our student body. Please note that joggers are not permitted on these days unless the class teacher makes a specific arrangement for particular activities.

If your child needs to be out of school uniform, please correspond with their classroom teacher.

By wearing the correct winter uniform, our students can stay warm, look smart, and focus on their learning. Thank you for your support in maintaining our dress code.

Kindergarten

This week, we have split our Kindergarten class into KB and KM. Mrs Deanne Beroukas, our permanent relief teacher, will take KM until the end of the term, and Mrs Caroline Stewart will commence as the Kindergarten teacher next semester. Caroline has a vast amount of experience teaching K-2 classes. She will be joining us from the ACT Directorate and is very excited to be joining St Matthew's School Community. 'Meet the Teacher' interviews will be arranged for parents of students in KM early next term.

Parent Teacher Conferences

During Week 10, we will be holding Parent-Teacher Conferences on Monday and Tuesday afternoons and evenings. This is a valuable opportunity for you to discuss your child's progress and address any concerns with their teachers. Bookings can be made via Compass.

Semester One Progress Reports

At the end of Week 10, Semester One, Progress Reports will be sent home digitally.

You will receive a formal A-E System Report in alignment with all ACT Catholic Schools. The A-E System Report is a common report designed to meet national reporting requirements.

Students in Year One to Year Six will receive a grade for Religious Education and the Australian Curriculum subjects: English, Mathematics, Science, Technology, History or Geography, Languages, Health and Physical Education and the Arts.

Grade descriptors
Your child’s achievement for each subject is reported against the Australian Curriculum Achievement Standards using the following five-point scale:
A: Outstanding - Demonstrates outstanding achievement of the standard. The student has an extensive knowledge and understanding of the content and can readily apply this knowledge. In addition, the student has achieved a very high level of competence in the processes and skills and can apply these skills to new situations.
B: High - Demonstrates a high achievement of the standard. The student has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the content and a high level of competence in the processes and skills. In addition, the student is able to apply this knowledge and these skills to most situations.
C: At Standard - Demonstrates achievement of the standard. The student has a sound knowledge and understanding of the main areas and has achieved an adequate level of competence in the processes and skills.
D: Partial - Demonstrates partial achievement of the standard. The student has a basic knowledge and understanding of the content and has achieved a partial level of competence in the processes and skills.
E: Limited - Demonstrates limited achievement of the standard. The student has an elementary knowledge and understanding in a few areas of the content and has achieved a very limited level of competence in some of the processes and skills.

What does a “C” grade mean in this reporting system?
To provide a universally consistent base for school/teacher judgement of student learning across ACT K - 10 schools, the “C grade” will indicate that the student has demonstrated satisfactory achievement of what is expected against each Achievement Standard.
The learning standard described by each of the Achievement Standards embodies high expectations of learning achievement. To be awarded a “C” grade using these standards represents a significant achievement.

Kindergarten Achievement Descriptors

Kindergarten students' achievement for each subject is reported against the Australian Curriculum Achievement Standard using the following four-point scale:
Above Expectations - Demonstrated achievement above the standard. The student applies the curriculum content and demonstrates a very good understanding of the required knowledge. The student demonstrates a high level of skill that can be
transferred to new situations.
Meeting Expectations - Demonstrated achievement at the standard. The student typically demonstrates they are working with the curriculum content, with a sound level of understanding of the required concepts, procedures and skills.
Working Towards Expectations - Demonstrated achievement towards the standard. The student is becoming aware of the curriculum content and demonstrates a basic understanding of aspects of required knowledge. Relevant skills are beginning to be developed.
Experiencing Difficulty Demonstrated limited progress towards the Standard. The student is demonstrating limited understanding of the curriculum content and required knowledge.

How are grades decided upon?

The student learning outcomes on school-based reports reflect the learning outcomes from work units and major assessment items taught. These, in turn, will incorporate language from the curriculum skills and understandings in both the content and Achievement Standards.
Teachers moderate the student work samples and assessment pieces internally and against the ACARA national annotated student work samples associated with each of the Achievement Standards to ensure student work is assessed consistently.
Work samples are available to students, parents and carers to support student learning at http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/.

How will Semester 1 reports differ from those issued at the end of Semester 2?
The Australian Curriculum Achievement Standards describe the expected student achievement after being taught the curriculum for the entire year of schooling.
The Semester 1 A-E System Report will reflect student progress towards the end-of-year Achievement Standard. The semester 1 grade reflects the level to which a student is ‘on-track’ in achieving their final grade. The Semester 1 report is a “Progress Report”.
The Semester 2 A-E System Report is summative, and the grades allocated indicate the overall achievement the student has made. This judgment is based on evidence gathered by the teacher throughout the entire year.

If a subject is only taught in one semester of the year, will teachers be required to report on it in both semesters?
Student learning in any area continues to be reported only during the semester in which it is taught. For example, if a subject is only taught in Semester 1, the grade allocated in the Semester 1 report will be summative. The subject will not appear in the Semester 2 report.
Subjects taught only in Semester 2 will not appear on the Semester 1 Progress Report. The result for that subject will appear at the end of Semester 2 as a summative grade.

Reporting on Personalised Learning Programs

Some students who access a Personalised Learning Program will also receive a modified report sharing the student's progress, growth and achievements.

Ensuring a Safe Dismissal: Our Duty of Care

At St Matthew's, the safety and well-being of our students are our top priorities, extending beyond the classroom to include their departure each afternoon. It is our duty of care to ensure that all students leave the school premises securely and under appropriate supervision. To facilitate this, we have established clear procedures that must be followed by all students, parents, and staff.

Approved Methods for Student Departure:

1. Signed Out with a Parent or Carer at the Front Office

2. Kindergarten/Year One Playground Pick-Up Gate

3. End Senior Corridor Door

4. OSH Club After School Care

Prohibited Exits:

To maintain a secure and orderly dismissal process, students are not permitted to leave the school via the classroom sliding doors or the K-3 end corridor door. These exits are not supervised during dismissal. We kindly ask all parents, carers, and students to adhere to the approved exit procedures to ensure everyone’s safety.

Yours in peace and love,

Mrs Sarah Lowe