Term 2 Week 9 2024 Newsletter

From the Principal

I cannot explain the reason, but the older I get, the faster time seems to pass! It is hard to believe we are at the halfway mark of the school year. As a school community, we managed to squeeze an incredible amount into 20 school weeks. These weeks have been filled with rich learning opportunities provided by staff; staff that give their very all for the benefit of all students in our care.

Over the last few weeks, I have met with many prospective families looking at joining the OLQP community, as has been the case throughout the year so far. It is always a heartfelt moment when I hear that families have been recommended to the school or that they have heard wonderful things about the school. I thank you for sharing with others your satisfaction, celebrations, and appreciation of the school.

2025 and beyond

It might seem strange however many hours have already gone into planning for 2025 as well as the next decade. As mentioned in the first edition of this term's newsletter, we have been planning for the predicted growth of the school, as well as how we can continue to provide excellent teaching and learning balanced with having a caring, safe, and loving environment. This planning has included:

Our physical space
Staffing
Future building work
Class structures
Class locations
Minimal disruption to student learning

I hope to be able to unpack more information with families as soon as possible. You may not be aware that in:

2022 we were an 8 class school,
2023 we were a 9 class school,
2024 we are a 10 class school,
2025 we will be an 11-12 class school.

Despite this growth, the transition has processedly smoothly. I am mindful that schools can grow quickly. A trap of rapid growth can be that schools do not plan wisely, and the hard work previously put in place can quickly come undone. As we grow, we have increased our structures to ensure this does not occur at OLQP.

As always, please feel welcome to contact me in the event you have any questions or concerns.

Staffing

I recently distriubted a letter via SeeSaw about some staffing changes. Though it was only shared recently, the planning was initiated and put in place weeks in advance, and ensures any disruption to learning is minimised. This planning included having familiar staff look after students whilst teachers are on leave.

We welcomed Julie Binnington to our school community. Julie is an experienced Education Support Officer (ESO) who has quickly settled in our school community.

Students

We farewelled a small number of families this term, all of whom moved out of the area, and we welcomed several new students and their families to our community. In Term 3, we will welcome our Mid Year Reception class to the school, as well as four new students in different year levels.

It would appear that we have become expert welcomers. Students that join our community part way through the year all report feeling welcomed and, hence, have settled in quickly.

Thank you

I hope I have made you aware of how thankful I am for the partnerships we have between the school, families, and the wider community. It is together we continue to make our school an amazing place. I talk to students about being amazing. I believe we have amazing students, amazing staff, and amazing families. This doesn’t mean that we are always perfect but it does mean that if we aim for amazing, we create opportunities for everyone to achieve this. I constantly aspire to being an amazing principal.

What I love about the word amazing is that it is endless. When we reach a level of being amazing, we celebrate it, and then set our sights on a new level of amazing!

Reports

Your child’s report will be available for collection from the office from late Monday afternoon, 1 July 2024. We do not send reports home with students. In the event you are unable to collect your child’s report by the end of the term (Friday 5 July 2024), it will be posted during the first week of the holidays.

Well done to the members of our school band who competed at the "Battle of the Rock Bands" recently. Thank you to Andrew Heuzenroeder for his amazing effort in preparing the students for this event.

The last day of Term 2 is Friday 5 July with a 1.30pm dismissal. For students who cannot be collected at this time, please contact Jo Fahey about securing a place in OSHC.

Term 3 begins on Monday 22 July. Have a safe and happy term break!

Lee Abela
Principal

From the Assistant Principal Learning, Engagement & Teaching

Enhancing student learning: Our staff's commitment to professional growth in Numeracy Progressions

At Our Lady Queen of Peace School, we are dedicated to continuously improving our teaching practices to better serve our students. On Tuesday 11 June, our staff engaged in professional learning focused on Numeracy Progressions within the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) framework.

Understanding numeracy progressions

The Numeracy Progressions are designed to outline the typical sequence of learning that students follow as they develop their mathematical skills. They provide a clear roadmap for teachers to understand where each student is in their learning journey and identify the next steps needed to advance their skills. By aligning our teaching strategies with these progressions, we can ensure that our students receive tailored instruction that meets their individual needs.

Professional learning sessions

Supported by Rosa Angelina, our experienced Systems Coach from Catholic Education South Australia, the sessions provided valuable insights into:

Mapping student progress: Understanding how to track student progress along the numeracy continuum and use this information to guide instruction.
Designing assessments: Creating assessment pieces that are aligned with the numeracy progressions, allowing us to accurately gauge student understanding and identify areas for improvement.
Differentiating instruction: Developing strategies to differentiate instruction based on students' current levels of understanding, ensuring that all students are challenged and supported appropriately.
Informing teaching practices: Using data from assessments to inform and adjust teaching practices, ensuring that our instructional methods are effective and responsive to student needs.

A commitment to continuous improvement

At Our Lady Queen of Peace School, we believe that professional development is key to maintaining a high standard of education. Our participation in these professional learning sessions is just one example of our ongoing efforts to stay at the forefront of educational best practices. We are proud of our staff's dedication to their professional growth and their unwavering commitment to enhancing student learning. Thank you for your support as we strive to create a learning environment that nurtures and inspires every student.

Announcing: Book Week 2024!

We are thrilled to announce the upcoming Book Week 2024 in Term 3, an event eagerly anticipated by our entire school community. This year, the theme is "Reading is Magic", capturing the enchanting and transformative power of books.

Dates to Remember

Book Week 2024 will be celebrated 17-23 August 2024.

With our 2024 Children's Book Week theme, "Reading is Magic", we are celebrating reading stories and their amazing power to transport minds. The magic of reading lies in its power of enticement; a good story provokes conversations. Talking about the stories with others connects the reader with other readers. Wrapped around all of this are the "tricks" and skills of our amazing writers and illustrators, as they use all their powers of language and illustration to engage the reader in the worlds they are building.

Throughout the week, we have planned a variety of exciting activities, including:

book readings,
character dress up days,
a special book themed lunch order day, and
creative workshops, all designed to inspire a love of reading and storytelling in our students.

Stay tuned for more details on specific events and how your child can participate. Let's make Book Week 2024 a magical experience for everyone!

Adriana Pilla
Assistant Principal
Learning, Engagement and Teaching