Dear St John the Apostle community,

Well done to our Years 3 and 5 students who undertook the first of four tests in NAPLAN this week. They have done so with great calm thanks to the support of staff who have prepared them well and parents who have helped them see NAPLAN as just one of many pieces of work they will do over the course of the year.

It is a mandated national assessment and we do encourage our students to participate, though we know some children's literacy and numeracy is better assessed through less exam-like means. I spoke with the Year 5 students before NAPLAN to encourage them to give it their best so they and their parents can see how much they've grown since they participated in Year 3.

Among the many ways we monitor and assess student learning in literacy and numeracy, we do use the data we receive from NAPLAN. We use it to confirm our own information about how individual students are progressing and to look for focus areas to teach them. More so, we examine the results to see how our school is progressing with the implementation of particular teaching strategies from Kindergarten to Year 6.

Our NAPLAN results have been improving progressively over the last few years and we are looking forward to seeing the results this year. For 12 months our teachers have been working very hard to implement High Impact Teaching Strategies in English and Mathematics and our own student assessment data indicates that these have impacted students positively.

As always, NAPLAN isn't everything, but ensuring every student has the greatest possible literacy and numeracy development is crucial to helping them have the best possible future. Our greatest ambition is that they go into high school, and then into the world, with the values, skills and knowledge to make a positive difference for their families and their communities: to 'be on earth the heart of God'.

Reconciliation

We celebrated the Sacrament of First Reconciliation last night. It was a great pleasure to stand alongside these students and their families at this moment in their spiritual journey.

I learnt a long time ago that the Sacraments we celebrate in our Catholic Tradition are considered to be very, very special moments. We can experience God's love and presence all around us, with everyone, every day, when we are tuned into it. However, the Sacraments, such as Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, etc. are particularly sacred moments where we and God come into direct contact, where the the human meets the divine, where we come to God, and God meets us there, and we are one. They are moments that can punctuate our lives with meaning and purpose and wholeness.

Last night, through Fathers Kimi and Gerard, our students met God's love face to face in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. They were reminded that, no matter what they may do or say, God will always love them. How special is that to know that I am always loved? Something we all perhaps need reminding of every now and then.

Congratulations to each of our students.

Thank you to our Parish Team who helped families walk alongside our children and to teachers who prepared the students in the classroom.

Active Streets

Walking or riding to school regularly is a great way for children to receive their recommended one hour of physical activity every day. It also helps to ensure they arrive energised and ready to learn.

Our school is participating in the Active Streets for Schools program, which is helping to make the environment around our school safer and more accessible for active travel.

Did you know we have a ride or walk to school map? If your child hasn’t received a hard copy, you can download and print the map from the Transport Canberra website. A larger version is also placed on on black gate in the school car park and pick up area.

The map includes a selection of safe routes to school and highlights ‘part way’ drop off or collection points for families that need to drive but want to avoid congestion at the school gate and allow their children to be physically active for part of the trip.  

Help our school engage in Active Streets by encouraging your children to be active. Students will enjoy the health benefits while you enjoy avoiding school traffic during peak times. Do you have an infrastructure suggestion that will make it safer and easier to walk or ride to school (e.g. a new footpath or crossing)? Contact Transport Canberra to make a suggestion. 

Matthew Garton

Principal