We have had a very busy two weeks since the last newsletter.

Toowoomba Catholic Schools Leadership Forum

Thanks to the staff, students and parents who helped with the daily gathering prayers, Mass and P&F Dinner for the Toowoomba Catholic Schools (TCS) Leadership Forum that was held in Stanthorpe last week. All our visitors, including the 30 Principals from the other schools in the Diocese and the TCS Leadership Team, commented on how wonderful our students and staff are and how hospitable Stanthorpe is. Dr Pat Coughlan, our Executive Director, was particularly thankful and congratulated the school for a job well done. My special thanks to staff members Mrs Angelina Sims, Mrs Megan Mahoney, Mr Matthew Brown, Mrs Sarah Yates and Dr James Cuskelly, and the Year 12 Student Leaders, who did so much to make it a successful week. I am very proud of our students and staff.

During the TCS Leadership Forum, we also hosted visits to the school by a number of Principals from other schools. The Principals spent time with our Visible Learning expert, Assistant to the Principal Primary, Mrs Sarah Yates, and conducted observations of classroom practice in both Primary and Secondary. When we started our Visible Learning journey three years ago, the plan was to develop into a “Lighthouse School”, that is, a school that showcases best practice for other educators to learn from. It is very much the case that we are now such a school.

NAPLAN

This week students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 have been sitting the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests. NAPLAN has returned in 2021 following the cancellation of these tests during the COVID pandemic in 2020.

NAPLAN accesses the types of skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life. The tests cover skills in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy. The data obtained from NAPLAN, combined with other data obtained from school assessments and teacher observation, is very useful in determining where students are with their learning and what needs to be done to assist students to be the best they can be.

NAPLAN should not be a cause of stress for students. As a school, we have worked with students to treat these tests as a positive experience. This year all NAPLAN test instruments (except the Year 3 Writing Test) are completed online and students have been well prepared, both in class and through organised online practice sessions, for this test format.

I congratulate all the students and staff for their good work throughout the NAPLAN testing.

God Bless