Term 2 Week 5

Dear Parents, Carers, Students and Friends of the St Andrew’s College Community,

We are now in Week 5 of Term 2 (in an 11 week term) and I am sure you would agree with me that we are starting to experience the beautiful weather Cairns is renowned for in autumn and winter months. The mornings are crisp and clear and the days are reasonable temperature. We certainly do live in a fantastic part of the world in Cairns! It is a privilege to welcome the students each morning on the path and to see their smiles. I really do feel their smiles reflect their lovely attitudes and their respect for St Andrew’s. I am blessed to be the Principal of this fine College!

Last Sunday our prayers and thought were with all our loving Mums! On behalf of the College I would like to say a big thank you to all to the ‘mums’ in the College who provide so much love, compassion and modelling to the children. I hope Mother’s Day was a time you were spoiled and felt the love of your children and families, but also the constant love of Jesus.

The Month of Mary

The month of May is marked with “alleluias” as we celebrate the Resurrection and live into the Easter joy we proclaim.  May is also marked by the Church in its dedication of the month to Mary.  As we celebrate the Year of Mercy, we reflect on the remarkable role Mary plays in salvation history.  Her “yes” to God’s invitation forever changed the course of history.  Today, Mary offers us three essential pathways for living our faith.

Mary shows us how to listen.  Mary was a young girl living in a culture where she could have been stoned to death for having a child out-of-wedlock.  She knew the cultural and societal consequences of her “yes.”  She knew what could happen if Joseph didn’t understand.  She had reason to fear her parents’ reactions.  When the angel appeared to Mary, we read in scripture how she was deeply troubled.  Somewhere deep within she found the courage, inner strength, and grace to respond with full assent, “Let it be done to me according to your word.”  Mary show us what it means to listen with full intensity to what God is asking, God’s invitations may very well demand everything of us.  Deep pondering, heart-centred attentiveness, and courageous listening are required of us, too.

Mary shows us how God’s word must be shared with others.  When Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, they did not simply exchange a simple greeting, but one of deep faith.  God’s word is meant to be shared.  It cannot be contained within us if we are to be filled with the life it offers.  We must share it with others.  During this Year of Mercy, we are invited to ponder the word of God so that we might share it joyfully with others.

Mary shows us how to live in God’s word.  Mary lived moments of profound joy as well as profound sorrow.  From losing Jesus in the Temple to the journey to Calvary, Mary lived these sorrows and anguished deeply.  Mary formed and raised Jesus from the simplicity of her daily life.  She was a person in conversation with God, with the Word of God, and also with the events through which God spoke to her.  From the Annunciation to Pentecost, Mary appears as someone whose freedom is completely open to God’s will and shows us how to live in God’s word.

In this month of May, may we turn to Mary in our times of joy and sorrow and ask her to continue to show us the way to her Son.  As we strive to grow in faith and live more fully in God’s word, may we, like Mary, bring Christ to others.

NAPLAN

This week our students in Year 3, 5, 7 & 9 are completing their National Literacy and Numeracy Tests (NAPLAN). Every student in these year groups across Australia completes these diagnostic set of tests with the results available to all school late in Term 3. I congratulate our staff and students for the excellent manner in which they prepared for their tests. My sincere thanks to our staff for the care and guidance of the students during the tests and to the parents for their support and constant encouragement of their children. Performance in the NAPLAN Tests is all about ‘doing your very best’ and nothing more. These tests do not define everything our students know and can do. They are tests at a point in time which provide us with great feedback on student performance in literacy and numeracy and allow us to modify our teaching to better assist student learning.

Chief Executive of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, Mr Rob Randall recently wrote, “We need to always keep NAPLAN Tests in context. These tests are taken four times in a student’s schooling life – over three days there are four tests that take about one hour each. NAPLAN tests what students should already know from their everyday learning and there are prizes or repercussions for doing well or not doing so well in the tests.”

A wonderful letter doing the rounds of social media this week to the students sitting the NAPLAN Test this week sums up what NAPLAN really means. This letter is GOLD! Here is an image of the letter to the students:-

Meet the Principal

Over the past four weeks I have been meeting with parents and students as part of my ‘Meet the Principal – Let’s Talk about our College’ initiative. Wow – what has impressed me in 99.9% of the meetings has been the overwhelming satisfaction our parents and students have in our College and how many of them want to praise the great things this College stands for and instils in each member of the community. I have really enjoyed listening to the parents and students talk about their College and to highlight the many great things this College provides and stands for. Similarly I have enjoyed hearing parents and students talk about things that could be improved and will assist the College in moving forward in a very positive manner. Thanks to the parents and students for your input which is greatly appreciated.

Sports Congratulations

Congratulations to all our students who have been trialling for representative sports teams (Barron River; TCN; Peninsula; QLD; etc.) this year. I have signed many permission forms and wish each student every success in your sport. Representation at a higher level brings with it commitment and dedication. Thanks for being great ambassadors for the College. Congratulations to all our students who have represented the College in CISSA sports (Years 10, 11 and 12) over the last two terms! We have a number of teams in line for the semi-finals and hopefully grand finals over the next few weeks. Let’s bring home some trophies St Andrew’s!

Walk Safely to School Day

On Friday 20 May we will be having our annual Walk Safely to School Day. Information has already gone home to parents, along with the invitation for their children to walk to school to promote healthy eating habits, active school travel, road safety education and reduce traffic congestion around the school gates.  On arrival at school all participants will receive a popper and free healthy breakfast snack in K Block. In order for the morning to run smoothly I am seeking assistance from the school community to join us on the walk from Woolworths Redlynch carpark (Meeting outside the Coffee Club at 7:00am for a 7:15am departure) OR assisting by helping organise the food for breakfast in K Block (setting up tables/cutting up fruit, setting up drinks etc).

Catholic Education Week - 2016

Early notification that Catholic Education Week (CEW) – 2016 will be held between Sunday 24 July – Saturday 30 July. The Catholic Education Week - 2016 theme is – ‘Opening Doors in the Year of Mercy.” The College ‘Lunch on the Lawn’ will be held on Monday 25 July – all parents, grandparents, and friends of the College are invited to join the students and staff for a community lunch. Further details will follow later this term.

Student Free Day

An early reminder that Thursday 21 July (Week 2 – Term 3) will be a Student-Free Day (Prep – Year 12) at the College to allow staff to participate in a range of important professional development activities. All our teachers in Prep to Year 7 will be involved in the Diocesan Consistent Teacher Judgement activities on this day. Friday 22 July is the Cairns Show Public Holiday. No supervision will be available for students to attend the College on Friday 22 July. Classers for all students in Prep – Year 12 will re-commence on Monday 25 July at the normal time. 

College Capital Projects

The following 2016 College Capital Projects are being operationalised as follows:-

• Work towards design and completion of Performing Arts Centre (M Block) – Awaiting final DFC approval prior to design consultation / Steering Committee formation – May 2016.
• Middle Years & Senior Years Coordinator Office spaces – Gone to tender – 29 April. Build 2016.
• Prayer Garden – Junior Years – Gone to tender – 29 April. Build 2016.
• Year 4 area / Remembrance Area beautification – Gone to tender – 29 April phase. Build 2016.
• Access Road to the College + Changes to College Drop Off / Pick Up – Construction to commence May 2016 – five month building program
• Shade & shelter for Stop, Drop & Go + Bus Stops – Design phase and costing.
• Removal of Mrs Reed’s house – Removal in June / July holidays – 2016.
• Religious icons and graphics throughout the College – Continuing upgrade
• College Bus – Investigation / costing phase
• Aquatic Centre - Investigation / consultation phase
• Parents’ Place - Investigation / consultation phase – preliminary design completed – 2016 Fete proceeds

Parents are invited to express an interest in being a member of the new M Block Performing Arts Theatre Steering Committee. Over the next four – six months the design phase of the new Theatre will take place in earnest and I am looking for parents willing to work together with our staff to ensure our design is the best it can be, and within our target budget. Please drop me an email by Monday 16 May if you are interested in being part of this significant College project.

 Top 12 Tips for Student Success

This week I share with you the ‘Top 12 Tips for Student Success.’ These really summed up how students can move to becoming more successful. I share them with you below and would love your feedback also:-

1. Successful students persist. They concentrate on the task and work on it until they have completed it successfully. They ask for help when they get stuck.
2. Successful students have self-control. They act thoughtfully.
3. Successful students listen with understanding. They are open to hearing another point of view.
4. Successful students think flexibly. They are able to view a situation from many perspectives and their minds are open to change.
5. Successful students use problem-solving and decision-making skills. They are able to make a plan, monitor their thinking, evaluate their progress and work out new ways to proceed and learn.
6. Successful students strive for accuracy and precision. They know what level they need to reach and are not satisfied with sloppy work.
7. Successful students ask questions. They are curious and seek evidence. They analyse ideas. They use lots of strategies to solve problems.
8. Successful students think and communicate clearly and accurately, both in speech and in writing. They avoid dismissing new ideas.
9. Successful students create, imagine and innovate. They look for different ideas and are able to think of original ideas of their own.
10. Successful students respond with wonderment and awe. They are fascinated with the world around them and are open to discovering new things.
11. Successful students co-operate. They know how to work together with others.
12. Successful students are open to continual learning. They admit when they do not know something and are eager to find out. They are always growing and learning.

 Acknowledgement: Habits of Success by Jenny Edwards and Arthur L Costa, Educational Leadership, April 2012

End of Term 2

A further reminder that all classes conclude on Friday 24 June at 2.40pm for our Prep – Year 12 students. All students are expected to attend classes until the end of Term 2.  We all need to finish each term strongly and work in a sustained fashion until the last period of the final day of term. I request that parents / carers wishing for their son / daughter to finish the term prior to Friday 24 June write to me to in advance to request leave for your child. 

College Communications

We have an active social media community at St Andrew’s and invite all parents and families to join in. Our Facebook and Twitter community is a great way to keep up to date with news and events and of course, during the cyclone season, our social media sites will be used for updates where necessary. Please constantly check the College web calendar (http://www.standrewscc.qld.edu.au/news-events/get-in-touch/calendar/) and College smartphone App (Skoolbag) for updated calendar and events details.

Our new Parent Portal, which is accessed via our website is also a great place to view announcements and keep abreast of all that is happening at St Andrew’s!