Dear Parents, Students and Friends

I hope the recent break provided opportunity for some family time and relaxation. It’s quite unbelievable that we are in the final term of 2024! I hope students feel refreshed and enthusiastic about Term 4 and all that it offers. It’s always an exciting time in the lead up to Christmas and the special events that mark the coming months.

‘Laudato Si’ is the name of Pope Francis' encyclical on caring for our common home — planet earth. The letter is addressed to "every person living on this planet" and calls for a global dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet through our daily actions and decisions. 

Last week, we began Term 4 with whole staff spirituality input. The Spirituality Day was guided by the "Head, Heart, and Hands" framework, inviting staff to engage deeply with their intellect, emotions and actions while being guided by the Holy Spirit. The focus was on exploring Laudato Si', integral ecology and the Catholic Social Teaching of caring for our common home. As part of this journey, the goal is to develop a Laudato Si' Action Plan, providing us with a concrete roadmap to actively care for creation and live out our commitment to stewardship. I thank Mrs Anna Smart for leading our spirituality session and for her preparation. 

STAFFING NEWS

We welcomed Mr and Mrs Ashby back to work last week following long service leave last term. They enjoyed a wonderful time away. I thank Mrs Kym Millikin for her leadership as Maths Coordinator in Mrs Ashby’s absence.

Mr Tim Hodges suffered an Achilles injury last term while playing netball in a staff vs Year 12 match. He is recovering well and is expected back at work in Week 4. I’m sure you will join with me in wishing Mr Hodges a full recovery. Mr Tim Lyttle and Mrs Melanie Price will be supporting Mr Hodges classes while he is off work.

The following teachers will be taking long service leave during Term 4:

• Mrs Belle Barling – Weeks 6, 7 & 8
• Mrs Karen Lyttle – Weeks 7 & 8
• Mrs Miriam Shilling – Week 7
• Mr Stephen Knight – Week 8

CONGRATULATIONS

Following a panel selection process, I would like to congratulate Mrs Erin Blackman on her successful appointment to the permanent position of Leader of Inclusive Education. Mrs Blackman has been acting in the role this year and has been outstanding in her leadership in this position. Congratulations Erin!

ANNUAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN

One of the key priorities this term will be finalising our 2025 Annual Improvement Plan (AIP). Our targets will be informed by data analysed throughout the year, to ensure accuracy and an informed approach moving forward. Our Strategic Plan and feedback from ‘Tell Them From Me’ survey results will also be used to align with Catalyst and college goals.

FAREWELL FR LOI

Fr Loi will be moving on at the end of this year to take up his new role as Parish Priest at Weston Creek, Canberra. While he will be greatly missed, we are very appreciative of the support, care and leadership he has provided throughout his time in the St Bernard’s Parish and at the college. His presence has been a blessing and we wish him all the best in his new parish. We are also pleased to announce that Fr Joshy Kurien has been appointed as the new Parish Priest of St Bernard’s, starting next year. We look forward to welcoming him into our community.

CATALYST

The 8 big ideas of Catalyst were presented to staff last term. The summary below reflects the importance of structured, research-based approaches to teaching and learning. Carroll College is committed to implementing best practice pedagogies.

8 Big Ideas of Catalyst

• School is where we learn biologically secondary information. This is based upon David Geary’s distinction between biologically primary knowledge and biologically secondary knowledge.
• Learning is a change in long-term memory. This is a fundamental tenet of cognitive load theory, the principal theoretical base for the Science of Learning. Cognitive load theory was developed by John Sweller and Paul Kirschner.
• Knowledge matters, it’s what we think with. There is no such thing as generic critical thinking skills. Critical and creative thinking are domain and discipline-specific. The origin of this idea is from the Science of Learning and cognitive science.
• The most efficient way to teach knowledge is to teach explicitly. Explicit teaching is Teacher-led, involves breaking knowledge down into the right size chunks, building on prior knowledge and teaching clearly until a high success rate is achieved by the class. This is a core idea from the Science of Learning and from Rosenshine's Principles of Instruction.
• Reading is essential for students to acquire knowledge. After explicit teaching, reading is a critical and efficient way for students to gain access to the knowledge and vocabulary they require to thrive academically. The origin of this idea is the Science of Reading.
• Curriculum should be ambitious, coherent, sequential and cumulative. We need to be desperately efficient with the time students have in classrooms. This means being purposeful in the planning and teaching of core content and ensuring the curriculum, resources and instructional materials are knowledge-rich.
• High quality, whole-class instruction will help all students. High Impact Teaching Practice, with frequent checks for understanding, present opportunities for teachers to more effectively respond to students requiring additional support, scaffolds or more formal intervention.
• Teaching is a profession that should be informed by the evidence. As teachers, we are professionals who hold ourselves to the evidence and best available research. We should demonstrate how our teaching practice and approach to learning is aligned to the evidence.

EUROBODALLA MAYOR’S WRITING COMPETITION 2024

Congratulations to Maya Birks, Reis Gaspari-Nicholls, Bridie Irving and Kate Patyus who were finalists in this year’s Mayor’s Writing Competition. A fantastic achievement!

PRAYERS
We pray for all members of our community needing our prayers at this time. Mrs Louise Ibbett’s father passed away during the holidays. I extend our heartfelt condolences to Mrs Ibbett and her family. Mrs Ibbett has returned to work this week.

The month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary, one of the best known of all Catholic devotions. October includes the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary and the best way to celebrate the month is to pray the Rosary.

We continue to keep our Year 12 students in our thoughts and prayers as they undertake their HSC exams.

With respect and encouragement to you.

Mrs Jacqueline Heffernan
Principal

‘Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’               (John 8:12)