Principal News
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Nearly 10 years ago, I purchased a book entitled ‘The Courage to Teach’ which was written by an American educator, Parker J Palmer. It was first written late in the 1990s and it was a 10th anniversary edition that I had bought. It is a book that has influenced many teachers over many years in many countries. For a long time, it has been the foundation of teacher professional development in innumerable workshops and courses. In my view, one of the reasons for its longevity is how Palmer so clearly articulates the place of the heart in the work of good teachers.
‘Good teaching cannot be reduced to technique but is rooted in the identity and integrity of the teacher. Good teaching takes myriad forms but good teachers share one trait: they are authentically present in the classroom, deeply connected with their students and their subject. These connections are held in the teacher’s heart - the place where intellect, emotion, and spirit converge in the human self.’
I share these thoughts with you as we celebrated and acknowledged World Teachers Day last Friday on 29th October.
At St Saviour’s Primary School, we are fortunate to have access to extensive resources that is unmatched for its openness and space. While these are important, they are not as important as the teachers who bring the hearts and minds of our learners alive. It is their professional skill and expertise as well as their care, passion and compassion that helps to make the school what it is. They are the good teachers that Palmer describes.
It is reassuring to know that our teachers are appreciated by our community and this has been clearly evidenced in recent years.
Thank you to the Parents and Friends (FACE) for providing morning tea on behalf of all parents. It was well received by our staff.
In the 2021RADII survey a bi-annual school survey, the quality of our teachers was identified as one of the leading reasons why our parents choose to send their children to St Saviour’s Primary School.
Through the survey, students indicate that they feel very supported by their teachers in their learning experiences. They describe their teachers as relational, helpful and encouraging. Students appreciate the commitment of teachers and value their subject and curriculum knowledge. Students indicate that they are inspired by their lessons because they are appropriately challenging …
Further to this feedback, in the past week, I received a very affirming letter from one of our parents in which they commented:
I also want to take the opportunity to thank you and each and every member of the St Saviour’s Primary teaching community for the excellence in education they have provided for our two children who have completed their education at St Saviour’s … and continue to provide for our youngest son … For all our children the teachers have instilled a love of learning and a will to strive for excellence and fair play in whatever they choose to do.
Finally, in acknowledging teachers at St Saviour’s Primary School it is appropriate to celebrate the work of all teachers. By and large teachers are selfless individuals who do not seek attention for the good work that they do. So WTD is an opportunity to shine a light on the contribution that they make in the lives of the young people that they teach. This is articulated in this Video message from the Executive Director of the Queensland Catholic Education Commission Dr Leanne Perry.
YEAR 6 LEADERSHIP 2022
In the few short weeks left of this term, that follows the energetic exit of the current Year 6 class as they complete their primary years here at SSPS, there is still much to focus on for our younger learners. For our current Year 5 learners, there continues to be mixed emotions of excitement and their own anticipation of the slow transition into their final year as school leaders. I was most impressed with the fourteen students who prepared their expression of interest to be the school and or vice-captain for 2022 to the Leadership Team. I look forward to hearing alongside parents and students of Year 4, 5 and 6 their speeches and the voting process in Week 7 of this term.
Our current Year 5s in many ways step up to leadership that is evident academically in the classroom and in more subtle ways like the transition into the playground as leaders. Wishing all our Year 5 leaders the best in the coming weeks as they begin their leadership journey.
Next week our Year 6 students are lucky enough to be going to the Gold Coast for their camp. This is a time for our students to celebrate their Primary school years as a cohort and perhaps learn a little more about themselves by experiencing some challenging and team building activities. We hope they all have a wonderful time and look out for each other whilst they are away. Thank you to the staff who will accompany them and generously give their time and energy in looking after the students.
ADMINISTRATION RELOCATION:
The relocation of the school administration, staff facilities, learning support room and Year 1W classroom has begun this week. All of these areas need to be relocated by next Thursday 11th November.
Administration will operate from the school library from Wednesday 10th November.
Year 1W will relocate to the classroom at the bottom of the stairs leading to the ‘old’ tuckshop by Thursday 11th November.
Library will be closed from Friday 5th November to students.
Learning Support team will continue to provide support to the students in their classrooms.
Staff will be utilising the St Saviour’s College facilities for the remainder of the year.
Thank you for your patience during this time. We welcome any offer of assistance in helping with the relocation/move. Please let the school office know if you are able to assist in anyway.
Have a great week everyone.
Regards
Madonna Sleba