Head of Primary Mrs Synesios
A new year provides children with the opportunity to reconnect with one another, their teachers and their learning.
When children feel connected, supported and safe, they develop positive relationships. These positive relationships promote high expectations, respect, trust, resilience and achievement. These positive relationships in turn develop positive thoughts, feelings and actions to help children challenge themselves and bounce back from any setback. They provide hope and optimism and assist the children to manage their emotional, mental, spiritual and physical wellbeing.
Student wellbeing is embedded in every lesson and is explicitly taught through the Wellbeing and Orthodoxy programs so that the children have the skills to understand their emotions and those of others, to empathise, to work with integrity, to take ownership and leadership and, to work with and for the good of others. When all these things are working together children develop self – regulation and become Better People and Better Learners.
The teaching staff have been working with the students to identify their strengths, challenges, and areas of opportunity so that students feel confident to engage with their learning wherever they are on their learning journey. Along with the establishment of routines, there has been clear and explicit instruction about what good learning looks like.
As teaching professionals, the staff, are constantly evaluating their own teaching practice to ensure that high impact strategies are used to meet the needs of their class and, of all learners. We have begun work on making formal assessments more informative for parents so that you know how your child is progressing. At the beginning of next term, we will share a few examples with you. We hope to send these to you more regularly moving forward. I thank all the Academic Leaders and Teaching Staff for their commitment to Intellectual Rigour.
With the support of Our Wellbeing Facilitators, Mr Psomas and Ms Sims, the Year 6 leaders have very capably led assemblies and have addressed large gatherings. They have looked at the skills and qualities of good leadership, have reflected on their own character strengths and, have discussed the importance of working as a team. Through the course of the year, they will be looking at Public Speaking and mediation, as well as what their legacy of service to All Saints Grammar will be.
All of Year 6 have embraced their Kindergarten buddies and have made them feel welcome and safe, assisting them with their bags in the morning and meeting with them to play games and share reading. The Kindergarten children have in their own way empowered Year 6 to Stand Well and be the best version of themselves. Years 2 – 5 have nominated representatives from their class to sit on the Student Representative Council (SRC) for Semester One. They have accepted the challenge to represent student voices and be the advocates for the change they want to see in the school.
Along with their teacher facilitators, Miss Arthur, and Miss Whealing, they have accepted the challenge to be the wider student body voice and advocates for the change they want to see.
Our ecowarriors will be looking at waste reduction and sustainability in our school. We thank Miss Isaac for leading this initiative. I have been humbled to witness random acts of kindness both inside and outside the classroom and while the children were on camp. All Saints Grammar, I’m so proud of you!
Thank you to our parents and grandparents for your support and encouragement of the children and the work undertaken in school. We can achieve much when we work together in partnership.
I wish you an enjoyable Easter Break.
Καλό Πάσχα και Καλή Ανάσταση.
Mrs Aristea Synesios
Head of Primary