Welcome to Term 3
It is with great joy that we welcome 26 new Reception students to our Catholic school community this term. Their energy, curiosity, and wonder bring a renewed sense of purpose to our mission of nurturing faith, learning, and belonging. We also extend a warm welcome to all new students, families and staff who have joined our community in the last couple of weeks.
I am delighted to welcome Mrs Melissa Canil, who joins us as Deputy Principal for the remainder of the year. Melissa has already received a warm and generous welcome from students, staff, and families, and we are grateful for the spirit of hospitality that defines our community. Over the next few weeks, we will begin the recruitment process for a Deputy Principal for Benedict campus, and I thank parents and staff for contributing to the consultation process this week.
We also welcomed a number of new staff to our College community. Miss Alana Zubrinich, Miss Lauren Farinola and Ms Connie Hallett-Patterson have joined our teaching team at Benedict, in Reception White, 1 Yellow and Reception Yellow respectively. Our ESO team has welcomed Miss Grace Frick at Bosco and Mrs Courtney McCarthy, Miss Tilly Jacka and Miss Hailey Shephard at Benedict. We also welcome Mrs Rachael Kirchner to the Administration Office at Benedict.
From Sunday to Tuesday, I had the privilege of working alongside my fellow principals and CESA colleagues from the Diocese of Port Pirie at a Forum in the Forest. If a little chilly, Bundaleer was an excellent place to gather and sharpen our focus on Faith, Excellence, and Growth in our Catholic schools. Our shared commitment to equity and excellence was at the heart of our reflections and planning, and at St Mark’s we are committed to deepening our practices to ensure ongoing improvement in learning and wellbeing outcomes for our students.
This term began with a strong focus on professional growth. I would like to congratulate our dedicated staff for their enthusiastic engagement in our recent professional learning session on differentiation, led by Dr Tom Porta. His insights have sparked meaningful conversations and practical strategies that will continue to shape inclusive and responsive teaching across our classrooms.
NAPLAN
This week, individual student reports for NAPLAN have been sent home for students in Year 3, Year 5, Year 7 and Year 9.
The reports indicate the level of proficiency in five domains: Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation, and Numeracy.
Participation in NAPLAN tests remains high, and we are pleased to see a growth in the number of students demonstrating proficiency - Strong and Exceeding. Our work on Numeracy is showing very pleasing outcomes.
NAPLAN results provide one snapshot of achievement and should be considered in the context of attendance, school assessment and teacher feedback. If you have any questions about your child's results, please contact the class or subject teacher for further discussion about how we can work together, at school and at home, to support further growth.
Fr Dennis Handley Cup
Thank you to our students who proudly represented the College in the Fr Dennis Handley Cup this week. This event is more than a competition and a tradition - it’s a celebration of school spirit, teamwork, and pride. While winning is always exciting, it is the courage to participate, the joy of collaboration, and the respect shown on and off the field that truly reflect our values.
On a personal note, I will be taking leave for the next two weeks as I return to the UK unexpectedly for my mother’s funeral. I am deeply grateful for the support, compassion, and prayers extended to me and my family during this time. I extend sincere thanks to Mrs Katie Pole who will be Acting Principal in my absence.
Warm regards,
Dr Sandra Hewson, Principal
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