Issue 12, 28 July 2023

Welcome back to school for Term 3. I trust our students and families enjoyed the term break. I particularly welcome our newest Reception students who started their schooling journey with us on Tuesday. I often say that we don’t enrol students per se, but we enrol families. Therefore, I also extend a warm welcome to all our new families who join our school community for the first time. I wish all our students and families all the best for the term ahead.  

On Monday staff engaged in professional learning. Specifically, we engaged in learning around mathematics as this will be a particular focus for our school going forward.  Staff also took a deep dive in to student data to analyse individual student growth and look for patterns of achievement across year levels, cohorts and the wider school. These types of days play an important role in ensuring that staff have the opportunity to reflect on their practice, learn new knowledge and skills and plan for effective teaching and learning for all students.  

The results of the Stage 2 Research Project were released on Tuesday and I am pleased to share the achievements of our Year 12 students. Firstly, every student successfully completed their Stage 2 Research Project achieving a 'C' grade or better. Furthermore, an impressive 43% of our students achieved an ‘A’ for this compulsory Stage 2 subject. These results reflect our student’s deep commitment to learning and the sound support provided by teachers and ESOs to achieve such a high standard.  

A new semester will generally bring about some staffing changes. We welcome Mr Steve Kuerschner and Mrs Tiffany Brown back from stints of long service leave. We hope their time away allowed them the opportunity to enjoy the things important to them and return to school refreshed and energised.  

It is important to remember that teachers and ESOs have the same leave entitlements as employees in other industries as per the Fair Work Act. Therefore, from time-to-time staff will be away from school for any number of reasons including sick leave, personal leave, long service leave and maternity/parenting leave. Furthermore, we also support our staff in continuously upskilling by engaging in professional learning. While all this occurs, we prioritise the continuity of learning for students by ensuring that as many things as possible remain consistent and familiar.    

This week we welcomed 13 pre-service teaching students from Adelaide University who will be with us for two weeks. They have been provided with a mentor and will spend time in classrooms observing the high-quality teaching and learning provided by our teachers. This opportunity supports them to gain valuable experience in a school setting as they continue to complete their university studies before entering the workforce in a couple of years. 

We are pleased to inform you that the results of the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) have been released. These will be sent home tod parents/caregivers with children in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 today.  

NAPLAN is a nationwide assessment conducted annually for students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9. It evaluates students' skills in key areas of literacy and numeracy, providing valuable information about their strengths and areas for improvement. This assessment allows us to identify trends, tailor our teaching approaches, and support each student's individual needs effectively. 

At Caritas College, we strive to develop thriving individuals, capable learners, and leaders for the world God desires. We achieve this through a holistic education that encompasses academic achievements, personal growth, social skills, and a lifelong love of learning. Recognising that while NAPLAN is an important assessment, it is just one of the many tools we use to evaluate your child's progress. 

At Caritas College, child protection is our highest priority. Creating a safe environment for children and young people is paramount and is central to our schoolwide policies and procedures. Our staff are committed to protecting the young people in our care. Below are some of the measures that are in place at our College to ensure the safety and protection of your child: 

• All staff and regular volunteers have current police checks.  
• We teach our students age-appropriate strategies to keep themselves safe through South Australia’s Keeping Safe Child Protection Curriculum. 
• All staff complete mandatory training including ‘Responding to Abuse and Neglect’ (7 hours) and regular refresher child protection training every 3 years, as legislatively required. 
• We promote strategies to minimise bullying and help students stay safe online. 

For more information about how we care for the wellbeing and protection of children and young people, please click on the following link - Safe Environments for All | Catholic Education South Australia. If you ever have any safety concerns about your child at Caritas College, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

You are invited to participate in a short (3 to 5 minute) survey about our school’s performance. Similar surveys will be administered to staff and students to enable us to capture a community snapshot. All responses are confidential and will be used for school improvement purposes. Completion of the survey is on a voluntary basis.  

Your confidentiality
To protect your confidentiality all surveys are anonymous. All answers go directly to National School Improvement Partnerships, where the results are analysed for your school. Answers from individual surveys will NOT be reported back to the school. National School Improvement Partnerships staff are bound by a Code of Ethics and follow strict professional conduct. To protect your anonymity, we do not report scores for groups of less than four parents or caregivers.  

Use of the data 
National School Improvement Partnerships will report the results to the school in an aggregated format. To enable drilldown reporting, the information provided to the school will contain data based on background information. This anonymous data will be provided to CESA for reporting and consideration of support for schools.  

How to complete the survey

To respond to the LLL Parent and Caregiver Survey at Caritas College, Port Augusta in 2023 click here and enter the code ‘LLLCCP’ in the ‘Start Questionnaire’ field.  Alternatively, you can scan the QR Code and enter the code ‘LLLCCP’ in the ‘Start Questionnaire’ field.  For each statement, you are asked to rate how well you think the school is performing by selecting one of six responses. The responses are numbered 1 to 6, with number 1 being the lowest or worst rating and number 6 being the highest or best rating.   If you have more than one child at the school, and your perceptions differ for each child, please respond with respect to your perceptions related to the oldest child enrolled at the school.   There are no 'right' or 'wrong' answers. Your opinion is what is wanted.   Please answer all questions.   Some statements may be fairly similar to other statements. Don't worry about this. Simply give your opinion about all statements. To get started, use the QR code (located at the top of the page) or click here and enter the access code provided above.   If you require more information or have any feedback, please contact LLL@NSIPartnerships.com.au.  Your time and consideration are appreciated.

Towards the end of last term, it was reported to the school that some students were presenting to board the bus without money to buy a ticket. Students and parents/caregivers are reminded that this a fee-paying service and to ensure that students purchase a ticket before they board the bus as IOUs can’t be accepted.  

Today families received a letter (via SMS) with details relating to our Community Night which will be held on Thursday 10th August (Week 3). Families are encouraged to join students across R-12 for this special school celebration. The Community Fun Night aims to: 

• celebrate the diversity of our school community and broader Port Augusta community; 
• enable students, alongside their families, to participate in a range of fun, interactive activities being facilitated by students across all learning areas; and 
• build our sense of community at Caritas College, strengthening partnerships between staff, students and families.   

The activities and performances will run between 5.00pm – 7.30pm. Families and students are welcome to attend for some, or all, of this time. Families may purchase food and drinks that will be available during the evening. All activities provided free of charge. 

Caritas College offers several scholarships to students (new and existing) to affirm our commitment to Mary MacKillop’s legacy of ensuring that a Catholic education is accessible to all children and young people in our community. Our scholarship program complements Catholic Education SA's Living Learning Leading Framework ensuring our students develop the knowledge, skills to become 'thriving people, capable learners, leaders for the world God desires.' 

Applications for 2024 Scholarships are OPEN and Close 1 September 2023. For more information and details on how to apply, please visit our website.

DHS is looking to provide a Youth Outreach Program to the community.  At this stage, the Port Augusta Supporting Youth Collective (SYC) has developed a survey to gather feedback from the local community (especially families and young people), to understand youth engagement priorities that can be embedded in the SYC direction and strategy.  If you would like to contribute to the survey, please click here.

As a school community, we will come together in Week 3 to celebrate the feast of our founder, and Australia’s first saint, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. How lucky we are here at Caritas College to be able to walk in Mary’s footsteps as she continues to teach us what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Mary chose to make a difference to the communities in which she, and the Sisters of St Joseph, lived in throughout the 19th century, by educating the poor and working with the marginalised and most vulnerable members of society.  

Classes from R-12 are spending time exploring the story of Mary, her connection to Port Augusta, and thinking about how her life’s journey inspires our Call to Community in 2023. We acknowledge with deep gratitude the Sisters of St Joseph who still continue to provide support from afar to our community 152 years later. 

The families of students receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation on Sunday 13 August are reminded of the preparation session next Wednesday, 2 August at All Saints Catholic Church, beginning at 8:45am. This is an important component of their journey towards receiving the Sacrament and we continue to keep these students, and their families, in our prayers. We look forward to celebrating with them in the coming weeks as they complete the full initiation into the life of the Catholic Church.