From the Principal

Welcome to the new school year!

I welcome all families to the new school year at Saint Ignatius College, and welcome to the first fortnightly College Newsletter. I trust you will find this publication very informative, interesting and helps you feel better connected to College life throughout the year.

After preparing for the beginning of a new school year, my colleagues and I were excited and pleased to welcome our students back to school. This week 1,387 students, including 250 new Year 7 students and 14 new students across other year levels, commenced the 2022 academic year. Each year the number of College enrolments increases. Last year’s beginning of year enrolment number was 1,343. We are well planned for this growth and ready for a great new year of learning.

As well as many new students, there are twelve new staff members. Welcome to:

Mr Darcy Bassett - Sport and PE Assistant, AFL Trainee

Mr Dean Bishop - Maintenance Team

Ms Rebecca Evans - Teacher – Food Tech

Mr John Felsovary - Teacher – Digi Tech

Mr Stuart Green - Teacher – PE

Ms Martina Gulino - Teacher – Languages

Ms Robyn Jackson - Teacher – English

Ms Claire Lawrence - Risk and Compliance Manager

Ms Thanh Le-Rodda - Teacher – Maths, Science

Mr Nathan Maultby - Teacher – Vet Building & Construction

Mr Dale Thomson - Teacher – Science, RE

Mr Michael Wilding - Teacher – Music; Bands Co-ordinator

Helping students learn to a higher level

All reports indicate a very good start to the academic year. I recognise parents' effort in preparing their daughter/son to commence the new year on a well organised and positive note. I acknowledge the work my colleagues, teachers and school officers have done to ensure we have begun well. I encourage high expectations for students and affirm the effort they will have put in to set themselves up for a smooth start to the year.

Our 2022 College focus is “helping students learn to a higher level.” This focus aligns with and supports our 2022-2024 School Improvement Plan.

We have high expectations for our students. We expect the school's culture to reflect positive and respectful relationships, proactive student involvement in school life, pride in the College, and students striving to do and be better. All of which promotes and supports student learning.

With the uncertain and challenging times students have experienced over the last couple of years due to the pandemic, we are very conscious of the need to ensure that student routines, habits, organisation and behaviours are re-established as we settle into a new year of school learning. Therefore, to ensure the learning environment is very conducive to students learning at a higher level, we will enforce firm boundaries in regards to:

1. uniform;
2. respectful relationships;
3. punctuality; and
4. positive learning environments.

Further to Deputy Principal (Students) Mr Michael Timms’ recent email to students, the Year Level Coordinators have raised these expectations during this week's online assemblies. They have reinforced what we expect regarding our students’ behaviours and attitudes. Please see Mr Timms’ newsletter article for more details about this.

With these basic standards being adhered to with a minimum of fuss, we can spend the time and energy on what we should be working on, improving student learning.

Student Effective Learning Formation

Our School Improvement Plan identifies key strategies to ‘help students learn at a higher level’. I will highlight one here that we will launch at the start of the school year – “SELF.”

SELF – Student Effective Learning Formation. So that we have a shared vision, language and understanding about what we aim for in forming our students as life-long learners, we have developed and will now implement this new framework. SELF frames our aspirations for the formation of the ‘whole person.’ And in particular, we will use it to engage students better with how they are progressing with their formation as learners.

Staff have commenced ongoing professional learning about SELF. Students will be involved in a number of sessions throughout the term to familiarise themselves with SELF. And there will be information sessions and written information provided for parents. So please keep an eye out for these.

The SELF Framework was developed with school community input. I commend Director of Teacher Development, Mr Joe McLean and Deputy Principal (Teaching & Learning), Ms. Bernadette Donnelly, for their work to lead and manage this initiative which will help students learn to a higher level.

COVID Safe update

The government provided Rapid Antigen Test kits (RATs) arrived on Monday.

Each student was given a box of five during their first Homeroom period. This will be enough for two tests per week for the first fortnight (with one spare.) Then, at the beginning of week three, each student will receive another box of five during Homeroom time, so they have tests for the next two weeks.

If a student tests positive:

If students receive a positive test result at any time, they must report this through the Department of Health system (Rapid antigen tests | Coronavirus Victoria) or via the coronavirus hotline at 1800 675 398.

Students (or their parents) must also report a positive result to our office reception by phone (03 5251 1136) or email (office@ignatius.vic.edu.au). This is so the school can support them, record that they will be absent while in 7-day isolation, and let the rest of the school community know there has been a positive case onsite and that they should monitor for symptoms.

Students who have tested positive for COVID-19, have completed their 7-day isolation period and are subsequently asymptomatic do not need to undertake surveillance testing for 30 days.

I would be grateful if parents would please reinforce with their daughter or son:

• bringing a mask to school each day and wearing it properly indoors;
• staying home if unwell;
• hygienic practices, including handwashing and sanitising, physical distancing, coughing/sneezing into elbow; and
• wearing a mask when travelling to and from school by bus.

If students need to isolate at home, they can access classwork through ‘Announcements’ in our learning management system, ‘Canvas.’

We are looking forward to a rewarding year as we work together to nurture the growth and development of our students.

Best wishes for 2022,

Michael Exton
Principal