Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

Reports & Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences so far:

This term’s Year 12 Parent, Teacher & Student Conferences required several changes due to the COVID-19 social distancing restrictions and the restrictions on allowing large numbers of parents on site. 

As a result the College adopted a process of allowing parents to gain feedback on their son/daughter's report. The College encouraged parents to engage directly with Year 12 Classroom Teachers through a variety of media, including ZOOM, Q&A emails or scheduled telephone calls. 

Our Learning & Teaching Team would now like to gain some valuable feedback from Year 12 parents as to how effective this process was and to consider any improvements.

I would appreciate any Year 12 parent who can spare a few minutes to fill out the following survey, so the College can collate this information should we need to continue this type of PTS Conference in Term 3.

Year12 Parent Teacher Student Feedback

Assessment changes in Years 7-11 2020

Last week, the College sent a letter home to all parents of students in Years 7-11 regarding assessments for the remainder of the 2020 academic year. Following this, students were addressed at various Year Assemblies by members of the College Executive, so as to explain the move to multiple opportunities to demonstrate learning. I would encourage all families to discuss this and ask questions of relevant staff where needed.  

Returning to lessons:

This newsletter sees a return to face to face teaching for all students since the beginning of Week 5. I would like to remind all students of the need to consolidate their learning whilst undergoing ‘remote learning’ and to now engage with face to face lessons.

The College still has certain restrictions on activities such as no off-site excursions/sporting events, College Assemblies delivered via the PA system, social distancing in thoroughfares and general behaviours that will minimise health risks associated with COVID-19.

Most important to this list of restrictions is that if any student displays signs of illness, they must remain away from school and contact our Administration Staff to record the absence.   

National Reconciliation Week 2020

This week also concludes some significant indigenous events such as National Sorry Day, National Reconciliation Week and Mabo Day from Tuesday 26th May until Wednesday 3rd June. As a College, we seek to educate in the Catholic faith, a school community that recognises this time through class prayer and guiding our students to appreciate the richness of the culture of our nation’s first peoples. 

Classes over the last week have learned through a variety of subjects the importance of reconciliation and the significance of the word ‘sorry’ to ATSI peoples as a means of sympathy, empathy and importance of reconciling our nation’s past. 

Study Skills

Further information on how to ‘manage’ stressful times can be found via our subscription. Year 12 students will workshop this notion during this week’s Super Wednesday and the above may be of parental support post PTS Conferences and in preparation for continued HSC assessments. 

Visit Study Skills Handbook to learn more about how you can make your life easier by being a more effective and efficient learner:

Username: stjohnpaul
Password: 89success

In addition, our subscription to Elevate Education may assist in this area.

This online platform contains resources and useful study tips that all SJPC students will find effective. We encourage them to access this Student Portal and try some of the strategies. Students have the password to this site. The password can also be found on the Curriculum Noticeboard.

James Furey
Assistant Principal
Learning and Teaching