Dear Members of the St Gregory’s College family,
Term 2 is well and truly off and running! It is a short term, but it is a term that is jammed-packed. Our Years 7-10 students would have received their Exam Timetable, and it would be extremely beneficial for all students to have their study timetable in place. I trust that all mothers in the Junior School, Year 7 and Year 12 have enjoyed their mornings with us this week and we wish all mothers a fantastic day on Sunday.
Marist Schools Improvement Framework Survey
As you are aware from various emails, this year is a pilot year for some of our Marist Schools to participate in a new ‘Marist School Improvement Framework’. This will form a vital component of the College’s new Strategic Plan that will be developed in 2024.
As a part of this process, our students, staff and parents of our community have been asked to complete two surveys that will provide data about these two critical areas of school life. Thanks to all parents who have completed the survey. If you have not, we will need to close this ‘survey window’ on this coming Monday 13 May. All parents and carers have been emailed, but if you cannot access this please contact me at jweekes@stgregs.nsw.edu.au
I would encourage all parents to complete the surveys for the benefit of our community to make St Gregory’s College the best place it can be and to target the areas of need in our new Strategic Plan.
Again, I thank you all for your contributions to this confidential survey.
Successful School Environments
At St Gregory’s College, we are continually looking at what makes our school successful. A large part of this reflection is on where our major focus is, our vision, the strong positive relationships that we form with the students, and the engaged learning community that we are continually pursuing.
In my opinion, successful schools have a clear and purposeful focus on teaching that is responsive to the learning needs of each student. At the end of the day, school needs to be about students! That is what is so wonderful about our goal of building a strong emphasis on differentiation of instruction to allow all boys to access the curriculum.
A successful school will have a strong emphasis on collaborative learning partnerships between parents, teachers and students. A team-based approach to a student’s education is the most effective way to develop successful teacher practice and high levels of student achievement. Our students are extremely lucky to be a part of such a wonderful school environment. One of my goals this year is to continue to be more present in our classroom environments, and as I walk from class to class observing teacher practice, I am so impressed with the quality of teaching that our students are exposed to regularly.
Celebrating Student Success
Nathan Simpson – Year 11
We are blessed at St Greg’s to have so many students that have a wealth of ability and talents in a variety of areas. Nathan Simpson from Year 11 has just returned from Orlando where he proudly represented Australia in the Cheerleading World Championships.
His team was the Junior (14-18yo) Co-ed Team and they were successful in bringing home the gold medal!
Nathan is an amazing athlete and to see the images below of his athleticism is inspiring.
Jack Jones - Year 8
Another one of our star performances of late, has to be Jack Jones in Year 8. Last weekend, Jack came 2nd in Australia in the U14 Boys Javelin event in Adelaide.
What a wonderful achievement from Jack, a fantastic performance and one that he should be extremely proud of!
Silvana Vashisht – Year 2
Only two short years ago. Silvana Vashisht, one of our very own Year 2 students, started skating due to having to use a voucher for a local roller skating rink. Silvana learned very quickly and started to train for Artistic Skating.
Over the past two years, Silvana has competed in the Level 1 Rising Star at the NSW Championships in which she won.
This year, she is preparing for the Level 2 NSW Championships which will be held in September. We wish Silvano all the best as she prepares for this event.
Through the newsletter, I will draw your attention to some of the outstanding efforts, successes and ventures that our students achieve that we love to celebrate. Please email any success to me so we can continue to celebrate with your son or daughter to jweekes@stgregs.nsw.edu.au
Events on the Horizon
Week 3
Monday 13 May
- National Boarding Week kicks off
- May Rosary
Tuesday 14 May
- Years 7-10 Poetry in Action
- Year 12 Geography Excursion
Wednesday 15 May
- Motorcycle Technician Course
Thursday 16 May
- Year 12 Reports Published
- JS Photo Day
Friday 17 May
- Bishop Brian Mascord at St Greg’s
- Public Speaking at Fairfield Patrician Bros
- K-6 Assembly
Saturday 18 May
- ISA Rugby
Week 4
Tuesday 21 May
- Senior School Lunch on the Lawn
Wednesday 22 May
- National Simultaneous Storytime
- Musical Rehearsal
Friday 24 May
- Parent/Teacher Interviews
Saturday 25 May
- Boarders' Family Weekend
Sunday 26 May
- Parent/Teacher Interviews
Have a lovely weekend and we look forward to seeing you all back for Week 3!
As our St Gregory’s College motto states, ‘You will reap what you sow’.
Mr Joel Weekes
Assistant Principal/Head of Senior School