iServi News | 6 March 2020 | Term 1, Week 5
Communication
Quality communication is a cornerstone of a rich and inclusive community. At Servite we have always strongly promoted quality and open communication between home and school.
Open and regular communication allows any areas of concern to be managed quickly. It supports ongoing learning for our students as they progress through their various courses across the years. Effective communication with teachers enables students to deepen their understanding of new concepts, to obtain quality feedback and to effectively explore gaps in their learning.
We have adopted a range of strategies to support open communication between home and the school. One of these is the College learning management system SEQTA Engage which contains student courses and provides direct email connection to teachers. SEQTA Engage also allows families to monitor the academic and pastoral progress of their children 24/7.
Parent/Guardian engagement in student learning has proven to have a significant outcome on overall academic achievement. We therefore always encourage families to be fully involved in the educational lives of their children. You are invited to make contact with our ICT team at helpdesk@servite.wa.edu.au should you ever have any issues accessing in SEQTA Engage.
We are also striving for transparency of student learning through the adoption of various Microsoft O365 tools. Students have access to course information via Teams and OneNote to support learning both in and outside of the classroom and also to facilitate improved communication and collaboration with the teacher and between students. We know that students learn in different ways, and often at different times, so providing fulltime access to quality information helps students to manage their own learning. It promotes self-regulation and metacognition which are core skills for students to develop as they progress through the school and venture out into the wider world.
We encourage families to engage their children in conversations around the learning outcomes for each day which would include viewing the tasks and activities completed.
Of course, face to face contact with teachers allows for deep and personalised conversations around student learning. In facilitating this process, we have a range of parent engagement opportunities including the Meet the Teacher event, Parent Information Evenings, Parent Teacher Interview Evenings and of course the P&F Parent Connect events. In addition, we always invite concerned parents/guardians to make direct contact with Homeroom teachers and Subject Teachers should they ever have any concerns at the progress of their children.
As we approach the middle of Term 1, it is appropriate for students to pause to reflect on the goals that they set at the beginning of the year. This can provide a terrific opportunity for parents/guardians to involve themselves in the conversation in working toward future growth initiatives with their children. In keep with our philosophy of clear lines of communication, we would then encourage connection with teachers and relevant personnel at the College to provide any support necessary.
SEQTA ENGAGE also contains a plethora of important information for parents, including of course the College calendar to help families keep abreast of upcoming information. We encourage you to peruse the information provided on this parent portal.
We look forward to continuing to work with you on the development and growth of your children and invite you to regularly access the various communication opportunities present at the College aimed at facilitating this process.
Servite Community Festival
We are looking forward to our Servite Community Festival being held this evening (Friday 6 March, commencing at 5.30pm) at the College.
With the assistance of our P&F and Student Leaders, we have incorporated a range of fun and exciting activities into the evening. All current, past and future students, families and friends are warmly invited to the Festival to gather and celebrate this wonderful College community.
We look forward to your company this evening.
COVID-19
As detailed in our SEQTA communications to all families, Catholic Education Western Australia is acting on advice from health authorities to provide schools with relevant information and updates on COVID-19 coronavirus, available here.
We are committed to the wellbeing of our students and staff and thank you for your continued support in this significant public health matter.
Mr Jeff Allen
Principal