Head of Primary P-6

As we approach the final weeks of the term, our hearts and minds begin to turn toward the most sacred time in the Christian calendar – Holy Week and Easter, which we will enter in Week 10. This is a special opportunity for our community to pause, reflect and remember the profound message of hope, sacrifice and renewal at the heart of our faith. In the Gospel of John, we are reminded of Jesus’ words: ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.”‘(John 11:25). As we journey through the coming weeks, we encourage our students to reflect on the meaning of Holy Week –Jesus’ compassion, courage and love, and how these values guide the way we live, learn and care for one another in our community.

On Wednesday 1 April, our Primary students will gather together at 2:20pm on the Del Monte Campus for a Holy Week Liturgy to retell the story of Holy Week. Through prayer, reflection and storytelling, students will journey through the significant events from Palm Sunday to the Resurrection, deepening their understanding of the meaning of Easter.

Student safety

I would like to remind all members of our community about the importance of road safety on Carrington Avenue during drop-off and pick-up times. Recently, staff have observed unsafe behaviour by some families, including failing to follow traffic instructions and ignoring staff requests to move vehicles promptly to ensure a safe, smooth flow of traffic.

I have personally spoken with several families regarding parking in the Kiss and Drop zone and performing U-turns, both of which create dangerous situations. Unfortunately, these behaviours continue and put the safety of our children and community members at risk.

As you know, we are currently without a school crossing supervisor. In the meantime, our staff have taken on additional duties before and after school to support student safety while we wait for the Council to appoint a new crossing supervisor. We have also requested the Council to send rangers to assist with monitoring the area, and several infringement notices were issued last Friday.

I kindly ask all families to follow traffic rules and respect the guidance of staff by ensuring the following:

Do not park in the Kiss and Drop zone during drop-off and pick-up times.
Use the pedestrian crossing when crossing Carrington Avenue.
Do not perform U-turns near the school.
Do not park across or block the driveways of nearby private property.
Follow staff directions and move vehicles promptly to maintain a safe flow of traffic.

The safety of our students is our highest priority, and we thank you for your cooperation in helping keep our community safe.

InitiaLit Parent Workshop

Last week, we were delighted to host an InitiaLit Parent Workshop, which proved to be a highly successful and engaging session, with almost 60 parents in attendance. It was wonderful to see so many families eager to learn more about how we support early literacy development in the Primary years.

During the workshop, our Kindergarten, Year 1 and Reading Recovery team guided parents through the structure of a typical InitiaLit lesson, providing practical insights into how we explicitly teach phonics, phonemic awareness, reading and early writing skills. Parents experienced firsthand the strategies used in the classroom to help students develop a strong foundation in literacy.

The teaching team also shared practical strategies that parents can use at home to support their child’s reading and phonics development, helping to strengthen the connection between classroom learning and home practice.

In addition, parents were provided with an overview of assessment and progress monitoring, explaining how teachers carefully track each child’s development to ensure they are progressing in their reading. Families also gained an understanding of how lessons are differentiated to meet students’ specific needs, providing both targeted support and appropriate challenge so that every learner can thrive.

I thank our teaching team for leading such an informative session and our parents for their enthusiastic participation.

Understanding differentiated learning

From time to time, families ask why their child may not be withdrawn for enrichment, placed in a particular ability group or given different work from their classmates. These are important questions and they reflect something we deeply value as a school: every parent wants their child to be challenged and supported to reach their potential.

At Del Monte and Gioia House, our approach is grounded in a clear belief that every child can learn and every child deserves to be supported and extended at the appropriate level. One of the most effective ways we achieve this is through differentiated instruction.

What differentiation really means?
Differentiation does not mean removing students from class to complete entirely different tasks, nor does it mean permanently placing students into ‘top’, ‘middle’ or ‘bottom’ groups.

Instead, differentiation means that students work towards the same learning goals, but teachers adjust the level of support, complexity and challenge so that each child can succeed and continue to grow.

Students may:

work with different levels of scaffolding or guidance
engage with tasks of varying complexity
demonstrate their learning in different ways
participate in flexible groups that change depending on the skill being taught.

These groups are fluid and responsive, based on ongoing assessment and the learning focus of the lesson.

Challenge and support can exist together
Another important misconception is that if a child needs support in one area, they should not be challenged in another. In reality, students can require support and extension at the same time.

For example:

A student may need additional support with spelling or reading fluency, while demonstrating strong reasoning and problem-solving skills in mathematics.
Another student may excel in creative writing but need explicit support in structuring persuasive arguments.

Through differentiation, teachers ensure that support does not limit challenge and challenge does not remove necessary support.

A focus on developing critical thinking
This year while continuing to build on our strong foundation in literacy and numeracy, we have placed particular emphasis on developing students’ critical thinking. Teachers are explicitly teaching students how to think critically by encouraging them question ideas, seek accuracy and precision, consider multiple perspectives and challenge misconception. Through various learning experiences, students are learning to delve deeper into knowledge rather than simply recall information. This approach strengthens students’ understanding and equips them with the thinking skills needed to navigate complex ideas and real-world problems.

Differentiation in practice
Across Del Monte and Gioia House, teachers implement Quality Differentiated Teaching (QDT) practices to ensure learning is responsive and effective.

These include:

pre-assessment to understand students’ starting points
clear learning intentions and success criteria
explicit instruction and modelling
flexible small-group instruction within the classroom
tiered tasks that vary the level of complexity
ongoing feedback and formative assessment
opportunities for deeper thinking and extension.

These practices allow teachers to adjust instruction in real time, ensuring students receive the appropriate level of challenge and support.

Enrichment and support opportunities

While much differentiation occurs within the classroom, students also have access to a range of enrichment and support opportunities.

For example, students may participate in:

APSMO Maths Olympiad, Explorer, Quest and Challenege Games programs
da Vinci Decathlon Decathlon preparation
mathematics competitions such as the Australian Maths Competition and Kangourou sans Frontières
writing and journalism opportunities such as News in My Neighbourhood, WriteOn
Public Speaking and Debating
ethics and Philosophy Club
coding and VEX Robotics

Harmony Week Tuesday

Harmony Week is a national celebration that promotes belonging, respect and inclusivity, encouraging students to recognise and appreciate the many cultures and traditions that shape Australia.

On Tuesday 17 March, our Primary students joined the wider College community in celebrating Harmony Day, recognising the rich cultural diversity that strengthens our community and the important message that everyone belongs.

Our Prep students were led in the activities by Senior students. All students engaged in creating a vibrant and joyful atmosphere across the campus.

Del Monte Assemblies

A friendly reminder that Del Monte K-4 Assemblies are held fortnightly in Week A on Thursdays at 2:30pm. Families are warmly welcome to attend and do not require a special invitation to join us.

On occasions when your child receives a special award or has a performance role in the assembly, families will be notified in advance.

Our assemblies are a wonderful opportunity to come together as a community, celebrate student achievements and recognise the many ways our students demonstrate a love for learning and for one another. We look forward to welcoming you.

Primary Disco – Friday 20 March

Our much-anticipated Primary Disco is fast approaching, and we are very much looking forward to this much-loved event that brings so much joy and excitement to our students each year. It is always a wonderful opportunity for the children to come together, have fun and enjoy time with their friends in a lively and celebratory atmosphere.

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our P&F for all their hard work in organising this special event for our students.

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students, staff will be present in the hall to supervise students during their allocated disco session times. Parents are kindly asked to collect their child promptly at the end of their scheduled session and to closely supervise them once they leave the hall. Please note that students on the playground must be supervised by their own parents at all times. Thank you for your support in helping us ensure this is a safe and enjoyable event for everyone.

Parents & Friends’ Association

We extend our sincere thanks to the P&F Association for their generosity and continued support of our students. Their recent donation of new lab coats for Gioia House students will be greatly appreciated as students participate in practical Science lessons in the College labs.

Parent helpers 2026

We warmly invite parents to volunteer their time as part of our Parent Helpers Program in 2026. Parent helpers play an important role in supporting classroom learning and strengthening our school community. We are currently seeking volunteers who can assist students with reinforced reading and basic maths review activities under the guidance of our teachers. If you are willing and able to offer some of your time, we would greatly value your support.

All nominees will be invited to attend a short introductory session and will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement and provide a valid Working With Children Check Certificate (WWCC) prior to commencing.

If you would like to be a parent helper at the Primary Campus in 2026, please complete the Google Form.

If you have any questions, please contact Neda via email: n.korman@ssc.nsw.edu.au

Term 1 will conclude on Wednesday 1 April.

We look forward to welcoming Prep to Year 6 students and parents on Monday 20 April for our Parent–Teacher–Student Conferences. These meetings provide a valuable opportunity to reflect on student learning, celebrate progress and set goals for the term ahead. The booking link will be shared with parents in Week 10 of Term 1.

Please note that students will commence Term 2 on Tuesday 21 April. We look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready for another wonderful term of learning.

I wish all our families a blessed and joyful Easter. May this sacred time bring peace, renewal and hope to your homes, and may you enjoy a restful and meaningful break with your loved ones.

Stella Azizian
Head of Primary P-6

Term 2 Co-curricular Program

We look forward to sharing registration details with families next week.

CALENDAR EVENTS

For detailed information about upcoming College events, please refer to the communications sent directly to families via email.

Important dates

Friday 20 March – Primary Cross Country Trials (Years 2-6)
Friday 20 March – P-6 Disco
Monday 23 March – SCS Swimming Championships
Monday 30 March – SCS Touch Football Trials
Wednesday 1 April – CSNSW Mackillop Swimming Championships
Wednesday 1 April – Holy Week Liturgy
Wednesday 1 April – Term 1 concludes
Monday 20 April – Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews
Tuesday 21 April – Term 2 commences
Thursday 23 April – Anzac Day Assembly
Monday 27 April – Anzac Day Public Holiday
Tuesday 28 April – Year 2 HSIE Excursion to Chau Chak Wing Museum
Tuesday 28 April – Year 4 The Rocks Walking Tour Excursion
Wednesday 29 April – Year 3 St Dominic The Adventurer
Friday 1 May – Discovery Tour 9:00am – 11:30am
Tuesday 5 May – DM Mother’s Day Stall
Wednesday 6 May – Year 3 St Dominic The Adventurer
Thursday 7 May – Mother’s Day Mass and Breakfast
Tuesday 12 May – DM SCS Cross Country Championships
Wednesday 13 May – Year 3 St Dominic the Adventurer
Friday 15 May – Career Women’s Network Breakfast
Friday 15 May – Kindergarten Ranger Jamie Incursion
Tuesday 19 May – DM SCS Conference 2 Netball Championships
Wednesday 20 May – Friday 22 May Year 4 OEE
Thursday 21 May – DM Assembly
Tuesday 26 May – DM SCS Conference 2 Football Championships
Wednesday 3 June – Year 4 St Dominic the Adventurer
Thursday 4 June – Friday 5 June Year 3 OEE
Thursday 4 June – DM Assembly
Monday 8 June – King’s Birthday Public Holiday
Wednesday 10 June – Year 4 St Dominic the Adventurer
Thursday 11 June – K-6 Athletics Carnival
Friday 12 June – SCS Mackillop Touch Football Trials
Saturday 13 June – Year 4 St Dominic the Adventurer Award at Tallong
Monday 15 June – DM SCS Conference 2 Football Championships (Round 2)
Wednesday 17 June – SCS Stage 3 Netball Gala Day
Thursday 18 June – Friday 19 June – Year 2: Tallong comes to Del Monte
Thursday 18 June – DM Assembly
Monday 22 June – DM SCS Conference 2 Netball Championships (Round 2)
Tuesday 23 June – Gala Concert Rehearsal Town Hall
Tuesday 23 June – Gala Concert 6:00pm – 8:30pm
Wednesday 24 June – CSNSW Mackillop Cross Country Championships
Thursday 25 June – Dominican Awards Assembly
Friday 26 June – Term 2 concludes