This week I am attending a conference with other Catholic Secondary Principals and Deputy Principals on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This follows an amazing day and evening working with our students and staff and an organisation ‘unOther’ earlier this week. On Tuesday our Year 10 students were blessed with the opportunity to attend their retreat led by unOther, which was followed in the evening of a staff retreat with their team. Why did we choose to work with unOther? In their words – our world is so often framed in terms of Us and Them. This framing is at the root of injustice, because it supports the idea that certain people are in some way, less than me. They are ‘the other’. unOther is about learning to look past the labels that shape ‘Us and Them’. unOther is about learning to explore the world as a connected community where all share an innate dignity. This amazing organisation is led by a team who do not let societal labels of disability limit their world, they immerse others and give another perspective to transform our thinking. We live in an imperfect world and opportunities like this retreat and this conference broaden our knowledge, our experience and challenge ‘norms’. It is a privilege to work in education and part of this privilege is to continue to learn alongside our students so I too can grow in my understanding and create positive connections with others. I look forward to sharing more of my learnings in the future.

Assessment and Reporting

As we reach the middle of our term next week, students are working on their unit assessments. We use the Australian Curriculum to guide our teaching and assessment and offer multiple opportunities for our students to express their learning and progress through both formative and summative assessment. At the conclusion of each semester our College will provide a written report for all students based on their summative assessment from throughout the semester. The Semester 1 report card shows the progress of your child. The purpose of reporting is to improve student learning. It provides an opportunity for parents/legal guardians to engage meaningfully in the learning journey of their child. Academic Achievement is reported in the report card using a 5-point scale from A-E.

Our report cards will also include one Application and Attitude result for each Key Learning Area. This semester we will use a new single result for Application and Attitude using a 5-point scale. This change in scale aligns to the direction from Toowoomba Catholic Schools Teaching and Learning Framework. As staff we are excited about the change to a 5-point scale for Application and Attitude to Learning. We are working together to ensure clarity and consistency of understanding and use of this new scale. Below is an image that shows the new grading language and the scale definitions that best describe a student awarded each grade.

Ignite Conference 2025 

In 2025 on the 25 to the 28 September, Thursday afternoon to Sunday lunchtime, St Laurence’s College Brisbane will host the Ignite Conference 2025. Students and educators can join over 2,500 high schoolers, young adults, leaders, and other educators, at the Ignite Conference for a transformative four-day experience. This event offers real-world formation, faith renewal, and powerful worship, creating a vibrant community of believers. Don't miss this opportunity to deepen your faith and connect with others in a meaningful way. For more information please visit their website National Catholic Conference Brisbane — Ignite Conference 25