Dear Macgregor Community,

Thank you to our staff, students and families for the steady and positive way you continue to move through the term. Classrooms across the school remain settled and focused, with students engaging strongly in their learning as consistent routines continue to be embedded.

Over the past two weeks, teachers have been working closely with students to finalise assessments for Semester 1 reports, which will be emailed home next Friday (Week 9, 19 June). This is an important time in the term as teachers gather evidence of student learning and provide clear feedback on progress and achievement.

Parent-teacher interviews will take place in Week 10. We encourage parents and carers to book a time, either through the Parent Portal or by contacting the front office. These meetings provide a valuable opportunity to discuss your child’s progress and learning in more detail.

Please read on to learn more about what has been happening in and around our school.

Learning News – Five Week Focus (Engagement Norms)

To end Term 2, our school-wide learning focus is Engagement Norms. This work is centred on building consistent classroom routines that ensure all students are actively engaged in their learning.

This focus supports a shift from passive learning to active participation, where students are regularly thinking, responding and contributing throughout lessons.

What this looks like in classrooms

Across the five weeks, teachers are explicitly teaching and reinforcing a set of consistent routines that support engagement:

• Students respond quickly and confidently to attention signals, ensuring lessons begin promptly and with full focus

• Students actively track the speaker or text and participate together during instruction, rather than listening passively

• Students regularly turn and talk to a partner to explain their thinking and build understanding

• Students use tools such as whiteboards to show their thinking, allowing teachers to check understanding in real time

• Students are supported to answer in full sentences, helping to develop deeper thinking and stronger communication

Together, these routines help ensure that all students are involved in learning, not just a few volunteers, and that teachers have a clear understanding of student progress throughout each lesson.

You may hear your child talking about some of these routines at home as they become a normal part of learning across the school.

Looking Ahead – Week 10 (SCIV)

In Week 10, we will continue to monitor our progress as part of our SCIV (Student-Centred Improvement Visit) processes. As part of this, Belconnen’s Executive Education Leader (EEL) will be visiting the school, along with neighbouring principals, to provide feedback on our implementation of these practices and the impact they are having in classrooms.

This is an important opportunity to reflect on our progress and continue strengthening consistency across the school, as we work towards improved outcomes for all students.

Mr Shaddock’s Slightly Amusing Jokes!

Q) What’s blue and smells like red paint?
A) Blue paint.

Q) Why was the teacher wearing sunglasses?
A) Because the class was so bright!

Mr Shaddock’s Logic Puzzles (scroll down to see the answers)

Q1) What gets wetter the more it dries?

Q2) I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I?

Q3) Solve the following term:

   MIND

-----------

  MATTER

Our Year 6 students recently returned from an unforgettable camp experience filled with challenge, teamwork, laughter, and adventure. Throughout the camp, students had countless opportunities to step outside their comfort zones, build resilience, and strengthen friendships.

Students took part in a wide range of exciting activities, including laser tag, archery, rock climbing, high ropes, the flying fox, and a variety of team challenge activities. Many students showed incredible courage as they tackled heights on the high ropes course and pushed themselves to reach new goals on the climbing wall. Others demonstrated excellent teamwork and problem-solving skills during the challenge activities and laser tag sessions.

A highlight of the camp was spending time at the beach, where students enjoyed the outdoors and participated in a range of sand-based activities. The giant inflatable slide proved to be a favourite, providing plenty of excitement, laughter, and memorable moments. Students also took part in water games that encouraged cooperation, communication, and good sportsmanship.

Throughout the camp, our students represented the school with pride. They demonstrated resilience when faced with challenges, encouraged one another to have a go, and showed respect for their peers, staff, and camp leaders. It was wonderful to see students support each other, celebrate successes, and develop confidence in new and unfamiliar situations.

We are incredibly proud of the positive attitude, perseverance, and enthusiasm displayed by all Year 6 students. The camp provided valuable opportunities for students to develop independence, strengthen friendships, and create lasting memories as they prepare for their transition to high school.

A special thank you to our staff and camp organisers for making this fantastic experience possible. We know the memories made at camp will be talked about for years to come!