Principal's Message
Dear Parent/Carer
“And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven: there at the right hand of God he took his place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it.”
Mark 16: 15-20
Welcome to Term 2 and I hope that the first few weeks of school have been well enjoyed and our students are coming home eager to share what they have learnt across the school day!
I thank our College community for providing our staff with a Professional Development Day on Monday last week. It was a great opportunity to work with staff across a range of areas. Teachers and Co-Educators looked at Explicit Instruction, The Third Teacher, Literacy and Differentiation. We also took part in a session on Student Wellbeing involving a variety of Pastoral Care initiatives. Our staff were most excited about their learnings across the day and were eager to put many of these into practice. I hope students found value in some of these newly implemented practices.
We have noticed that a few students are wearing incorrect items to school and I would ask families to support us in making sure that the standards of uniform continue to be high across the College community. It would appear that incorrect jewellery and footwear are creeping into the attire of some students. Please take the time to check your child/ren's uniform prior to leaving home - this would be a great support for the College!
Last week at assembly, we spoke at length about the concerning trend associated with Gender Based violence. It appears clear that for this problem to be solved we need to talk about this issue in our homes, at school and in the wider community. Relationships in all forms need a strong foundation of dignity and respect. We need to demonstrate the value of those ‘we journey with’ and how they contribute to our lives. This is done, not by exerting power and control, but through an open and caring dialogue that is safe, reassuring and capacity building. We should talk with people, not about people. We should look at our behaviour rather than being critical of the actions of others. We should always see the gifts within others and seek out the divine within us all. It is hoped that every day our students learn the value of what they experience in the classroom has the potential to improve the lives of all within our community.
This week we welcomed Fr Jim who has replaced Fr James as he takes a well earned break. Fr Jim joined staff at the College for morning tea and we were able to take him on a tour of our excellent facilities. Fr Jim celebrated the feast of Edmund Rice this week and I thank him for sharing this wonderful occasion with us.
I would like to make the College aware that our current school counsellor, Ms Carmel Muddle, is taking some leave and will be returning on reduced hours. Carmel has made a significant impact on the wellbeing of our students during her tenure. She is extremely experienced, tempered, measured and considered in the work she does. Carmel, together with the Pastoral Care Team, has worked effectively and her advice and experience has developed the College's 'best practice' in how we support our students. The College has welcomed Ms Megan James who will be replacing Carmel. Megan is a practitioner with significant experience who is very keen to join our College community and support student wellbeing. We are very fortunate to have Megan join us and I am excited to see how her work will impact our students at St Paul's.
Finally a reminder that Friday 31 May is a PUPIL FREE day. Staff from all the schools across the diocese will be gathering in several locations to celebrate PROCLAIM. The aim of this scheduled Staff Development Day is to reinvigorate staff with purposeful prayer and passionate commitment toward their vocation of accompanying students in choosing the fullness of life in Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit.
Wishing you all a great weekend.
Kind regards
Mr David JOHNS B.Ed., Cert. Gifted Ed., Grad. Cert. Adol. Health and Welfare, M.Ed. (Ed Lead), M.Ed. (Theol)
Principal