From the Dean of College
Mr Jon Cullerton
Parent Webinar - Authentic Connection
Thank you to the over 50 families who tuned into the parent and community webinar on Tuesday March 11, with Resilience Project Founder Hugh van Cuylenburg. The Webinar was on Authentic Connection and practising vulnerability with our families and children. If you missed the Webinar HERE is the link to the recording which will be active until the end of the term. It is definitely worth the watch with some great insights even for people very much aware of the work of Hugh and the Resilience Project.
Parent and Carer Hub
When supporting your children’s mental health, we know the best outcomes happen when we work together and practise.
Head over to our Parent & Carer Hub to learn more about the evidence-based strategies being taught in the classroom, so you can enhance their impact at home. You’ll find activities you can practice to support your family’s wellbeing.
Click here or scan this QR code to learn more about our Parent & Carer Hub.
Attendance
We are thrilled with the positive start to the year in terms of student attendance, with the overall school attendance rate of 94.5%. This is a terrific result and our best start to a schooling year in over 10 years.
Educational research shows that high student attendance equates to high student achievement and engagement. High attendance also correlates with a high sense of belonging and community which is definitely something we are very proud of at our College.
Below are the current attendance statistics for each grade broken down into gender and grade totals for Term 1.
| Group | Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 11 | Year 12 |
| Male | 95.3% | 93.3% | 94.3% | 93.4% |
| Female | 95.5% | 94.4% | 95.1% | 95% |
| Total | 95.4% | 93.8% | 94.7% | 94% |
Below is an additional table which shows the percentage of students in each grade who have an attendance rate over 90% which is the SCS benchmark.
| Group | Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 11 | Year 12 |
| Male | 90.2% | 80.4% | 85.4% | 87.5% |
| Female | 83% | 79.5% | 82.6% | 78.6% |
| Total | 86.4% | 80% | 84% | 82.1% |
Mr Mahoney has challenged the student body to maintain an overall student attendance rate of 95% and part of this is rewarding students with perfect attendance. Each term at a College Assembly we will acknowledge all the students with perfect attendance and, excitingly for the students we have a live chocolate wheel draw for a $30 voucher.
Congratulations to this term’s winner - Marc Edwards of Yr 8.
Respectful communication
A core value we hold paramount at our College is Respect - Respect for oneself, Respect for others and Respect for our community. When communicating with students, parents, families and each other, our staff do their absolute best to treat everyone with courtesy and respect to ensure that our community is a safe and welcoming environment for learning.
In return we ask that parents and carers return that respect when communicating with College staff. All College staff from the Principal, to the teaching staff, administration and support staff deserve to come to work and feel respected, safe and valued. Disrespectful communication or behaviour is unacceptable at any time.
Below is an extract from the SCS Parent Charter about behaviours that are unacceptable from parents and carers -
To ensure the safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and the community, steps must be taken to address unacceptable behaviour from parents and carers, where these occur.
Examples of unacceptable behaviour from parents (in person, by phone, video, or online) include:
- aggressive, rude or threatening language or gestures; swearing; shouting; close physical proximity or violence toward staff, students, or other parents
- inappropriate, derogatory, threatening or discriminatory posts on social media, text groups or online forums about staff, students or other parents
- recording, photographing or videoing staff, students or other parents without consent, or posting or circulating any images or recordings to others
- unreasonable volumes of calls, texts or emails
- vexatious or frivolous complaints
- bullying, harassment, or sexual harassment of staff.
We as a College are proud of our close connection with our parents, carers and the wider community. This connection is what makes our school a great place for our students to learn and grow. We look forward to strengthening this connection founded in trust and respect as our College continues to grow each year.