From our Principal
Dear Parents, Students and Friends,
Last weekend’s gospel spoke of Jesus the good shepherd, the one who lays down his life for his sheep. It caused me to pause and reflect on the times I have heard the shepherd’s voice and when I have been distracted from that same calling. Voice is a very powerful image, in our own backyard the importance of student voice is becoming increasingly important as we continue to strive to meet students at their point of need, be that academically, pastorally or social-emotionally. Our Student Learning Conversations recently held provide just one avenue where student voice can be heard. In this case specifically on the successes and challenges of their learning journey. I sincerely hope that these conversations were a meaningful connection point for all.
Child Safety
Speaking of student voice, new Child Safe Standards came into force in Victoria on 1 July 2022. The previous standards were revised, and inclusions were made. Student Voice has risen in prominence in the revised standards with a standalone standard, Safe Standard 3 dedicated to children and young people being empowered about their rights and participating in decision making forums that affect them. To comply with Child Safe Standard 3 St. Peter’s College must, at a minimum ensure:
3.1 Children and young people are informed about all of their rights, including to safety, information and participation.
3.2 The importance of friendships is recognised and support from peers is encouraged, to help children and young people feel safe and be less isolated.
3.3 Where relevant to the setting or context, children and young people are offered access to sexual abuse prevention programs and to relevant related information in an age-appropriate way.
3.4 Staff and volunteers are attuned to signs of harm and facilitate child-friendly ways for children and young people to express their views, participate in decision-making and raise their concerns.
3.5 Organisations have strategies in place to develop a culture that facilitates participation and is responsive to the input of children and young people.
3.6 Organisations provide opportunities for children and young people to participate and are responsive to their contributions, thereby strengthening confidence and engagement.
Child Safety has risen in prominence in our recently promulgated Strategic Improvement Plan with our goal to ensure policies and procedures are embedded into practice to ensure a culture of safety is experienced by all young people. Recently we have reviewed our Digital Learning Policy which can be found by accessing the policy section of our College web-site. Click here to gain access.
Dedication of the new St Thomas the Apostle Church – Clyde North
April 23rd, 2023 will long be remembered by the parish of St Thomas the Apostle as many gathered to witness the blessing and dedication of the new Church. In just a very short time a fledging parish born in 2012 has grown into a flourishing faith community. In a beautiful ceremony which began in the grounds of St Peter’s College, its home for 11 years, the parish family of St Thomas the Apostle were able to gather and give thanks for a Church which they can now call their own. St Peter’s College would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Fr Denis and the broader parish community for realising the vision of a new Church and the significant amount of hard work and sacrifice in making their dream a reality.
Educating our young in an everchanging world
Recently I was invited to join a University of Melbourne Graduate School of Education thinktank. In our first meeting educational leaders from across the nation were invited to share what schooling looks like now and suggest where the needs of education moving forward will be. It was a privilege to be present and to engage in what is a critical conversation piece post COVID. In future editions it is my intent to offer up some of my learnings from these conversations mingled with some of my own thoughts. The educational landscape presenting itself now has never been more challenging, yet opportunities abound to re-shape the narrative. In the meantime, I leave you with a taste of the conversation ahead in the form of a recent piece written by Bernard Marr for Forbes magazine:
The world is changing, which means that the way we study and learn in order to thrive in the world has to change, too. For a long time, education has involved us spending a good chunk of our early years sitting in a classroom absorbing information before heading out to put it to use. But the pace of change today means that what we learned one day might be redundant the next. This means that the way we learn has to change – embracing technology and concepts such as life-long learning to ensure that we are better equipped for the fast-changing world of today is only part of the answer.
Enjoy the week ahead.
Mr Chris Black
Principal