Principal's Report 

Hello everyone,

Term 3 is off to a great start. Thank you to all who have contributed to this positive beginning. 

After a final two weeks of preparation Year 12 students start Trial HSC Exams next week. We wish them all the best, and thank those at home supporting our students in the final months of their school education. 

I am attaching here an invitation from Henry Buckman to attend a St Nicholas Parish initiative called Alpha, which involves meeting for a meal and discussing a topic for the night about the Christian faith. Henry is a parent of the College and a member of the St Nicholas Parish Council. The first meal and meeting is next Thursday evening in the Rosary Centre at the College. 

I am including in this newsletter Armidale Catholic Schools updated Complaints Policy and an accompanying Guide to Making a Complaint. While we don’t get a lot of complaints (and I don’t necessarily want to encourage them) it is an essential part of an inclusive and safe setting that individuals have a promoted and procedurally clear pathway to express a concern or dissatisfaction. 

I hope you are familiar with the Families as Partners in Catholic School Communities document which is used in enrolment interviews across the Diocese as the framework for family-school partnerships.

Sensible adults, working in partnership, will always be able to improve learning, wellbeing and other desired outcomes for children and young people. Ideally, all families are supportive of their school and able to acknowledge the collective expertise of the staff in supporting productive learning and strong wellbeing support. When things don’t go as well as they could, positive partnerships allow a focus on what we can do to improve outcomes next time a similar set of circumstances arise, or when a similar challenge arises.

A system complaint process ensures that parents, carers and students can progress concerns to the Armidale Catholic Schools Office, with confidence that an established protocol will be followed. Staff have similar access to protective processes to ensure safe workplaces. 

I encourage you to contact the College quickly and directly if you have a concern. I urge you to be calm and considered, even if you don’t necessarily feel that way. This sets an example to young people and reinforces that self-regulation skills, one of the core capacity groups for learning, serve people well when employed in the seeking of positive or improved outcomes. 

Be reassured that the Complaints Process is legitimate and supportive. It is in place to ensure all members of our school community have access to a respectful and courteous process of procedural fairness if they are dissatisfied with something that is happening, or not happening, at the College.

Here is the CSO Guide to Making a Complaint:

Linked below is the CSO Complaints Handling Policy. Again, be reassured that skilled and interested CSO staff will work with you to achieve an outcome. This is a much better path than having a concern or dissatisfaction that is unresolved.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

All the best,

Rod Whelan - Principal