Principal's Update

Dear families,

I hope the Circuit Breaker long weekend initiated by Catholic Education Ballarat has provided your child with the opportunity for a restful mid-term break.

It definitely provided our staff with a well-earned break, particularly as a result of the extra work staff and student absences due to illness has caused.

For our senior students, I hope the time away from scheduled classes has provided them with the opportunity for extra study as they prepare for the high number of assessments taking place between now and the end of the term.

Last week I attended a meeting of all secondary school principals in the Ballarat Diocese. The meeting took place at Monivae College in Hamilton.

Monivae is a school that operates under the governance of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. The concept 'Spirituality of the Heart' has grown out of the vision of the founder of this order, Jules Chevalier.

At the beginning of the meeting we reflected on what 'Spirituality of the Heart' actually means and how it can relate to our lives.

The following excerpt provided me with some clarity around this question:

              A spirituality of the Heart leads us from our own hearts to the pain and suffering of 

              the World in which we live. We are called to be God’s Heart on Earth and to offer

              Ourselves to be used as a source of healing for the wounds of the World. 

On our staff professional learning day this week a number of different activities took place. Our Wellbeing Team led teaching staff through a student management/relationship workshop that aimed to provide expert guidance on the crucial role developing effective relationships with students has on their engagement and behaviour.

Following this session, Mrs Anne McCrickard presented to staff on Aboriginal culture and awareness as an initial introduction to our school developing a Reconciliation Action Plan.

Senior and middle level leaders in the school took part in a leadership development workshop led by Catholic Education Ballarat Senior Psychologist, Mr Allan Hutchinson. The workshop had a focus on individual personal style indicators and how an awareness of our own and others’ pre-determined leadership styles can lead to improved team collaboration and effectiveness.

The afternoon was spent working on teaching and learning priorities including goal setting for students who are funded under the NCCD.

I would like to thank our families for supporting their Year 9, 10 and 11 children with their 2023 subject selections.

This year I took part in the subject selection interviews of current Year 10 students. I found these interviews thoroughly rewarding and was impressed by the amount of discussion and thought our students and their parents/carers had put into decisions about future pathways.

A meeting took place last Friday to analyse all the subject selections and make decisions about which subjects would run in 2023. Any student who has selected a subject that may not run or that might clash with another subject in the timetable will take part in an individual meeting where alternative options are explored.

The subject selection process for Year 7 and 8 students begins this week.

The annual ski trip heads to Mt Hotham on Sunday for the first time in three years. I know staff and students attending this trip are very excited about this event and on behalf of all staff at the school I wish them a safe and enjoyable experience.