Principal's Report 

Hello everyone,

Thank you to those who have completed the annual School Satisfaction Survey. Students in Years 7-11 have been given the opportunity to complete the survey in meetings at school. It is difficult to get all Year 12 together at the moment so we will organise several opportunities and access to the link over the next two weeks.

Here is the parent link if you did not get an invitation email: https://www.research.net/r/McCarthyCCPARENT2021

Students have the link in their school gmail if they missed the in-school opportunity.

Please take part if you have not yet had the opportunity. Your responses will assist with ongoing improvement goals. We are planning the 2022 Improvement Plan now and survey results are important to that process. Thanks again in anticipation.

I flagged last Term our need for a Staff Learning Day to consolidate improvement actions for the remainder of Term 4 and into 2022. I understand the reluctance to give up a day of learning after this lockdown, but I am asking you to trust me and the leadership team on this one. We need a day to ensure clarity and coherence of improvement steps and unfortunately our previous professional development day was derailed by the looming lockdown. 

Here is an article that is worth reading for those interested in school improvement. Most experts agree on what is required to improve Australian secondary schools. Strong leadership, high expectations (of staff and students), a calm and welcoming environment and a focus on doing fewer things and on doing them particularly well are necessary conditions. A common instructional framework and stronger teaching teams are the biggest improvement levers to build on this foundation. This is the work we will be focusing on during the Staff Day on Monday October 25.

I recently shared a proposal for reshaping Houses and Mentor Groups to allow for a vertical structure with a coaching and readiness for learning focus. I consider it a highly effective way of improving learning and wellbeing for students by improving capability and coherence of staff team work in the learning, wellbeing and behaviour domains. I hope you are prepared to support it. I will send out an opportunity to respond next week. Again, thank you in anticipation and I know you will understand when I ask that learning and wellbeing outcomes for students, and building capacity of staff to improve conditions for students, be the main criteria for assessing the proposal.

Welcome to Jennifer Jack who has joined McCarthy as a permanent TAS teacher. Jennifer has most recently worked at Calrossy. She is an experienced and skilled teacher and we are happy to see her on the team.

All the best for the coming weeks and Term.

Mr Rod Whelan - Principal