Principal's Report

Dear Members of the St. Cecilia’s School Community,

As a Catholic school Principal, I strongly believe in the power of collaboration between home and school to create a positive, supportive environment for our students. Building a healthy relationship between home and school is key to ensuring the success and well-being of our students, and I would like to share with you why this is so important from a Catholic perspective.

One of the core principles of Catholicism is the importance of family life. In Catholic teaching, the family is considered the first and foremost educational environment, and the role of parents in a child's education is considered sacred. By fostering a close relationship between home and school, we are able to work together to support our students in their faith development and educational growth.

At our school, we strive to create a community where families feel welcome and valued. This includes regularly communicating with parents and encouraging open and honest dialogue between home and school. When families feel involved and invested in their child's education, they are more likely to support their child and hold them accountable for their academic and behavioral progress.

In addition to supporting students academically, a healthy home and school relationship can also help to promote a strong moral and spiritual foundation. Catholicism places great emphasis on the formation of character, and this is a goal we share with our families. By working together, we can help our students to develop the values of compassion, responsibility, and integrity, and support them as they strive to live their faith in their daily lives.

At St. Cecilia's we believe that a healthy home and school relationship is vital for the success of our students. By working together, we can support our students academically, emotionally, and spiritually, and help them to develop into well-rounded, responsible, and faith-filled young people. I encourage all families to reach out to us and get involved in our school community, and I look forward to a continued partnership as we work together to support our students throughout 2023.

I thank you for the part you play.

Landscape Masterplan

Our Entrance Garden phase of our Masterplan is well underway. We are only a matter of weeks away from completion of this first part of our Landscape Masterplan initiative. Thank you for your continued patience and support as we manage the challenges building works present during school time. We are nearly there and I know it will be worth the wait!

Acknowledgement of Country Plaques

This week our Acknowledgement of Country plaques were installed at the entrance of the school and near the Foundation classrooms. 

Our school leaders from 2022 worked together to write our school Acknowledgement of Country and actions to match the words. We say this Acknowledgement of Country at the start of each school assembly. 

Our school leaders have been asked by the local federal member, Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah MP, to open the Higgins Voice Forum at Lauriston (please see following article).

Please take some time to read the meaningful words at the entrance of our school. 

Voice Forum

Last week I received an invitation from Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah MP (our local Federal MP) regarding an upcoming forum in which we could be involved. 

It is called the Higgins Voice Forum and an invitation for our student leaders was included.

Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah MP informed me that she would be hosting a Higgins Voice Forum on the 23rd of February in conjunction with Minister for Indigenous Australians, Hon. Linda Burney MP, local First Nations leaders, young people, and community members.

This forum will discuss the importance of establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander Voice to Parliament, and is a key opportunity for our community to come

together and do our part to move the nation closer to meaningful reconciliation.

Dr Michelle explains, “It is critical that the young people of Higgins are not only involved in this campaign but lead our community through it. As such, I would like to invite student leaders from your school to attend the event. This could be the Reconciliation Captains, School Captains, Social Justice Captains, or any other relevant student leader.

When I was last at your beautiful school, I also witnessed your students give an

interactive Acknowledgement of Country for a school assembly. It was such a

powerful moment, and I know it would resonate with our community. I would be

delighted if some of your students would be willing to attend the Higgins Voice forum

and do the same.” 

Therfore we have a small group of our senior students presenting our Acknowledgement of Country to commence this forum. This is a wonderful honour and a fantastoic opportunity for our students to be involved. Also this week, our Year 6's worked on a statement to present to the Higgins VOICE TO PARLIAMENT forum. Our school leaders have been invited to write a statement that might be selected and presented at the Forum.

Thank you to our Senior Staff - Louise Jury, Fiona Walsh, Caterina Cerrina and Trish Revere for their guidance and support of this learning. 

Xavier College - new model

As you may know, we have a number of families who elect to leave St. Cecilia's at the conclusion of Year 4 to continue their child's academic journey by attending any one of a few local private schools.

Ms Kathleen Upfold (Director of Connection) at Xavier College, visited me last year to discuss this issue. Xavier has identified the impact exiting students can have on the local Catholic Primary Schools. Ms Upfold informed me that commencing this year, Xavier was shifting their college structures and redefining their campuses. This has now occurred.

I urge all of our current parents that are considering Xavier College as an option for future schooling to speak to Xavier directly and inquire about this new direction. Essentially, they have moved  away from their middle school model and instead now offer P-6 Primary School followed by Year 7-12 Secondary Education. 

Indeed for Xavier to indicate that it will be now possible to secure their main intake in Year 7 instead of Year 5, will allow many students to complete their primary schooling at their parish primary school, with their peers and conclude these important formative years in the place where it began.  

School Disco

Please note that our St Cecilia’s Annual Disco will be held on Friday 31st March in the school hall. 

Times:     4:00pm to 5:00pm (Foundation to Year 2)            

                   5:15pm to 6:30pm (Years 3 to 6)

More info to come...

Mobile Phones and Smart Watches

Mobile phones and electronic devices such as smart watches are a part of modern society and St Cecilia’s Primary school understands that some students will possess mobile phones or smart watches.

Students are discouraged from bringing mobile phones, smart watches or other electronic devices to school, on excursions or school camps.

 Please note the following:

• Use of mobile phones by students during school hours is NOT permitted. Smart watches that have the ability to make or receive calls are NOT permitted to be used by students to make or recieve calls/messages at school.
• Parents are able to contact their children by calling the school phone number 9809 2142. If necessary, students can contact parents from the office phone if urgent.
• Smart phone, smart watch, notification alerts and location must be switched off. Phones and watches are not to be used to call home in an emergency. This is the duty of the school. Phones and watches are not to be used to call home in the event of a mishap at school or because belongings have been forgotten etc. Parents will be informed of any events that have impacted on their child. 
• Phones and watches are not to be used in the classroom, playground or incursion/excursion for any of the following purposes; check text messages, access games, the internet, images, the camera or videos.

Front Cover of Newsletter

Take a close look at the photograph on the front cover of this newsletter.

The blurb on the negative copy indicates - Classroom, Catholic School, Glen Iris, Victoria, 1955, One of approximately 85,000 negatives from the Laurie Richards Collection taken by the Melbourne based Laurie Richards Studio between the 1950s -1970s.

On closer inspection, we have deducted that this is indeed St. Cecilia's, and the classroom in the photo is now a part of the current office block (Mr Mooney's office and Mrs Sutherland's office). We looked carefully at the original and matched the windows and other features knowing that this block used to be classrooms. 

And when zooming in, we discovered to out amazement that the picture above the blackboard (second from the right) is currently hanging on my office wall!

Social Media

Our school social media platforms are continuing to grow this year!  The purpose of these pages is to share with our families and community the great things that are happening at our school.

I encourage you to take a look, and follow if you would like. 

Follow Us on Facebook and Instagram:

Enjoy the rest of the week,

Marty McKenna

Principal

St Cecilia’s School