Principal's Report

Dear Families,

This week we have been providing our Year 10 and Yr 11 students with end of year exam practice. The purpose of these exams is twofold – to assess the students at the end of their semester unit and to provide them with exam techniques and skills to prepare them for future high stakes exams.

By all reports the students have embraced the opportunity and have applied themselves well. 

Next week we begin a Headstart program for the 2023 Year 11 and 12s. This is an important week for the students to get an appreciation of what their VCE units involve and to get a ‘headstart’ on the 2023 studies. I ask all parents to support the College’s focus on lifting academic rigour, which will continue to be a focus in 2023. We will be promoting a new Home Study policy in 2023 which provides families with clear expectations of what level of study is required at all levels. I understand the summer break is a great opportunity for students to pick up extra work at their part time jobs, however I ask parents to consider their son’s / daughter’s part time work demands in 2023 and the impact that could be having on their studies.

As mentioned in the prayer above, on Tuesday 22 November, we will be celebrating our Year 12 Class of 2022 Graduation evening. This begins with a Liturgy at SMJ Church beginning at 5:30pm and is followed by a Dinner at the Golf Club at 7pm. All members of our community are welcome to attend the Liturgy to farewell our graduates.

Today I added to the newsletter the School Community Report that informs our community of the outcome of the School Improvement Process we have undertaken over the last two years. The improvement process allows us to generate a Strategic Plan that will guide our direction for the next five years. This was a detailed process seeking feedback from staff, students and parents before being validated by an external team, I ask that you spend a couple of minutes reading this report.

As part of our end of year celebrations we will be holding a whole school Liturgy with Fr Matt Restall  and our final Awards Assembly on 1 December at 2pm. We invite all parents and family members to attend as a fitting recognition of the excellent efforts many of our students have made this semester. 

MARGARET SIMONDS BURSARIES 

These bursaries honour the memory of Margaret Simonds and we give recognition to her visionary work in the adult educational field. The late Margaret Simonds was

the founder of On Track Learning in the late 1980s and she established a network of local literacy coordinators around the region to provide volunteer tutors to students. Margaret possessed the following qualities and attributes: Faith, Leadership, Innovation, Inner strength, Vision, Perseverance, Communication, Lateral thinking, Humour and Enterprise.

The recipients of these bursaries will possess and demonstrate these attributes and qualities. Margaret Simonds bursaries cover tuition fees to the value of $1000

for students enrolled at St Brigid’s for the 2023 year.

These bursaries are available to any currently enrolled student from Year 7 through to Year 11 in 2022 except those students who have received these bursaries within the last three years. Application forms can be obtained from either the Front Office or on our website and must be returned by Fri 25th November. Late applications will not be accepted.

2023 Victorian Curriculum F-10 Reference Panel

 We are pleased to advise that Jillian Wright, Leader of Learning and Teaching at St Brigid’s College has been appointed by Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) as a member of the 2023 Victorian Curriculum F-10 curriculum panels.

 The latest version of the Australian Curriculum was approved by Australian Education Ministers in April 2022 and includes revisions to all 8 curriculum areas, the general capabilities and 3 cross-curriculum priorities. The F–10 Curriculum Area Reference Panels help ‘adopt and adapt’ the revised Australian Curriculum into the next generation of the Victorian Curriculum F–10.

The panels consider recent research in curriculum discipline areas and reflect on the current Victorian Curriculum F-10 and Australian Curriculum Version 9.0. The input from practicing teachers and discipline experts from each curriculum area is essential to this process. Panels consist of 10 to 12 members from schools, universities, training, industry and business sectors and are appointed based on their expertise and capacity to contribute to the review process. The work of these panels will take place from November 2022 to July 2023.

Stay safe,

Gerard Raven

School Community Report

School context

Established in 1919, St Brigid’s College only moved to its current site as a co-educational 7-12 college in 1968 but Brigidine education has a much longer history in Horsham. The celebration of 100 years of Brigidine education in Horsham was postponed because of COVID-19 but July 2022 saw the opportunity for a delayed celebration to take place, for the launch of a centenary book The Spirit of Brigid Alive in Horsham and for an impressive symbolic piece of art to take pride of place in the Board room. 

Challenged by the presence of two other secondary schools in the city and a cap of the number of students at St Michael and John’s primary school, enrolments remain a concern. Currently the college has 218 students. Classes are small but a breadth of subjects are offered including subjects co-offered with other schools in the dioceses and through VVS. The college provides a Catholic education for a broad regional area with many students travelling by bus. Two college commuter buses now provide ready access for students from Murtoa and Nhill. Buildings are excellent are attractive and well maintained. 

Summary of Improvement journey 

The last review identified three priorities: 

•  In order to ensure the day-to-day living of the Vision in the life of the school, shared ownership of a vision will be built that honours our Catholic faith and traditions of the Brigidine charism. 

Key achievements in this priority have been the development of new Vision and Mission statements and college values, the celebration of 100 years of Brigidine education in Horsham, the presence of Brigidine crosses and other iconology through out the college, the introduction of the ReLate program and the development of a revised RE curriculum. 

•  In order to believe in and achieve high levels of learning for all students, we will collaboratively develop and improve teacher efficacy and collective responsibility for all students’ learning outcomes. 

Key achievements in this area have been the development of curriculum to meet the needs of students working remotely, early discernment of students with specific learning needs, Study Slam a voluntary after school tutoring program, PLT meetings, continued work by the Learning and Teaching team and some collaborative teaching teams.

 • In order to ensure sound and effective leadership, we will develop leaders who work collaboratively and respectfully to build a culture of trust. 

Because of changes in leadership, this improvement strategy has been difficult to action successfully and remains a work in progress. It is recommended that to build trust a sense of team and cooperation the college consider engaging external, independent support. Although since the last review, the college Executive / Leadership has been restructured (and has been again for 2023) and there has been a change from Year level and subject coordinators to a Teaching and Learning Team and a Wellbeing Team, there is a need now to action this priority. 

Summary of Focus Group input 

In conducting this review, the panel met and spoke with more than 75 people, including leaders, teachers and non-teachers, students, parents and members of the Advisory Council. These interviews provided many within the college community to have a voice, to add further depth to the reflection document and data that the college had provided. Feedback from students and St Brigid’s College, Horsham Page 15 External Review Auguat, 2022 Validation and Planning Report parents, in particular, was very positive. After a number of changes, the Leadership Team and many of the staff are looking forward to a new, clear direction for the future of the college. 

Overarching Achievements from each of the Key Aspects 

Key Aspect 1: 

Celebration of 100 years of Brigidine education in Horsham; new awakenings curriculum implemented; units plans on SIMON; successful, engaging retreat programs. 

Key Aspect 2: 

An active Parent Reference Group is in place, positive response by community to school’s response to facilitating and supporting remote learning, including sending home materials for practical subjects; breadth of communication. ie Facebook, SIMON everywhere app.; strong relationships with local businesses for student pathways, employment and apprenticeships; student visibility in community and community activities; Bright Sparks program. 

Key Aspect 3: 

Handling of the move to remote learning, efficient management of resources resulting in improved facilities, eg eextension of Boardroom; completion of STEAM building., new staff lounge and staff work area, shaded and landscaped seating area for students. 

Key Aspect 4: 

Efficient and effective move to remote learning, establishment of a Teaching and Learning Team and a Wellbeing Team, pathways support for students, strong support for students with particular learning needs. 

Key Aspect 5: 

Small class sizes, TAs and vertical homerooms encourage relationships; reputation of a ‘caring school’; Wellbeing Team and onsite psychologist; pastoral care lessons. 

Key Priorities 

As an outcome of this review process, three priorities were named: These priorities are: 

1.  Foster a positive collegial culture, informed by our Vision and values. 

2.  Create a shared understanding of what wellbeing looks like for the St Brigid’s community. 

3.  Develop and implement a shared vision for learning and teaching that empowers, engages and inspires growth. 

The panel would like to express their appreciation of the organization that enabled these interviews to happen and the hospitality extended to them by the college. They would also like to thank all the participants for the honesty and openness with which they approached the process. The information gained from these interviews, together with the preparation of all the relevant documentation by the college, provided insights which enabled the group to endorse the college’s plan for the future.