St Therese's Community Collective News

🌿 St Therese’s Community Collective 🌿

Leadership Update

As we begin a new chapter for the St Therese’s Community Collective, we thank Ebony Griffiths (Chairperson) and Sharon Darby (Secretary) for their dedication and leadership over the past three years.

Under their guidance, the Community Collective led highly successful fundraising efforts, culminating in the completion of two new playgrounds for our school. A lasting contribution that will be enjoyed by students for years to come. Their time and generosity have strengthened connection across our school community, and we are truly grateful for their commitment and impact.

We are pleased to welcome Tameika Morgan (Chairperson) and Julie Hansen (Secretary) into their new roles and look forward to the enthusiasm and collaboration they will bring to the year ahead.

We thank Tameika and Julie for stepping forward to support our school community and for their willingness to contribute their time and care to the Community Collective.

To mark this transition, we invited both our outgoing and incoming Office Bearers to share a few reflections.

🌿 Outgoing Office Bearers – Reflections 🌿

Ebony

What encouraged you to take on this role within the Collective?
What has been a highlight of your time on the committee?
What achievement are you most proud of?
What have you enjoyed most about being involved?
What advice would you offer to future Office Bearers or parents considering joining?

I really wanted to find a way to get involved, and when the opportunity to take on the Chair role came up, I was happy to step in. I genuinely enjoyed being able to use my skills to support such a fantastic school community and to work closely with a passionate group of parents, carers and staff. They were integral to the success of the Collective both before and during my time as Chair. Knowing that what we were contributing could have a positive impact on the students and the wider St Ts community made the role incredibly rewarding.

One of the biggest highlights for me was being able to carry through the vision of the previous committee. Our first major milestone was raising the additional funds needed to deliver the junior playground, which felt like a really meaningful achievement. It was important to us that we didn’t lose sight of all the work that had gone into revitalising the P&F following COVID. We had a strong focus on rebuilding community connections and bringing fundraising events back to life. That took a huge commitment from a lot of people, and running our first Colour Run in 2023 was a real turning point. Since then, we’ve been proud to deliver three major projects, including the replacement of the new junior and senior playgrounds and the Lowndes Street landscaping, all of which have had a lasting impact on the school community.

What I’m most proud of is being part of creating a community where people genuinely want to be involved. Seeing parents, carers and staff from across the school step forward, share ideas and contribute has been incredibly rewarding. From the beginning, it was important to our group that we created an inclusive and welcoming environment, one where people felt comfortable getting involved and where the uniqueness of our school community was recognised and celebrated. Knowing that this sense of connection and engagement will continue beyond my time in the role is something I’m really proud of.

The thing I’ve enjoyed the most has definitely been the people. Working alongside such a fun, generous and committed group of parents, carers and staff has been the absolute highlight. There’s been a real sense of shared purpose and support, which made the experience incredibly special, and made all those late‑night planning meetings in the lead‑up to events completely worth it.

So much of this work goes unseen from the outside. Behind the scenes, volunteers are often juggling work and family responsibilities, then jumping on late‑night meetings to carefully plan and organise every action and task needed to bring events to life. In the lead‑up to major events, people are often clocking 14‑hour days to get things across the line.

So, if you ever get the chance, and you know someone who’s been involved in helping out with Collective events, shout them a coffee at the Friendly Brew, they’ve more than earned it!

Just give it a go. You don't need to know everything or have unlimited time, all that matters is a willingness to help and be part of the community. Every contribution, no matter how big or small makes a difference. You are supported by a great group of people, you will meet new people, and it's such an incredibly rewarding collective to be a part of. Start small, volunteer to help out at an event, buy a raffle ticket, or come along to our Trivia night, bake a casserole for our casserole bank, donate to our pastoral care program, everything helps!

Sharon

What encouraged you to take on this role within the Collective?
What has been a highlight of your time on the committee?
What achievement are you most proud of?
What have you enjoyed most about being involved?
What advice would you offer to future Office Bearers or parents considering joining?

It started over a wine! After hearing the plans for a colour run, & a fete to fundraise for a new junior playground, I wanted to be a part of it.

Showing our girls the importance of being involved in community & seeing the smiles on their faces when they saw me around the school.

Definitely the fundraising efforts to plan, design & install two new playgrounds!

Meeting new families (including St T’s staff) & making great friends!

Things don’t just happen - it takes a village to plan, organise, fundraise & deliver (plus lots of laughs)! and your school, community and family will appreciate it!

🌟 Incoming Office Bearers – Introductions 🌟

Tameika

What inspired you to put your hand up for this role?
What are you most looking forward to this year?
What strengths or experience do you hope to bring?
Are there any ideas you’re excited to explore?
What message would you like to share with families about being involved?

I was approached by a few members of our community and asked if I would consider taking on the role. While this is something completely new for me, I saw it as a wonderful opportunity to get more involved. I’ve watched Eb and her amazing community achieve incredible things over the past few years, and I would love to be part of continuing that great work.

I’m really looking forward to meeting lots of new people and hopefully welcoming some new faces into our Community Collective. Building connections and strengthening our school community is something I’m excited to be part of.

I pride myself on demonstrating strong leadership, organisational skills and clear communication. I’m hopeful these strengths will help support the group and contribute positively to what we achieve together. I am also a super social person and love all types of gatherings and events.

Absolutely! We’re looking at getting a movie night off the ground this year, which would be fantastic if we can make it happen. I know the kids would love it- and I think the adults might too!

It’s such a great group to be part of. There’s no pressure to attend every meeting or event and every idea, contribution and helping hand makes a difference. It’s also one of the best ways to meet new faces and build meaningful connections within our school community.

Julie

What inspired you to put your hand up for this role?
What are you most looking forward to this year?
What strengths or experience do you hope to bring?
Are there any ideas you’re excited to explore?
What message would you like to share with families about being involved?

St Therese’s has such a strong sense of community, and I wanted to play a more

active part in supporting and strengthening that connection between families, staff

and students. As a parent, I’ve really appreciated the welcoming nature of the

school, and I think it’s important to show my child that it takes a community of

dedicated staff and volunteers to make the wonderful things happen at St Therese’s.

Being involved in Community Connect felt like a meaningful way to give back, while

also setting a positive example about the value of contribution and community.

I’m most looking forward to connecting with more families and being involved in

events that bring students, staff and families together, while also helping to support

the school and contribute to achieving some of the students’ goals.

I enjoy working collaboratively, sharing ideas, and supporting others to feel

comfortable getting involved. I’m also keen to listen to different perspectives and

ideas help ensure Community Collective activities reflect the needs and interests of

our school families.

I’m excited to explore initiatives that help our community and our families feel

connected, particularly those new to the school. Anything that helps strengthen

relationships and create a sense of belonging is something I’m keen to support.

I have found in my short time at St Therese’s that being involved in Community

Connect is a wonderful way to connect with other parents and families, while

contributing to the life of the school, no matter how big or small your involvement

might be. It’s a friendly, supportive group, and every bit of help makes a difference.

Getting involved is not only rewarding, but also a great way to feel more connected

to the St Therese’s community.

🌼 Join the Collective 🌼

St Therese’s Community Collective welcomes all parents and carers. Meetings are held once per term, either in the Staffroom or online via Teams, making it easy to be involved in a way that suits you. Please keep an eye on upcoming newsletters for future meeting dates.

We look forward to continuing to build a strong and connected school community together.

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