Staff News
We are almost at the end of Term 2. It has been a long term and we are all feeling the need for the break. We have had another busy but rewarding term with examinations, assessments, celebrating our students at the Colour Awards Assembly and our spectacular 50 Years Gala Performance Evening last Thursday evening. We wish you all a wonderful winter break and hope that all staff and students have that precious time with family and friends.
Professional Learning and Development
Middle Leaders Program – Leading with Purpose, Direction, and a Strategic Approach.
This week, our Heads of House and our Education Support Managers are involved in a Middle Leaders Program focusing on growing their skills. This program is built around three key leadership themes, blending explicit theory with interactive discussions, self-reflection, and practical coaching conversations.
The key themes for this professional learning are:
- Leading with Clarity, Impact and Influence
- Confident Decision Making and Strategic Communication
- Mastering Time and task Management
These offerings are part of our strategic work in our Leadership Pillar:
3.3 Provide access to targeted professional learning for leaders.
- Leaders are engaged in professional development and learning.
- Targeted professional learning facilitates improved teacher practice.
As professionals working in an educational setting, it is important that we role model life-long learning to our young people and our colleagues. As professionals, the motivation and energy to continue to grow and learn is an integral part of our strategic intent in providing students with the best possible teachers and staff around them to support their own learning journey.
Instructional Model Professional Learning
On Monday, a select group of staff were invited to work with Christopher Thomas from PWRD Leadership to commence work on an Instructional Model for our classrooms. This incorporates the work from Teach Like a Champion which focuses on the techniques that champion teachers use to design, install and maintain systems and routines that students do automatically and with little-to-no teacher prompting.
It also includes the work of Jamie Clark, Head of Professional Growth at Mercedes College in Perth. He has produced a number of resources called “One Pagers” on all aspects of the practice of teaching and being a teacher. This will be a real game-changer not only for our early career teachers, but also those who have been educators for 20+ years – we are never too old to learn!
Staffing and Recruitment
New Staff Welcome
We are pleased to welcome Mr Doug Dixon who will be replacing Ms Hannah Accardi as she commences her leave for the remainder of the year. Mr Dixon has close to 30 year teaching experience and we are very lucky to have his expertise in our community. We warmly welcome Doug!
Staff Spotlight
This is an opportunity for our staff and community to get to know each other by way of asking each staff member to answer a few questions about themselves. I would like to share these with our community as I believe the partnership we have with our parents/guardians/carers is a valued and respected one and I am sure you would like to get to know the staff of your child’s school as a way of building these positive relationships and partnerships.
This month I would like to introduce to you Mrs Rebecca Taylor, Head of House – Sion and Teacher of English and Psychology
Rebecca is an outstanding teacher and leader who commenced with us in Term 2 this year, taking on the very important role of Head of House. She has a real passion for working with young people and for psychology. Being educated in the Catholic system herself, she understands the important values that we work by each day that help support our students to achieve their best.
Where was I born and where did I grow up?
I was born in Berwick and I grew up in Beaconsfield.
What is a unique/interesting part of my childhood?
I was really into dirt bike riding. Also, my husband was a student at Marist-Sion College. Funny enough, he was House Captain of Sion, that I am now HoH to. We met on a school camp. We would perform together; he played guitar and I sung. 14 years later we are still belting a tune.
My favourite food combo is …
Sushi… or Mexican food
What I love most about my career is …
Seeing young people thrive, especially when the odds are stacked against them. I love an underdog.
If I was stranded on a desert island, the 2 people I would want with me are …
My husband and daughter because I am a sucker… and my daughter is still in the cute stage. This answer may change with time.
When I want to unwind and do some self-care I …
Sing in the car or listen to heavy metal music. It is freeing.
I am most inspired by …
My parents. They are great.
Professional Culture and Growth
Family Partnerships
We often circle back to what we value most in our profession and it always comes back to positive relationships and partnerships. We cannot place more importance on building those positive relationships with our students, colleagues and our parents to being pivotal to the success of our students in achieving their best.
We remind all of our families to please keep the lines of communication open with your child/ren’s teachers and to be proactive and respectful when communicating with the school. We are here to support your child achieve their best and we need support from you as well as them to work together and build those important relationships to make that happen. Try and prioritise your child’s education by attending information sessions, subject selection expos, Parent Teacher Student Interviews and other college events as a show of support. It’s only when we are all working together to achieve the same outcome that your child/ren will benefit fully from their education.
Mrs Georgie Beekhof
Deputy Principal – Professional Culture and Growth