Principal's Report
Dear Members of the St. Cecilia’s School Community,
Recently, when our staff gathered for our first day back late in January, we participated in a remarkable day of professional development. Occassionally, as I am sure many of you would have experienced, a day of new learning can be pivotal and life giving to not only your work life, but your overall wellbeing and general health also. This was one of those days.
Whilst the day predominantly provided the staff with a fundamental understanding of resilience, the Resilience Model and its importance as a foundation for agility through change, it also allowed us to set goals, identify strengths and deficits and provided processes for us to to check in with one another. This is significant for our students as research states that what makes the greatest difference in a student's achievement is the teacher, accounting for about 30 per cent of the variance in student achievement. (John Hattie).
Our learning, amongst other things, provided insights that all of us can easily apply to our daily lives. One focus was on optimism. "Optimism is learnable and leads to greater happiness and success. Thinking optimistically is supportive of situation agility. First, we must pay attention to thinking, noticing the chatter and underlying beliefs. Look for negative patterns and practice reframing. For example: "I never get a park" becomes "we might get a park today". Simple shifts can create momentum and quick wins. With practice we get more flexible and creative with selecting skillful thinking. It takes time."
Our optimistic hope for our new year at St. Cecilia's for all in our community, is that we continue to build our capacity for meaning, purpose and joy in our lives.
May our young people grow in trust, purpose, integrity, fulfilment and compassion in 2023. May they focus on and celebrate the positive. May they challenge and reframe the negative.
We are truly looking forward to a great year, with tremendous optimism.
Landscape Masterplan
You will have seen our Landscape Masterplan begin to take shape. Our first stage (The Welcome Garden) is approx 4 weeks off completion. This will truly enhance the entrance to our school and provide vast opportunities for our staff and students to enjoy this space. We have dedicated some of our fundraising towards this endeavour, and we will continue to build on this. Our students, parents and staff have been and will continue to be included in discussions together with the school leadership team and our landscape designer.
So what will this look like?
Common themes have emerged about what our community values about the school, what’s important, what’s missing that needs to be added and what’s not working that needs to be addressed. These are reflected in the plan and are the guiding principles for the design of the grounds:
Sustainability – care for our school, care for our environment, light footprint, promoting a respect for the natural environment
Places for all children – a combination of active and passive play spaces which support children of all ages. Sports areas and equipment for kids to be active, and quiet, secluded nooks for when children need space to withdraw.
Creative play – fostering natural creative play, adventure, sensory elements, climbing, building, making, immersion in the natural environment.
A learning landscape – a landscape for the teachers, with spaces which are an extension of the classroom and support the school curriculum.
Connection to nature – opportunity for children to connect to nature through play and build a love of and respect for the natural environment.
Making the most of what we have – spaces that are flexible, can be used to their best potential and for a range of activities.
Food production – vegetable gardens and composting areas and the way they are incorporated into the curriculum and used to each life skills.
Art – art as part of the landscape and school culture, integrated into the landscape and life of the school.
Practical – needs to be workable, able to be maintained, able to be built, able to be afforded.
We have 7 zones that we would like to prioritise over the next few years. Our first zone, circled in red here, is well and truly underway!
Over the coming months (and years) you will hear and see a lot more regarding these future plans and the value that these will bring to our amazing school.
Updates...
This year we will host our student led weekly assemblies on Fridays at 3pm in the hall. (Last year these were held on a Wednesday). Our Year 6 Leaders host these assemblies and present relevant information to the students regarding recent or upcoming events. Students also receive awards for good work, exemplary behaviour and various achievements. Parents are most welcome to attend!
Throughout Term One (commencing this Friday) we will be selling icypoles from the canteen after school. Gold coin donation.
Once a term (also commencing this Friday) we will host a Second hand Uniform sale outside the hall after school at 3:30pm. Gold coin donation for each item purchased. Thanks to Janelle Cowan for coordinating.
Upcoming RE Dates
Our Welcome Back Function & School Mass will take place on Sunday 19th February. This will be hosted by our Foundation Students and their Grade 6 Buddies! All welcome!
Date: Sunday, 19th February
Time: 10:00 am Mass in St Cecilia’s church
After Mass: Fun and games on the SCG playground from 11:00am to 12:30pm
Catering: BBQ sausages available from 11:00am
Where: in the undercroft near the school Hall (tables and chairs available)
It will be a great chance for you all to meet!
Ash Wednesday will take place on Wednesday 22nd February. We will celebrate this liturgical occassion with a whole school mass at 9:15am.
Please note: Our Foundation Students will not be at school on this day, nor will our 5/6 students due to sailing.
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.
School Fees
School Fees in 2023:
1 child $2,860.00 $715 per term
2 children+ $4,300.00 $1075 per term
Capital Levy $200.00
Per family per annum payable in Term 1
Curriculum Levy $850 per child
Per child per annum payable in Term 1
Voluntary Parish Levy $390
Enjoy the rest of the week,
Welcome back,
Marty McKenna
Principal
St Cecilia’s School