Principal's Report

Dear Parents and Carers,

As this 9 week term comes to an end I would like to thank all in our community who have contributed to so many aspects of St. Cecilia school life. In a term which has been marked by so much absence due to sickness, there has still been remarkable expressions of success experienced by many.  

But more importantly, in between these events, which at times we occassionally measure the success of the school term, there are so many moments in time that can easily pass us by, that really do mean so much more. The essential opportunities for growth are often not seen in the final product. Developing the right mindset early on is crucial for this success. When our students learn putting forth effort and using the right strategies can help them get better at things, they feel empowered, and try harder. 

To watch and listen to our students prepare for that one tricky move prior to the Stomp Concert, to witness the pre race hug and gentle words of advice from the dad before Cross Country heats, the heartfelt content of the written word in the Mother's Day cards, the entrepreneurial performance of the students selling cakes at the cake stall to strangers, the nervous glances as the Foundation students board the bus for the first swimming lesson, the poise of the year 6 student preparing their report for the staff meeting. Not being afraid to fail. These are the moments that matter. No Naplan result can truly capture the maturity, dedication and growth that our students bring to these everyday moments. 

We need to notice these moments and tell our young people how proud we are of what they are doing. Often.

Health Update

As you would be aware, following advice from the Acting Chief Health Officer, the Victorian Government recently announced changes to the pandemic orders.

There will no longer be a mandated vaccination requirement for staff working in mainstream schools. This includes parent helpers. This change will come in from 11.59pm Friday 24 June, so in effect from the start of Term 3 2022. 

With almost 100% of school staff now vaccinated across Victoria, this will cause little change to our school.

As part of the changes, from 11.59pm Friday 24 June 2022, parents and carers who have COVID-19 can transport their non-COVID-19 children via private vehicle to their primary or secondary school when an alternative person is not available to assist. This will include school holiday programs held on school grounds.

This means that parents and carers will be able to leave COVID self-isolation to take their non-COVID-19 child to school or school holiday programs via a private vehicle. 

The parent or carer must travel directly to and from the school only. They must remain in the vehicle at all times, unless it is reasonably necessary to leave the vehicle to walk the child to and from the entrance of the school safely. They must wear a face mask at all times.

Family members are asked to continue reporting positive COVID-19 cases to both the Department of Health and the school.

You must also let the school know if your child is a close contact. Students who are close contacts and want to attend should still take 5 RATs over 7 days and wear a face mask whilst indoors if they are aged 8 years or over.

Students should continue to stay home if they are unwell, even if they test negative on a RAT. Another box of RATs was also sent home today with each student.  

Thank you for your support as we continue to make these adjustments.

Landscape Masterplan

You will have heard us talking about our Landscape Masterplan over recent times. 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? 

When will it start?

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 – need mixes 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, will commence on Monday 7th November (once our School Fair is over). 

Over the coming months you will hear and see a lot more regarding these future plans and the value that these will bring to our amazing school. 

Student Leadership at St. Cecilia's

We would love all families to know more about the Senior Leadership Program we offer at St. Cecilia's.  Our reality (within this school zone) is that some families elect to move across to a private school to continue their child's learning journey in Year 5. We are hoping that with schools such as Xavier now indicating that this will no longer be required in order to secure a place Year 7, that families might continue to consider remaining at St. Cecilia's for the duration of their primary school years, as many families currently already do. 

Providing student leadership opportunities is one of our strengths at St. Cecilia’s Primary School.  

Leadership is about the art of motivating, influencing and directing people so that our students work together to achieve the goals of the team. It’s important for our students to experience leadership opportunities during their schooling, to learn the art of building relationships within teams, defining identities and achieving tasks effectively. It also provides an opportunity to learn to identify and display effective communication and interpersonal skills.

Leadership begins with identifying and understanding our school values. Our values are our fundamental beliefs – those principles we consider to be worthwhile and desirable. 

At St. Cecilia’s, we believe all members of our Year 6  class should be capable of exercising leadership in different contexts. The more leadership is encouraged, the more it flourishes.

At St. Cecilia’s Primary School, we believe that the Year 6 Student Leadership Program should:

• reflect the values of the school;
• involve an element of service to other students, the school, the parish and the wider community;
• incorporate effective preparation of students for their leadership duties and responsibilities;
• have clear target goals for students to implement and achieve;
• be supported by an adult mentor;
• have a component for feedback and review so that it always stays relevant and meets the needs of the current cohort of students.

Commencing next term, we will be profiling our Senior Leadership Program with the help of our current leaders. Who better to explain what they are doing and how they are making a difference. 

For starters, take a look at what has been happenening this week by reading about Shark Tank later in this newsletter.  As part of their ‘Be Compassionate, Choose Justice’ R.E. unit, the Year 5/6 students are learning about creating social enterprises. 

The Stem Centre / Art Studio

We are also getting closer to our new Stem Centre / Art Studio. The plans are being finalised and we are preparing to secure a builder very shortly. We will keep everyone informed with each step.  

Parent Function

What an incredible mid year function we finally got to enjoy on Saturday 4th June. With 136 attendees and a great atmosphere, the night was a huge success. A huge thankyou to Jo Greenham, Sherryn Hogan and their band of helpers. This event had been postponed twice before, so it was a tremendous relief to be able to celebrate together. 

A reminder...

• School will resume for all students on Tuesday 12th July
• Staff will be involved in a Professional Learning Day onsite on Monday 11th July
• Camp Australia will be offering a Holiday Program day on Monday 11th July. If you require this service, you can register at www.campaustralia.com.au and search for St Cecilia’s in Victoria.

For further information ring Camp Australia on 1300 105 343.

Have a great break!

Enjoy the next two weeks with your families and we'll see you all on the 12th July!

Warm regards,

Marty McKenna

Principal