Assistant Principal News

Staff at Marian Catholic College have already begun engaging themselves, their peers and students in our College goals for 2020.

“Middle Leaders are the driving force for change in a school. They are the heart that pumps the blood”

On Monday the College Middle Leaders began their exciting learning adventure for 2020, by taking part in a new Leadership Program aimed at building capacity of Staff Middle Leadership.

The program, co-designed by us as Assistant Principals, has been inspired by the work of NESA Lead Teacher and Leader of Enrich Education Nadene Kennedy. The purpose is to encourage leadership reflection and self-awareness, develop clear focus, communication and then help foster skills needed by Leaders to further nurture and build the capacity of their staff teams.

The program for our KLA, Pastoral, Learning and Faith Leaders will continue throughout the year and we look forward to sharing some exciting learning and collaboration from this program.

It has been a big start to 2020 for Year 7. Firstly, we wish to thank Parents and Carers for their support and attendance at the recent Year 7 New Parents Evening. The evening provided parents with a snapshot of the ways that their students will engage with teachers and peers during Homeroom, through their Pastoral Leader Mrs Centofanti, through the care offered from the College Wellbeing Programs, the range of exciting learning initiatives at the College and the strong Faith and Spirituality developed. It was pleasing to see so many Year 7 parents and carers willing to be part of the partnership between School and homelife. We look forward to continue to work with you in the coming six years.

On Monday and Tuesday, Year 7 also took part in the Best Start State Wide Diagnostic Testing. These Reading and Numeracy tests are designed to give the College and their teachers an indication of student prior learning, strengths and areas for improvement. Staff look forward to exploring the results of these tests, in order to make plans to personalise and differentiate for student learning in 2020.

Year 7 will also be celebrating their Community Day together this week. They will get to spend time in their Homerooms playing games, completing challenges and working with their Peer Support leaders. We know they will have a fantastic day and thank their Pastoral Coordinator for her work organising the day.

To further enhance the College environment, our School Police Liaison Officer Senior Constable Alex Davies will be visiting Marian over the coming few months to speak to the different year groups about relevant issues including bullying, Cybersafety and legalities surrounding sexting and the distribution of inappropriate material. At Marian, we are acutely aware of the link between irresponsible use of social media platforms and the mental health of young people. Understanding where they stand with regards to the law, as well as what actions to take when confronted with an unwanted ‘cyber’ situation, should allow students to further develop their resilience.

This ties into our new Mobile Phone policy, that we mentioned in last week's Newsletter. Both staff and students have provided positive feedback regarding the renewed focus on student learning, as a result of the absence of phones in the classroom. Students have been working well with the new policy, we encourage you as their parents, to continue having an open dialogue with your children around mobile phone use.

A reminder to all parents that our Stage 6 (Year 11 and 12) Support Evening will be held from 6pm on Tuesday the 3rd of March. We look forward to seeing you all there with your children to listen to experts discuss strategies, issues and techniques all designed to assist them on their senior schooling journey.

Yours in Learning,

Lora Segrave and Damien Herb

Co Assistant Principals