Principal's Report 

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the 2023 school year at McCarthy Catholic College. We are here so that the students in our care experience and continue a successful learning pathway in a safe and calm setting. We will continue to work to improve conditions for faith development, learning and wellbeing so that students have the opportunity to achieve a full year’s worth of growth in these areas in 2023.

We have over 850 students this year, up from 800 in 2022. We welcome 12 new staff (seen below, left to right): Joelle Davey (Teacher), Abby Wakely (Education Assistant),  Tina Poder (Leader of Inclusion), Peter Iuso (Education Assistant, transitioning to Teacher), Jonathan Vencore (Co-leader of TAS), Georgia Mackson (HSIE Teacher), Steph Halpin (Leader of PDHPE), Adam Thompson (Teacher), Sam Tickle (Information Technology Support), James Harrison (Education Assistant), Kelly O’Gorman (Aboriginal Education Assistant) and Jekoya Nash (Aboriginal Education Assistant).

Parents and carer support for school and the work of schools 

1. Maximise student attendance.  Attendance rates in Australian schools declined at the initial appearance of COVID and continue to decline. This trend presents as the biggest risk to students experiencing a successful learning pathway. Student attendance rates are classified in risk categories. In 2022 at McCarthy: 87 students were in the No Risk group with attendance over 97%, 257 students were in the Potential Risk group with attendance over 93%, 338 students were in the At Risk group with attendance over 86%, 110 students were in the High Risk  group with attendance over 76%, 70 students were the Critical Risk group with attendance below 76%.  Ensuring students attend school every day (with the obvious exceptions of illness and similar) is the first step parents and carers take in supporting student learning. Please contact the College if there is a barrier to No Risk attendance for a student in your care.                                                                                                                           
2. Central to a successful learning pathway is a strong school family partnership. Below is a Family School Partnership Agreement that families are asked to sign as a condition of new enrolment. This document is used at enrolment interviews at McCarthy now and will extend across the Diocese soon. It details how positive family school partnerships improve learning pathways for students. It leaves unsaid that a negative partnership increases the chances of an unsuccessful or less than successful educational pathway for students. Please talk up the benefits of learning, the importance of being part of a team and the imperative of seeking support when needed. If you feel that you are not in a positive partnership with the school, and wish to build that partnership, please contact me directly so we can move on this important work. Strong family school partnerships build successful learning pathways and increase life opportunities. Negative views of school at home damage life opportunities. Call me to tour the school and see the care and support offered in calm classroom settings if you suspect you have an outdated view of the nature of schools and learning.                                                                                                                                    

3. Contact the College quickly if you have a concern. This contact is most effective by phone. Complex educational issues are rarely resolved by email and staff will request phone conversations or invite you to a meeting rather than the back and forth of email. Sensible adults, working in partnership, will always be able to improve learning, wellbeing and other desired outcomes for children and young people. Ideally, all families are supportive of their school and able to acknowledge the collective expertise of the staff in supporting productive learning and strong wellbeing support. When things don’t go as well as they could, positive partnerships allow a focus on what we can do to improve outcomes next time a similar set of circumstances arise, or when a similar challenge arises. I encourage you to contact the College quickly and directly if you have a concern. I urge you to be calm and considered, as staff will be with you. This sets an example to young people and reinforces that self-regulation skills, one of the core capacity groups for learning, serve people well when employed in the seeking of positive or improved outcomes.                                                                                                                                                               

4. Be familiar with the Code of Conduct, which applies to all who work or volunteer in Diocesan schools. Please consider holding yourself to a similar standard. The Diocesan  Code of Conduct has been rewritten to better reflect our Student Support Framework, Living Well, Learning Well. There is an emphasis on reducing risks to safety, with child safety as first focus. There is a requirement for professional, courteous behaviour and an identification of inappropriate behaviours that place employment at risk. Staff will be professional and courteous in their interactions with you and I ask that you are courteous in your communications with staff. Staff place their position at risk if they use social media to disparage their school, colleagues or members of the school community, including parents, carers and students. Please hold yourself to the same standards. Sometimes our work to promote responsible and considerate social media use is undermined by inconsiderate adult modelling. Please don’t be this person.

Thank you in anticipation of your support for the College. It increases the number of students who have a successful year of learning, faith development and social-emotional development.

Here are the 126 staff who will work for the children and young people in our care.

All the best

                                                                                                                 Rod Whelan- Principal