Principal's Update

Dear Families,

I take my inspiration this week from the Horizons of Hope Foundation Statement for Families where there is the most perfect description of the role of families in catholic school communities.  I also take inspiration from our recent family engagement afternoon - The Prep family meet and greet celebrated last Thursday where we saw this partnership between home and school fully flourishing. 

The foundation statement is a beautiful document and is one of the key entitlements of all learners in catholic school. It tells us:

"The three major contexts in which children learn are the family, the school and the community. Families are the first educators of their children. From the moment of welcoming a new life into the family, parents take on the serious responsibility of raising, nurturing and educating their child. This duty extends to every aspect of the development of the human person. When the child moves beyond the earliest years, families are joined by a school on their child’s learning journey. This is when a long-term partnership between home and school begins. 

In choosing a Catholic school, parents enter a partnership with the school in which there is shared privilege and responsibility for the child’s faith formation, learning and wellbeing. Families have chosen a school community where learning is steeped in the teachings of Jesus, where the quality of the education matches their aspirations for their child, and one where their child is enabled to be a ‘beacon of goodness, integrity and justice’ in the world (Pope Francis 2014). 

Families have chosen a partner to help them help their child achieve the highest outcomes possible – a partner to support them in their role as primary nurturers of their child’s formation to adulthood. It ‘is a journey in hope and towards hope’ undertaken in partnership (Catholic Education Melbourne 2015, p. 4). The child is held at the centre of this partnership." 

Our littlest learners were indeed at the centre of everything on Thursday as they shared afternoon tea and enjoyed a social afternoon of imaginative play in the hall and on the adventure playground while their parents also shared time together in the Prep spaces.  After a year interrupted by an unprecedented pandemic where play and socialisation was put on hold for many of our pre prep children, this occasion was certainly a great one and the excitement was extreme! 

What a perfect example of the shared privilege of family, school and community working together in harmony; welcoming, sharing responsibility, nurturing, playing, laughing and setting up for a year of growth and development. With our Prep team leading the parent session, the Preps were in great hands with playgroup convener Mrs Claire Graham, and the chief of play herself, Ms Amy Booker (AKA Mr Reader).

As we continued focusing on the importance of families in the learning journey of their children this week at getting to know you conversations, I am grateful to be part of this vibrant and warm community of people who are invested in and connected to school life. Thank you for making the time to come into our learning spaces and share information with our teachers who have the best interests of your children at the heart of all that they do.

As always go gently this week and if you have any ideas or feedback, we always want to hear them.

God Bless,

Patrika Rowley

PRINCIPAL