From our Principal 

Dear Parents, Students and Friends,

This week has been an inspiring week as we gathered to hear from and vote for our College Student Leaders with portfolios for 2023. There are fewer things in the plethora of school events that generates more excitement, enthusiasm and inspiration than hearing from our students as they articulate areas where they can make a contribution and a difference. I look forward to presenting a special edition of the newsletter next week when voting and the interview process concludes.

Student Learning Conversations

This week we have also caught up with many parents for our Term 3 Student Learning Conversations. If the pandemic taught us one thing it was the importance of the three-way relationship between staff, students, and parents. We often look to research as a guide to determine those factors that impact on a child’s learning. Often this is referred to as “effect-size”. A recent study suggests, “parents’ involvement increases students’ achievement, and that is why parents should try to provide an environment at home encouraging learning, communicate reasonable but high expectations regarding their children’s future and get involved in students’ education at home, school and community”. Anecdotally I reflect at these times that the parents we see most often at our Student Learning Conversations are those whose students who are achieving well in their studies.

Child Safety Week (September 4-11)

National Child Protection Week (4-10 September 2022) is an annual event starting on the first Sunday of September. This year’s theme ‘Every child, in every community, needs a fair go’ aims to spread the message that to treat all of Australia’s children fairly, we need to make sure every family and community has what kids need to grow up safe and supported. To highlight National Child Protection Week, we draw your attention to a number of programs on the resource SchoolTV. This resource highlights the complexities associated with growing up as a teenager in today’s world through a themed approach to current issues facing families. SchoolTV is a valuable resource for parents as you and your teenage child/ren navigate the complex world of a teenager today. To mark this year’s theme, three important themes are explored, SEXTING, PORNOGRAPHY and CYBER-BULLYING. Whilst the world of today is not the world we as parents grew up in, for many of our young people it is a reality and therefore being informed and educated on such content makes sense. Here at St. Peter’s College, parents have ready access to this wonderful resource. The link to SchoolTV can be found by scrolling down on the front page of the College Web-site or clicking on the icon displayed below.

Social Justice Sunday: Respect: Confronting Violence and Abuse

Each year on the last Sunday in August the Australian Bishop’s release, and the Australian Church celebrates Social Justice Sunday. This year the theme is, Respect: Confronting Violence and Abuse.

The Social Justice Sunday initiative encourages all to be compassionate. An act of kindness can go a long way in transforming a person's life. The principles of Catholic Social Teaching are often referred to and explicitly taught at St. Peter’s College. One of the most easily identified principles of Catholic Social Teaching is the principle of the Life and Dignity of the human person, where every person is precious and people are more important than things. This year’s theme addresses the issue of violence and abuse. Respect: Confronting Violence and Abuse points out that the roots of domestic and family violence “lie in the abuse of power to control and dominate others” and that “this stands in contrast to the relationships to which God calls us”.

We know that most often those who suffer violence and abuse in homes and families, in workplaces, and in communities, are women and children while the perpetrators are most often men. We are all called to support women in calling for respect in relationships; their lives and those of their children are sacred.

At St. Peter’s College our Whole School Approach to Positive Behaviour is a call to action which has as it’s foundational stone our ROCKS. Students and staff are called upon to enact the principles of ROCKS in their daily interactions with each other. Our ROCKS are embedded as a language and we continue to strive towards words leading to actions. Our community is committed to ensure all are treated with:

R – Respect, K – Kindness and with S – Safety as foundational to our words and actions

Enjoy the week ahead.

Mr Chris Black

Principal