From our Principal
Dear Parents, Students and Friends,
Student, Teacher and Parent engagement.
Term three is very busy, but wonderfully so because it presents a plethora of opportunities for families, students, and teachers to engage with each other in meaningful and positive forums.
Research states that when schools and families work in partnership better outcomes for young people, emotionally, socially, and academically are more likely to occur. When parents are engaged in their child’s education; children are more likely to develop positive self-esteem, be motivated to learn, be positive about school and achieve growth in their learning. Adolescents are less likely to have discipline issues, get involved in substance abuse or drop out of school. Young people are more likely to maintain high aspirations and plan to go on to further education and build a career.
As parents we are their first teacher, guide, moral compass, historian, and custodian of their heritage. This is our most critical and privileged role of all. When schools and teachers operate from this perspective, they focus on creating ways of connecting with parents to support what parents are doing at home and lay the foundations for a collaboration in which the actions of parents and teachers complement each other.
Research further demonstrates that effective schools have high levels of parental and community involvement. This involvement is strongly related to improved student learning, attendance and behaviour, regardless of the social or cultural background of the family. Family involvement in schools is therefore central to high quality education and is part of the core business of schools.
The value of education is best positioned when parents and teachers form respectful, collaborative, and interdependent relationships. We need each other and our young people need us to know and action this. And what better way to engage with each other than the suit of activities and events that have occurred already this term including:
- Years 9 and 10 Subject selection (2024) zoom conferences.
- Year 12 Student led conferences.
- VET Hospitality dinners
- VET School Advisory Committee dinner
- Pursuit of Excellence Assembly
- Cranbourne and Clyde North students and their families hosting our Japanese exchange students.
My thanks to the teachers and leaders who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that these events are well organised catering for the needs of all students and families.
Further opportunities for families to engage include our social media which now includes LinkedIn and Instagram accounts. These along with our updated Facebook page aim to support improved engagement between families, students, and teachers. Please take every opportunity to engage with your child’s journey at St Peter’s College. Do not forget the parent portal on our website and SPACE, and the newsletter which seek to build positive and resilient engagement between families, students, teachers, and parish.
Pursuit of Excellent Assembly
This was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our students across a diverse range of activities, including academic excellence, sporting excellence and social and community engagement.
School Advisory Committee Dinner
Certificate II In Hospitality Year 2 Students held a delicious dinner for the School Advisory Committee which consists of parents, principal, teacher representative and our governing body DOSCEL’s representative. This committee brings together all key stakeholders maximising the opportunity for critical reflection and engagement of and in school activities. Students demonstrated their outstanding skills and talents to produce a Christmas themed menu. Congratulations and our sincere thanks to Mrs Jeannette Valencia, her team and of course our students.
As our young people become more independent, parents can experience a sense a loss of control and hesitation as to what their role is in their child’s life. We can accept that this is a natural part of growing up but we need to be confident and comforted in the knowledge that the suite of opportunities provided by the College to engage in school activities will help bridge any generation gap creating new shared experiences leading to healthy, positive and enduring relationships.
I wish you all a safe and productive week full of opportunities to actively engage in your young person’s education and life at school.
Mrs Julie Banda
Acting Principal