Goal Setting
A very warm welcome back to all St Mary’s College students to Term 3!
Term 3 is looked upon by staff and students as the coldest term, where short days and frost on the windscreen impact mood and enthusiasm. It is our responsibility as educators, parents, and students, particularly those in Year 12, to bring energy and optimism to this term. I encourage all who read this to consider simple goals that might be set for the term – goals that you genuinely believe in – and then work towards instilling the practices that will help you to achieve them. Not all goals need to be aspirational and out of reach.
Firstly, a look back at the end of last term. In the final week of term, our Year 10 students were out of the school community and into many different businesses throughout Melbourne for work experience. The opportunity for ‘on the job learning’ was, for many of our students, their first exposure to the world of work. Like many of the opportunities that life presents, those that took up the challenge to make their work experience meaningful gained a lot from the experience and have been influenced by the people they met. Also in the last week of term, Year 9 students presented their learning portfolio conferences onsite. This involved each Year 9 student discussing the learning and special project work they completed throughout the first semester with a teacher and a family member present. Congratulations to all students for the quality of work and the way they presented themselves for their conference.
The first day of Term 3 for staff was a student free day. The day had three focus areas: Vision and Mission for the future of the school, the professional learning priorities of staff, and curriculum-based staff professional learning.
Our Talk and Tour program continues to attract significant attention from prospective parents. It is refreshing to participate in these sessions and, through answering a range of intriguing questions, reflect on who we are as a school and how we have developed over recent years.
The College is conducting two ski trips this year, which take place over the weekends of late July and early August. Thanks to David Joyce for leading groups of staff and students on these trips.
In the coming weeks we will be presenting and meeting with students and parents as the process of subject selection commences. The important role of parents is to read the documentation sent home, which outlines subject and pathway choices, and then discuss options with your daughter / son. Young people who find those around them (including teachers) taking this process seriously and cautiously will always see it as important and be better equipped to make good decisions.
Could I please ask all parents to have a fundamental, though unfortunately necessary conversation with their daughter / son regarding the language they use whilst at school and in public. The likelihood of a conversation between two people in a public space remaining confidential is very low. If the pitch or volume of the voices involved in the conversation are such that it is possibly heard by others, then every word is heard. When such conversations are filled (or part thereof) with language that they wouldn’t use in the company of their family, it is likely that I will receive a complaint and/or someone will feel uncomfortable having to hear it. This is an area, both at school and on public transport, where immediate improvement is needed.
Students that drive to school – please note that there is no parking available on site at either campus, and Dandenong Rd outside the Presentation Campus is a tow away zone from 4pm.
Finally, a personal note of congratulations to Audrey Smart, 2023 College Captain, who was awarded with a Tuckwell Scholarship this week. It has been a joy to teach Audrey over the years and to now celebrate this remarkable achievement with her. Congratulations Audrey!
Shaun Lancashire
Deputy Principal
