Dear Parents and Carers

“By contrast, another word, ‘community’, when it is being used with some care, implies a sharing of strengths, and even a mutual fostering of individuality, in that the communing persons become more themselves, not less, by their cooperating as they do.”

‘Crowd and Community’, Bread for the Journey, Peter Steele SJ

On the weekend we will celebrate the great feast of Pentecost. Pentecost is the first recorded event of the Sacrament of Confirmation that we know of, and it is an example of Jesus’ perennial life-giving fidelity to us. It was also a time of transformation: it was when the disciples grew from being a crowd into what we would call a community. This has obvious resonance for us at Sts Peter and Paul, and not just because we will celebrate the feast of Pentecost. The resonance goes deeper than the weekend feast and it centres on the fact that every day, every week and indeed every year is a celebration of the fact that we are a community. It would be very sad if any school was better described as a crowd of people as opposed to a community of persons. Sts Peter and Paul has been a community since 1968, and it is a grace and a gift that we do not take for granted at school. We take seriously our vocation to work with our parents to help our children flourish into community builders and community contributors, using their gifts and talents for the greater good.

Enrolment Period

Catholic Education has extended the enrolment period for all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese and in that context, Sts Peter and Paul are holding an information evening tonight, at 6pm, via Zoom. The evening will be livestreamed through Facebook at the same time. The Leadership Team will be leading the evening and we hope to give prospective parents, and any interested current parents, a very good overview of the school. Kindergarten enrolments are tracking very well at the moment but we still have room to grow. My hope is that we will have two Kindergarten classes for 2021.

Teaching and Learning

With the return to some normality in school life, conversations in the school are focusing again on systemic educational initiatives. Yesterday Chris Higgins, who works for Catholic Education in the area of Maths, visited the school and met with Sean Rutledge and with me. We spoke about the Mathematical priorities of the school for 2020. Part of this includes a move across the school into a more inquiry-based approach for the teaching and learning of Maths. This entails, among other things, collaborative work with Leonie Anstey, a highly esteemed Maths consultant who works a great deal with schools. Leonie has been a school principal in Victoria and has taught in primary and secondary schools, as well as at universities. I have worked with Leonie in previous schools and she has also worked at Sts Peter and Paul. Leonie’s website can be found at http://elevatinglearning.com.au/

Religious Education – Conceptual Inquiry

Still on the theme of teaching and learning, yesterday in our staff meeting, led by Stephanie Burns, we discussed and deepened our understanding of conceptual inquiry in RE. Conceptual inquiry sits within a broader conversation that is happening with Catholic Education, and one that sees the archdiocese move towards the adoption of the Brisbane Curriculum in Religious Education.  https://curriculum.bne.catholic.edu.au/Curriculum/LearningArea?learningAreaName=Religious%20Education

The adoption of RE curriculum from Brisbane involves letting go ‘Treasures New and Old’, which has been the archdiocese’s curriculum document for many years. There is a recognition in RE that exploring concepts (e.g., ‘change’, ‘community’, ‘connectedness’, ‘Sacraments’) are the best way to approach and break open the deeper themes and understandings inherent in the curriculum. It also allows the RE curriculum to be integrated with other curriculum areas, such as history, and thereby allow for an even wider conceptual exploration. Growth and developments in curriculum and pedagogy are the lifeblood of teaching and learning in schools and like all professions, it is important for schools and educational systems to stay abreast of research and development.

Return to school

We are nearing the end of our second week of the full return of students to school. I hope your child has had a smooth transition. We have begun to notice that some children have had moments of difficulty in this area, and I am mindful of the difficulties of re-entry for us all – parents, staff and students. What might seem fairly straightforward – going back to normal – is not all straightforward for many of us. It is possible that latent trauma may be experienced by members of our community. I encourage all parents and families to be gentle and patient with themselves and with the community as a whole. Please let your child’s teacher know if you see any sign that your son or daughter is experiencing difficulty in returning to school. The social and emotional wellbeing of all people is paramount and there is no education without a settled and calm inner life. Please let me know directly if I or the school can be of any help or assistance to your family.

Have a good week with your children.

Best wishes

Cameron Johns

Principal