Welcome back our staff and students. I hope that you have had a restful Easter. It is wonderful to have started Term 2 so positively.
Over Easter the world received the sad news that the Holy Father, Pope Francis, had passed away. Pope Francis was an important and much-loved leader in our community, and we are grieving his passing with heavy hearts. Our prayers are that Pope Francis rests in peace. We also pray for his family, friends and followers, for the Catholic Church, and for our community. During our liturgies this week, we have offered prayers and reflections as a College. We know that the re-commencement of school routines, and students seeing their teachers and friends again, has assisted them in overcoming their sadness. Our College is one where love and respect are in abundance, and I am confident that our students are drawing comfort from returning to it.
The school holiday also acknowledged ANZAC Day, and it was a great privilege to attend the City of Playford’s ANZAC Day Dawn Service in the Smithfield Memorial Gardens with staff and students. On behalf of the community, College Captain, Amalea, and Prefect, Brodie, laid a wreath. It was a great honour to remember the fallen, and to respect and honour the defence families in our community, who sacrifice much to secure the peace of mind and security that we can take for granted.
We welcomed 26 new students to the College for Term 2. These new students mean that as a College we are now full with waitlists in many year groups. This is wonderful news and is reflective of our growing reputation as the school of choice in the north.
As we commence Term 2, we also have had new staff members join us and take up new roles:
- Ms Mikayla Cammarere commences her new role as Director of Diverse Learning (F-5)
- Ms Thao Nguyen will commence as Learning Area Leader for Religious Education (6-12)
- Mr Jayden Evans takes on the responsibility of Year Level Leader (Year 5)
- Ms Immogen McDonald commences as a teacher of Year 5
- Ms Emma Cole commences as a teacher of Year 6
- Ms Jessica Penfold takes up the role of Foundation teacher
- Ms Kirandeep Kaur commences as a teacher of Mathematics
- Ms Caitlin Davidson commences as a teacher of Food, Fashion and Child Development
- Ms Claire Bugeja commences as Secondary Librarian
- Ms Natalie Cotton commences as Middle School Student Services Officer
We are excited to see the impact that these highly skilled and passionate professionals will have on the learning and school experience of our students.
Term 2 also marks the introduction of a new role to the College, Sustainability Coordinator. Our Strategic Plan: Boundless Possibilities, outlines our commitment to developing sustainable practices and to being a leading school in developing programs that make a positive contribution to environmental challenges.
Our students have already demonstrated great passion in this area. It was their enthusiasm that underpinned the inclusion of sustainability goals in our Strategic Plan, influenced the design of our emerging Secondary building, and which have motivated the initiatives we already have in this area. Ms Oliwia Derda will take up the role of Sustainability Coordinator from Term 2, in addition to her role as Learning Area Leader for Science (6-12). I look forward to seeing the ways that Oliwia and the students harness the passion at SCC to be a leader in this area.
Families will soon have the opportunity to receive our 2024 Yearbook. This will be launched as a digital version, available online as an interactive flipbook. In alignment with our strategic commitment to sustainability, this new initiative aims to significantly reduce our environmental impact by ensuring that we only print physical copies for families who request them. Families will have the opportunity to opt-in to receive a printed Yearbook by completing a short online form. We will warmly invite families to enjoy browsing this digital edition, which will showcase the highlights and achievements of our students throughout the year.
Friday 9 May (Week 2) will see a momentous occasion, as the College hosts its first ever Formal. Attended by Year 11 and 12 students, and at which our Year 10 Food and Hospitality students will assist, the Formal will be a wonderful occasion for our students. It is an opportunity to celebrate togetherness and being part of our community in a structured and supervised environment. We very much look forward to our first Formal and the ways it will add to the experience of being a senior student at SCC.
Term 2 promises to be another excellent term at SCC, and I look forward to being part of a community that helps your children fulfil their potential and flourish.
Mr Darren Pitt
Principal
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