Dear Parents, Students and Friends

This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent. Advent is a season of the liturgical year observed in most Christian denominations. It is a period of spiritual preparation during the four weeks leading up to Christmas.

I share this Advent prayer with you as we journey towards this most holy time of the year.

Year 7 Orientation Day

Today we have welcomed our soon to be Year 7 students to the College for Orientation Day. We have 115 students enrolled from ten local primary schools, and three students new to the area. It was wonderful to welcome them all and settle them into their new school. It has been fabulous to see the students engaged in various activities in the secondary context. They are eager for next year and it was lovely to see their excitement. A happy day was had by all!

Year 7 students begin next year on Tuesday 1 February 2022.

Catholic School Parents Australia (CSPA): Nurturing Your Child Through Transition

CSPA has developed a toolkit, ‘Gearing Up for Parent Engagement in Student Learning’ to assist families and schools to help make the transition into Primary and Secondary school a great experience for children and young people. The toolkit includes a module on transitions, Nurturing Your Child Through Transition, for Primary and Secondary students. These modules provide practical and concrete advice to assist students and parents to navigate the anxiety that can sometimes happen with change.

PARENT ENGAGEMENT

A student’s academic development is enhanced when parental engagement is strong. We are committed to supporting families in the education of their children. If you are a new or existing family to Carroll College, I take this opportunity to encourage and welcome your involvement in college life as we look to the new year. We are optimistic that 2022 will bring greater freedoms to resume normal school activities to the robust level we enjoy!  

Below is a summary from a recent article on the benefits of Parental Engagement. Mr Paul Penberthy, Carroll College Community Council Chair, and member of the Council of Catholic Schools Parents (CCSP) and Catholic School Parents Archdiocese of Canberra Goulburn (CSPACG), has prepared this article to support families in their sacred role of raising children.

A shared responsibility for education among parents and teachers…

As our children navigate the 13 year journey through school, it is natural to wonder about what’s at the end of it?  We hear about the changing jobs environment driven by emerging technologies, with traditional careers disappearing and new ones emerging.  The question arises as to what can we do as parents to set our kids on the right path?  How can we set them up to have viable options, and as importantly, to help them grow into well rounded, happy beings in an increasingly complex world? 

Well, a mountain of research has identified there’s much we can do as parents to make a big difference.  It has been defined as “Parental Engagement”.  This means a shared responsibility for education among parents and teachers, where learning transcends the school environment and formal curriculum. 

Sounds great, but what difference does “parental engagement” make? Australian and international research has confirmed the following impacts:

• Higher grades and test scores
• Enrolment in higher level programs and advanced classes
• Higher successful completion of classes
• Lower drop-out rates
• Higher graduation rates
• Greater likelihood of commencing postsecondary education

Achievement of the above creates more career options for kids leaving school.  So, whatever the world throws at them, they will have choices. What about social and emotional wellbeing?  The ability to adapt and deal with challenges and lead a happy and fulfilling life?  Here again the research into “parental engagement” has revealed positive outcomes:

• More regular school attendance and greater engagement in schoolwork
• Better social skills
• Improved behaviour
• Better adaptation to school
• A greater sense of personal competence and efficacy for learning

So, what does “parental engagement” involve in practical terms?  Some of the following:

• Communicating with kids about our expectations from education and the value of learning
• Discussing learning strategies (best ways to learn and integrate knowledge, free of distractions)
• Linking schoolwork to current events and related topics (e.g. dinnertime discussions on events of interest to the child and what they have studied in class)
• Nurturing educational aspirations and making plans for the future
• Providing a supportive home learning environment (designating an area for homework, providing access to reading material, helping with the organisation of homework/ study)
• Out of home/ school activities such as visiting museums, libraries, galleries, talks etc.

Whatever our own experiences of education in the past, personal beliefs about our role in educating our kids and effectiveness in doing so… there’s no denying the evidence.  Parental Engagement makes a big difference – to our kid’s career options and how they will end up thinking and feeling about themselves and others.

Paul Penberthy, Chair Carroll College Community Council, Parent Representative in the CCSP & CSPACG

STAFFING UPDATE

Staffing for 2022 is close to being finalised. Following recent interviews for our two temporary PDHPE positions, I am pleased to inform you that Miss Ellisha Large and Mr Paul Hill will be joining the team in 2022. Miss Large is also qualified to teach Mathematics. We look forward to welcoming Ellisha and Paul next year.

Next week is the final week of HSC exams. We are very proud of our Year 12 students for the mature way they have navigated this challenging year. We look forward to celebrating with them at their Year 12 Formal next Thursday evening.

“You become truly part of the world when you recognise
how its contradictions and its beauty live in you”.

Stephanie Dowrick

Warm regards

Jacqueline Heffernan
Principal