Dear Families,

Firstly, I would like to thank Carmen Myles and the leadership team for holding the fort while I was at the Catholic Leader’s Retreat. This time provided Principals from across our system with time and space to reflect on the purpose of Catholic schools and on our own leadership. Our retreat director, Caroline Thomson, challenged us to think about those leaders who have influenced us and to examine the light and the shadow of leadership. This reflection is timely as this week I will speak with Year 6 students about their own leadership and as they prepare to go away to Fitzroy Falls for Year 6 camp.

Last Monday students in Years 3-6 had an opportunity to hear from Olympic Gold medalist Louise Dobson on the highs and lows of being an elite athlete.  Louise spoke of her experience of winning gold at Atlanta and then the bitter disappointment of being cut from the team who won the gold medal at the Sydney Olympics four years later.  Her story and her determination were inspirational.  She helped the students to write SMART goals to help them to achieve their dreams.

This week, the St Thomas Aquinas leadership team will meet with COGLearn, an educational consultancy company engaged by Catholic Education to help the system to achieve it’s second bold goal - High Impact Teaching Practice is visible in every classroom. St Thomas Aquinas will be one of eight schools across the system participating in this first round of work with COGLearn.  This is an exciting opportunity for our staff to work with these experts to change teaching practice.

God Bless