Governing Authority Report
BOARD OF GOVERNANCE
Good Samaritan Education (GSE) is the collegial Public Juridic Person responsible for the ten incorporated Colleges in Australia, each retaining the distinctive spirit that connects them to the local church in which they are situated. Each College is accountable to GSE for its Catholic ethos and mission, embodied in the Good Samaritan Benedictine tradition, and for the administration of the temporal goods assigned to it for its work.
From the GSE group of 15 Members, a Governing Council of seven is elected. Each GSE Member is also a Member of the Company for either one or two Good Samaritan schools and as such, is involved in the life of the school communities. Here at Mater Christi College, we are blessed with the support of the following Members: Leonie Keaney (Chair of Members), Eileen O’Leary, Sr Veronica Hoey SGS, and Gaynor Robson-Garth.
GSE has full responsibility for all matters of mission, finance and governance of all Good Samaritan schools.
Dr Bern Nicholls as Acting Chair of Board (to May), and as Chair of Board (from May), was supported by the following:
· Cherine Kenna, Company Secretary
Non-executive Directors
· Fiona Bygraves, Director (to May 2023)
· Trudi Bons, Director
Chris Cartwright, Director
Amy Whitehead, Director
Cathy Mason, Director
Georgia Heffernan, Director
Lyn Bayly, Director (from November 2022)
Eugene Lynch, Director (from May)
Executive Director
Maria Haggett, Principal and CEO
Ex Officio
· Tatum Mitchell, Business Manager (to December 2023)
Non-director Committee Members:
· Anthony Chapman, Finance Committee
· Philip Thomas, Risk, Compliance & Governance Committee
Vision and Mission
Mater Christi College is an inclusive, contemporary girls’ school that allows students time and space to explore their own personal identity and aspirations, delivering excellence in all-girls education.
Our student centred culture is guided by the Rule of Benedict and ethos of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan. We encourage and celebrate the potential and empowerment of all girls; encouraging them to realise their inherent dignity, worth and ability.
At Mater Christi College, we aim for each girl to become her best self; a global thinker who is confident, competent, and discerning; equipped to realise her own full potential and that of others.
Mission Statement
Mater Christi College is a Catholic Secondary School for Girls which takes its direction from the person and message of Christ, as proclaimed in the Gospels. In an atmosphere of Christian love, caring and understanding, the College provides educational programs relevant to the individual needs of students. It encourages excellence in all things. The College respects the traditions and spirit of its founders, the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, and strives to be organisationally and educationally innovative, to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing society. Through balanced growth of the whole person, we aim to develop informed and compassionate women of faith who will contribute freely and creatively in the affairs of society.
College Overview
Set in the hills of beautiful Belgrave, the heart of Wurundjeri Country, Mater Christi College has been educating girls since 1963.
Our College was established by the Good Samaritan Sisters, who were themselves inspired by the parable of the same name; this tale of compassion found in the Gospel of Luke lies at the core of all we do.
Similarly, the Benedictine values of community, stewardship, and justice are fostered through our dynamic environment, where students are encouraged to pursue peace and justice through social action – caring for those around them and our world.
Mater Christi’s motto consists of three words – Informed… Compassionate… Creative… These three words capture our dreams for each and every young woman who walks through our doors. Whatever her pathway, each student will have opportunities to explore her interests and talents, learn about herself and the world, and find a place to belong.
As a learning community committed to innovation, we strive to meet the challenges of our ever-changing world. We are proud of our forward-thinking academic programs, commitment to student wellbeing and extensive co-curricular program - all of which make for an environment in which a young woman can thrive.
Our comprehensive curriculum offerings are supported by outstanding facilities and resources emerging from a contemporary technology infrastructure.
Our learning framework in Years 7-10 is structured around the Middle Years Program of the International Baccalaureate, with skills and content taken from the Victorian Curriculum. The many opportunities provided by our VCE, VCE Vocational Major and VET programs demonstrate our commitment to each girl finding her pathway for the future.
Mater Christi College has a strong reputation for enhancing creativity and nurturing initiative, through our visual arts, performing arts and STEM programs. Our students engage in a diverse range of team and individual competitions and activities in sports, e-sports, academic and enrichment. Our leadership programs encourage girls from Year 7 onwards to embrace leadership experiences throughout their secondary years. We are school committed to social justice through meaningful action with students and staff working in a range of areas including outreach, immersion programs, and partnerships with Vinnies, Caritas and the Good Samaritan Foundation.
We welcome parents and carers as co-learners and value our partnerships with many groups and individuals in our local community. At Mater Christi, we take seriously our responsibility
to walk gently on the earth as stewards of creation, to be a voice for the voiceless, and to form leaders who are optimistic about the future.
Principal's Report
I am delighted to present to you the Annual Report for 2023. As you will see, it was a year of achievements, important initiatives and memorable experiences. However it was not without challenges, particularly in the first half of the year where we faced significant staff shortages, an increase in serious student wellbeing issues and uncertainty in the industrial relations environment.
One of the standout moments of the year was undoubtedly our 60th Anniversary celebrations, beginning with our College Mass on the Feast of St Scholastica, continuing with a staff function in May and culminating in our Alumnae reunion in October. It was a time of reflection on our rich history and a celebration of the vibrant community that has thrived for six decades. The year has been a testament to the strong bonds forged over the years with the Good Sam Sisters, Alumnae and Staff.
The Board and College Executive envision a dynamic future for Mater Christi College. In 2024 we will begin the process of master planning, where we will seek the input of a range of community members to help us plan improvements to our physical site and facilities. We commit to doing this sustainably, making the most of our current resources and protecting our beautiful surrounds. At the heart of our planning is our desire to continue to improve Mater Christi's learning, well-being and enrichment programs.
We are committed to being a middle-sized school, to ensure that every student is seen and known, and at the same time, strive to be a secondary school of choice for girls. We know what the research says about the positive impact of an all-girls education, but we see it in action every day. The world needs our informed, compassionate and creative students, living the Good Samaritan spirit, more than ever.
On a sad note, our community mourned the loss of long term staff member, Jen McKane, who passed away after retiring at the end of 2022. We held a prayer service in the chapel and a significant group of staff attended a beautiful funeral service in Lilydale.
Once again, I must thank the College Board for their support and hard work during 2023, particularly our Board Chair, Dr. Bern Nicholls as well as Deputy Chair and Chair of Finance Committee Eugene Lynch. Thank you also to the immense work of the College Executive in a year of great change.
Catholic Identity and Mission
Goals & Intended Outcomes
In 2023, the Mission Identity Team sought to:
Offer an authentic yet accessible experience of the Catholic tradition for all members of the College community
Enhance the experience of prayer and liturgy for all members of the College
Embed the College theme ‘Walking the Path of the Good Samaritan’ and Benedictine values in formation, reflection and social justice activities.
Achievements
In the past year, our community had the opportunity to delve deeper into the Good Samaritan Charism. We celebrated our 60th Anniversary on the Feast of St Scholastica with a community Eucharist, where we came together in prayer and reflection. Additionally, we continued our tradition of a combined schools mass with other Catholic schools in the area –St Joseph’s College and associate primary schools - to strengthen our bonds and foster a sense of unity.
In Term 3, Staff were immersed in a Staff Spirituality day where they had the option to choose an area of spirituality that they would like to nurture.
Students attended the Good Samaritan Education Prophetic Voices where our students outlined their vision for a just future. The foci were First Nations Custodianship, homelessness, and human dignity.
Furthermore, our students had the opportunity to participate in retreats and retreat days, which allowed them to explore their faith and spirituality. Our Year 12 Students unpacked the college theme on their retreat at Don Bosco. Our RE curriculum was also reviewed, ensuring that we provide our students with a well-rounded education that fosters their spiritual growth.
New Year 9 Religious Education units Big Issues, Big Voices, Big Changes and Big Questions explored our Catholic faith in the context of our contemporary world.
The College community continues to commit to building a just and caring community by actively engaging in a range of social justice activities. These initiatives, often led by students, aim to raise awareness about various issues such as refugees, period poverty, and first nations recognition. Additionally, the entire community works towards ensuring awareness and fundraising for local and international causes, including St Vincent de Paul and Caritas. An area of significant focus for the College in 2023 was a continued commitment to the celebration and recognition of First Nations Australians at all levels of the College through the introduction of our Fire Carriers Partnership.
Second semester saw a focus on Mater Day, where we raise funds and awareness for the Good Samaritan Foundation. We celebrated mass with Fr Confidence leading us.
Our staff generously participate in a events such as the Feast for Freedom which has
become an annual event and raises money for refugees supported by the Dandenong ASRC and living in the local community.
Staff and students continue to explore the impact of the choices and their choices and the environment. There were opportunities at Years 9 and 10 for students to explore Pope Francis’ Laudato Si and how they can be inspired to make positive changes to our Common Home.
Value Added
Retreat days – Year 12 Retreat added
New Year 9 RE Curriculum
Fire Carriers Program
Staff Spirituality Day
Prophetic Voices
Mater Day - raising awareness and funds and mass
Learning and Teaching
Goals & Intended Outcomes
Develop and embed a culture of collaborative and reflective professional practice characterised by transparency, collegiality, high expectations and high support by:
• Creating and sourcing opportunities aimed at developing teacher collective efficacy.
• Progressing a common understanding of what high quality teaching and learning looks like at MCC.
Maximise student engagement and growth across the spiritual, physical, social-emotional, academic, and cognitive domains by:
• Leveraging and renewing existing structures and processes to drive improvement in student growth.
• Further developing data literacy and the use of data to drive practice.
In accordance with the College’s 2023 Annual Action Plan several key strategies were undertaken to meet the goals and intended outcomes outlined above. These include:
• Investigate professional learning opportunities for middle leaders to build their capability to conduct learning focused meetings.
• Years 7-9 Religious Education teachers to be supported to apply the language used in Pedagogy of Encounter (PoE) to existing classroom learning.
• Ensure curriculum alignment across college, that is, documented curriculum on common template, single shared storage and collaborative space in Teams.
• Implement and evaluate the new years 9-10 curriculum offerings introduced in 2023.
• Audit targeted domains and year levels to evaluate implementation of MYP.
• MYP professional learning for key years 7-10 staff.
• Improve parent understanding of MYP via increased parent educational opportunities.
• Evaluation of revised process introduced in 2022 for year 10 Personal Project.
• Inclusion of domain adjustments bank in SIMON to support staff in planning differentiated instruction.
• Support staff in documentation of adjustments for NCCD purposes.
• Review college’s approach to meeting diverse learning needs of students.
• Review the provision of college tutors to maximise the use and impact of this resource to meet the increasingly diverse needs of students.
• Engage in the Intervention Framework (IF) professional learning program to inform whole-school approach to meeting the diverse needs of all students through the provision of strategic, targeted and ongoing intervention support.
• Participate in GRIN mathematics intervention program professional learning and begin trial implementation in mid-2023.
• Focus on staff professional learning to support the implementation of the new VCE Certificate.
• Investigate and trial evidence-based practices for collecting student voice data that focuses on engagement in learning.
• Investigate data visualisers to be included in new school management system.
• Use functionality in SIMON to track and monitor all aspects of student learning and wellbeing data.
• Engage Data Coach to work with various teams throughout the College.
Achievements
The College provided the academic curriculum programs at Years 7-10 through the Middle Years Framework (MYP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB), using content descriptors across the years of learning from the Victorian Curriculum. Students graduate from their final year with either the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or the Victorian Certificate of Education Vocational Major (VCE VM) and can take higher education and vocational education and training (VET) studies within each certificate.
A full program of semester-based exams, grade 6 Assessment of General Abilities Testing (AGAT), years 7-10 PAT-R and PAT-M testing, and years 7 and 9 online NAPLAN testing all occurred throughout 2023. This data used by the college leadership team to monitor student progress, evaluate learning programs, and inform strategic actions. In addition, the data enabled staff to triangulate and target cohort and individual learning needs in the academic learning program.
Improved collection and monitoring of college learning data resulted in the introduction of the Getting Ready in Numeracy (GRIN), an evidence-based mathematics intervention program conducted by Monash University. Staff attended professional learning sessions during the
first half of 2023, before trialing and evaluating the program with selected students in years 7 and 8. Evidence collected throughout the trial period informed the decision to introduce this program as an early and targeted intervention strategy for 2024.
In 2023 a new school management system, SIMON, was introduced and staged implementation throughout the year occurred. The introduction of SIMON has resulted in improved workflow efficiencies and opportunities for parent/carer engagement in the daily learning program of their student. Assessment and reporting processes have been significantly improved, alongside more informative end-of-semester reports.
The use of SIMON further enhanced the college’s practices and processes for documenting learning adjustments as required by the National Consistent collection of Data (NCCD) scheme. This resulted in a 10% increase in the number of students eligible for NCCD funding due to improvements in the evidence collection process. Evidence was able to be efficiently collated from a range of support activities in and out of the classroom, including pastoral programs, psychologists, and nurses, while complying with confidentiality and privacy requirements. The Learning Diversity leader managed the application process, and provided ongoing professional learning to both teachers and learning support staff in developing and recording appropriate adjustments.
The focus for 2023 was to increase student engagement in mainstream on-site learning following the period of disrupted learning due to Covid. Increased opportunities for students to participate freely in excursions re-emerged, enabling authentic opportunities for students to apply the academic learning that occurred at school.
A revised years 9 and 10 learning program was introduced, emphasizing student choice in the form of increased elective subject options. Year 9 students also participated in an enrichment learning week per term, providing an opportunity for deep and applied learning in the areas of STEM, social justice, outdoor and environmental education and the world of work. These weeks were characterised by experiential and practical learning opportunities that weren’t bound by timetable restrictions.
The college also participated in a research project titled ‘Reimagining Student Engagement,’ which was conducted by Dr. Amy Berry under the direction of the University of Melbourne and the Australian Council of Educational Research (ACER). This study was designed to include the much needed, but often missing, youth voice into the conversation about engagement. The data collected via a survey to our years 7-11 students, and interviews with our years 7 and 8 students, provided a qualitative insight into their engagement in learning, and the factors that influence this. The college leadership team has used these findings to inform strategic actions for the 2024 Annual Action Plan (AAP).
There was a renewed focus on senior school pathways in response to the statewide changes that occurred to the VCE. The college fully embraced the opportunities that the new VCE provided, implementing revised program offerings and school structures that commenced in
2023. Students have embraced the multiple pathways now available in the new VCE, evident in varied and diverse subject choices and learning pathways.
With so many options now available to students in their senior years of schooling, emphasis was placed on ensuring students were aware of their options and supported to make appropriate selections that provided them with access to their preferred future pathway.
Year 9 students once again completed the Morrisby test, which is a psychometric assessment that produces a profile of a students’ abilities, personality type, interests, and preferred work and learning styles. Years 9 and 10 students were provided with individual student-teacher subject selection counselling to support them to make informed and appropriate subject choices.
A Subject Selection Expo was held once again in 2023 and was attended by many students in years 8 to 12. Staff and several university and TAFE providers shared information about subject offerings, post-secondary pathways, and any pre-requisite studies required.
Student Learning Outcomes
NAPLAN assessments were conducted online in 2023. The 2023 NAPLAN data shows students in Year 7 above the national mean scaled score in all assessments - reading, writing, grammar and punctuation, spelling and numeracy. Students were also above the State mean in reading, writing, spelling, and grammar and punctuation. Year 9 students were also above the national mean scaled score in all assessmentsreading, writing, grammar and punctuation, spelling and numeracy. This cohort was also above the state mean in all assessments conducted. There was no relative growth data available for this year level for years 7 to 9 as the NAPLAN assessment scales were changed for 2023.
NAPLAN - Proportion of students meeting the proficient standards
*A school’s NAPLAN test must have a minimum of 11 participants and 80% participation rate. Data not reported for 2023 due to participation not meeting these criteria or no students were assessed. Participants include students who were assessed, including non-attempt, or those exempted from the test.
Senior Secondary Outcomes
VCE Median Score 31
VCE Completion Rate (includes VCE VM completions) 100.00%
VCAL Completion Rate (VCAL Intermediate) *
*Not reported due to insufficient data i.e. less than 4 student enrolments for VCE/VCAL.
Post-School Destinations as at 2023
Tertiary Study
TAFE / VET
Apprenticeship / Traineeship
Other - The category of Other includes both students Looking for Work and those classed as Other
Data is based on On Track Year 12 completer survey 2023 for Post School Destinations of Year 12 or equivalent completers in 2022.
* indicates no data reported for schools with any of the following:
(i) less than 10 Year 12 completers, (ii) less than 10 On Track respondents, (iii) less than 50% consent rate, (iv) less than 50% response rate or (v) less than 20% of the Year 12 cohort participating in the survey.
Student Wellbeing
Goals & Intended Outcomes
Develop contemporary, pro-active and responsive approaches to student wellbeing which build self-efficacy and a sense of purpose
Achievements
Morning Home Group routines were introduced in 2023 to build self-efficacy in student wellbeing. Mindset Mondays helped to prepare students for the week ahead; Wellbeing Wednesdays focused on mindfulness strategies and connection and Thankful Fridays, allowed students to focus on gratitude. In addition to this, the successful re-introduction of a student planner assisted many with recording homework tasks, assessment due dates and general organisation. The Student Planner also provided a wellbeing focus for each week.
As part of the Pastoral Program, students once again participated in activities that targeted specific year- level needs such as Friendship and Belonging at Year 7; Kindness and Relationship Building at Year 8; Exploring Self at Year 9; Careers and Pathways at Year 10; Coping Strategies at Year 11; Stress Management and Where to Next at Year 12.
The scope and sequence of activities were developed by the Wellbeing for Learning Leader and Year Learning Leaders. SIMON and Microsoft Teams provided the platform to create and share pastoral lessons with Home Group Mentors. SIMON provided a secure platform for student notes concerning wellbeing and pastoral matters.
A new Student Leadership Coordinator role was introduced to support student leadership growth across the College and in Term 4, we held the inaugural Year 12 Student Leadership Formation Retreat at Phillip Island. This provided opportunities for development, student voice and collegiality for the incoming Captains.
The Big Sister Little Sister Program was reviewed, and improvement strategies were identified to support connection between year levels. To support student leadership growth, Year 9s applied to become a Big Sister in Year 10, 2024. Staff members were trained in the Peer Support Program, then conducted the training themselves with 68 Year 9 students. The aim was for our Big Sisters to feel better equipped and more confident in supporting our Year 7 and 8s in 2024.
Families attended Welcome Evenings in Term 1. Highlights included the presentation for Year 12s and their families by Dr. Michael Carr-Greg, who provided valuable information and strategies for students as they began the year. Judith Locke presented to Years 7 parents and carers and provided honest and frank suggestions for raising young people. Years 8-11
Evenings provided an overview of learning and wellbeing at Mater Christi, as well as a chance to meet Home Group mentors and key staff.
As part of the Pastoral Program, the Black Dog Future - proofing project continued with Year 10 students with the purpose of tracking mental health and wellbeing. Other specialist presentations were scheduled throughout the year, focusing on resilience, positive mental health, emotional intelligence, cybersafety, bullying, positive relationships, study skills and included workshops from Elevate Education and Elephant Ed.
Enrichment activities enhanced student engagement and a sense of belonging in our community with a number of clubs running during lunch times. Examples of these were the SoJust group focusing on social justice and environmental issues and awareness raising; Book Club and Maker Space in the Learning Commons, which is always a buzz with activities and a welcoming space for all students; Drama Club; Art Club and sporting teams provided students with various opportunities. Student-led initiatives, such as our first celebration of Harmony Week, helped to create an inclusive culture for our students.
The Wellbeing Hub and the Health Care Centre continued to be a valuable resource for students in 2023. Students were able to meet with psychologists or use the breakout space to help regulate themselves before returning to classes. Our nurses, as always, provided invaluable support to students throughout the year.
We began the full implementation of RULER in 2023, a Yale University Social-Emotional Learning Program. Effective tools implemented as part of this were the Mood Meter in Years 7-9, the Blueprint to assist students in reflecting and regulating behaviour, and lessons for managing emotions included in the pastoral program. Staff attended RULER professional learning in addition to our regular compliance training on Mandatory Reporting.
Finally, The College Uniform was reviewed in 2023, with input from all stakeholders including students, parents and staff. Feedback was provided via surveys, and our focus group indicated the need for a uniform that was more comfortable, provided variety, and supported body positivity. The review was conducted with the aim of ensuring all students feel comfortable in the uniforms so they can focus on their learning more readily. The new uniform provider satisfied these requests, as well as ensuring fabrics were natural and sustainable and lower cost to families.
Value Added
The RULER program was introduced to the Year 7-9 pastoral program and staff worked on embedding the language and RULER habits. RULER is an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning (SEL) developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. The program is designed to help students in schools, develop their emotional intelligence skills. The focus in 2023 was implementing lessons into the pastoral program, as well as
developing a school wide Charter to be implemented in 2024 and is linked to the school wide behaviour policy.
The RULER Blueprint was also implemented to support students to reflect on issues when they arose at school. The Blueprint allows students to reflect on their own behaviour, as well as others and develop strategies for how they might manage the situation better next time.
What does RULER stand for?
Recognizing Emotions: This component focuses on increasing individuals' awareness and recognition of emotions, both in themselves and in others. Students learn to identify different emotions accurately.
Understanding Emotions: Once emotions are recognised, the program teaches students to understand the causes and consequences of these emotions. This involves exploring the underlying reasons for emotions and how they influence behaviour and relationships.
Labelling Emotions: Students learn to accurately label their emotions using a rich emotional vocabulary. This helps students communicate their feelings effectively and understand the nuances between different emotions.
Expressing Emotions: This component emphasises healthy ways of expressing emotions. Students learn various strategies for expressing their feelings constructively, whether through verbal communication, writing, or other forms of expression.
Regulating Emotions: The final component focuses on developing skills to manage and regulate emotions effectively. This involves learning strategies for coping with difficult emotions, reducing stress, and maintaining emotional balance.
Elephant Ed presentations
Student wellbeing at Mater Christi College supports a sense of connectedness to the community. We seek to provide a safe, engaging and supportive environment for the development of students' spiritual, physical, social and emotional learning.
A diverse range of leadership opportunities enhances the students' sense of being valued, improves student communication and involvement and develops strong personal competencies. Student-led presentations at House, Middle School, Senior School and College assemblies showcase learning activities, cultural experiences and student involvement in a range of opportunities.
Continued monitoring of personal safety requirements, proactive social and personal development activities and an ongoing focus on rights and responsibilities reflects the
College's mission to develop 'informed and compassionate women of faith who will contribute freely and creatively in the affairs of society'.
Student Satisfaction
Student surveys indicated that most of our students feel safe at school, with a low number of students being concerned about anti-social behaviour and the majority looking forward to a return to regular on-site schooling.
Student satisfaction and engagement is qualitatively demonstrated through:
• Strong sense of belonging to school community
• Positive school attendance data
• High family attendance at Welcome Nights and Progress meetings
• Strong student participation in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities
• Regular use of the Learning Commons and Scholastica for after-school study when onsite
• Support for, and high level of participation in, opportunities such as Student Leadership selection processes, Student Leadership Certificate, Outreach Ministry activities, Tinnies for Vinnies and Mater Day activities
• Confidence to lead initiatives for fundraising, community service and raising broader school awareness of environmental and social justice concerns
Student Attendance
Electronic marking occurs at the commencement of Homegroup and every class. Teachers then report student attendance via the College network, enabling 'real time' roll marking. A Short Messaging Service (SMS) is then sent to parents/guardians when an unexplained absence occurs.
Years 9 - 12 Student Retention Rate
Years 9 to 12 Student Retention Rate 80.5%
Leadership
Goals & Intended Outcomes
Build leadership capacity to further develop a distributed leadership model throughout the College.
Achievements
In 2023, significant progress was made in this domain, focusing on several key areas. Firstly, there was a concerted effort to consolidate the new POL structure, ensuring the effective functioning of teams dedicated to supporting the College's core responsibilities, including the Teaching and Learning Exec, Wellbeing Exec, NCCD/Student Referral Team, Operations Team, and Future Students Team. Secondly, there was an emphasis on decentralizing decision-making processes, distributing responsibility across appropriate levels rather than centralising all decisions at the executive level. Thirdly, support for senior leadership, particularly the integration of two new Deputy Principals, was prioritised, with opportunities provided for them to act as principals during leave periods and ongoing coaching provided by Janine Stratford. Fourthly, Aimee Maxwell provided ongoing formation and support for leaders working in high-stress areas such as student wellbeing. Lastly, efforts were made to devise an appraisal model tailored for middle leaders, scheduled for implementation in the years 2024 and 2025.
Expenditure And Teacher Participation in Professional Learning
List Professional Learning undertaken in 2023
International Baccalaureate Australasia Conference
ASLA Biennial Conference
Knox Careers Group meeting
LaTrobe University Careers Advisors Annual Seminar
Secondary Faith and Mission Leaders Conference
National Teacher Certification
Dyscalculia and Maths PL
Creating an Authentic Convenant PL
PD in the Forest with Gould League
How to end vaping in your school
Daily Org Training
Simon Conference
Teacher's Toolkit VCE biology session 2
RE Network Meeting
Secondary RE Leaders Network - Term 2
Womens & Girls Breakfast celebrates First Nations Women in Sport
VCAA Exam supervisor training
ACER - Social Emotional Wellbeing Survey (SEW)
Vic Chinese Language Teacher Training Symposium
OELLEN School to Work Summit
The Legal Hub - Unit 4 VCE PL
Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) Passport to Democracy
VCAA webinar on SWL
Expenditure And Teacher Participation in Professional Learning
Chemistry Educators PLC
Communities of Practice Group Meeting
Delivery and Assessment Review
Getting Ready In Numeracy (GRIN) – Mathematics Intervention for secondary mathematics teachers and tutors
Be a Voice for Generations PL
VCAA NHT Multiple Choice Equating Training
AGSA Girls' Education Summit
First Series - AL: ChatGPT in the classroom
Science Discipline Day
VCAA NHT Pairwise Comparison Training
VET Careers Day
Understanding Pathological Demand Avoidance
Learning and Wellbeing Leaders meeting
Doing Theology: Engaging the Catholic Theological Tradition
VALA Annual Conference
Global Alliance on AI in schools
Info session for new qualification framework of delivery and assessment 2024
Boosting Student Motivation in the Languages Classroom
Evening with Uncle Murrundindi PL
VCE Outdoor Ed study design Unit 1 & 2
Assessment Literacy
National Teacher Certification
The Mackillop Institute - Power to kids
Expenditure And Teacher Participation in Professional Learning
VCE OES study design Unit 3 & 4
Neuroscience of Leadership
Emerging Technologies in Education
OHS for School Leaders workshop
Communities of Practice Group Meeting
RE Leaders Network meeting
OES Study design Nelson
VCAA Legal Studies study design
Learning Diversity Connect
Ticking Mind PL Unit 3 English
Contemporary Indigenous Theatre PL
Food Service Conference
Supporting the Learning of Students with Dyscalculia
VCE OES Implementation PL
Prevention, Intervention and Education: Toxic Online Behaviours
Differentiation ideas for 7 & 8 Maths
BooBook Education English Studies Conference
Preparing Students for Unit 3 & 4 Psychology Exam
Synergetic PL
EduTech Conference
Peer Support Program
STEM MAD Conference
VET Hospitality Conference
Chemistry Educators PLC
Expenditure And Teacher Participation in Professional Learning
Number of teachers who participated in PL in 2023 100 Average expenditure per teacher for PL $1240.00
Teacher Satisfaction
The first half of 2023 was a difficult in terms of the narrative in the community about teacher wellbeing and burnout. The legacy of COVID for families, students and staff, uncertainty surrounding the EBA, and staff shortages combined with some urgently needed local ICT infrastructure change to create issues for some staff. Our MACSSIS data reflected this general drop in satisfaction, with areas such as school climate, school leadership and psychological safety showing up as concerns. During the second half of the year we took steps to work through some of the concerns, as seen below.
In an effort to create predictability where we could, we focussed on listening to what was really happening and building relationships, two aspects which are central to our culture and identity. Sometimes this meant having to pull levers that we didn’t expect to have to – for example some of our Annual Action Plan goals were not achieved in 2023. We provided more support for teachers as they themselves were required to give more to students. We tried and I believe were ultimately successful in holding teachers gently to support them in the moment, while not compromising on the expectations we had of them as professionals. In Term 3 the principal called for nominations for a Staff Wellbeing Committee which met to clarify our understanding of “well-being at work” with the assistance of Amy Green’s “Teacher Wellbeing”. We continue to meet to explore the nexus between organisational and personal wellbeing.
Teacher Qualifications
