Leadership

One of St Catherine’s School’s greatest strengths is our approach to educating and nurturing the whole child. As we prepare young girls for their futures, we do so with a clear understanding that learning takes place both within

From the Chair of Council

From the Principal

our academic programs and through lived experiences outside the classroom. In 2022, it has been wonderful to see the return of St Catherine’s diverse co-curricular program, after two years of COVID cancellations. This year, as a School community we have witnessed amazing individual and team achievements from our St Catherine’s girls. Our First Eight Rowing Crew, now the fastest schoolgirls VIII in the world, our Snowsports Teams crowned National and State Champions, our Senior Hockey Team are GSV Champions, our A Grade Team 2 reached the Quarter Finals of the DAV Schools’ Competition and our musicians displayed exceptional performances at our Gala Concert. We also embrace the opportunity to immerse our students once more in study tours, exchanges, and adventure camps, providing them a wide range of opportunities to extend their cultural understanding, broaden perspectives and enhance their personal awareness. This year, St Catherine’s School also officially opened The Jamie and Rebecca Gray Theatre, providing an outstanding, specialised venue for our Performing Arts students that complements the professionalism and standard of performances by St Catherine’s

We have dedicated this Spring Edition of St Catherine’s News as a celebration of the engagement in our co-curricular programs this year.

Whilst St Catherine’s was applauded for ensuring an exemplary continuation of our academic learning programs throughout the lockdown periods, I always remained personally concerned about the loss of participation in other activities. Across the globe, the COVID pandemic stole a generation of children away from their school camps, netball games and music concerts. Re-creating a ‘culture of participation’ was defined as a key focus for the School this year. Indeed, St Catherine’s is in a unique position to encourage girls to believe in their capacity to step into new activities, and by embracing our small school size, girls are always selected, and girls always lead. Over almost a decade at St Catherine’s, I feel fortunate to witness, time and again, girls participating in Sport, Performing Arts, Chess, Debating and outdoor education pursuits that act as fuel for learning – stimulating creative thought, improving self-confidence, leadership, and organisational skills, and importantly, developing students’ talents, self-discipline and offering opportunities to pursue lifelong interests. Such activities have tremendous educational importance for the positive wellbeing and all-round development of every child. With the noted post-pandemic decline in teen mental health and wellbeing across Melbourne, I have been interested to learn of the studies referencing the changing behaviours of Icelandic teenagers as means to improving their wellbeing. In the mid-90s, Icelandic teenagers were among the heaviest drinkers and smokers in Europe. Today, Iceland tops European countries for the healthiest lifestyles for

students, highlighted during the Senior School production of Urinetown, the Concerto Concert and Years 7&8 Musical Curious Comedies.

Following the successful completion of The Jamie and Rebecca Gray Theatre, Phase three of the Dorothy Pizzey Centre redevelopment has commenced to deliver a high-performance Sports Centre for our students. I am uplifted by the stories of individual pursuit, teamwork and the St Catherine’s spirit showcased within this edition of St Catherine’s News. We truly are a remarkable School with a remarkable community at its heart.

Ms Jane Hodder Chair of Council

teenagers (13-year-olds)! The research concluded that engaging young people in dance, music, drawing or sport, creates a biochemical process in the brain, proved to be a significant and healthy solution to reducing stress. Co-curricular activities have also been shown to enhance problem-solving, enable expression of emotion, increase adaptability, and contribute to the development of interpersonal skills (Fares et al., 2016). They also relate to the development of self-regulatory mechanisms underpinning psychological and social outcomes, which is of particular importance to this age group as they transition into adult roles (Guilmette et al., 2019). Exercise is widely recognised as a major contributor to health and wellness. We know if girls are physically active, they will be healthier, happier, have higher self-esteem and body confidence. So too are the benefits of participating in creative activities, including music, which is known to reduce anxiety and significantly improve wellbeing. With the reimagination of the Dorothy Pizzey Centre commencing this year, our Performing Arts students have relished the opportunity to sing, dance and act in our new contemporary Black Box Theatre; The Jamie and Rebecca Gray Theatre. The next phase of the re-development will include a contemporary indoor sports court, a dedicated High-Performance Training Studio, inclusive of a fit-for-purpose ergometer training area, and a Little Gym housing our PMP and Tumbling programs for the enjoyment of our younger students. Undoubtedly, creating a culture of participation is instrumental to the success of St Catherine’s Sport Programs, with no better example than the historic win by our 2022 First VIII at the Henley Royal Regatta. In my 30 years of education, I have never known one activity to reach so deeply into a school community, uniting generations of St Catherine’s families with a sense of pride that was mirrored widely in educational sectors across Australia. Indeed, the Henley winning experience has connected and inspired our St Catherine’s community, and become a lesson in dedication, striving for one’s goals, believing in oneself and the collective effort of a team for us all.

I trust you will enjoy St Catherine’s News, an edition that reflects the School’s endeavour and success in re-creating a culture in which being active and participating in the life of our School is valued and treasured.

Michelle Carroll Principal

Fares, J., Saadeddin, Z., Al Tabosh, H., Aridi, H., El Mouhayyar, C., Koleilat, M. K., et al. (2016). Extracurricular activities associated with stress and burnout in preclinical medical students. J. Epidemiol. Glob. Health 6, 177–185. doi: 10.1016/j. jegh.2015.10.003 Guilmette, M., Mulvihill, K., Villemaire-Krajden, R., and Barker, E. T. (2019). Past and present participation in extracurricular activities is associated with adaptive self-regulation of goals, academic success, and emotional wellbeing among university students. Learn. Individ. Differ. 73, 8–15. doi: 10.1016/j.lindif.2019.04.006