Student Programs

Strength to Lead CURIOSITY TO EXPLORE

To be open to personal growth and learning, our girls must take positive risks, explore the world with curiosity and lead with personal strength.

St Catherine’s School offers a variety of co-curricular programs and experiences supporting students to reach their full potential. Through experiential learning students build on their academic knowledge and critical thinking skills to become: • Resilient, persistent, and responsible • Global citizens with cultural empathy • Confident and aspirational leaders To achieve this our Her Signature co-curricular program provides students opportunities to guide their experiences through a wide selection of valuable learning outside the classroom. Through this our girls take on more personal responsibility for their choices and skill acquisition and create opportunities for self-reflection, intrinsic goal setting and self-knowing. Through these experiences our students find their identities, passions, and confidence.

“Ownership of their own experiential learning process empowers learners to do far more than an external person – whether a parent, a teacher, or a friend – can accomplish. More than just a way to learn, experiential learning is a way of being and living that permeates all aspects of a person’s life,” Trinh, Mai. (2019)

Year 12 students, Ciara Jenkins, Arabella

Llewelyn, and Sarah Marriott share their insights into finding themselves through co-curricular experiences below. How has the Her Signature program shaped your growth, learning and sense of identity?

“I think from Year 7, when my sense of identity was malleable, to now, my immersion in the co-curricular program has solidified who I am, what I like and the kind of person I want to be. I think it has reinforced to me repeatedly how important it is to push myself beyond my comfort zone, try new things and give my best at whatever I am doing.”

CIARA JENKINS, HOLMES KILBRIDE HOUSE CO-CAPTAIN

“Having the broad variety of co-curricular clubs available assisted in my growth.

I was able to think about what I was truly passionate about. When joining the Environment Club, I learnt about the ways individuals and organisations can make a difference to the environmental challenges facing society. This recognition of my passion has been monumental, as it has opened my eyes to what career path I want to pursue and provided me with a multitude of skills, including public speaking, teamwork, work ethic and extensive environmental knowledge.”

ARABELLA LLEWELYN, ENVIRONMENT CAPTAIN

“It is no secret that Rowing is timeconsuming and demands discipline!

Although we come together in one boat with one purpose – to make it go fast, this does not mean we are all the same. This season has shaped my growth and learning of acceptance, faith, and respect in conjunction with time management and thinking of others and their needs. Fortunately, I have been able to use the discipline I learnt through my rowing experiences into my academics which assisted me with

my workload.” SARAH MARRIOTT, FIRST VIII ROWING CREW, DAVIS HOUSE CO-CAPTAIN

When students in Year 12 reflect on their experiences at St Catherine’s, their insight into their own learning is invaluable. The depth of reflection in the girls’ responses and their clear sense of purpose for their futures is clear. Thank you, Ciara, Arabella, and Sarah, for your insights.

Mrs Gina Peele Deputy Principal – School Operations

Reference: Trinh, Mai. (2019). Learning Identity, Flexibility, and Lifelong Experiential Learning.