FROM THE COUNCIL

FROM THE COUNCIL

This year I have had the privilege of commencing in the role of Chair of Council. I’d like to thank Nita Peploe for her commitment during her time as Chair over the last five years and recognise her ongoing contribution as Deputy Chair.

Taking the role as Chair has afforded me even greater insight into the responsibility that the School Council has as St Hilda’s governing body. Our School has an enviable reputation as one of Western Australia’s leading educators and plays an important role in shaping young women’s lives. Ensuring the School continues to meet the needs of our community, remain financial sustainable and provide opportunities that help to close the gender equity gap is a role we take very seriously.

This year the School undertook market research across parents, staff and students to better understand how we can continue to evolve in line with contemporary expectations of education. This research has been analysed thoroughly at a Council level and we are pleased to see that this data has underpinned improvement plans across both the Junior School and Senior School campuses.

The strategic plan, St Hilda’s Reimagined, continues to be at the forefront of Council’s agenda. It was an honour to be acknowledged as having Australia’s best educational strategic plan at this year’s Australian Education Awards. Programs such as the ESSTEAM initiative demonstrate St Hilda’s commitment to exploring best-practice pedagogies, providing our students with the skills they will need on graduation.

The School continues to enjoy buoyant enrolment numbers which underpins our strong financial position. Prudent financial management over the past five years will allow us to reinvigorate our investment in our assets. This year the Yeagarup Campus, with the additional facilities to house up to 90 students, as well as indoor recreation areas and a camping site, was officially launched. It’s now being used by students from Years 5 to 9 for outdoor education and specialist camps and retreats. A continued review of the masterplan will give us greater scope to plan and invest in all three of our campuses for the future.

I’d like to thank my fellow Council members, the School Executive, as well as the academic and non-academic staff who have demonstrated enormous commitment and flexibility over the past year, particularly given the challenges we faced with COVID during the first semester. I wish everyone in our community a joyous Christmas and restful break and look forward to sharing the St Hilda’s journey with you next year.

Anna Casellas Chair of Council

We believed we needed to take a leadership position in supporting an education program and learning space of this calibre.