From the School Council

Trinity provides a supportive community within which our young people can strive to achieve a sense of purpose and agency – and they can have a lot of fun too!

Living life to its fullest

One of the first teaching roles that I had back in the late 1970s was in a government school located in a community north of Perth. Many of the students came from families who were experiencing significant social and economic disadvantage. A number of them would arrive at school in the morning without breakfast and having had little sleep. Before they could even begin to think about schoolwork, they would need to be fed. It would be reasonable to say that for many, school was the stable centre of their lives: it was the community where they felt safe, where they connected positively with others and where they were valued as individuals.

Unsurprisingly, therefore, it was this formative experience that impressed upon me the importance of schools – all schools – in providing models for positive community. Underpinning this view was a particular theory I had studied at university with which I am sure many of you will be familiar: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

A conceptual idea first proposed in 1943, Maslow’s Hierarchy is a simple five step psychological model designed to represent the different and particular needs that Maslow felt should be fulfilled if an individual is to be ‘self-actualised’ – that is, capable of living life to its full potential as a human being. The model has been challenged for its simplicity and for the inherent assumption that one level of the hierarchy must be completely achieved before being able to progress to the next.

Nevertheless, Maslow’s model has been a very useful tool in assisting schools. Young people cannot be effective learners unless their physical needs are attended to and that they feel safe; a sense of self and purpose cannot be generated unless an individual feels a confident identity within a broader social context. I have always felt, however, that Maslow’s model – by the very nature of its hierarchical structure – undervalues the critical importance of the collective, or communities, in ensuring that fundamental needs of the individual – physiological and safety – are initially met. There is an organic and dynamic interrelationship between the three hierarchical levels – physiological, safety and social connections – that challenges false segmentation.

And for me, too, it is community – with its shared identity and common values – that provides both the cultural framework and practical support that enables individuals to flourish.

Of course, within this, it is the values – the things that matter, the things that are of critical importance – that are the heart of a community’s culture.

At Trinity, I would suggest, we are very clear about what matters, what our values are:

• We believe in the importance of truth and in seeking what is right;

• We understand that we should honour the importance of service in our community and be generous and compassionate by putting others first;

• We know that we should act with courage in endeavouring to always be our best;

• We recognise that connecting and learning together enables us to build relationships and connections, and enhances inclusion, belonging and engagement in a cohesive community.

One of the primary functions of the School Council is to ensure that every decision made for and on behalf of Trinity is consistent with these values and aligned with the school’s culture. Protecting what matters at Trinity is Council’s core responsibility.

Certainly, Council has many fiduciary responsibilities too. It is the Board of Directors of Trinity and must ensure that the school complies with all the relevant legislation and is responsibly and effectively run as a large not-forprofit enterprise – and this covers everything from oversight of the teaching, learning and caring programs, to the financial side of the organisation, to the MasterPlan for the built form, to assuring the continuing quality and excellence of the school staff.

Council is also responsible – in conjunction with the school’s Senior Leadership Team and the broader community – for establishing and sustaining the school’s strategic direction. This work has been ongoing for the past 18 months, despite the interruptions of the pandemic.

And, finally, and in some ways perhaps most importantly, Council is responsible for selecting, appointing, and then supporting the Principal in leading the school community.

I am pleased to say that Trinity has an extraordinary School Council, each one of whom brings with them a breadth of governance experience and professional expertise. All have a passion and commitment to the school and give unstintingly of their time; all are volunteers. I encourage you to follow the following link below to see the details of our School Council:

trinity.vic.edu.au/school-council

Eighty years ago, Maslow described a linear model to represent his perception of an individual’s hierarchy of needs. As I have suggested though, I do not believe that any individual can adequately meet their needs in isolation; they can only do so in a supportive community. Trinity is such a community, one in which our young people can strive to achieve a sense of purpose and agency in the world, vested in the values that sit at the heart of our culture.

Simon Gipson OAM

Chair of School Council