From the Principal's Desk
Dear Parents & Guardians,
Even with the challenges that this year has presented, where possible, we have made every effort to keep the school moving forward, even with limited opportunities for meetings and professional development for staff. One aspect that we have put considerable effort into this year has been the review of our School Vision and Mission. The Vision for the school is like a big umbrella that sits over the school. It keeps us focused on our core purpose as a Catholic school in the parish of Camden. The Mission Statement is like the engine that powers the car and gets the vehicle from A to B. The destination is the Vision, the Mission is how we get there. This was taken to our one and only P and F meeting since COVID19 impacted for ratification and feedback. We have taken on the advice from the P and F and now present to you in this newsletter the final draft.
In addition to this, the Year 6 student leaders worked through a process to enliven our school motto; “ Truth, Love, Faith”, which is actually the Mission for the children. It outlines clearly how they work towards our St Paul’s School Vision in their day to day life at St Paul’s Catholic Primary School. The student leaders then prepared a presentation and went to each class to deliver it’s content last term. I will include their work in the next newsletter.
This was a significant task for them to organise and they approached it with great enthusiasm. I saw this as a great opportunity for them to learn about leadership and the complexities it entails. Their selflessness must be commended, not only in exercising the task they were given, but also in their determination to make this activity succeed for the good of all the students. Mrs Debrincat gave leadership to this initiative and has done a remarkable job in leading the whole school through this process.
The following thought is something the students learned from this exercise and I think is a good reminder for us all as we move into the silly season leading up to Christmas, full of deadlines and too many meetings and functions to attend.
Know the difference between
being efficient and effective.
Efficiency is doing things right.
Effectiveness is doing the right things.
Both are important; don’t sacrifice
effectiveness for efficiency.
Go gently,
Michael Reardon
Principal
VISION STATEMENT
Our vision at St Paul’s Catholic Primary School is:
With Jesus as our model; in the tradition of St Paul and
St Mary MacKillop, we strive to provide an education
that challenges and encourages all to reach their full
potential. We do this in partnership with our families, the
parish and the wider community. We are committed to
our school motto of ‘Truth, Love, Faith.’
MISSION STATEMENT
Members of our St Paul’s school community work in partnership to maintain a Catholic Environment which:
- is committed to the development of the whole person
- promotes successful learning within a safe and respectful environment
- is characterised by inclusiveness and cooperation
- brings to life the Gospel Values and the teachings of Jesus Christ.