Connectedness to learning
The return of Prep, Year 1, Year 11 and Year 12 students to onsite learning this week has brought joy to students, staff and families alike and testifies to the importance of connectedness to learning. Even while at-home learning has been and is in place, St Peters staff have worked hard to maintain connectedness in the interests of the wellbeing and learning or our young people and I applaud the efforts of staff to do so.
I must also extend my gratitude to the parent community for the responsible manner in which you have approached the operational requests of the College. Respecting drop off and pick up guidelines provides safeguards for staff and students as we seek to minimise adult presence on site. This is very important.
It may have been more tempting this week to send students in Years 2 to 10 back to school but, again, parents have been responsible and have held to the plan to continue at-home learning with the exception for essential workers and vulnerable students as per government guidelines. This has been of great assistance to staff as it allows them to maintain the quality and level of service for at-home learning.
A point of joy at the end of last week was seeing staff begin to set up their work spaces in the new Junior High Precinct which you will have seen a few images of on social media. At the end of last term, international leader in educational innovation and learning environments, Professor Stephen Heppell, visited St Peters Springfield and toured our existing facilities and the new building. He is not easily impressed, but he described the Junior High Precinct as the best new building he has seen in Australia. He was very attentive to the acoustics and the light and air quality throughout the building as these are foundational to effective learning. He was most impressed with all these. Professor Heppell considers it to be a ‘fabulous building for learning’. We are thankful to McLellan Bush Architects for their design and management and Evans Built, for their quality construction work.
We now look forward to our Junior High students returning so they can begin to enjoy this new learning environment. Our Year 11 and 12 Engineering and Digital Solutions students are already enjoying the iSTEAM laboratory and flexible learning area though Ms Baessler is still busily moving in and setting up this space.
On a completely different matter, those who have ventured into the Parent and Visitor Carpark will have noticed that we now have a wider entrance which will reduce risk at peak times. Anyone crossing to or from the central parking area must use a crossing in the interests of safety. It is important for adults to be setting the right example for our young people – it is all part of the educational process.
While we are not all professional educators we are all educators. As parents, it is first and foremost our God-given responsibility to educate our children. We do so by seeking the support of schools which support the values, qualities and capabilities we want to see instilled in and developed in our children. While there is a refreshed appreciation for the work of teachers, there should also be a refreshed appreciation for our collective task, in partnership and community, as educators of our children.
May God bless and keep you all safely.
Craig Schmidt
Principal
