Santa Clara School Newsletter

Term 2, Week 10 - Friday, 21st June 2024

Principal Update

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Dear Parents & Caregivers,

Well, I kind of cannot believe it. This will be my last newsletter post as Principal of this special place. While I am extremely sad to be leaving a place that has meant so much to me, a place that has shaped who I am as a person, I am forever grateful for the people and many experiences that I have had.

At the start of my Principalship here, I shared a quote that I received from a mentor Principal mate of mine. This guy influences me a lot. He seems to be pretty level headed and so dedicated to being the best person he can be. He has played a big part in who I have become, not just as an educator but also as a person. Maybe I should tell him this more often, so that he knows how much I look up to him. Anyway, this is the quote that he gave me on my first day as a Principal.

I have definitely been challenged this during my time as Principal but I have enjoyed each an every minute. The one thing I have come to realise is the grass is always greener on my side. This is mainly due to you all, the people that make up this great community. I thank God for the people, past and present, that have surrounded me at Santa Clara; the students, staff and parents. You all tend to want the same thing that I have wanted and what has driven me, for our school to be the best that it can be. I am certain this will continue next semester and beyond.

How good is it to have footy back on TV? I love the opportunity to sit down for a few hours on the weekend and watch the Eagles with my girls, although they aren’t doing too well at the moment. I was talking about this with my Principal mate at a recent PD day I attended and he mentioned that Ikigai also relates to footy, by embracing the good times and challenges. He is a bit deep like that!

The next day he emailed me this quote, 'Embrace the glorious mess that you are,' as he knew I was busy with finalising reports and loose ends before the semester closes. I have made this quote connect with my understanding of Ikigai. Every conversation and interaction I have with students, staff and parents, I keep kindness and compassion at my core. This can become difficult when challenges, both personal and professional, make our lives a bit messy. I am not saying it is easy, but we need to accept our challenges. My parents have always told me, God gives you what you can handle. With this mindset, I tend to find pressure eases and I see the big picture.

Throughout my time here, there have been plenty of times I have felt overwhelmed with some of my challenges. I tend to shut down a bit and go quiet, which isn’t good for me or those around me. However, as I get older and becoming more confident in the role, I tend to focus on the present, on that very moment which makes me feel better and takes the pressure off. Don’t get me wrong, there have been plenty of failures where feelings of anxiety make me less tolerant of myself and others. But this is why I love Ikigai and embracing the messiness. It makes you realise what is important and brings you back to who you are and what you stand for.

When I started my role as Principal here at Santa Clara I reflected on this quote. The past four and a half years in the role have meant many decisions needing to be made. Some of these decisions may be well accepted by the community while others may be questioned, however, my driving force is being true to who I am as a person. Fr Chris told me at the start of my time here, if there is no malice in your decision making, you are doing the right thing. My mentor also reminds me, that as I gain more experience as a Principal and person, the need to prove myself diminish as that is not what life is about. Instead, it is about the seeing the big picture and being true to yourself and the people you lead. I am getting better at this, although the ‘worrier’ still creeps in at times. During my time here, I hope I have instilled in the kids and staff the need to give your full self to all you do and to embrace the messiness. Getting it wrong and making a mistake is ok as it actually leads to further learning

Every morning as traffic comes to standstill on Tonkin Highway, I have asked myself:

What am a grateful for?
Who do I serve today?
What am I excited about today?

These questions ground me and make me focus on Clint, with all his strengths and flaws and what we have achieved here at Santa Clara. You all, students, staff and parents inspired me each day. There is so much goodness in this community and I have felt that each interaction I have had with you is a gift, that I am the luckiest Principal ever to have a place like this shape me as a leader and person!

I wish you all nothing but joy and goodness for the future. This place will continue to shine like it is meant to and I am so grateful to have spent time here. Over the break embrace the messiness and enjoy the time with your kids. No pressure, just good times. And seriously, look at the photos above! How good does this place look? It truly represents what these beautiful kids and families deserve when they come through our gates.

Staffing Update

Commencing next term, Mr Andrew Gaudoin will take on the Principal role for the remainder of the 2024 scholastic year. Mrs Denise Grech will continue in her Assistant Principal role, however, she will be full-time in the office as she will be leading the Catholic Identity, Education, Community and Stewardship pillars and supporting Mr Gaudoin.

To ensure the continuity of our intervention program, Mrs Michelle Kinsman will step down from her current role in Kindy and Year 2 and take on the role of delivering support to our students.

Mrs Jennifer Steven will also finish up at the end of Week One next term as she embarks on a new journey with her family. We are excited for Mrs Steven and wish her the very best. At this stage, Mrs Steven will return in 2025.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of our new Education Assistants who will commence their roles in Term Three. Congratulations to:

Mrs Jennifer Dunham who will be working in Year 1 and 2
Mrs Ratna Santoso who will be working in Kindy, and
Miss Melissa Araya who will be working on Mondays and Tuesdays in Year 2

Semester One Reports

I would like to thank both staff and parents/caregivers for their ongoing commitment to our children here at Santa Clara School. The connection between home and school is something I am truly grateful for.

When you go through your child’s report next week, I encourage you to celebrate with your child their achievements and set goals for them moving into Semester Two. A reminder, the Interim Reports will be released online via SEQTA, no Reports will be printed.

I would like to congratulate all our students for their efforts for the first half of the year and encourage them to .

Term Three

Our Term Three will commence on Monday, 15 July 2024. Term Three was once the quiet term, but not anymore! Please look through the calendar for dates for our upcoming events including our Book Fair, Open Night, Confirmation and Athletics Carnival.

Please note, our next Pupil Free Day is Friday, 28 June 2024.

As we end the semester, I would like to thank everyone for their continued support and care. The imperfections we have all embraced has meant kindness and compassion is always at the forefront of our conversations and interactions with each other. I hope you and your family enjoy the break and find those special moments to build memories that are everlasting.

Once again, thank you all for your personal support as your Principal, and most importantly your friendship. As a community Santa Clara will continue to shine. I cannot express how much I am going to miss the parents/caregivers, the staff, and most importantly, the kids. You are all a massive piece to my life puzzle.

Goodness and blessings your way.

Clinton Payne

Principal

Assistant Principal News

Lightening Carnival - Year 6

Last Friday 14 June, students in Year 6 took part in the annual Winter Sports Carnival. Student played netball and soccer throughout this day. The students tried their best and play with great sportsmanship!

Mr Payne’s Farewell Assembly, Morning Tea and Burgers

As you are aware that Mr Payne is leaving at the end of Term 2. There are a few events planned to wish him farewell. On Wednesday 26 June, Mr Payne would like to organise a burger (as this is his favourite food) for all the students from Kindy to Year 6. The P&F have kindly offered to fund this for the students. In addition, students can wear their favourite sneakers next Wednesday as we all know that Mr Payne loves his Jordans!

On Thursday 27 June, the Year 6 students will put on a short assembly for Mr Payne followed by a morning tea. Please RSVP using the link https://trybooking.com/CSFBB by today for catering purposes.

Reports - SEQTA Engage

Please note that Mid Semester Reports will be sent out via the SEQTA Engage app next Thursday 27 June. If you have not set up your app, please do so as a matter of urgency as reports will not be printed.

Have a lovely weekend!

Kind regards

Mrs Denise Grech and Mr Andrew Gaudoin

Assistant Principals