Hero photograph
 
Photo by Brendan Biggs

Chairman of The Board

Andy Steel —

I am pleased to report that from a governance perspective the school is thriving.

At a proprietorship and governance level, as 2021 progressed our need to embed the Edmund Rice charism upon which our College is founded has become even more important. Our charism is a central aspect to what is special about our school and your Board’s commitment to social justice, cultural diversity and restorative practice is unwavering.

I realise restorative practices may be a new concept to parents and caregivers as they first engage with the school. Pastoral issues are stressful for all and time consuming for staff. A restorative approach is not a “soft” approach. It is quite the opposite. It is the most effective approach to reach a long-term resolution for all parties. I acknowledge Mr O’Brien and the pastoral team for their tireless work in this area.

The school has entered the new Ministry of Education review regime whereby the Ministry works alongside schools continuously rather than the previous up to 5-year periodic review. We have a good working relationship with our education review officer and feedback on the school’s compliance and achievement to date has been positive.

The school has also this year completed a Catholic Special Character Review. The growing closeness of the school to our local parish is pleasing and I thank Mr Kennedy and Father Michael Therese Scheerger for their involvement in the school’s faith community. It is important that this relationship continues to flourish.

A safe environment for the staff and students to grow and develop and the improvement of educational outcomes are the priority for where resourcing is placed, noting that education comes in many forms from the heart to the mind, inside and outside the classroom. There are always financial pressures on the school but that is common for state integrated schools. Your Board thanks you for your financial contributions without which the school could simply not function.

As with all school years there are challenges, but these are significantly outweighed by successes. The school’s success across the entire schooling life continues to be impressive. I feel it is no longer a case that we “punch above our weight”. A high level of achievement has now become an expectation. That does not detract from the fact that we should all be proud of, and celebrate, the school’s achievements.

During these trying and uncertain times the school is where students and staff can feel a sense of community. It is important the school is a lot more than just a place of teaching and learning. As government COVID announcements are made, at sometimes short notice and with potentially dramatic impact on our daily lives, that sense of community manages to prevail. The reason it does so is due to the school’s staff.

This vibrant environment is led by our principal, Mr Hart. I wish to thank Mr Hart for his commitment to each and every staff member and student. He has the interests of you all in mind as he leads the school. We are very fortunate to have someone of Mr Harts ability and passion as principal. His commitment feeds down to all staff from the Senior Leadership Team to non-teaching staff to create an environment to excel, even during periods of lockdown. The commitment of all staff to our young men cannot be underestimated or taken for granted. They all do an amazing job.

We do not know what, if any, restrictions we will face over the holiday season. Despite that I hope that you all have an opportunity to take a break from work and study and enjoy the company of those close to you during the holiday season. Keep safe.

Nāku nā

Andy Steel

Presiding Member STC Board