In this Newsletter:
- Principal’s message,
- A message from Ms Dunn,
- Safety around Duncraig Campus,
- Tips for parents at the beginning of a new school year,
- Setting your students up for success,
- Parents’ Series 2024 – Hot Topics: an invitation to our first event,
- Dates for your diary,
Principal’s Message
It’s been a wonderful – albeit very warm – start to 2024.
We are delighted to welcome a new group of Year 7 students to Secondary with all the energy, enthusiasm and potential they bring. Welcome back to all our returning students, and to any new families joining us for the first time. We also acknowledge our Year 12 students, the Class of 2024, and the important leadership role they play in our School community. May each of you carry a strong sense of the support of our community throughout this important year.
In our 40th year, we celebrate our shared history as one community across two campuses. In each of these forty years, generations of staff and students have contributed their own entries to the story of St Stephen’s School, and in this anniversary year together we will together create many more memories.
Our first whole of community event is our Night of Giving Thanks on Tuesday 26 March. Please mark this date in your diary and keep an eye out for booking details closer to the event. I hope to see you there as we celebrate and give thanks for the many blessings with which our School has been graced.
Until then, take care,
Donella Beare
Ms Dunn’s Digest
Welcome back to all returning families, and a very special welcome to students and families joining our community for the first time. I am always extremely grateful to our St Stephen’s School community, the positive support we receive and share with students, parents and the broader community. This was showcased at our annual Year 12 Ball held on 25 January and we look forward to all the great things 2024 will bring through the year.
Over the next few weeks there will be a number of events to provide an opportunity to meet current families and staff. Please check the school calendar for these and other events throughout the year.
A quick reminder that students are to wear their summer uniform in Term 1. The Uniform Shop is open on Tuesdays 8am-4pm and Thursdays 1pm-4pm.
Like most schools, St Stephen’s School has drop-off/pick-up areas that become extremely busy, particularly before and after school. The safety of students, staff, parents and visitors is our priority so please, make use of the drop-off zones to minimise congestion and please avoid stopping for long periods to keep traffic flowing. We also ask parents not to drive through the staff carpark to drop students as it delays bus drop offs and staff parking.
Technology is changing rapidly, and the use of e-scooters and other electric rideable devices are being used for commuting and recreational purposes. New rules have now been introduced to keep e-riders and other West Australian road users safe. Please have a look at the Road Safety Commission website for information related to e-rideables and young people.
Please familiarise yourself and your child with the following rules to maximise safety for everybody in our community with all transport options to and from school – Student Transport Options
Take care,
Rosemarie Dunn – Head of Campus
Did you know that it’s illegal* to park on the verge?
It surprised us too, but we’ve done some research recently after a number of complaints from local residents regarding vehicles parked on verges during school pick up and drop off times. Unfortunately, a number of residents have reported damage to their property due to parking by members of our School community. The City have let us know that they will be increasing their parking patrols during peak times so please work with us to restore our relationship with our neighbours and ensure you do not receive a parking infringement. We understand that pick up and drop off times can be stressful for everyone concerned, so please consider coming a little later for pick up or slightly earlier for drop off to avoid the busiest times. Thanks for your support in making ours a safe environment for our whole community.
* Clause 42(2) of the City of Joondalup Parking Local Law 1998. This law prevents motorists from parking on a road verge without the adjoining property occupant’s consent.
Tips for parents at the beginning of a new year
The beginning of a new academic year brings new experiences for each of our students. Work at school will be different from earlier years. Perhaps the content is more difficult, the workload greater or the time constraints tighter.
Friendship groups change, relationships can become complex and as a result, it is important that parents and carers provide support for our students, addressing these changes not with anxiety, fear or apprehension but rather address the experiences head on as challenges and opportunities to grow.
We know that a safe and supportive home life, where health and wellbeing are encouraged, is paramount in helping to provide a solid foundation on which students can prepare for academic success. Here are a few hints that might assist you to support your children throughout this year.
All the best,
Russell Gilchrist, Deputy Head of Secondary – Care
Setting your students up for success
Embarking on a new school year provides an excellent opportunity to establish meaningful goals for personal and academic growth. By helping your child set goals for their school year, they can focus and you can help them shape the kind of student they aspire to become. Goals should be SMART:
SPECIFIC: Encourage your child to avoid vague goals like ‘I want to do better in Maths’. Instead be detailed. Exactly what do you want to achieve?
MEASUREABLE: Have a way to measure progress. Define clear indicators that signal achievement, enabling your child to track success along the way. This could involve setting specific targets such as ‘I want to achieve a ‘B’ grade level in all my in-class assessments’.
ACTION-ORIENTED: Create short-term goals that outline the action steps needed, such as ‘I will set up a study plan by the end of this week.’
RELEVANT and REALISTIC: Goals change, so if the goal is no longer relevant, it needs to change. Stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone but don’t be unrealistic.
TIME-BASED: Have a ‘to complete by’ date to aim for.
You can help your child frame their goals in a positive and success-focused manner. Instead of focusing on what they want to avoid or improve, emphasise the positive outcomes you aim to achieve. A positive growth mindset fosters resilience, optimism, and a greater likelihood of success.
Dr Liz Criddle
Deputy Head of Secondary – Teaching and Learning
Parents’ Hot Topics 2024 – Learn more about our pastoral care system in our first session
In 2024, we are introducing a series of parent seminars entitled “Hot Topics”.
Feedback from our parents/guardians through our satisfaction surveys has indicated interest in more opportunities for parents to be involved in the life of the school. While this has been challenging between 2020 and 2022, we are excited to re-engage with parents in our 40th anniversary year. “Hot Topics” will be a practical series, covering a variety of contemporary issues in K – 12 education, providing you with an opportunity to grow your understanding of our philosophy and response to a range of current educational issues. The first “Hot Topic” will look at our approach to contemporary K-12 pastoral care. Incorporating our Six Pillars of Care, this seminar will have an emphasis on our IGNITE pastoral program, and will be presented by members of our leadership team, our Deans and other members of our pastoral care support team.
Each Term we’ll address a different “Hot Topic” and alternate between or a morning or afternoon session.
Tickets are free but booking is essential – click here to reserve your seats.
Dates for your diary
Remember you can always visit the St Stephen’s School calendar for key dates
- 20 February – Parent Series “Hot Topic”: The Six Pillars of Care at St Stephen’s School
- 21 – 23 February – Year 8 camp
- 21 – 23 February – Year 7 camp
- 26 March – St Stephen’s School Night of Giving Thanks