Author: marie.hoy

Farewell to Term 3

marie.hoy / / 2023

In this Newsletter:

  • Principal’s message,
  • A message from Ms Dunn,
  • Secondary Highlights,
  • Parental Guidance,
  • Notice Board,

Principal’s Message

The best part of my job is acknowledging student endeavors, and this term we have had an extraordinary number of opportunities to recognise and celebrate the skills, achievements and commitment of our students. We have honoured the contributions of our athletes and our artists, our musicians, our actors, our film makers and our student leaders. I look forward to celebrating the year’s academic achievements at our various Presentation Evenings next term. I may be accused of bias, but I am constantly amazed and impressed by the strength of character, humility and sheer talent of our young people. 

It is an especially poignant week as we say goodbye to the Class of 2023. I am so proud to see how each of them has grown and developed over the years and look forward to learning of their progress as they go on to the next stage in their lives. For now, we wish all our 12s well as they complete exams, assessments and their certificate training requirements. As ever, our thoughts and prayers are with you all.   

God Bless,
Donella Beare

Ms Dunn’s Digest

You know that feeling, particularly at the end of a busy term, when there’s a storm brewing. Tempers feel fragile and ready to shatter with a wrong look or word or when you take a deep breath out instead of a deep breath in. 

Teens read emotion from the amygdala. The amygdala is the fight or flight response part of the brain and when it’s on, it will tend to interpret neutral emotion more often as negative. When it reads a threat, it will organise to fight it (argue) or flee it (ignore, be silent). 

 In that space, there will be little to do but wait until they’re ready to step out of the ring. To do this, let them know you’re there, without trying to change them in that moment, ‘I know you’re really angry at me/sad/scared. I want to understand what’s happening for you, but I can’t do that while you’re …. I’m here for you when you’re ready to talk.’ 

 When we respond with empathy it helps big emotions become more manageable and safer to let go of.  When we are open, often without realising it, we have one hand on the amygdala, soothing it gently to calm and maintain that safe presence – eventually.   

That’s not to say not joining in the fight or waiting it out is easy. Both will take the strength of a warrior.  It’s a time of learning and growth and patience for all of us.   Please take the time to refresh, recharge and reconnect over the school break. 

Take care,

Rosemarie Dunn – Head of Campus

Farewell to Pippa Travaglione, Head of Learning Area – The Arts

At the end of Term 3 we say a fond goodbye to Pippa Travaglione as she moves to Scotch College in Term 4. Thanks to Drama teacher, Teegan Dean, for sharing an excerpt from her poetic farewell here.

In the realm of arts, she held the reins,
A visionary leader with creative gains.
Head of Department, she guided with grace,
leaving a mark none can erase.

So, let’s raise a toast to journeys anew,
to horizons uncharted, skies so blue.
Your time here, etched in stories we tell,
Farewell, dear leader, in arts you’ve cast a spell. 

Secondary Highlights

Term 3 has been an incredibly busy one!
After some fantastic individual and team performances Carana came through as the stand-out winners of the Inter-House Music Festival. We’re incredibly proud of our athletics team for coming second overall in the ACC B Division with the boys taking out the overall shield! Swingin’ at St Stephen’s in partnership with WAYJO was a tear-away success with our Swing Band blowing everyone away with their soulful performances. 

Our Cert IV Business students impressed with a variety of products including next-gen fitness tracking rings, GPS-enabled golf balls and sleek solar powered camp kitchens at the Marketing Expo. We also recognised a huge number of students for their personal achievements and contribution to sport and the arts during the Sport and Arts Assemblies.

Parental Guidance 

Graduations, Challenges and an Exciting Future 

Our Year 12s have just celebrated the amazing achievement of completing 13 years of schooling.  Well done! Finishing school is an outstanding accomplishment and provides an opportunity for us to reflect on not only the past successes but also, the times where students have overcome challenges and displayed high levels of resilience from good old hard work. 

School can be a challenging environment. It’s a place where people are faced with studying in a specific learning  environment, constantly learning new content, mixing with a wide variety of people with differing attitudes, values  and beliefs and dealing with the challenges of peer pressure, all whilst dealing with hormones running wild in a growing body.  

 Equally, however, schools like St Stephen’s are also wonderful places for building lifelong friendships. They provide us each  with an appreciation for people, where we learn to respect difference and are encouraged to be our true selves. Graduation  from St Stephen’s is not the end but the beginning of an exciting adventure of change, challenge and possibility. We  want our students to move forward with confidence in who they are and what they can achieve. Class of 2023, all the  best for an exciting future. Share who you are and your talents with all those people whom you will meet. 

Russell Gilchrist, Deputy Head of Secondary (Care)

Notice Board