School Advisory Council
During 2022 and 2023, we welcomed the establishment of our School Advisory Council. The School Advisory Council provided a crucial point of connection between the wider school community and school leaders. While the School Advisory Council does not have governance responsibility or decision-making authority, it supports the principal and school leadership and provides an important connection to the parish. The School Advisory Council provides a forum for discussion and discernment, where parent voice and community perspective are available to inform and support the decisions made by the principal and parish priest as the custodian of mission for the good of school and parish where students’ wellbeing and outcomes are paramount.
SPA Parents and Friends Team
In 2023 the SPA Parents and Friends Team was capably led by our Chairperson and the coordinating team. Parents were once again generous in coordinating our School Uniform Shop, fund-raisers and Special Food days in the absence of a Tuckshop at SPA. The SPA P&F Team represented our school by supporting the Parish
Fund-raising initiatives and events such as Christmas celebrations which strengthened their connection with the wider Community.
The SPA P&F Team should be acknowledged once again for their vital role in strengthening our school culture and for their effort with a range of social and fundraising events. This was further enhanced this year with our annual Colour Run4Fun event which involved meticulous planning and work by the organising committee and the volunteer parents to ensure that the children would enjoy this unforgettable experience. This major social and fundraising event was another wonderful example of the power of Family School partnerships while raising much- needed funds for our technology and synthetic turf for our shade pergola.
“Lillies for Hope” Childhood Cancer appeal and for the “Cookhouses ‘n Tanks Alot” project for villages in Papua New Guinea. The school website, the SchoolStream app, school and parish newsletters, letters home, school term calendar of events, publications, surveys, parent meetings, and advertising ensured that clear communication channels were embedded.
Community Outreach
We work in close partnership between the three schools (St Mary’s Whittlesea, St Joseph’s Mernda and SPA Doreen) and our parish community, to support our faith education programs and the development of our parish culture. This was particularly evident in the preparation for the celebration of the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation, where staff from the three schools and our parish, worked collaboratively together. However, our sacraments were held on our school sites to ensure our continued health, safety and wellbeing.
We work in close liaison and partnership with the Parish Leadership Team and key groups within the parish community through our representation and participation on various committees. Child Safety remained a major and ongoing focus throughout the year. Staff continued to up-skill themselves on the use of learning and teaching tools (SEESAW App, the Google education suite, nForma App, SchoolStream App, and Zoom) to further enhance the provision of exemplary learning opportunities for the children and clearer communication between the home and school.
Community Events
Families were able to come onto the school site and participate in our Colour Run4Fun activity, Book Week Parade; our Annual School Sports Afternoon, our Carols By Daylight, Mother’s and Father’s day celebrations, Book Week Celebrations including our Grandparents Day, our SPAtacular Showcase of Learning School Production, Excursions and our Year Six Graduation ceremony.
