Hello Kearnan College Community!

I hope you had a wonderful school holiday break. We have another action-packed term coming up with a Year 9 trip to Canberra, Confirmation and First Reconciliation, Mackillop, Rooney and Kelly House Days, Book Week, NAIDOC activities and swimming lessons, just to name a few! This is also the last term of school for our wonderful Year 12 students.

This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming 18 students from Torahime High School in Japan for a three-day cultural exchange. The visit began with engaging presentations from our guests, who shared insights into Japanese culture, including traditional foods, famous shrines, and places of interest. Several of our secondary students were paired as buddies and hosted the visitors in their classes throughout the stay. The visit concluded with a special afternoon tea featuring a variety of Australian treats and an exchange of gifts. It was a wonderful experience that allowed our students to practise some Japanese phrases, form new friendships and deepen their understanding of Japanese culture and people.

On Monday, staff engaged in professional learning aligned with our school improvement priorities. Our current focus is the development of a whole-school instructional model designed to ensure consistent, effective curriculum delivery for all students. This work is grounded in evidence-based practices, high-impact teaching strategies and the science of learning. Our aim is to establish a low-variance model of teaching and learning where students benefit from consistent instructional approaches across all classrooms. This important initiative will be a sustained focus over the coming year or two as we collaboratively shape and embed this model across the school.

We greatly value our partnership with parents and recognise the important role that collaboration plays in supporting student wellbeing and success. If you have any concerns about your child, I encourage you to reach out directly to their class teacher (for primary students) or their subject teachers (for secondary students) so that you can work together to find a positive way forward. In the secondary school, our Heads of Year are also available to support with pastoral matters, such as friendship challenges or general concerns about school life. Staff email addresses can be found on the College website. Please note that teachers are often unable to check emails during the school day and may need time to respond thoughtfully. If your concern is urgent, we recommend contacting the College office by phone. Mrs Barton, Mrs Tempra and I are also happy to be contacted if you feel further support is needed or if your concerns remain unresolved.

Later this term, Mrs Barton and Mrs Tempra, our Heads of Primary and Secondary, will be participating in a review and feedback process. As part of this process, we will be seeking input from staff, students and parents to gain a well-rounded view of their leadership. The aim is to celebrate areas of strength and identify opportunities for growth. In Week Three, parents will receive an email with links to two separate feedback forms – one for Mrs Barton and one for Mrs Tempra. We would greatly appreciate your participation, as your insights are invaluable. All responses will remain anonymous. If you would prefer to provide feedback in a different format, you are most welcome to email me directly.

As noted in the last Chronicle, the College has recently advertised a new leadership position – Deputy Principal (Pastoral Care and Ministry). The role attracted strong interest and a number of high-quality applications. Interviews will take place over the coming weeks.