CSPWA President's Welcome
Well just like that, Term 4 is underway, and the end of the year is approaching like the light at the end of the tunnel! The shift from Term 3 to 4 is almost palpable in the school year as we are all, what feels like suddenly, winding up and consolidating the learnings and events of the year.
Term 3 was, as expected, a very industrious one with so many events, carnivals, productions, exhibitions and so on. We have much to celebrate, and from everything I attended and witnessed, we have much to be hopeful and thankful for and I have no doubt that the future for so many of our children is so bright
For some of us, this end of the year is the end of an era, whether that be your last child is finishing primary school and your years as a primary parent are now finished and the excitement and anticipation of secondary school awaits, perhaps your youngest child is, like mine, completing secondary school and the years of being a school parent are coming to a rapid conclusion. For me it has been a 23-year journey, one I can hardly remember not being on! Already I reflect upon the years with fondness, of course there have been challenges along the way, but there have been so many joyous occasions, so many connections made and relationships built – some have lasted the distance and others have been a point in time – it has been all part of the wonderful journey of being a parent of young people attending school in our outstanding Catholic School system here in WA.
2023, on reflection, has been our most ‘normal’ post-pandemic year, and for some of our families, this has been their first year of full attendance at school. When the pandemic descended upon us back in 2020, little did we know that it would continue to impact us for several years to come. Of course, COVID-19 is still in the community and like many other viruses it continues to impact the health of some of our community, may we be ever mindful of those less robust than others. I am thankful that so many of our families have managed to transition smoothly back into regular schooling and life, but am aware that for some, post pandemic anxiety and school refusal has become an issue and our thoughts and prayers are offered that with supports in place, these young people will be able to attend school again this year and into the future.
The issue of transitioning from one section of schooling to another is very topical for many of our families at this time of the year. Whether it be from home to kindergarten, secondary to tertiary learning, or for so many, making the move from primary to secondary schooling, this is a BIG event. Please remember that CSPA (Catholic School Parents Australia) has developed in partnership with the federal government, a well-researched and resourced toolkit: Gearing up for Parent Engagement in Student Learning, to help teachers, schools and families with this transition process. Please take the time to access this wonderful resource.
As P&F ACMs are plentiful at this time of the year, please keep an eye out for the CSPWA Induction evening in February 2024, this is a great opportunity for P&F committees, both established and new in their roles to come together - both primary and secondary schools – to learn from each other and from the staff here at CSPWA. The information and insights gained from this evening can really make a huge difference to your understanding of your role within your school’s P&F committee. The highly competent administrative staff of CSPWA are always only a phone call or email away, please do not hesitate to contact them, they are a wonderful resource for you. They are always happy to assist and guide parents and carers of children in our catholic schools.
A final note of farewell for 2023, I sincerely thank all of the administrative staff of CSPWA – Jonelle, Jennifer, Nicole and Siobhan for their exceptionally hard work and dedication to their roles throughout the year. Much of their work is out of the public eye, but they are always working very diligently to establish and maintain good relationships throughout the community associated with Catholic Schools here in WA.
I wish all of our families, a very happy, blessed and safe Christmas, may we always be mindful of the ‘reason for the season’, and look forward to seeing what is in store for 2024.
Faithfully yours
Marina