Message from the Principal

Term 3 commenced with a very "high energy" assembly thanks to the efforts of the 2020 Student Leadership Team and their mentor staff members.  It was wonderful to have the Year 12 and Year 7 students present as a “live audience” with the assembly live streamed to the rest of the College community. There is a sense of optimism and gratitude in the air as some of the activities that were temporarily placed “on hold” have resumed and were promoted at assembly.

It is exciting that MSM sport is back! Congratulations to our committed student athletes who participated in our Interhouse Cross Country on the Student Free Day on 13 July. Special congratulations to the Age Champions and to winning House Rush! Ms Roy has provided a report about the carnival in this newsletter.  Thank you to Ms Roy and Ms Page and the athletics coaches for running such a successful “modified’ carnival.  As a result, we 
are fielding a strong team of talented runners at the CaSSSA cross country carnival later this term. 

In responding to “the signs of the times” we have been exploring innovative ways to keep our parents engaged in our “regular” parental activities.  The two most recent activities that have required creative thinking have been the Parent-Teacher Conferences and the Year 11 2021 Subject Selection Evening. 

Thank you to the 100 parents who responded to our survey regarding feedback for our Parent-Teacher Conferences which were held on 13 July.   

A summary of the results are as follows:

1. Did you find the online parent and teacher conference arrangements easy to understand?  99% Yes
2. When using your own device, did you experience any issues connecting to the TEAMS Parent Teacher Conference? 96% Yes
3. Where you satisfied with the level of technical support provided by the College? 97% Yes
4. Was your experience of the Parent Teacher Conferences through TEAMS as effective as the face-to-face mode? 89% Yes
5. Would you recommend the continued delivery of Parent Teacher Conference through TEAMS in the future? 88% Yes
6. Is there any other feedback that you would like to provide to assist us in the evaluation of the use of TEAMS for Parent Teacher Conferences?

The comment summarized the response to this question.. 
“More effective time management for working parents.  No rushing to the school, no parking issues, no looking for teachers.  Allowed more privacy, less distractions and both parents to participate easily”. 

We also received some constructive feedback regarding issues.  Some parents accidentally by-passed the lobby which resulted in interrupting another parent’s interview.  This occurred when parents used their daughter’s laptop.  Another issue identified was around timing – running over time, suggestions about increasing/decreasing the amount of time and including “changeover” time.  We are currently looking at ways to address these issues. 

Thank you again for your feedback which is extremely valuable as we plan for the Years 7-9 Parent-Teacher Conferences on 11 August.  

We have also received some very positive feedback regarding our alternative approach to the Year 11 2020 Subject Selection Evening on Tuesday night. A huge thank you to Ms Collier, Ms Howe and Curriculum Leaders who put a great deal of effort into preparing the presentations that are available on the evening.  It was wonderful to see the large number of families that gathered on-line for the “live presentation” and the question and answer session that followed.  Presentations will be made available through TEAMS. 

We will continue to evaluate activities in the light of COVID safe approaches to ensure that we are meeting community needs with a priority on keeping everyone safe and informed.  

It is my pleasure to officially launch the MSM Business Directory. Accessed through our College website, this is an online portal, profiling businesses and providing opportunities to connect with the wider MSM community to promote their services, sales and special offers. As a Mt St Michael’s community, we are humbled by the generous support and commitment of our local businesses and suppliers, so we feel that it is timely in our current climate for our MSM community to support those who support us.   Further details about how you can get involved is included in this newsletter.   
Our College Theme for 2020 "Mission Possible - Sisters on a Mission” which was launched by the Year 12s in February continues to be our inspiration for this term.  Let’s make the most of every opportunity that is presented to us.

Finally, I would warmly like to invite everyone to participate in our virtual Mary Aikenhead Day Liturgy next Friday 31 July commencing at 8.50 am. Please keep an eye on our Facebook page for further details.

In faith and love

Sharon Volp
Principal