Over recent weeks I have been very fortunate to enjoy some perspective of the amazing work and results of OLSCC.  It has been a great privilege to take the time to enjoy these occasions and truly value the opportunities that our community creates for our students every day.

To begin with, last week my supervisor, Mr John Coman, returned to the College for the first time in 18 months due to his secondment to another position.  He was very interested in our progress and accordingly we spent over 4 hours visiting every classroom across the College.  Being able to speak to the journey over the past 18 months was a moment of awakening to all the incredible goals we have achieved.  The teaching was both excellent and consistent, the students highly engaged and motivated, and the Visible Learning of the College was clearly evident in the teaching, learning, displays on walls and work of the students. Mr Coman also commented on the quality of facilities and recent upgrades which added even greater opportunities to our College, such as the College coach, the Chapel, The Paddock, the new drama space, Senior Years workroom, and the Prep-6 IT upgrades. 

On Monday afternoon, I was invited to attend the University of Southern Queensland Scholarship Ceremony where I was able to witness 3 of our 2020 graduates receive significant scholarships to USQ due to their academic performance at OLSCC.  A massive congratulations to Harry Coman, Matthew Cuskelly and Isaac Halling on their accolades, as well as Pat Boland, who turned down the scholarship after taking up the opportunity to join the QANTAS Academy in his pursuit to become a commercial airline pilot.

On Tuesday I was able to attend our first QCIS Cross Country Carnival at Scots College in Warwick with a packed coach of athletes.  Our team of athletes gave their absolute best, and I couldn’t have been prouder.  Of the 6 Colleges in attendance, the grit, determination, resilience and persistence of the OLSCC students was a standout for all. A huge thanks to all our mums, dads, aunties, uncles, cousins and grandparents for coming along and supporting our students!

This week I have also been doing some figure analysis of the College reading data, and the progress of the students continues to be excellent.  As always, we will utilise this information to inform our teaching practice so that each student is learning what they need, when they need it.  Mr Coman confirmed last week that OLSCC Reading Improvement Strategy data continues to lead the Diocese in many areas and he highly values the work of our teachers, school officers and students in the College’s progress.

And here I sit today on the College coach with 33 Year 3 students and 4 other dedicated staff on the way to Australia Zoo (after a very early start for many….Thanks Jack!).  We are on our way to do some hands on learning in Science as well as furthering our Learning Dispositions.  Over the course of the year we will be developing our Camps, Retreats, Excursions and Incursions Guide which will outline the co-curricular opportunities that OLSCC provides for our students as well as allowing parents to financially plan for their child’s participation in these amazing opportunities. 

What an honour it is to serve this community and College.  I encourage everyone to find 10 minutes this weekend and dedicate yourself to a quiet moment and the opportunity to reflect on what you are grateful for in your life, family and community.

Staffing Changes

I would like to welcome to our staff 3 new School Officers.  We are always blessed with the amazing staff at OLSCC, and the addition of Mrs Therese Feuerheerdt, Mrs Fee Turner and Miss Siobhan Houghton will only further add to this.  Mrs Feuerheerdt is replacing Mrs Sandy Biss, whilst Mrs Turner will provide further support for students in Prep Red, and Miss Houghton replacing Miss Amy Stevens will be working in a new administration position focussed on finance and College organisation.  This has resulted from a change of administration organisation which caters for the diverse needs of admin in a contemporary school setting.  In addition, you will now notice that when you call the school there are prompts to ensure you are directed to the correct person in the first instance.  This will be of great benefit to both those calling the College as well as the administration staff.

Over coming weeks we will be advertising further roles on Seek and the Toowomba Catholic Schools website regarding our facilities due to the retirement of Mr Kavney. From Semester 2, we will have a change of cleaner duties, a facilities manager, groundsperson and a janitor in place of the current arrangement of two groundspersons.  We look forward to this enhancing the environment in which our student learn and grow.

Enrolments 2022

We are in enrolment season and are making decisions regarding timetables and staffing in the next 3 weeks.  It is pertinent, particularly for students entering Year 7 and Prep, for enrolment application to be made now. We have some tough calls to make, and unfortunately some of these may mean that we will be unable to take on additional students in certain year levels.  If you have friends, family or neighbours interested in enjoying all that OLSCC has to offer, please tell them to contact the College Office this week.

Principal Summative Performance Appraisal

Early next term, I will be engaging in a Principal summative performance appraisal in line with Toowoomba Catholic School’s (TCS) focus on professional recognition and development. 

A Principal’s summative performance appraisal occurs in the final year of their contract and is based on outcomes of their annual performance reviews and school-based data. 

The appraisal will be conducted by a Panel consisting of the TCS Senior Education Leader, a peer principal and the TCS Director: Teaching and Learning. It will consist of a self-review, a 360-degree survey completed by College staff and parents along with individual or focus group interviews including discussion with the local parish/school priest.  

Based on the outcomes of these review tools, the Panel will produce a written report outlining their findings and providing feedback to the Principal for continued and future professional learning. These outcomes will also be communicated with the College community. 

To assist with my appraisal, I invite all College staff and parents to participate in the 360-degree survey. This survey is an externally validated perception survey that will be compiled to allow for anonymous feedback around the leadership dimensions of religion, education, organisational skills, strategic planning, staff and community engagement and general leadership capabilities. The survey will be emailed to all College staff and parents over the coming weeks. 

Interviews/focus groups with staff, Board, P&F or PEN representatives and myself will also occur as part of the appraisal. Requested interviewees will be contacted via email/telephone over the coming weeks to confirm their availability. If you would like to be part of these focus groups, please email nicole.bryers@twb.catholic.edu.au directly to arrange timings with the Panel. 

Once again, I encourage all College staff and parents to complete the 360-degree survey and provide open and honest feedback on my leadership as Principal in the College. I look forward to engaging in this process with you all, an opportunity for review and reflection to acknowledge and improve what I bring to our College. 

Have a great weekend!

Pete Cuskelly

Principal