Welcome to 2020 at Our Lady of the Southern Cross College

What an amazing start to the school year! We have 2 full Prep classes and their first day on Wednesday was absolutely action packed.  I spent some time talking with the preppies about their learning today, and was quite amazed at what they had learnt already.  Answers went from “How to hold my pencil”, to “I learned how to learn”, numbers, and most importantly, how to treat others.  I am amazed at how well our youngest of students have transitioned into school and am greatly looking forward to their next 13 years of education.

Besides our Prep students, we also have over 50 new students in other year levels in 2020.  It may not seem like a big number, though the College certainly feels a lot more full now that our enrolments are well over 600 again.  This also creates great excitement as new faces means more friends, more playmates, more perspectives and a greater sustainability in the years to come. I will be hearing many of these perspectives when I catch up with the new Year 1 to 12 students at lunchtime tomorrow. I look forward to receiving some feedback regarding their transition to our College.

It has also been wonderful to hear the tales and woes of the holidays from all of our returning students.  They are excited by the changes in the Senior Years, all the new staff and moving to new classrooms.  We have heard of holiday escapades, sunburn at the beach, visits to theme parks, overseas vacations and a holiday of nothing but work.  No matter what the students did on the holidays though, they are certainly excited about being back at their home away from home. 

2020 promises to be another great year at our College.  In coming weeks we will be launching the 2020-2023 Strategic Plan where we will celebrate the journey of continual renewal we are focused on.  Outside of teaching and learning this year, we will have significant focus on enhancing the Catholic identity of our College, engaging parents and community members including the development of an OLSCC Alumni, and increasing opportunities for students to engage in extracurricular activities in both academic pursuits and culture.

Over coming weeks we will be introducing new staff via profiles in the newsletter, though please feel free to come to the College and catch up with everyone on Monday afternoon for the P&F Welcome BBQ and Open Classrooms event from 5-7pm.  See you there.

Peter Cuskelly

Principal