We are not perfect.

Our College is not perfect. We are a work in progress. From time to time, we get things wrong, and we make mistakes. We are a school of human beings, and part of the very nature of our humanity, is that we are imperfect. What I can reliably inform you though, is that we are attempting to do better, and be better as an educational institution, and importantly, one that is Catholic in its life, mission, culture, and lived-values.

During the course of 2024, we have invited families to respond to a number of surveys, to be involved in focus group meetings, to join various working parties, and to provide feedback in myriad other ways. Likewise, we have provided new opportunities for students to exercise leadership by nomination for committees, working parties and events management. My main aim in all of this is to listen to the voices of our community in continuing to shape an excellent school, albeit one that is flawed.

Admitting our shortcomings, seeking feedback and then having this inform future policy and practice is part of our process of continuous improvement. This year we have listened carefully to the overwhelming feedback we have received regarding Independent Learning Time. Consequently, we have discontinued this model of learning. We are working at providing more opportunities for parents to participate in the life of the school, and to feel welcome at events, celebrations and carnivals. We are currently working on developing better rewards and awards systems for students who continually do the right thing, and we are working to improve the perception of our College in the wider community.

We are being really clear on responding to the outcomes of the CE review of the College in 2023, and are systematically attending to the required actions from it. We are in the process of developing our next Strategic Plan, with active contribution from parents, students and staff on our working party. Our curriculum is being overhauled and the timetable for 2025 is being reviewed. We are also undertaking preliminary work in the anticipation of a library space for our College.

There is much underway. We are working tremendously hard to safeguard and retain all that is really good about St John Paul II College, while simultaneously taking measured strides in our efforts to make our school an even better one. It is clear that while we may have areas that are certainly still a work in progress, our enrolment interest for 2025 provides some comfort that there is confidence in our work, held by families in the Gungahlin region. As I say often, we are better when we hold similar values, expectations, and passions about our school. We do this together, with a hallmark of mutual respect and dignity.

Our school is not a “thing”, it is essentially “us”. All of us. We become better when we speak and think positively about each other, and therefore, about our College. I am always grateful to community members who speak positively about the College in the community. This helps build our collective sense of self – the individuals who make up this collective become who we are as a school, and the prevailing culture is down to all of us.

Welcome back to Term 3 and with a renewed sense of vigour and commitment to learning, we commence our second semester.

Dr Craig Wattam