The start of any year is exciting, with high expectations in the air. At the College, the first three weeks of Term 1 bustle with activity, with none more crucial than welcoming new families. This year, our College saw growth by 50 students across Kindergarten to Year 11. Our new Year 4 class is now full, and our third Year 5 class has also reached capacity. Additionally, several students joined the College at the Year 9 and 10 levels, and it brings us great joy to welcome these new members to our community. Our new families were warmly invited to join our Parent Coffee and Connect morning tea on Monday 26 February. We loved welcoming you to our SCC family.
As previously mentioned, there have been numerous events to celebrate, including Senior School swimming carnivals, Year 7 camp, and Junior School swimming lessons and trials. All these activities occur amidst the adjustments to new timetables, new classroom teachers, engaging with fresh content, and in some cases, forging new friendships.
One of the highlights of this time of year is the emphasis on our identity and the sense of community. Swan Christian College is a place where staff are purpose-driven to know God and make Him known, where students are our primary focus, and parents are our valued partners. We deeply believe in this partnership and are committed to continually supporting one another—teachers and parents alike—to foster our students’ learning and growth. Our students are encouraged to RISE – to shine and flourish. RISE is an acronym representing our values of respect, integrity, spirituality, and excellence. Throughout Term 1, we will delve into what respect looks like, sounds like, and feels like. It is our hope that the students of SCC are recognised for and practice these values not only within our school but also in our town, in their clubs, and within their friendship circles.
Term 1 will conclude with NAPLAN assessments for our Year 3, 5, 7, and 9 students. We aspire for our Year 9 students to meet the minimum standard in NAPLAN to avoid carrying this requirement into Year 10 for the OLNA tests. While NAPLAN tests are not the sole indicators of our curriculum-based teaching and learning, we do rely on our students’ prior knowledge to excel in these tests to assess their competencies in English and Maths.
The upcoming weeks of Term 1 hold several significant events, including a long weekend for families from Friday 1 March 1 to Monday 4 March. Staff will be attending a Commissioning service and Professional Learning on the Friday. Additionally, we eagerly anticipate sharing the progress of our students during our parent-teacher interviews on Monday 25 March, which will be a student-free day.
May God bless and guide us as we journey together in nurturing and empowering our young people to embrace and become the individuals they are destined to be.
Dr Darnelle Pretorius
Principal