Seek out Challenge with Fearless Confidence

The celebration of International Women’s Day on Thursday 8 March provided an opportunity for our Old Girl community to join together for the 2018 SCOGA Biennial Lunch. I was delighted to attend the Lunch, supported enthusiastically by over 170 Old Girls including some mothers of past and current students and past teachers of our Alumnae. All were eager to reunite on such an auspicious day for women.

International Women’s Day has been marked around the world for more than a century, and officially by the United Nations for over 40 years.

This year, International Women’s Day is marked with an unprecedented global movement for women’s rights, equality and justice. Women from all walks of life are calling out discrimination, sexual harassment and violence, including global marches and campaigns, most notably the #MeToo campaign in the United States of America. These issues are now front and centre on the national and international agenda and public discourse, propelled by a rising determination for change.

From the strength and determination of women and men today, our students, and St Catherine’s future Old Girls will live in a world where women are heard.

Humanitarian, actress and perhaps most famously – future British royal, Meghan Markle, recently commented that “…women don’t need to find a voice: they have a voice. They need to feel empowered to use it and people need to be encouraged to listen.”

I believe our St Catherine’s girls, both past and present, hold this value as an intrinsic truth within each of them, and I am proud to be a part of a School that empowers young women to seek out challenge with a fearless confidence.

The conversations at the Biennial Lunch, the annual networking opportunities offered by SCOGA and their attendance at the School Careers Breakfast provide opportunities to plant a seed of possibility in our students, open their minds to opportunity and create an environment of camaraderie and support that empowers women to challenge and extend themselves, to contribute and to thrive. This is my message to the girls at St Catherine’s each and every week.

During her time as United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton once famously said “Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world’ and that it was ‘time for women to take their rightful place, side by side with men, in the rooms where the fates of peoples, where their children’s and grandchildren’s fates, are decided.”

Whilst I emphatically agree with this sentiment, the challenge for many young, talented women, is in finding the answer to the elusive question of “how?”

Closer to home, Federal MP and Australian Minister for Women, the Honourable Kelly O’Dwyer, during her address to the National Press Club, commented, “There’s a pretty strong culture in this country that says women are the ones that need the flexibility, not men, and I simply challenge that.”

Perhaps former Australian Governor-General, Dame Quentin Bryce, AD, CVO had it right –when she famously said: “Women can have it all, just not all at once.”

The winds of change are upon us. Within the increasing number of supportive conversations taking place around the world, and within our own aspiring girls at St Catherine’s, who read with admiration, interest and a curious mind the 51 profiles adorning the walls of Sherren House – The Nil Magnum Nisi Bonum Project, just one example of how St Catherine’s women inspire.

During the Biennial Luncheon, SCOGA President, Mrs Chrissy Ryan (Graham ’79), launched the SCOGA Fellowship offering the opportunity for a St Catherine’s Old Girl to receive $5,000 support towards their tertiary studies. As Principal of an all-girls school, and a strong advocate for girls and women, I never underestimate the importance of providing our girls, and those who came before them with strong, positive images and stories of women who are achieving in many and diverse ways. I commend SCOGA for their ongoing commitment to building the capacities of our Old Girls through exciting initiatives such as this Fellowship.

Staff Information

Our Head of Junior School and ELC, Mrs Alana Moor, commences six weeks of Long Service Leave from next week. I am confident she will find the time professionally refreshing.

During Alana’s absence, Ms Sarah Bethune will step into the role as Acting Head of ELC and Ms Catherine Samuel will step into the role as Acting Head of Junior School. They will be supported by Mr Tim Tainsh and Ms Simone Schilte who will share the role of Acting Deputy Head of Junior School whilst maintaining their classroom teaching responsibilities in Years 5 and 4 respectively.

Upon Alana’s return in Week 4 next Term, the Junior School will commence a carefully orchestrated and strategic process of transitioning into the new building, in readiness for the commencement of classes in the new Junior School in Term 3. The new building is currently running smoothly to the construction schedule with the decommissioning of the current Barbreck building programmed to occur over the mid-year break and in readiness for the development of a new grass oval and landscaping of recreation spaces and gardens to commence in spring.

The anticipation of teaching and learning in the new building is palpable for our girls and their teachers. This week, internal walls were being painted, joinery of the cupboards fitted into classrooms and the carpet is to be laid in the coming month. The recent removal of the scaffolding has revealed the external façade of the building with the development of the Forecourt leading to the Main Entrance commencing in the coming weeks. The process of working alongside architect, Andrew Croxon (Croxon Ramsey Architects) for almost two years in planning stages to now walking around the actual classrooms and the Library is nothing short of thrilling.

I am very much looking forward to welcoming families into the building for a ‘sneak peek’ in the coming months.

Mrs Michelle Carroll, Principal