Our Boarders remained on-site and commenced their Learn@Home programs with ease

This week has undoubtedly thrown a curveball to Victorians with an unexpected lockdown so early in the school year. Given the continuation of the pandemic across the globe, it has certainly remained within the realm of our thinking and the School was ready to respond. Like flicking a light switch (as we have this week), we successfully transitioned into our Learn@Home program with remarkable ease, purpose to learning and momentum maintained. Of note, the Prep students who have been at school all of ten days were enjoying their real-time lessons with Miss Taylor on Monday morning using MS Team on their iPads.

We continue to hear much about the impact of lockdown on young people as there is no doubt it has been a life-changing event for all of us, and one that students, particularly those graduating last year, will never forget. Amongst the disappointments of reimagined school events, cancelled birthday parties, worries about grades and exams, our girls have shown remarkable resilience and continue to do so.

Highlighted in The Australian recently was research undertaken by Mission Australia in their annual 2020 Youth Survey. The results revealed many of the 25,800 young people who participated in the survey were feeling optimistic about their futures and happy with their current circumstances.

Most notably in the research was the fact that students at girls’ schools obtained higher scores than the female average in the key areas of physical and mental health, overall life satisfaction, and educational and career aspirations. The survey results showed that girls from single-sex schools were last year, less concerned than other young females in co-educational environments about mental health issues and coping with stress. They also remained focused on their studies and plans to attend university, and were confident in their ability to achieve their goals after leaving school.

Girls attending single-sex schools were less likely to ­report mental health concerns — 37% compared to 43% of all females. Study aspirations were also higher among girls attending single-sex schools, with 88% planning on obtaining a university degree compared to just under 70% of all Australian females.

Girls’ schools, like St Catherine’s, proved able to leverage already strong pastoral care programs and technology platforms, enabling a quick and flexible response as the situation continued to change. Whilst girls managed their academic learning, they reported being unsettled by not seeing their friends. Indeed, our virtual rowing training, Barbreck Choral Breakfasts and Wednesday Blue Ribbon afternoons including events such as our virtual InterHouse Cross Country, provided some of the many touch points that proved an essential lifeline for the social connections they needed.

“Survey questions measuring the physical health of young people indicate that students attending girls’ schools are living healthier lives than the average of all females. In particular, girls attending single-sex schools engage in more sport, with 74% playing sport in 2020 compared to 69% of all females. This result speaks to the extraordinary lengths that girls’ schools went to last year to keep girls involved in internal and external sporting competitions, as well as PE classes and wellbeing activities such as yoga, many of which continued during lockdown.

Indeed, when asked to rate how happy they are with their life as a whole, the positive physical and mental health status of students attending girls’ schools, along with their optimism about future study and work plans, was reflected in their overall life satisfaction, with 61% reporting feeling happy or very happy with their life compared with 54% of all female respondents.”

The findings of the 2020 Youth Survey indicate that, even in the wake of the wide-ranging disruptions caused by COVID-19, girls’ schools are continuing to instil enthusiasm and confidence in their students about the opportunities that life after school has to offer them. In fact, as we have been reminded of so often recently, it is ‘disruptors’ and ‘changemakers’ who will shape the future, and with so many girls at St Catherine’s now feeling inspired by the pandemic to seek careers at the forefront of exciting new developments and innovations — including in science, health and technology — we can be confident that the future is in excellent hands.

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Senior School Information

The Senior School Parent Information Evening intended to be held next Thursday, 25 February will now be delivered as a year level specific online presentation. This online presentation will be emailed to parents on the afternoon of Monday, 22 February.

Barbreck Junior School Information

The Barbreck Parent Information Evening will continue as scheduled on Thursday, 25 February on campus. To ensure we abide by COVD Safe practices, we will stagger the presentations in the following schedule:

• Prep – Year 2 – Commencing 5pm – 6pm with presentations in the Selina Yao Auditorium followed by a conversation with the Classroom teacher
• Years 3 and 4 – Commencing 5.45pm – 6.45pm with presentations in the Selina Yao Auditorium followed by a conversation with the Classroom teacher
• Year 5 and 6 – Commencing 6.30pm -7.30pm with presentations in the Selina Yao Auditorium followed by a conversation with the Classroom teacher

Early Learning Centre

The ELC Parent Information Evening is now re-scheduled to Tuesday, 2 March in the Selina Yao Junior School Auditorium commencing at 7.00pm

Visit Key Dates for the calendar updates