Towards 2025 – From the Deputy Principal School Operations

Towards 2025
Intent Three: Co-Curricular Opportunities
Empower young women to discover through experience and find their voice in the communities and world around them.

In 2022 we continue to innovate and strengthen our Co-curricular offerings at St Catherine’s. Raising opportunities for all students to participate, perform and succeed in their selected pursuits. Through enriching their School experiences beyond the classroom, we empower our young women to be authentic and fearless in all that they pursue.

This year we are excited to broaden the following areas of our Co-curricular program:

St Catherine’s Sports Development Academy

As outlined in Towards 2025, St Catherine’s aims to develop a pathway program for student-athletes through a flourishing Sports Development Academy. Commencing as a pilot group of nine student-athletes in Years 9 to 10 throughout Term 1, the Sports Development Academy will provide aspiring athletes with access to sport specific training programs and athlete support education sessions, assisting them to excel in their sporting endeavours.

Our long term vision for the Sports Development Academy is to provide high performance training and competition opportunities in Athletics, Rowing, Snowsports, Aquatics and Hockey. The Academy will work with our Head Coaches in Athletics, Snowsports, Rowing and Aquatics and student-athletes will train to personalised strength and conditioning sessions and testing and analytics to track their development. The provision of athlete education including, Sport Psychology, nutrition, recovery and time management will be key in the ongoing learning for each student-athlete.

In this edition of The Blue Ribbon, Head of Sport, Mr Nick Racina introduces Ms Kim Mulhall who will lead the Sports Development Academy. Kim is a talented thrower, who represented Australia at two world juniors, two Commonwealth Games and a World University Games. She is a Level 3 Athletics Coach and has worked in numerous schools coaching Athletics and Strength and Conditioning.

We look forward to sharing more news regarding the Sports Development Academy and empowering the next generation of athletes within their sport and beyond over the course of the year.

Black Box Theatre

The exciting development of the Black Box Theatre in St Catherine’s Senior School is well underway. The 200-capacity Theatre, will provide a purpose-built and professional performing arts facility for our students to showcase their talents and passions.

With a few more components left to complete the project, we are looking forward to the Black Box Theatre taking centre stage and becoming a thriving hub of creativity for our entire School community.

Strengthening the Music Program

In 2022, our Music Program will be further strengthened through the diversification of the Music Program into key portfolios of Bands, Choral and Strings, managed through our experienced Music Department. We are excited to introduce our Music Department team to you below:

Music and Bands Mr Nick Grunden, Head of Music and Bands (commencing March 2022)
Head of Choral Ms Juliana Kay
Head of Strings Mrs Lisa Cook
Head of Music Operations Mr Saska Ayris
Performing Arts Administrator Ms Shonnet Brittaine

These staff are specifically responsible for management of the Co-curricular ensembles, choirs and individual music tutors within their respective teams.

The Music Program will focus on a varied experience for students with a contemporary repertoire aligned with the Towards 2025 Strategy.

The further development of the Music Program continues the opportunities for St Catherine’s girls to learn and engage through Music.

Mrs Gina Peele, Deputy Principal School Operations