Member Update 22 February 2024 | Term 1, Week 4

Acknowledgement of Country

The VACPSP acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the many lands that encompass our Catholic primary schools across Victoria – Dioceses of Ballarat, Sale, Sandhurst and the Archdiocese of Melbourne. The VACPSP recognises the Traditional Custodians' culture and the continuing spiritual connection to land, sea and waters.

The VACPSP pays our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who live, work, teach and learn within Catholic education in Victoria.

We commit to working together to create culturally safe schools for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to learn and thrive. We commit to working together for reconciliation, justice and treaty.

From the President

It is a privilege to write to Principals weekly via this regular communication. While fire and storms have unfolded across our State, you again will be leading and modelling for young people calmness, focus, attention to detail, empathy and decisive, ethical decision-making; what a job, in my opinion, the best job in the world.

To bring the “best” to the “best job in the world” you have to continually reflect on your context and the specific needs of your community while keeping an eye on the future. It is also essential to purposefully build your capacities and skills while nurturing your mindset and holistic health, and importantly, spending time in your other roles, whether that be family, faith community, hobbies, etc. 

I am proud to play a part in supporting your leadership skills, collegiality, and networking through various VACPSP offerings, including the much anticipated Conference in Lorne (only weeks away!). This week I would also like to share two leadership mindset readings I came across over January. I hope you find some value and insight in their offerings as I did. 

Dale Carnegie’s recent book ‘How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.’

Dale makes a very important point early in the book about worrying and living. He went back to Sir William Osler, 1849 - 1919, a British (Canadian-born) academic, physician and mentor. He led Oxford University (UK) and was instrumental in starting the John Hopkins School of Medicine (Baltimore, USA). Carnegie quotes Osler, who brought to life Thomas Carlyle’s mindset quote about managing worry; “Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.” Daily action achieves goals; the first step is the most important. Did Dr. Osler mean to say that we should not make every effort to prepare for tomorrow? No. Not at all. But he did go on to say the best possible way to prepare for tomorrow is to “concentrate with all your intelligence, all your enthusiasm, on doing today’s work superbly today. That is the only way you can prepare for the future.” The load of tomorrow added to that of yesterday, carried today, can make the strongest falter; in fact, “the future is today”.

Osler urged everyone to start each day with Christ’s prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread.” This prayer asks only for “today’s bread” and teaches us that today’s bread is the only kind of bread you can eat. An exciting thought given the role of leadership in Catholic primary schools is teaching young people to try their best today; consider others today, complete your work today, and tomorrow will look after itself.

McKinsey Research

The other key leadership material I subscribe to is McKinsey Research. McKinsey's research recently wrote about the question: Why do some companies manage to succeed, year after year—operationally, financially, and otherwise—while others don’t? Twenty-plus years of proprietary McKinsey research tells us that organisational health is one of the main reasons for success. Organisational health refers to how effectively leaders “run the place”—that is, how they make decisions, allocate resources, operate day to day, and lead their teams with the goal of delivering high performance, both in the near term and over time. Organisational health comprises three elements: how well the organisation rallies around a shared vision and strategy, how well it executes its strategy, and how well it innovates and renews itself over time. There is no one right path to sustained success, but healthier organisations tend to perform better than unhealthy ones, especially in times of uncertainty.

Also in this newsletter: 

• 2024 VACPSP Conference: GALA TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE AND SELLING OUT!
  
• CaSPA Conference: For Primary Principals too! Registrations are now open! Join us for the Catholic Secondary Principals Association (CaSPA) National Conference, 14-16 July 2024 at Crown Perth. Registration link.
• ACU Study Tours: Internation Study Tours for Catholic Education Leaders in 2024.

2024 VACPSP Conference, Lorne

Think. Engage. Lead. WITH STRENGTH.

Building on the previous conference themes of Courage and Hope, we introduce the theme of Strength. The Strength of our Faith and the teachings of Jesus and our own saint, Mary McKillop, the Strength of leading differently and justly, Strength in the face of the challenges of today's society, including a focus on the Strength of our indigenous story and spirituality, and our own inner conviction. A Strength that enables us to lead as we do.

This conference journey will inspire, inform and equip you to make a long-term, sustainable and measurable impact on young people and school communities. The conference is underpinned by “the story of our faith ... treasures handed to us. Whether Catholic or not, practicing or not, we are custodians or keepers of these stories because we work in Catholic schools." (200 Years Catholic Education).

CaSPA Conference

Registrations are now open!

Join us for the Catholic Secondary Principals Association (CaSPA) National Conference, 14-16 July 2024 at Crown Perth. 

Registration link: Catholic Secondary Principals Association 2024 Conference (eventsair.com)

Hosted by CSPA WA, this is your chance to reconnect, imagine and dream the future of Catholic education together as we meet in Boorloo, Perth our capital city. 

We acknowledge the Whadjuk people, the Traditional Custodians of this Land, in Perth Western Australia where we will hold the conference - people who have loved and cared for this Land for thousands of years.  It is the perfect location to be held in the magic and conversation of the future.

We are already on the journey to shaping the future of catholic education. Grounded in our faith, the conference will take us on a deeper journey of innovation, imagination, and collaboration. Together, we will delve into visionary ideas and innovative strategies that will shape the future of Catholic education, ensuring it remains a beacon of hope and wisdom for generations to come.

We have a two-day program that includes keynote speakers, student panels and abstract presentations and workshops. The themes will range from innovation and adaption, inclusivity and diversity, faith integration and community engagement. You will have a choice of school visits where you will be hosted by the Principal and have a chance to see how we work in Western Australia.

You will be engaged in thought-provoking discussions, share your experiences and expertise, and learn from the vast array of knowledge and perspectives present here. Let us dream boldly, envisioning a future where Catholic education continues to instill values, promote critical thinking, and inspire a sense of purpose in the hearts and minds of our students.

We invite you to Boorloo for Dreaming the Future of Catholic Education, a journey of connection and discovery we guarantee you will be Walking on a Dream.

ACU: Internation Study Tours for Catholic Education Leaders in 2024

Prayer

Loving and generous God, awaken us to your presence as we continue to discern what is life-giving, empowering and sustainable for the good of all Catholic primary Principals, the school communities we support and the students we serve.

May our inspiration and commitment deepen as we reflect on and respond to the needs of Principals according to the vision of the Gospel and the voice of the Spirit.

Pour out your abundant blessings upon all involved in Principalship, a ministry of witness and leadership in Catholic education.

Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Help of Christians, pray for us.

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Patron of Catholic Education in Australia, pray for us.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this newsletter update and a snapshot of the actions, connections and programs that the Association supports, leads or engages with on your behalf.

I am proud to represent the Victorian Catholic Primary Principal voice statewide and nationally and lead this professional, influential and trusted collegial body. By being a Member, your perspective, experience and knowledge of the school context joins the wealth of knowledge we take to key stakeholders to inform discussions.

As always, I not only welcome but encourage active communication between myself and members and look forward to engaging with you in person, phone or by email. Please share your insight with me at any time, be it through your Principal Council Representative or directly by emailing president@vacpsp.org.au or booking a call with me here. 

Thank you to our Business Partners