From the Principal

Just like an architect’s building plans, or a designer’s conceptualisation of ideas, this edition of the Blueprint contains the record of information that is needed to build or make something. When we build a strong foundation, we are positioned to face the future with confidence.

At St Aidan’s, we build excellence in education, ensuring that each individual is nurtured and shaped by the values of Christian faith and that she has the opportunity to reach her aspirational potential. The Blueprint provides the space for our school leaders to share the on-going work, the building of our school, mapped against our school’s vision, values and the strategic intentions.

St Aidan’s focus is to develop and promote authentic, caring, confident, creative and connected women who value reason, imagination, truth, compassion and responsibility. The values of the Society of the Sacred Advent; humility, courage, compassion, resilience, faithfulness and whole-heartedness inform our daily school life. It is my hope that you will recognise these learner attributes, values and beliefs, woven into the stories and reports contained within the Blueprint, each year.

We experienced another year in which we managed the stop, start, go-again, unpredictability of looming lockdowns and COVID closures. What has been achieved at St Aidan’s, this year, in challenging conditions to say the least, has been extraordinary.

Students and teachers have had to be agile to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances and to then be flexible to shift at short notice when those circumstances changed again suddenly. We needed to be proactive, yet grounded. We had to find stability and certainty for the good of our community and to always have our eye on the continuity of learning for our students and the wellbeing of all. We continue to shine the spotlight on excellence, innovation and above all, commitment to girls’ education.

4 Blueprint I St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School

As this year draws to a close, we acknowledge our hard-working and resilient senior cohort of students. Our young women have steadfastly met the demands of the new ATAR system, completed external examinations in all of their General Subjects, and all the while demonstrating authentic leadership in uncertain times. Each step of the way our senior leaders helped us accept the changing landscape of living with COVID-19.

Leaders in our school, in every year of St Aidan’s history enrich and enable others; they help ‘build’ an environment in which compassion and courage shape all our learning. They lead with strength and responsibility to make a positive impact in this community, and to make a difference more broadly to society.

As you read the reports, stories, and acknowledgements, which form this year’s Blueprint, I am confident that you will share our School’s positive outlook for the future.

Ms Toni Riordan Principal

BEd, MEd (Leadership), FACEL, MACE, GAICD, FIML

5