Towards 2025

T O WA R D S 2 0 2 5 Bold. Independent. Resilient. Creative.

We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation who are the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet today. We pay respect to the Wurundjeri Elders, past, present, and emerging and extend this respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait people from other communities.

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Our Charter As a leading girls’ school in Australia, St Catherine’s is committed to nurturing and empowering independent and globally responsive young women, enabling them to approach their endeavours with confidence, wisdom, and integrity.

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How do you prepare a young girl for her future?

We often speak about the intimacy of St Catherine’s.

But, I am hooked on its strength. It is this unpronounced, resounding feminine force. A quiet understanding that we are all here, on the same team – as happy for each other as we are for ourselves.

NI COLA SITCH ( ’15)

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At St Catherine’s School we believe it begins with courage. The moment a student walks through our Heyington Gates, she is encouraged to be bold, to inquire, to question, to learn and contribute.

The St Catherine’s School Towards 2025 Strategic Plan guides our planning and focus for the next five years to ensure our young women are creative, independent and resilient in all that they pursue.

Our plan begins with the values that set St Catherine’s students apart, Integrity, Curiosity, Perseverance, Gratitude and Empathy, and articulates our six strategic Intents and the specific goals we will achieve to nurture and empower independent and globally responsive young women.

Our goals encompass advances in digital learning, pedagogical innovation across all year levels, stronger alumnae and community relations, capital works and more. We aspire to graduating young women with the confidence and capabilities to thrive in the ever-changing world of work, and to contribute to society in meaningful ways.

Our Strategic Plan is the start of this conversation. We look forward to working in partnership with you to empower the next generation of courageous women at St Catherine’s School.

Mrs Michelle Carroll Principal Ms Jane Hodder Chair of Council

Bold.

Independent.

Resilient.

Creative.

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Empathy

Our Values

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Our values guide behaviours as well as ideals, ensuring that we visibly live these values as a community.

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As part of the Towards 2025 Strategic Vision, Value Statements have been developed to align the School Values with tangible actions, providing shared meaning, relevance and accessibility to all students.

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The St Catherine’s School Values act as guiding principles for the whole School Community. Our values provide a roadmap for developing key character traits and positive personal and intellectual behaviours.

We choose kindness and have the courage to care

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Our Vision St Catherine’s School aspires to graduating intellectually and emotionally agile young women, fully prepared to navigate their futures across new and emerging industries, thrive within global and digital communities, persevere during adversity and remain authentic and fearless in all they pursue.

At St Catherine’s, we are committed to ensuring each student is able to enquire deeply, respond positively to challenge and change and, on departing the Heyington Gates, is ready to lead in rich and meaningful ways.

Our Strategic Intents will guide and inform our approach to life at St Catherine’s for our students, staff and wider School community, to fulfil our Charter as a leader in nurturing and empowering young women.

To achieve this, St Catherine’s commits to six strategic intents:

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Academic Achievement

Wellbeing & Leadership

Co-Curricular Opportunities

Embed an unwavering focus on intellectual curiosity through a rigorous academic program, sensitive to the needs of individual pursuits.

Encourage our students to be proud of their accomplishments, seek out challenge and build personal leadership and confidence.

Empower young women to discover through experience and find their voice in the communities and world around them.

Exemplary Staff

Embrace Community

Equip Our Future

Enhance the student experience through the engagement of exceptional staff, committed to girls’ education and wellbeing.

Ensure opportunities for our students through a cohesive, diverse and inclusive community of current and past parents, St Catherine’s alumnae and wider school network.

Envision the delivery of learning environments for students and staff that lead the world in innovative and contemporary design and the delivery of exceptional educational programs.

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Intent One My years at School were a major imprint on my life and all that I was to achieve or witness in the next sixty.

L ADY JUDI TH T HOM SON (OGDEN ’57)

We Value Academic Achievement Embedded in a St Catherine’s School education is the unwavering focus on developing intellectual curiosity; we are a School committed to a rigorous Academic Program and sensitive to the needs of individual pursuits.

Our approach to learning ensures every student finds connection to the breadth of knowledge surrounding them, shaped by our seven pillars of learning; English and Literature, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Commerce, Languages, Health Science and Physical Education and Visual and Performing Arts.

St Catherine’s School embeds a culture of thinking within our Academic Programs, achieved through our professional learning partnership for teachers with the Critical Thinking Project, at the University of Queensland. The Towards 2025 Intent will continue the School’s development of our Teaching for Thinking agenda, whereby every classroom at St Catherine’s School is a ‘thinking classroom’; a learning space where every student will be actively engaged to not just rote learn information but to engage in the pedagogy that is driven by the belief that learning and wisdom are shaped by authentic experiences, rather than the accumulation of vast amount of facts and content.

The St Catherine’s School ‘thinking classroom’ teaches students how to question, how to learn and how to possess an intellectual quality of thinking that prepares them for a complex and interconnected world. Undoubtedly, the capacity to foster a culture of thinking is a hallmark of our Academic Programs, in which teachers are specifically trained to ensure it is part of the learning fabric of every classroom. We desire for every graduate to develop the capacity and capability to confidently participate in the ‘heart of the conversations that count’ and believe the success of every young woman is being part of, and integral to the leadership landscape and decision making of the future.

Our Towards 2025 Intent is to ensure all our young women graduate from St Catherine’s School with the capabilities and confidence to successfully participate within the changing landscape of the world around them.

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Graduate 2025 A young woman who has mastered independent learning and draws upon a comprehensive tool kit of transferable thinking skills in all work and life experiences.

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Independent. Resilient. Bold. Creative.

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Approach One

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Cultivate the ‘Thinking Classroom’

Establish the Senior Years Learning Model Years 10-12

The St Catherine’s School ‘Thinking Classroom’ places meaningful learning and intellectual endeavour at the core of all teaching and learning encounters. Our Thinking Classroom Framework builds from the foundation of Thinking Routines in the Early Learning Centre and Junior School through to the Senior School Pedagogical Schema that connects content with cognitive skills and values of inquiry, developing our girls into confident, disciplined and selfmotivated learners. Our Year 9 Signature Program will explore the benefits of Harkness inspired discussion lessons, themed on a Socratic style of learning aimed at truly developing communication and critical thinking skills in readiness for the Senior Years Learning Model.

Strengthening student independence and successful transition into tertiary and workplace environments, our Senior Years Learning Model delivers multi-faceted learning platforms including masterclass lectures, flexi-tutes and traditional classroom teaching. By harnessing the power of digital technology and platforms, we will deliver Academic Programs that successfully connect opportunity for asynchronous lessons with face to face learning. The Senior Years Learning Model will improve independence of thought, scholastic self-assuredness, vocational awareness and planning, which remain the hallmarks of learning in the Senior School.

Enriching the Nicholas Library as a Centre for Research and Learning The Nicholas Library will be the academic flagship of St Catherine’s School. Broadening the thinking of our entire School community, the Nicholas Library will be home to individual and peer-based study, lecture series, academic tutoring, collegial networking and scholar-in-residence opportunities to ignite a passion for learning.

The opportunity to engage with industry leaders and to network with alumnae provides the sharing of authentic career experiences, coupled with academic support and career advice grounded in real-life learning experiences.

Independent. Resilient. Bold. Creative.

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Establish The Barbreck Teaching Model

Develop ELC Curriculum in the areas of Inquiry, Research and STEM

Building from the foundation learning in our Early Learning Centre, our Barbreck Teaching Model empowers every student to engage in their own unique learning journey. Shaped by the explicit teaching model of the Gradual Release of Responsibility Instructional Framework, our Barbreck students’ learning journey will be personalised with a consistent and common language embedded in every lesson, coupled with the timely delivery of feedback about learning progressions.

The Barbreck Teaching Model offers a comprehensive foundation to ensure a successful transition to the Senior School.

Building on our well-established foundation of the Reggio Emilia educational approach, the student-centred approach to learning in our ELC ensures for our youngest learners, a co-educational program based on the principles of respect, responsibility and community through exploration, discovery and play. The ELC learning opportunities will newly encompass a tailored STEM Program undertaken in the Barbreck STEM Lab, providing an environment that is conducive to hands-on practical experiences that are fun and engaging for young, curious minds.

The ELC Program will also embrace the learning approaches of Dr Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots Program.

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Intent Two Nothing will alter the fact that for the rest of your life you will be known as, and will belong to, St Catherine’s.

M RS LEI GH RUND L E ( DEN HA M ’61)

We Encourage Girls’ Wellbeing & Leadership For 125 years, St Catherine’s School has educated and empowered young women. Our Academic and Wellbeing Programs are intentionally girl-centric and tailored to the specific needs and interests of girls. Over many years, we have earned a distinguished academic reputation, which is founded on knowing, understanding and caring about each student.

Along with our vibrant, student-led House system, the weThrive: Wellbeing@St Catherine’s Program provides a holistic journey embracing emotional, social, physical and cognitive development.

Guided by the understanding that resilience and personal wellbeing are essential for academic buoyancy and life-long emotional intelligence, our students are guided by our skilled educators to critically evaluate their emotions and experiences, navigate their own solutions to challenges, build positive relationships, commit to their learning, explore their leadership skills and embrace good citizenship and social responsibility.

Inspired by the research that has demonstrated overwhelmingly that students who have agency in their learning are more motivated, experience greater satisfaction in their learning and, consequently, are more likely to achieve academic success, our Wellbeing Program encourages young women to strengthen their self-agency and personal leadership capacity through engagement and participation in School-based activities.

Newly created, the St Catherine’s Girls’ Leadership Project, titled ‘Use your Voice’ focuses on encouraging and empowering girls to step forward and embrace every opportunity. The Girls’ Leadership Project is established around the motto: ‘Use Your Voice’ and will prepare young St Catherine’s women to aspire to leadership roles. Not all acts of leadership require ‘speaking’ nor do they require an official title or specific captaincy or role. Often our actions speak louder than words, as such, the acronym VOICE identifies the following key attributes of leadership we wish to engender: Voice, Ownership, Inclusion, Compassion, Empowerment, Strength St Catherine’s School moves towards 2025 with the intent to encourage our young women to be proud of their accomplishments, to see challenges as opportunities and build a strong sense of confidence and personal leadership.

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Graduate 2025 A resilient and confident young woman who leans in to opportunities, pursues personal success, enjoys the satisfaction derived from hard work and has the mental fortitude to persevere when challenged.

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Resilient. Independent. Bold. Creative.

Approach One

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Foster Academic Care Through Personalised Programs

Enhance Girls’ Leadership Programs

Delivering an Integrated Wellbeing Program

Encouraging and empowering young women to step forward, we encourage girls to embrace every opportunity and to ‘use their voice’. Our skilled educators guide students to achieve a deeper understanding of their personal capabilities and leadership potential.

We will present students with opportunities that challenge and inspire. Together, the Barbreck Ambassador Program and the achievement of the Leadership Diploma in Senior School captures the aspiration of each student and showcases a community-minded school environment that fosters a sense of service, engagement and endeavour.

Guided by the Swinburne University’s Emotional Intelligence Program, Aristotle, the St Catherine’s Wellbeing Program fosters the development of emotional intelligence and resilience within the academic, boarding and Co-curricular Programs. Student voice and personal responsibility will be the cornerstone of the Wellbeing Program, encouraging positive relationships, commitment to learning, cooperation, communication and leadership. The selection of age-appropriate wellbeing lessons will equip young students with the necessary knowledge, understanding and skills to address the many challenges faced by adolescents today, and create pathways to embrace adulthood with confidence and courage.

St Catherine’s School intentionally maintains optimal class sizes to ensure every student is known and known well. Our students are supported and encouraged to explore and discover what makes them unique and achieve their greatest personal success.

Supported by our Academic Advisory Program, each girl grows to understand her own learning journey and career aspirations with encouragement to strive towards achieving her own personal and academic goals, in conjunction with celebrating her successes and establishing her personal e-portfolio.

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Resilient. Independent. Bold. Creative.

Approach Four Maintain a Diverse, Caring & Supportive Boarding Community Our boarders call Illawarra their home.

The National Trust listed Victorian Boarding House offers the same warmth and sense of community that generations of St Catherine’s School girls have enjoyed. We are committed to ensuring that our boarding students feel part of a dynamic and vibrant home which offers them friendship, care and broadens their understanding of other communities and cultures. Boarders are encouraged to develop personal and academic independence within a nurturing and supportive environment.

Supported study routines and communal activities will continue to be a hallmark of the St Catherine’s Boarding Program.

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Indubitably, as our School’s future unfolds, we recognise that our success is contained in respect for the past.

PRI N CI PA L M ICHELLE CA RR OL L , 125 Y EA R FOUN DATI ON S ERV IC E

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Intent Three When I think back on my years at St Catherine’s, I remember above all the spirit of camaraderie, of care and concern for each other, of the forming of precious and enduring friendships.

M RS CAROLINE SARGOOD (SHAW ’67 )

We Empower Her Signature & Her Voice Learning beyond the classroom empowers our young women to discover through experience and extend their capabilities, pursue their interests, talents and passions and find their voice in the community and world around them.

The Towards 2025 Intent envisions the development of a bespoke Co-curricular Program, Her Signature, designed to encourage, inspire and enrich participation for our students and empower them to be authentic and fearless in all they pursue.

Her Signature offers extensive programs aimed to enhance the development of our young women through exciting, authentic experiences across Sport, Performing and Visual Arts, Debating/Public Speaking, School Clubs and Global Exchange Programs and Study Tours.

A clear message emerging from both research and school practice is that students respond best to learning approaches that are authentic, can be related to their everyday lives and allow for self-expression. With this, evolves a greater self-awareness, improved critical thinking skills and an enhanced understanding of one’s own personal capacity. Character development and the ‘gaining of wisdom’ are interwoven within the culture at St Catherine’s and, as a School, we aim to engender traits of generosity, honesty and courage.

The programs are underpinned by three essential pillars that are designed to provide opportunities for our students to step outside their comfort zones in supportive and safe environments, encouraging them to learn, investigate and challenge themselves.

The pillars include: Character, by creating resilient, persistent and responsible women; Engagement, with a community focused approach; and Leadership, through inspiring the next generation of aspiring leaders.

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Graduate 2025 Possesses a global and inclusive outlook with an outstanding ability to work independently and in team environments. She values community service and has bold passion for exploring her capabilities.

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Bold. Resilient. Independent. Creative.

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Enhance Global Pathways

Create a Signature Year 9 Program

Preparing students for transnational workplaces, our Global Pathways Program places learning within a broader global perspective, delivering a wide range of opportunities to extend cultural understanding, broaden perspectives and enhance personal awareness. Whether opportunities are offered within Australia or abroad, educational travel supports students to broaden their school experience and deepen their understanding of the world.

We offer over 25 places of School Exchange and enable participation in Study Tours designed to excite young scientists exploring marine life at the Great Barrier Reef or simulating the training regime of astronauts at NASA, or to enthuse our musicians through performance opportunity in the Opera House or in the theatres of New York and to pursue a passion through School Exchanges that may complement training in many sports.

Our graduate is world-ready through the development of vital self-sufficiency and organisational skills, enhanced leadership attributes and essentially, a broader understanding of the lives of others.

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Understanding Year 9 is a critical point of self-discovery for many students; as such, our Signature Year 9 Program aims to harness the interests and passions of young women to enable a confident transition to their Senior Learning Years. Our Academic Programs in Year 9 will foster partnerships with alumnae mentors, tertiary institutions and industry leaders to further explore and build on their capabilities and career interests. Our Socratic inspired discussion lessons across Humanities and Literature classes will capture the intellectual endeavour, critical thinking and curiosity within our Year 9 students.

The Signature Program will inspire Year 9 students to actively seek and discover their own individual strengths and interests.

We aim to encourage student exploration in Domestic and Global Exchange Programs and Study Tours, the pursuit of outdoor endeavours and community service captured within the world-renowned Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

Bold. Resilient. Independent. Creative.

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Strengthen Co-Curricular Programs

Broaden the Beyond Boundaries Camp Program

By strengthening the Co-curricular Programs, we seek to raise opportunities for all students to participate, perform and succeed in their selected pursuits. By enriching the school experiences beyond the classroom and providing opportunities for students, we wish to personalise the learning journey of every girl, every day.

Develop opportunities for the Performing Arts Our focus in the Towards 2025 Intent, is the growth and development of the Performing Arts through the provision of an exciting new Black Box Theatre offering a purpose-built centre to enjoy and share a love of performing on stage in either theatrical productions, dance or music concerts.

Enhance opportunities for sporting endeavour We will develop a flourishing Sports Development Academy in our array of sporting opportunities at St Catherine’s in Athletics (Cross Country and Track & Field), Rowing, Hockey, Snowsports and Water Polo. The Sports Development Academy will be enhanced by the inclusion of a fitness studio, including cardio and strength training equipment and an indoor basketball/netball court.

Strengthen competitive opportunities for Debating, Public Speaking and Mooting With the recent introduction of Legal Studies as a VCE subject, St Catherine’s School will pursue interest in mooting as a Co-curricular activity. By specialising in the art of persuasive advocacy, mooting in the Senior Years of Learning provides opportunity for our outstanding Humanities students to extend their debating skills and public speaking skills crafted in the Junior Debating years.

The well-established Beyond Boundaries Camp Program will continue to foster a love of the outdoors through learning experiences that extends our classroom curriculum beyond the Heyington Gates, and encompasses the successful delivery of character education. That being, the development of positive personal traits, dispositions and virtues that motivates and guides conduct so girls reflect wisely, learn eagerly and behave with integrity to enable a flourishing life.

The Towards 2025 Intent will see the addition of the Compass Program in Year 7 and 8, as a junior entry point for the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

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Intent Four Almost 35 years after finishing school, walking through those beautiful front gates, I still feel I am coming home; I feel a sense of warmth and remember the nurturing that helped shaped me into the person I am today.

M S MELI SSA SW EETLAND (’86 )

We Commit to Exemplary Staff To ensure a continuous culture of learning is implemented in every classroom and Co-curricular Program, St Catherine’s School aims to enhance the student experience through the engagement of exceptional staff, committed to girls’ education and wellbeing. The St Catherine’s School culture of learning is realised by the professional expertise and development of our educators and staff, embracing a model of a continuous learning community that is personalised and individual. Leaders in their disciplines, St Catherine’s School remains committed to building the professional excellence, learning and wellness of our educators and general staff.

At St Catherine’s School, our model embraces continuous learning that develops character, growth and wellness. Our ‘Teaching for Thinking’ Professional Learning Program, established in 2019 with the appointment of a School Pedagogical Coach, was created to provide inspired learning in its teaching staff by facilitating valuable avenues for ongoing professional growth.

This support for teachers was further strengthened with the appointment of a Project Leader of the Senior Years Learning Model, to lead the transition of our Independent Learning Tutorials to embrace student outcomes of improving adaptive expertise and self-agency.

As a learning community in partnership with students and parents our goal is to equip, empower and enable our community to both learn and unlearn as continuous learners. Consistently strong academic results and the development of relevant skills and dispositions in the students are clear evidence of our quality of teaching and commitment to excellence. Students leave the School as continuous learners, equipped with the key skills and learning for tertiary study, careers and engaging in life beyond school.

St Catherine’s School aims to ensure our teachers are experts and continuous learners in their fields and dedicated to supporting girls in their academic and wider endeavours. Through the activities of the Teaching for Thinking culture and our Senior Years Learning Model, we see a positive and proactive approach to work and a passion to participate in School life.

Towards 2025, St Catherine’s School’s intent is to attract, develop, nurture and recognise exemplary staff who utilise forward thinking and world-ready practices to deliver optimal learning outcomes for our students. At the heart of the St Catherine’s experience is the relationship between teacher and student.

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Graduate 2025 Educated and supported by highly skilled staff dedicated to leading practice within a culture of learning where educators and students share a common language, understanding and approach to high quality intellectual endeavour.

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Creative. Bold. Independent. Resilient.

Approach One Value, Develop & Nurture Exemplary Staff St Catherine’s School seeks to be an employer of choice, attracting and retaining high quality people with staff wellbeing paramount to the School. We aim to provide appropriate care and Professional Development Learning Programs to ensure all staff can contribute positively and successfully to the School. New staff will undertake comprehensive induction and professional mentoring, with ongoing professional learning opportunities to ensure a successful transition into the teaching landscape at St Catherine’s School and the culture of continuous learning.

The Towards 2025 Intent seeks to appropriately recognise and nurture staff talent and performance through leadership development and career opportunities, as well as acknowledgment of professional excellence through peer reviewed award recognition and fellowship grants.

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Creative. Bold. Independent. Resilient.

Approach Two Establish a Flagship Professional Learning Program Placing St Catherine’s School at the forefront of global teaching and learning practices the Professional Learning Program will enhance staff capacity and agency to deliver exceptional learning outcomes for students, facilitated by partnerships with expert external bodies, tertiary institutions and founded on relevant research. We encourage staff to embrace opportunities to engage and develop as continuous learners through our internal Professional Learning Program and external learning through professional development, further study and involvement in external VCE and NAPLAN assessment. Sharing teaching practice is developed through

implicit and explicit learning opportunities, creating a highly professional culture of both formal and informal learning.

In nurturing a collegial and collaborative approach to teaching practice and a continuous learning culture, St Catherine’s School will develop a purpose-built Professional Learning and Research Centre, accommodating presentation spaces, conference rooms, collaboration points and a staff lounge. In developing these learning spaces, we seek to provide facilities that will allow for the continued development of community learning between staff, students and parents.

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Intent Five St Catherine’s is more than just a school, and it is more than your final year. It is the years spent forming friendships and memories, learning together, competing for your house and school, and figuring out who you are and what you want to do.

M ISS P HI LI P PA S UTHERLAND (’12 )

We Embrace Our Community We welcome our diverse School community into life at St Catherine’s through engagement, involvement and connection, proud that we offer our students access to a community complemented by expertise and inspiration, leadership and camaraderie, strength and guidance.

Launching from our 125-year School Anniversary in 2021, we look to the past to celebrate the remarkable history of St Catherine’s School. Our partnership fostered with the St Catherine’s Old Girls’ Association (SCOGA) provides many avenues to celebrate the stories of our School and reflects the enduring friendships and forward opportunities for engagement among our broad membership base of over 7,000 past students.

At the heart of St Catherine’s School is a community of current and past parents, and members of our wider School network, dedicated to fostering, strengthening and enhancing opportunities for our students. St Catherine’s School takes great pride in our cohesive and unique community, with many parent-led Auxiliaries that are integral to supporting the variety of activities that enrich the experiences offered to our students.

Most notably, in the rapidly evolving world, it is important that St Catherine’s School continues to educate girls to be ‘women of the future’ as emanated by our founding Principal, Miss Jeanie Hood in 1896. The Towards 2025 Intent is to ensure all members of our School community are proud ambassadors of our School and belong to a positive, inclusive and mutually beneficial community. In addition to St Catherine’s School continuing to display good local citizenship and embrace the multi-faith nature of society in Melbourne.

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Graduate 2025 Is supported by a diverse and highly skilled network of education specialists, industry experts, alumnae and current and past parents, connecting them with opportunities around the world and nurturing an enduring link to St Catherine’s School.

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Independent. Resilient. Bold. Creative.

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Enhancing Community Connections

Ensure Strong & Effective School Governance

Enhance Collaboration with SCOGA

St Catherine’s School will provide ongoing opportunities for parents to actively engage in their daughter’s education and enable a connection to networking events and parent information seminars. Our ongoing communication with past parents and students will also ensure our wider community remain well informed and associated with the School.

The provision of a supportive and effective School Council and Council Sub-Committees works to ensure outstanding governance and risk management at St Catherine’s School.

Most notably, our School Council is future focused with its endeavours, aiming to provide the finest possible facilities and programs for the enrichment of our students’ education and wellbeing.

Through the trusted collaboration with the St Catherine’s Old Girls’ Association (SCOGA), the School seeks to build respected and impactful relationships with our Old Girls to create and enhance their lifelong personal and professional connections to our School.

Our Towards 2025 Intent seeks to foster and generate active support for the School from our Parents’ & Friends’ Association (PFA) and our parent-led Auxiliaries, namely the Rowing and Snowsports Programs, Girls Sport Victoria (GSV) and the Creative Arts.

The commitment and funding provided by the PFA and Auxiliaries serves to enhance and promote opportunities for each student.

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At the heart of the blue ribbon is the spirit of participation, equity and hope and, with this, continued promotion of the philanthropic culture of St Catherine’s School. The evolution of the St Catherine’s School Foundation ensures a voice for the giving opportunities within the School that will enable opportunity for more girls to receive a St Catherine’s School education.

The Towards 2025 Intent looks to expand the professional and career connections of St Catherine’s students and graduates through SCOGA mentoring opportunities and access to a global network of engaged alumnae.

Our celebration of the achievements of Old Girls within the School seek to showcase the depth and breadth of the many career paths of St Catherine’s women and each proves to be an outstanding role model for younger students and highlights what St Catherine’s women can do when they ‘find their voice’.

Independent. Resilient. Bold. Creative.

Approach Four Partner with Leading Education & Corporate Institutions The Towards 2025 aims to cultivate working partnerships with leading educational institutions and corporations, both in Australia and around the world, to connect our students, staff and alumnae with industry leaders and to broaden St Catherine’s network of expertise.

Leading by example, the Year 9 Signature Program seeks to foster both tertiary and business partnerships within the academic and Co-curricular Programs. The pilot partnership program for the Year 9 Finance, Business and Entrepreneurship (FBE) Elective with Dexus Property provides a template in which to explore further Scholars-in-Residence across the Creative and Performing Arts, Sciences, Language and Literature.

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Intent Six From my school years l developed a profound love of learning, which was nurtured by a band of interesting and dedicated teachers.

M S SHELLY COLM A N ( ’74)

We Equip Our Future The Towards 2025 Strategic Intent builds on the 125-year history of the School with the continued focus on delivering optimal learning and teaching environments for students and staff. Our focus on leading with innovative and contemporary design of classroom and Co-curricular experiences will ensure the delivery of exceptional educational programs.

By ensuring progressive management of the School’s resources, we wish to support an outstanding educational offering with sustainable delivery of contemporary infrastructure and programs. This will be achieved through the wise management of St Catherine’s School financial resources, reputation and philanthropic culture.

In recent years, the re-development of Barbreck Junior School, the Edna Holmes Centre for Science and the refurbishment of Campbell House: The Ilhan Family Early Learning Centre serve to illustrate the School’s endeavour to continually raise the opportunities for students of St Catherine’s School.

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Graduate 2025 Learning within innovative and modern educational spaces and part of a flourishing and diverse student population.

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Creative. Bold. Independent. Resilient.

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The Ongoing Renewal of our School Campus

Continuing to Grow St Catherine’s School

Continual renewal of St Catherine’s School Toorak campus to enhance the delivery of academic and Co-curricular Programs through innovative design of modern educational spaces including a bespoke Black Box Theatre to enhance the delivery of curriculum and performance within all Music, Drama, Theatre and Dance Programs, a renewed Sports precinct to enable effective teaching, sport training, and competition venues and a new Professional Learning and Research Centre.

Execution of considered and detailed growth strategies to expand the current student population to ensure St Catherine’s School remains a leading girls’ school in Australia.

This will be enabled by strengthening our edge in the independent school sector and requires the innovative development of the St Catherine’s School marketing strategy to refresh the St Catherine’s brand and further strengthen the School’s position in the market.

Reducing our carbon footprint through utilisation of green energy, a paperless environment and recycled water, as well as achieving a five-star rating from Sustainability Victoria’s Resource Smart Schools Program remains a key focus of the campus development.

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17 Heyington Place, Toorak, Victoria, Australia 3142 T +61 3 9828 3032 | E foundation@stcatherines.net.au | www.stcatherines.net.au | ABN 90 004 251 816