Deputy Principal’s Message

Hello Sirius College family,

I am so grateful to be back from my long service leave which I had taken at the end of Term 2! The sense of belonging and community values in our college is so strong; we yearn for its existence when we are away. I certainly missed my second place I call home: Sirius College.

It is so important to instil a love of learning at a young age, but research shows, students are more interested in their school life when they have a sense of belonging and being cared for. We strive to work on this, also reflected in our mission: to become socially responsible learners motivated by moral values.

We want our students to have a voice

Why is it important for students to have a voice at school? Children spend a lot of time at school. After the family, school has the most significant influence on child development, so making students’ time at school enjoyable and worthwhile supports their mental health and wellbeing. Part of this process involves supporting students to be active contributors to their own learning. The sense of belonging, positive relationships and improved self-esteem achieved when children are active contributors in their school community are significant protective factors that support their mental health and wellbeing now and in the future*.

We are always working with our students to better our school. Our Student Representative Council along with other students, have come together collectively to fundraise for our school. They actively give suggestions on how we can better improve our college, which we appreciate very much.

Voice Box

Last year, we had the initiative of placing a ‘Voice Box’ in all our campuses. This is a platform for students to be heard, if they feel as they cannot raise some issues. It is important for us to have a safe way of students voicing their opinions when in need. Please encourage your child to speak to a staff member if they face any issues at school, if they wish to discuss a certain topic, or make suggestions of improvement for our school. Alternatively, they may wish to use the red coloured voice box anonymously, located in the entrance of the primary building.

I look forward to working on building a culture where every contribution is valued and everyone feels included. It certainly does require a whole-school approach, where contributions from students are valued in the classroom, philosophy of the school, and broader school community.

I always welcome any suggestions you may have to better the outcomes for everyone.

Have a blessed Eid, and I look forward to seeing our students in their outfits at the character parade!

*(Kids Matter, Australian Primary Schools, Mental Health Initiative)