Dear Marist Regional College Community
Greetings to all members of our vibrant Catholic College community for the second half of 2023! Hasn’t the year flown to date? It is hard to believe we are in August already.
At the heart of every successful educational setting lies a clear vision and a roadmap to achieve it. Strategic planning is the compass that guides us forward, helping us embrace the future while staying true to our core values as a Catholic College. It empowers us to shape our destiny and ensures that we remain relevant and responsive in an ever-changing world.
Why Strategic Planning Matters?
Strategic planning is a proactive approach that allows us to identify our strengths, acknowledge areas for improvement, and leverage opportunities for growth. It is a collective effort, involving input from students, faculty, staff, parents/guardians, and other stakeholders. By engaging all voices, we create a unified vision that reflects our shared aspirations and values.
At our Catholic College, we recognise that the world around us is dynamic and constantly evolving. To provide our students with a holistic education that prepares them to be compassionate, critical-thinking, and well-rounded individuals, we must adapt to these changes. Strategic planning enables us to anticipate challenges, develop innovative solutions, and cultivate an inclusive environment where everyone can flourish.
The Strategic Planning Process
Our strategic planning process is built on three pillars:
Assessment
We have been committed to conducting a thorough analysis of our College’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This evaluation involves gathering data from various sources particularly responding to the feedback from our Validation Process. Understanding our current position has been vital to charting a successful course for the future.
Visioning
Together, we will articulate a clear and compelling vision for our college. This vision will encapsulate our shared values, strategic goals, and commitment to fostering an atmosphere of spiritual and academic growth. It serves as a guiding light, inspiring all members of our community to work collectively towards a brighter future.
Implementation
Translating our vision into actionable strategies is essential. Our strategic plan will identify specific objectives, measurable targets, and concrete action steps to achieve our goals in an annual planning process. We will allocate resources wisely, prioritise initiatives, and foster a culture of both support accountability to ensure the successful execution of our plan. Within the strategic direction provided by College leadership, our teams and departments will have an active role in college improvement through annual goal setting and planning.
Our Shared Journey
Over the first half of this year, behind the scenes we have been working on our response to our most recent Validation Report in Term 4, 2021, which was an independent process responding to the College’s needs.
Every member of our community has had the opportunity to actively participate and contribute. Since my return from long service leave, I have made it a priority to work with our College Leadership Team, Advisory Board and staff, to consolidate the goals.
Our first task has been to consolidate Our Mission. This has been achieved:
Inspired by the Marist and Mercy charisms, we invite all to a faith relationship through formation, and an excellence in holistic education
The above is fundamentally why we exist: our purpose!
Our Vision is in draft form and will soon be ratified:
Marist Regional College embraces a culture united by faith, pursuit of excellence in learning and innovation, strength in spirit and a community enriched by diversity.
Your insights and perspectives continue to be invaluable in shaping the direction of our College.
Together, we can continue to evolve our College that remains at the forefront of academic excellence, spiritual growth, and community engagement.
What is your hope for the College? If you would like to provide feedback, please use the following link:
Response Form: What is your hope for the College?
What does College Improvement “look like” this term?
This Term, we will be surveying our students on their social-emotional health. How is your child doing in this area? I would like to see this as an annual process.
We are reviewing our Capital Works program (2015-2025) and creating a new Capital Works Strategy for 2025 to 2035. A lot has been achieved in this time. With a pending Technology Centre to be built, hopefully with a commencement before the end of this year, we will again achieve a significant milestone. But what is next?
Our current enrolment trends indicate significant growth. The student population is the highest it has been for a decade and next year will push towards the highest in the College’s history. Does this mean we look to expand the College and create 7 or 8 classes per year level? What changes would be required to make this eventuate? Is bigger always better? If our mission is to “bring faith to all”, how might this inform our decision-making process?
Realistically, none of us are going to be directly involved in the College forever. As Mary McKillop is quoted, “We are all but travellers here.” As “travellers” or custodians of the College, we must make responsible, prudent and courageous decisions now, that enable the College to continue to flourish in the future.
I extend my gratitude to all those who commit to lay the foundations for college improvement. The College Advisory Board play a valuable role. In my time at the College, our current Board Chair, Mrs Maree Collins, her predecessor, Mr Eddie Roberts, and all Board members past and present, thank you.
Our College Leadership Team is energetic, diverse, and dynamic. I very much appreciate and enjoy working with them in our pursuits together. Quality leadership is critical for the advancement of the College, and I am very confident we have it in this team.
Finally, may God bless our endeavours, our dedicated teaching and support staff, as we embrace the future with optimism and purpose.
Together, we will navigate uncharted waters, and with faith and perseverance, we will continue to shine as a lamp of learning and compassion.
In Christ’s service,
Gregg Sharman
Principal
Inspired by the Marist and Mercy charisms, we invite all to a faith relationship through formation, and an excellence in holistic education