With 35 years of experience working within Brisbane Catholic Education schools, community and student voice is core for new Principal Cathie Caldwell.
In her first year as Principal at St Brendan’s Primary School Moorooka, Cathie believes her role as an educator is to be someone who makes sure the students feel happy and safe at school, so they can embrace their learning journeys with confidence.
“Community is everything to me,” she said.
“I love being connected to all students in the school and being able to respond to their voice, to continue to improve their experiences at school.
“Throughout Term 1 and 2, I have continued to build on the strong connections I already have within the community at Moorooka.”
Cathie added she was proud of her school’s connections to parents and the wider community through its Community Hub.
The Community Hub supports parents to learn English and make connections within the school community.
“We have developed strong relationships with local kindergartens and local Colleges, and we currently provide English lessons and craft mornings for our parents,” she said.
“I look forward to continuing to extend these great services this year, which could include a schoolbook club to share my love of literature with students.”
Cathie said she loves watching the student's flourish.
“I am passionate about ensuring each student has the support they need to thrive and excel,” she said.
“I love encouraging teachers to book excursions, incursions, using drama and the arts in classroom, running investigations, and posing design and technology challenges to students, to help engage their creativity and critical thinking.”