St Stephen’s Catholic College’s College Family Connect was formed in 2022 and represents a new direction in parent and family engagement with the College.
Parent and family engagement is a key factor in a child’s success at school. When parents engage in a child’s learning there are many positive outcomes including improvements in achievement, attendance and behaviour. As a college community, we seek to develop increasing and intentional engagement with parents to support a learning partnership of parents, children and the College. College Family Connect is the initial step in cultivating greater parent engagement. This group will be used to inform and advise the College on ways to provide better support for parents to increasingly engage with their child’s learning.
Parent and family engagement goes beyond encouraging parents to participate in school events and is more focused on how parents and families support a child in their learning. The support of learning can be through fostering a supportive home environment conducive to learning. This type of engagement can take place in any location and at any time.
The Catholic school participates in the evangelizing mission of the Church. It centres its vision on the life and teachings of Christ with the Gospels as the reference points of its philosophy. It is concerned with building a Christian community where parents, staff and students work together.
College Family Connect exists to support the college community and is involved in the total life of the college. Parents/carers, as first educators of their children, have a vital collaborative role to play in the implementation of the educational philosophy and policy of the college.
College Family Connect plays a significant role in the development of a collaborative and cooperative college community where parents/carers are recognised as authentic partners, with teachers and the administration, in the education of their children.
College Family Connect recognises that parent communities exist for the benefit of the college and its students. Where organised, members of the community are welcome to attend College Family Connect meetings, which are a forum by which parents, carers and other community members can connect with the Principal, teachers, other parents, and community members to:
- Develop a community spirit;
- Support and work in partnership with the Principal and teachers;
- Participate in decision-making;
- Promote interaction between home and college, parents and teachers;
- Encourage parent participation in teaching and learning activities and college life;
- Promote the college in the wider community;
- Create a forum for discussion; and
- Assist in providing resources to the college where necessary.
Membership
There is no Executive membership within the structure of College Family Connect.
Meetings
College Family Connect meets once per term, with additional parent engagement sessions also hosted each term.
Meetings are advertised in the College Newsletter, and on the College Facebook page.
All parents and carers are welcome to attend. Please note that College Family Connect meetings and parent information sessions are not suitable for children.
2025 Meeting Dates
Term 1: Tuesday 18 February
Term 2: Tuesday 13 May
Term 3: Tuesday 5 August
Term 4: Tuesday 28 October
Student Support Program
The College Family Connect Student Support Program is a source of financial support to students who represent St Stephen’s Catholic College in activities outside the College.
Each family at St Stephen’s Catholic College pays a student levy for each student of $40.00 per year, or $10.00 per student per term.
College Family Connect allocates money in its budget each year to assist students in meeting the expenses involved in representing the school at external sporting, cultural and academic activities.
To be eligible, the applicant must:
- Be a student at St Stephen’s Catholic College.
- Be representing St Stephen’s Catholic College, the Diocese, the school district or the school region, either individually, or as part of a team, for the purpose of a school-based activity. The activity may be sporting, cultural or academic in its nature.
- Submit an application in writing to College Family Connect, through the College Principal. This application must be made by the individual student, or in the case of a team, by a student representative of the team.
- Not have applied more than 4 times in the current school calendar year.
Further information, including application procedures and the application form, are available here:
