Dear Parents and Carers,

As Principal of St Francis of Assisi Warrawong, I continue to be proud of our school as a welcoming community that strives to empower all learners to reach their full potential. This does not occur in isolation. Our role is to work in partnership with parents to provide an environment that encourages students to connect with each other and their community so that they can succeed and thrive. Parents, staff and the community all play a role in fostering this environment.
We continue to look for ways of encouraging positive, sustainable and effective partnerships between all members of the school community, including teachers, families and students. Children receive powerful messages from family-school relationships. When I read the definition of community engagement, I can't emphasise enough the importance of 'shared responsibility.'
'Community engagement is a two-way street where the school, families, and the community actively work together, creating networks of shared responsibility for student success. It is a tool that promotes well-being, and that strengthens the capacity of schools, families, and communities to support young people's full development.”
Pope Francis said parents and teachers must collaborate openly and constructively. He has stressed the importance of the relationship between parents and teachers. Parents and teachers must put themselves in the shoes of the other,  “understanding the objective difficulties that one and the other encounter today, thus creating greater solidarity."

May we continue to reflect and work together to nurture that shared responsibility while honouring the culture, traditions, values and relationships in our school and parish community.

"When parents and schools work together to build a culture of shared leadership
and responsibility for student learning and well-being,
children do better, and schools get better.”