Running a school is no bed of roses especially when 2020 is your first year as its leader, but after the rain comes sunshine and a time to blossom, writes PAULINA SKERMAN.
After five years of leading a girls' day and boarding school in north Queensland, I thought I’d seen my fair share of challenges, sleepless nights, illness, injury, death and natural disasters. I had more than doubled enrolments in my time at the school and construction was well underway on a new library, performing arts auditorium and hospitality centre. I was leaving behind a strong leadership team and an awesome teaching faculty as I confidently moved on to my next adventure.
"I was alone, injured and completely out of my comfort zone; 2020 was just warming up.”
Year 2020: no bed of roses
Arriving in Sydney without my husband (who was trying to sell our house) and my beloved Dalmatian, I moved into a unit that was more like a teenager’s hangout – and walked into a glass door on my first night, completely destroying my face. Bushfires were threatening our school’s outdoor education centre in the Southern Highlands and I was alone, injured and completely out of my comfort zone; 2020 was just warming up.
Santa Sabina College Principal Paulina Skerman: despite a tough year, her school is a 'most delightful garden'.
Nurturing the school through tragedies
I settled into my new office in early January, excited about the future and eager to meet staff and students. Early on Sunday before the first full week of school, I received the shattering news that would bring our school community to its knees. One of our Year 6 girls, Veronique Sakr, and three of her cousins had been killed by a motorist as they walked to buy ice cream the night before.
Early on Sunday before the first full week of school, I received the shattering news that would bring our school community to its knees.
By 9am, I had contacted staff who knew Veronique to share the news and assembled my leadership team (who I barely knew). We went into action to prepare our school community. Our Year 6 Welcome Mass the next day commenced with me sharing our terrible news with Veronique’s classmates and then with the greater school. That week was a blur. I spent time with Veronique’s family at their home. There was only unimaginable anguish. I offered our Chapel for the funeral and worked with my team to prepare for more than 2000 mourners. As we know, the deaths of these children elicited a national outpouring of grief and intense media interest. Responding to the family’s wishes, wrapping them in love and ensuring our students had the space and support to grieve kept me focused on getting through each day.
The first 10 weeks of term continued to be tinged with tragedy; two of my teachers were badly injured in two separate and serious accidents (and if I could reveal further ‘confidential’ challenges I faced that term, I would have a reality TV ratings giant).
I felt like every turn presented me with another calamity. Very much an outsider with no family and no friends in Sydney, it must have been tempting to turn back and head home. Then COVID struck.
Thankfully, our school was well prepared and we moved to remote learning confidently with a full co-curricular program. There is nothing like a crisis to reveal the character of those around you; the team who led the implementation of our remote learning program was deeply committed - wonderful teachers and extraordinary humans. Amongst all the chaos of 2020, there were many moments like these where silver linings revealed themselves and gave me the strength to stay and face another day.
I felt like every turn presented me with another calamity. Very much an outsider with no family and no friends in Sydney, it must have been tempting to turn back and head home. Then COVID struck.
The bouquet: optimism, resilience and a great leadership team
Despite the year’s challenges, my team and I have forged ahead with optimism. I am excited by the many opportunities before me; I have a new leadership team structure for next year and the Board has approved our new strategic plan. A new precinct is being refurbished to establish Gioia House - a tween precinct for girls in Years 5 and 6. Planning is also underway for whole school wellbeing and service programs to strengthen our young people; and new subjects such as Philosophy are being introduced from Year 5 onwards. A timetable review is planned for early next year. Thankfully enrolments are strong despite the economic challenges of COVID-19.
I may have possibly lived through one of the most challenging years of my career so far but none of us goes into this role without a huge dose of optimism and a deep capacity for resilience, driven by a greater moral purpose. Every day I gain strength from a leadership team and teaching fraternity who I have come to know care deeply about each other and who share a common goal - to see our students and our school flourish.
I may have possibly lived through one of the most challenging years of my career so far but none of us goes into this role without a huge dose of optimism and a deep capacity for resilience, driven by a greater moral purpose.
A delightful garden
Like the early Dominican Sisters, we will continue to offer an educational program broad in content, rich in human spiritual values and aspirational in reach. As I stand in this beautiful campus and reflect on the community I have joined, I agree with the founding Sisters that it is ‘very spacious, gladsome and fragrant, a most delightful garden’.
