I remember when St Columba’s exceptional first Higher School Certificate results were credited to a school in the Blue Mountains.
We were new, unknown and easily dismissed. How things have changed.
This statement is now at the head of every role description in the school:
The aim of St Columba Anglican School is to be the most outstanding school in New South Wales. It is the product of the vision of a community – to build a school with access to all who want their children to achieve the highest standards of education and behaviour.
St Columba Anglican School is founded on faith. The Christian ethos is present in its caring philosophy and its concern to produce educated leadership. The School is a community school in the sense that its doors are open to all, so long as they are sympathetic to and support the School’s Christian foundation.
In the seventeen years of its existence, SCAS has always sought to be a “game-changer” in education.
We do not judge our success entirely on academic results but also on the calibre of students who graduate from the school.
Our aim for our students is incorporated in our graduate ethos:
SCAS Graduates will:
- Display, by their words and actions, a positive, Christian view of the world and their place in it.
- Understand that while they should be valued as an individual, their willingness to serve their community, now and in the future, will be a key to their continued growth.
- Have been shaped by the ethos and actions of the school and in turn, have played a role in the evolution of the school community towards greatness.
- Have been offered access to an education that not only allowed them to reach their academic potential but also provided them with the access to the knowledge and skills required to successfully enter the next phase of their lives as lifelong learners who are erudite, optimistic and disciplined.
- Understand the vital nature of change in the world and are prepared to face this reality with confidence and resilience.
- Be exposed to and given the opportunity to develop such 21st Century skills as agility, creativity and an ability to work collaboratively with others.
- Have developed leadership skills so that by their great and small actions, they will have the potential to make the world a better place.
Our determination to offer our students opportunities equal to those offered in “great” schools has seen us turn aspiration into reality, achieving exceptional results.
We are more than a “marks factory”. As a non-selective independent, (relatively) low fee Anglican school we have been able to achieve excellent academic results, matched with widely admired performing arts achievements and a growing reputation as a sporting powerhouse.
Now, it appears our efforts are being recognised:
May 1, 2018
Dear Terry,
Congratulations! You are a finalist for the Australian Education Awards Sydney 2018. You have been selected in the following category/categories:
Finalist Name St Columba Anglican School
Category Regional School of the Year
Finalist Name Sarah Jones
Category Teacher of the Year
I congratulate all our staff who have made such an accolade possible, due to their hard work, passion and love of education.
I especially congratulate current Stage 1 Coordinator, Sarah Jones, on her finalist nomination as Teacher of the Year.
Sarah‘s efforts in 2017 have shown that with the right professional approach, a passion for learning, and a dogged determination to achieve the goals we set for her as our Literacy and Numeracy Consultant, you can bring about substantial improvements in teaching in a school that already achieves excellent results.
She deserves it even more because she has not sought this accolade and is actually embarrassed that her efforts are being recognised in this way!
What is the use of such awards?
They show the world outside our area that we are capable of offering a great education to our students. We no longer have to explain in wider forums who we are, and our positive results and reputation play a role in opening doors for our students when they graduate.
Our Reputation: It’s not about hubris, it’s a tool we can use to serve our students.
 | Mr Terry Muldoon Principal, St Columba Anglican School |