College Principal’s Report

We have come to the end of a very positive term, and I would like to commend all of our students on the way they have maintained their focus. I am extremely proud of the way that students have commenced the year and adapted to new timetables and structures this term. In general, the learning environment has been very orderly, and productive.

To see many of our Year 12 students engaged in their first major assessments over recent weeks was a significant milestone. I have been impressed by the attitude of positivity and persistence that I have seen in our senior students when I have been talking with them about their studies. For our Year 7 students I would like to congratulate them on their first full term of secondary school. We are lucky to have a great cohort of young people who are engaging in their studies with enthusiasm and energy. We know that it has been a big learning curve for our new students, and I would like to thank all of our Middle Years teachers and also our families for the support you have shown to make these first weeks a success.

For all students and families, you should now be seeing regular updates on student progress and achievement on assessment tasks via Compass. Results for key assessment tasks should generally appear within two to three weeks after the task has been completed. This is an important strategy to ensure that students and families can access their results, reflect on them and use this information to set goals for future improvement. As it is new for our college, I would welcome any feedback on how this initiative is progressing.

All students and families will have the opportunity to reflect on their progress by viewing Interim Reports which will be released at the end of Term 1, and through attending our Student Agency Conferences on Wednesday 24 April. These conferences will be available as online meetings during the day, or as face-to-face meetings in the evening to support the preferences of families. I encourage all families to make bookings when they open on Compass as this is an important opportunity to collaborate in the home / school partnership.

This term has been a busy one in terms of upgrades to facilities. Students in the Middle Years Campus will return to refurbished classrooms in H Block as well as upgrades to other spaces such as the Engagement Hub and Library Foyer. We are also finally able to take possession of our new Performing Arts Centre and the first event scheduled will be our Showcase Night for prospective families on Wednesday April 17. We will be sharing images of this amazing facility on Facebook and Instagram over coming weeks, and I encourage you to attend school events when you can to see it in person.

Finally, I would like to reinforce the importance of students leaving their mobile phones in their lockers between the start and the end of the school day. This is a state-wide expectation, and it is one that will be reinforced across the college at the beginning of term two. Phones in school are distracting (at best) and can cause issues with anti-social behaviour (at worst). The canteens on both campuses will no longer be accepting phones for electronic payments and I ask that families support us in this important matter by ensuring that students have other means of payment.

After their efforts, this term everyone now needs a break. For some of our students there will be work to do and tasks to continue with, for others they will be able to relax completely – either way it is really important for everyone to take this time to rest and recharge so that we can make the most of next term in our learning. 

I know that many of our families are currently observing the holy month of Ramadan. For others there will be a time to reflect on Easter at church services, for others amongst us it will be a time to be with family over the long weekend and perhaps eat too much chocolate. Regardless of your situation, I wish everyone a very safe and happy holiday period and look forward to seeing our students back at school next term. The first day of term on Monday 15 April will be a Curriculum Day and no classes will be running as staff will be engaged in professional learning. This means that students will return on Tuesday 16 April, and I look forward to seeing all students at school on that day.