Message from the Principal - AI & future planning for capital works

Significant investment in upgrading and modernising our campus - UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY INPUT

As I have previously announced, our school was listed at the last election to receive $11.7 million sometime in the future to upgrade and modernise our campus. I was informed this week, after the recent state budget, that our school will share in $24 million within the School Building Upgrade Delivery Fund. This provides funding to begin planning and design work for the election commitment projected announced for the $11.7 million.  

This planning stage is an exciting opportunity to further enhance our campus and learning opportunities for our students now and into the future.

We will work closely with the School Council and the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) to deliver an outcome that will benefit the entire community. 

To prepare for the upgrade, we will complete an Asset Management Plan over a 5-week period. The Asset Management Plan is a long-term document that helps to plan for a school’s future. The plan identifies, organises and prioritises the building works required at a school – ensuring students have access to educational facilities that prepare them to thrive in the 21st century. We will be sharing updates on this and will be running some sessions and utilising online tools and surveys to gather input from our teachers and staff as well as parents/carers. We will also involve our students to listen to their unique and important perspectives. 

I will communicate via Compass and the newsletter as the planning and input processes commence.

This exciting news is in addition to the Department's investment in our new campus fence, for which construction is now well underway. Here are some photos of progress to date at the rear of our campus:

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE - emerging opportunities and challenges in education

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a hot topic of discussion worldwide, and in education, it has sparked concerns and bans in some places (lifted in our sector recently). However, similar worries have arisen throughout history with new technological advancements. As educators, we must adapt to these changes rather than resisting them. AI is here and increasingly ubiquitous. The rapid development of generative AI tools poses both challenges and opportunities for teachers. I am keenly experimenting with and exploring what might be possible, and I already use a tool almost daily.

A key challenge lies in student assessment, as it is difficult to prevent their use and detect when AI may have been employed. It looks very likely that these tools will drive a complete change to assessment. For now, I believe we should focus on teaching students responsible use and integrate these tools into our teaching practices. Students need to learn how to acknowledge AI tools and develop evaluative and research skills to critically assess the information they generate.

Equity of access is crucial to prevent further disparities among students from different backgrounds, and I am pleased that the Department has recently lifted the ban allowing our staff and student access to the same tools and resources as those in other sectors. 

Additionally, AI has the potential to assist teachers by reducing administrative workload and providing valuable insights. It can help with tasks such as lesson planning, automating administrative tasks, initial marking, and data analysis for targeted instruction or support (see the example below from one of our teachers).

While the AI landscape is ever-changing, one thing remains certain: Generative AI might offer valuable insights and support, but there is no substitute for expertise, and the human connection, that teachers and school leaders provide for their students.

Have a great week,

Dave Armstrong

Executive Principal