Principal's Report 

What a Year it has been for all of us.

I am proud of all those who have demonstrated the College values in ensuring that even through the trials of 2020 they have risen up to make the best of all situations. 

The VCAA Examinations at South Oakleigh College concluded on 1 December 2020. This year, due to the delay in the examinations, ATARs and Study Scores will be received on Wednesday 30 December. We wish all our students the very best as they complete these final examinations and their education at South Oakleigh College. We are proud of how our Year 12 students have approached these formal assessments and they are to be commended  on their dedication, positivity and hard work. Throughout this year of COVID-19, the determination, resilience and commitment to each other has been a hallmark of our VCE students, as they have role-modelled our College Values every day.

I also wish to commend our teachers and support staff who have been fantastic in supporting our students throughout the year, both onsite and through Remote Learning, and in the lead-up to the Year 12s’ final assessment period. Their commitment and professionalism ensured that students were as confident and focussed as they could be when they entered the examination rooms - just as, we are all certain, they will enter life after South Oakleigh. Our Class of 2020 will receive their Graduation certificates on 4 December 2020 and subject award-winners will also be presented with these certificates during our (live-streamed) Virtual Presentation Night on 15 December 2020.  

As a school community, we acknowledge the class of 2020 as an outstanding group of students and we trust that their results will reflect their collective drive to be the very best they can.

Capital Works Program

In the November Budget, South Oakleigh College was provided with an additional $8.9 million ( on top of another $992,000 grant) for the upgrade of facilities at the College.  

Our School Asset Management Plan - Phase 1 (AMP 1), has been accepted and endorsed by the Region and The Victorian School Building Authority. The feedback to our plan has been encouraging; and I would like to thank all staff, council members and students for their input in ensuring we completed the process within a short timeframe. The whole school community will benefit from this plan. 

The plan took into account the following:

• Educational directions – opportunities and challenges;

• Educational specification;

• Enrolment and space allocation.

The next part of the process, AMP 2, has commenced: the tender process and interviews to select an architect to create our masterplan for the future will be held this month. Last week, I had the opportunity to speak with three architects about our plans for South Oakleigh College, including the extension of the Gymnasium and the Science/STEM Centre.

I am excited to be updating you as the process continues.

As a school, we look forward to the years ahead where we will not only be increasing in enrolments but also providing our students with cutting-edge educational facilities.

Melbourne University Program

As Headstart at SOC began on 30 November: we welcomed 6 interns from Melbourne University into our College family along with two more teaching staff and a new Lab Assistant. They underwent a full induction on the day, and the Interns will remain with us for a week to familiarise themselves with their classes and the school. 

Our Partnership with Melbourne University is in its 3rd Year as a ‘nominated placement school’ for their Masters of Teaching (Secondary) Internship Program. The Master of Teaching (Secondary) Internship Program is a pathway stream of the Melbourne Graduate School of Education’s (MGSE) Master of Teaching, for individuals who have a strong disciplines background and who aspire to become teachers who are fully accredited by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT).

The Internship Program represents an alternative pathway for teacher training. Interns are employed to teach at our College while they study to attain a teaching qualification.  The program emphasises the importance of the research-evidence base as a foundation for excellent educational practice, as well as developing Interns’ capacity for critical inquiry and professional reflection. Special emphasis is placed on the Interns’ capacity to teach a diverse range of students and to promote equity in education. We look forward to working with our newest interns as well as our newest teachers in 2021.

Presentation Evening

Due to the current circumstances, we will be unable to conduct our end-of-year Presentation Evening this year in the manner that we normally do.  We have, however, been working behind the scenes to ensure that we are able to celebrate our students’ achievements through a virtual presentation. We firmly believe that it is essential that we continue to provide a platform to recognise the efforts and achievements of our students. Although it is not our preferred option, we are hoping this presentation will be a fitting acknowledgement of such student achievement in 2020.

On behalf of all our staff, we wish to thank our community for the support they have shown us throughout the year.

Equity in Education: Technology Shared Perspectives from India and Australia



On Thursday 26 November, it was with great pleasure that I was invited to represent not only South Oakleigh College but also Australia as we joined with our Indian counterparts in a panel of educators and experts on an international stage sharing insights, experiences, opportunities and challenges as a result of COVID-19 and lockdown.  The access to and innovation of technological software and hardware has proven a pivotal difference to how we have managed the lockdown.  

Thank you to Hamish Curry, Executive Director, Asia Education Foundation at Asia link, the University of Melbourne who invited me to participate in this insightful discussion.

Helen Koziaris

Principal