Principal's Report

Yes, it is that time of the year again. That time when we try and avoid the ‘baccilus influenzae’, known affectionately as the ‘flu’ and understood by us to mean a virus spread by contagion from person to person.

In fact, influenza simply means influence, but we continue to use the Latin form influenza. I suspect that’s because doctors could hardly diagnose a patient’s complaint as a bout of influence and still expect to be paid!

The curiously named ‘flu’ is a reminder that we are constantly subject to influence in many areas besides physical health. Indeed, many of the elements, good and bad, that make up our character and personality are the result of our contact with other people who already possess them. The most potent form of influence is spread in the home, where from birth the child is exposed to their parents or to those who care for them. Our personalities are largely shaped by those childhood influences on us in the home. We pick up our values, our ideals, our patterns of behaviour, the way we speak and so on, from what grown-ups in our lives impress upon and model for us.

At school, the child learns more from what their teachers – their quality of life and character, the way they conduct themselves, the things they care about – than from what they actually convey in terms of formal instruction. And for the rest of their life, their beliefs, opinions and many of their actions are going to be influenced by other people with whom they have contact.

There is both worry and consolation here. A London journalist writes of a man he hardly knew and had not seen for three years, who greeted him in a New York hotel. The man remarked that when they had last met he was terribly depressed, but something the journalist had said had cheered him up and sent him home with a much lighter heart. The journalist, who had no memory of the conversation, says he afterwards asked himself an important question. If he had cheered a person up without knowing it, how often might he also have unwittingly depressed someone?

The possible impact of our unconscious influence is a sobering thought. Yet it is also a hopeful one. Ordinary people doing ordinary things in ordinary ways may have an influence for good which is beyond calculation.

Staff Update

Dawn Reid is reducing to part time and Maura Sweet be proving extra Science Technical support.
Ross Kalla has returned and is taking his Indonesian classes.
Rose Maloney is on leave and is being replaced by Rob Dunne, Virginia Miller and Michelle Crofts.

Uniform 2018

In 2014 when School Council and the school community moved to the new uniform we indicated that there was a three year change over period, which means in 2018 we will move to the new uniform. The second hand shop will no longer sell old uniform items.

School Council have made a concession for the Year 12 cohort of 2018. They are not expecting the students to purchase the blazer or new kilt. However, there is an expectation that the students are in the new summer dress and white shirt. Both of these items will be able to be resold. If there are parents who will find this financially challenging please contact Ms Marianne Scott to make arrangements for personal support so that all of our students will be in the correct school uniform.

Buildings Update

Thank you to the students, parents, carers and staff who have provided feedback on the ideas around the building upgrade over the past 6 months. This is a brief update explaining where are currently in the planning process.

On May 1 the architects spoke with the Learning Area Leaders, parents from School Council and students (class captains). This was to get an understanding of how to break up the spaces that were outlined in the mud-map below. In other words, what everyone felt was needed for optimal learning in these spaces. There were some terrific ideas including: charging points on towers and building into walls, nooks for reflection, sound proofing to dual purpose spaces with music and language in break out rooms, bringing the outside in, lots of glass and flexible spaces rather than open classrooms. There was discussion about improving the “look” of the outside of the buildings on Myers Street.

One important suggestion came from a group of Year 8 students who thought it would be great for the Year 12 (in 2018) students to move to the Helen Fraser site next year. They suggested this so that we could reduce the impact of any noise and disruption to them. We will do this and if possible also move Year 11 (in 2018) over there as well along with the library.

It seems the heritage building can have the wings removed, but this is likely to be at the end of the building process, so that we can use these rooms for classrooms. We are very limited with any other changes to the Old Building. Once the works are done, we will develop a garden that would suit the age of the building to add to its already grand facade.

In the proposed Master Plan we cannot afford to complete the upgrade to the new administration building as there was not enough funds provided for the repairs required. We were provided with $800 000 for repairs and these will cost more than $1500 000. We are currently seeking further advice from the Department of Education about this shortfall.

Michelle Crofts

Principal