From the Principal
Welcome to the first Newsletter of 2019 and to all our new and returning families.
This year is a watershed moment for Preshil as we have finally achieved our goal to transition to an exclusively International Baccalaureate program across all levels of the Secondary School.
It is particularly exciting to know that we are specifically attracting both students and teachers wanting to be a part of a school that concentrates on offering an inclusive IB in a genuinely contemporary and progressive environment. Many of our newcomers have been encouraged to consider enrolling at Preshil through the recommendations of current or past families and students – which is the best possible advertisement for the School.
This term we welcome a number of new teachers to Blackhall Kalimna. With IB Diploma classes at both Years 11 and 12 our staff is expanding. We look forward to introducing students to:
- Daniel Symons, Years 11 and 12 Coordinator, teaching Language and Literature
- Robin Wang, teaching Maths and Physics
- Phuong Tran, teaching French, Language and Literature
- Felicity Robinson, teaching Biology and Environmental Systems and Societies
- Kristin Vestermark, teaching Biology and Environmental Systems and Societies
As well as these new teachers we also welcome Amy Byrne back to the School; she taught at Preshil four years ago and is now returning after some time teaching Chemistry in the IB Diploma in Singapore.
During Term 1 Lenny Robinson-McCarthy is on leave and will be replaced by Caterina Pacitti, teaching Philosophy and Language and Literature.
You will have the opportunity to meet all our teachers at the Family Welcome Picnic in March, which is always a highlight for the first term, and at next week’s year level Information Nights. Please check these and other dates in the Calendar Dates section in this Newsletter.
In our next Newsletter I will include a comprehensive summary of the achievements and the tertiary courses being undertaken by our 2018 Year 12 cohort. So far we have been delighted by the success of so many of our students, who have gained entry to their first preferences of tertiary courses in the first round of offers. With the second round of offers next week we will have a full picture of where our students are headed for 2019 and I look forward to sharing this with you.
As we welcome our students to the new school year I would like to share our hopes for your sons and daughters. genuinely engaged and excited by what they are learning;; that they will grow in confidence and courage to take on new and demanding challenges in the knowledge that they will find adults to support and encourage them. We hope all our students build trusting and respectful friendships and relationships with other students and their teachers. Above all, weWe hope every student at Preshil will come to feel that they are known and accepted for who they are; that they will be hope that every student feels safe and gets to know the joy that comes from genuine achievement - and the fun that can be had along the way.
Please help us to achieve these goals – and don’t be afraid to let us know when we live up to these aims, or when we need to do better.
Marilyn Smith
Principal
marilyn.smith@preshil.vic.edu.au