Principal's Report

Return to School Announced

We are excited about having students return onsite next term as restrictions ease. While all students will return to remote learning, students will begin to return to onsite classes from week 2. Key dates:

Monday 5 October

All students return to remote learning. 

Wednesday 7 October

Year 12 students (inc Year 11 students completing a Unit 3/4 study) will complete the General Achievement Test (GAT).  

Monday 12 October

Year 11 and 12 students return to onsite learning. This will also include Year 10 students for any Unit 1/2 studies. 

Year 7-10 Students

The timing for the return of students in Years 7-10 will be based on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer. While no date has been set, we are confident that students will return to onsite learning next term and as a result have made adjustments to our plans for term four to maximise their time onsite once they return. 

End of Year Arrangements

• Year 11 exams delayed by one week.
• Year 10 exams will only include English & Maths in order to increase their time in class (assessments for other subjects will be conducted in class)
• Academic year extended for current Year 10 and 11 students by one week.
• Step up will begin for all students on Monday 30 November (two weeks later than in 2019)
• Step up classes conclude Friday 11 December.
• Activities for week beginning Monday 14 December to be advised.

Student Newsletters

There have been some wonderful contributions to the latest student newsletters. Check them out here:

Year 7-9 Newsletter

Year 10-12 Student Newsletter

Students Engage in Challenges

Our sub schools recently held some challenges to connect students to each other across classes and encourage students to engage in activities away from their screens. 

Senior School Avatar Adventures

The senior school recently held an Avatar challenge which began on 21 August. Students were challenged to take the student managers in our Senior Sub School team on as many outing as possible. 

The rules were simple;

• download the Avatars relevant to your year level 
• take them with you on your daily exercise
• snap a photo while you're out and share it in Avatar Team to earn points for your year level! 
• adventures must adhere to COVID-19 regulations
• only one photo per day 
• prize was the exclusive use of the Senior Common Room. 

Congratulation to the year 12’s who clearly wanted to protect the exclusive use of the common room. Final tally 12s - 103, 11s - 68, 10s - 78 

Students were incredibly creative with their Avatars. Below are some examples from Regan T, Elli S, Amba R and Jess K. 

Year 7-9 Mentor Group Super Challenge

To finish off a difficult term of remote learning for our junior students, we decided to run a series of challenges over the final two days of term. 

It has been wonderful to see so many of the students in Year 7-9 completing many of the challenges that have been set in the end of term Super Challenge. From painting and music to trick shots and steps, a fantastic effort by all. The winning mentor groups and outstanding individual efforts will be rewarded in term 4. What a great way to celebrate the hard work by students in Year 7-9 with a little bit of fun! 

National Youth Science Forum 

Congratulations to Adah Hamilton of Year 11 who has been selected to attend the National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) in 2021. 

The NYSF Year 12 Program is a 10-day residential program designed to give students a broader understanding of the diverse study and career options available in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and to encourage continued studies in these fields.  As part of the program, participants:

• visit science and technology related laboratories and facilities,
• go on site tours,
• listen to lectures,
• take part in workshops,
• go to social events, and
• participate in group activities that improve communication and presentation skills.

Parent Teacher Interviews 

This week we ran parent teacher interviews via Microsoft Teams. Pleasingly, we had more interviews than at the same time which is a reflection of not only the importance of the interviews, but the ease of being able to connect remotely. It was great to hear such positive feedback from parents about their experiences during remote learning, despite its obvious challenges that this term has presented for everyone. 

Grade 6 to 7 Transition

Last week, I wrote to all incoming Year 7 families for 2021. Due to COVID, we have moved our usual processes and forms online. 

During the week I held a meeting with local primary school principals to discuss how we can best support the transition of grade 6 students. Ideas discussed included some virtual visits in term 4. 

Key Transition Dates

• Meet the teacher (partnership meetings) held Monday 16 November or Wednesday 25 November
• EXCEL Academic Testing Wednesday 21 or Friday 23 October
• Orientation Day Tuesday 8 December
• EXCEL Sports Testing Term 1 2021
• School begins Thursday 28 Jan 2021 (Year 7 and 12 only)

Thank you for your continued support during this global pandemic. 

Stay safe, 

Mr Daniel Dew

College Principal