Assistant Principal

I hope that you have been able to enjoy some of the lovely pre-Spring weather we have been having recently. Re connecting with the outdoor environment and taking physical exercise outside supports in recharging not just our energy levels, but also contributes in keeping our resilience levels buoyant and general wellbeing strong. This is especially vital for our senior students, who are approaching the final completion pf their remaining course work in order to successfully complete units 2 and 4.

In times of school pressures, such as these leading up to final exams and completion of VCE and VCAL programs, resilience becomes an essential life skill. There has been much research in recent times that show that the practice of Mindfulness builds resilience. Resilience is our ability to cope well with life’s challenges, and to meet these stresses with adaptive skills and responses. Resilience is formed from within, through the ways we perceive and react to stressful situations. It can help us better cope with difficult thoughts and emotions without becoming overwhelmed by these situations. At senior school, both our year 11 and 12 students have been practicing Mindfulness through our partnership with Loupe. Recently presenters from Loupe held a workshop with the year 11 students. Topics which enabled students to identify positive behaviours and attributes which will lead to successful outcomes in life. The link to setting achievable goals relating to school work was explained in depth. 

In the coming week, year 11 students will be confirming their 2024 programs by completing their subject selections. As the senior school certificate for both VCE and VCE Vocational Major are programs which require consecutive two-year completion for successful attainment, we expect that very little change of subjects will occur.   Current year 10 students have been undertaking counselling sessions with staff to assist them in their decision making of the senior years’ programs for 2024.

As always, this is a timely checkpoint to talk with your child about their progress and reach out to the senior team should you require support. A reminder also that teacher feedback is available for your viewing on Compass under Learning Tasks and this provides a reliable indication of progress towards your child’s achievement to date. 

Last Wednesday we held the college Curriculum Day. This provided a valuable opportunity for teaching staff to continue their professional growth. The focus was a closer look at deep and rich learning tasks, as a measure of providing students with an opportunity to demonstrate their leaning in a variety of ways. This work then allowed for the continued development of assessment tasks to meet the needs of all learners. Our Maths faculty were fortunate to be able to work with Catherine Gunn, a Department of Education learning officer with extensive experience in working in the field of mathematics education in both primary and secondary school settings. Our Year level Managers and coordinators undertook further professional Learning Workshops to support students in the development of strong and positive relationships. Overall, a highly productive day.

Laura Forster.

Assistant Principal

Year 11 & 12