From the Principal 

With only two and a-bit weeks remaining (and one of them being Country Week), it is safe to say that this term has raced by.

Each and every year at around this time we tend to see our Year 12s really start to feel the pressure. These pressures are not only due to the realisation that they only have 12 weeks of school remaining and all that they need to finalise before they leave, but that they are nearing what is set to be the biggest transition of their lives from school to the 'real world'.

Many students take these pressures in their stride and finish off strong - while some can become quite stressed wishing they had more time up their sleeve and others become somewhat despondent and would prefer that the finish line was nearer than it currently is. It is an exercise in resilience and perseverance for all of our Year 12s and we have been encouraging our students to maintain a positive mindset, be organised and make the most of their final weeks here all together. There is certainly lots coming up to look forward to.

I encourage parents to keep open lines of communication with their child, try and keep them motivated and on-track and reach out to one of us here at the College should you have any concerns or wish to discuss their progress.

Student and Parent Information Session - 

2024 Year 12s Subject Selection, Scholarships and Northwest Tour 

Next Thursday 22 June, we will be holding a parent and student information session at 6.30pm to discuss the 2024 subject selection process, the Certificate III application process, and applications for scholarships for students going into Year 12 next year. We will also discuss the upcoming Northwest Tour as this will be the final opportunity to prepare students for the tour before we hit the road in a few weeks! 

All students will attend the meeting in the Library during prep time (6.30pm - 7.30pm). Parents are encouraged to attend via video conference (a link will be sent out next week).

Please see further details in Kelsey Smith and Kristine Van's sections of this Chatter. 

Motor Vehicle Safety

As with most people who live within the regions, here at the College we too have felt the significant impact and distress that major road accidents can result in.

In 2022, there were 1,194 road crash deaths in Australia. Unfortunately young, inexperienced male drivers are overrepresented in these statistics. All too often we see (and hear as they depart the College) some students pushing the limits in their vehicles. Despite the knowledge and awareness of recent fatalities and near-misses close to home, educational programs delivered in wellbeing classes, attendance at road safety summits and so on, risk-taking behaviour in vehicles continues. 

I encourage all families to sit and discuss the real implications that result from unsafe behaviour behind the wheel. I also encourage everyone to download a first-responder app on their phones as this could possibly save someone's life one day.

• Life360 app - https://www.life360.com/intl/ 
• First Responder app - https://stjohnwa.com.au/working-together/app 
• Emergency Plus app - https://www.emergencyplus.com.au/ 

Wishing all of our students a strong finish to the term and good luck to our Country Week Teams!

Matt Dowell

Principal