Principal's Message

A key project for Term 2 has been the development of the Year 10 Applied Learning program at Coburg. We are excited to be welcoming this new group to our school in Term 3. Thank you to the staff who have been working hard to develop and launch this program.

The WILD program was a highlight for a number of students and staff this term, and we are pleased to have been able to run it again this year. It was particularly great to see a number of our junior students (as well as middles and seniors) joining this group for the first time.

As noted in our last newsletter, the Wurundjeri Land Council have provided two proposed Aboriginal new names for our school, and we have been consulting with students, staff and parents on them. School Council will consider next steps when it meets at the start of Term 3.

This term we engaged with the I CAN Network as part of our focus on inclusive education for our neurodiverse students. I CAN works to empower young people and shape their understanding of neurodiversity from a positive strength-based perspective. 

We recently took possession of our new 22 seater Toyota Coaster bus. Students are in the process of providing input via Home groups and Whole School meetings into how we will best take care of the new bus. We are anticipating to start using the bus for camps and excursions in Term 3.

In staffing news, Seána Murphy has finished up as Youth Worker at our school and returned to the UK. We will also be farewelling Rick Frost, one of our junior Home group teachers who is leaving to take up a new role in another school in Term 3.

We will be welcoming back Ben Forbes, who will be returning from his role in the Northern Territory, and will be taking on teaching English, humanities and maths to one of our junior Home groups.

Our end of term Applied Learning showcase at Richmond featured a range of excellent music performances, an art exhibition, displays of hands on learning projects, and samples of students’ work from their technology electives.

The last week of the term also included Student Led Conferences. These have been well received by students, staff and parents/guardians. It has been excellent to see students’ developing their confidence and capacity to show parents/guardians their learning progress over the previous semester, and to identify strategies and goals for the coming one.

Ralph has been on leave for an extremely well-deserved break for the last three weeks of term. Sascha has been Acting Principal over this time, and Noah Nischler has been Acting Assistant Principal. We hope that Ralph has enjoyed his time off and we are looking forward to welcoming him back for the start of Term 3.