Principal's Reflection
Dear families,
The halfway mark is fast approaching! As I walked the grounds today amongst a sea of pyjamas, I was so proud of the energy and enthusiasm our students are maintaining. Our secondary students are heading into their mid-year exams and although the experience creates stress, the same energy and sense of purpose seem to be stronger than ever before. For staff, energy reserves need careful maintenance as the assessments come in thick and fast, but even so, I could not be prouder of the commitment our staff have maintained to go the extra mile for our students. Despite the heavy workload at this point in time, our staff are still putting their hands up in the following activities and more:
- Lunchtime clubs
- Production rehearsals (The recent cold snap has me wondering if Elsa has been rehearsing a little too much!)
- WynSpeak
- Sport (Volleyball, soccer, netball, badminton, AFL and more!)
- Youth Leadership (currently designing an engagement program for a local aged care facility – stay tuned)
- Camps and excursions
These opportunities enrich our students experience and can’t be achieved without staff taking extra time to plan and supervise. I hope we can all pick our moment and show gratitude in the moments that matter, often a simple kind word of appreciation is enough to help fill a teacher’s cup for the day!
EBA Update
EBA negotiations continue and although strike action has been suspended, there are still ongoing ripples and a long road process ahead. It is always my hope that families and students are shielded from the politics and operational demands of the school wherever possible. We will continue to focus on our positive staff culture, strong commitment to professional learning and growth and an unwavering focus on student achievement, wellbeing and engagement.
Assessment & Reporting
We will be providing student achievement reports for Semester 1 this year as usual. A Compass notification will be used to alert families when they are able to access them. Reports will continue to provide important details about student learning attainment, but full descriptive comments may not be included because of industrial action taken earlier this term by the Australian Education Union.
Secondary students will still be able to access Learning Task feedback through Compass as usual. All families can always access feedback in the form of phone, email or scheduled appointments with staff. Alternatively, many families will choose to wait until our next parent-teacher interviews.
Recruitment and planning for 2027
Prep enrolments continue to roll in and I urge families with new siblings to complete their enrolment as soon as possible. Although the Year 7 transition process remains underway, we are currently expecting another large intake for 2027, which will mean more great staff can join our team. Recruitment has already commenced and we encourage all members of our community to help us ensure the best teachers are in front of our children at the beginning of the year. I encourage families to spread the word. I am always happy to meet with prospective staff and help them assess whether they have what it takes to keep pace with our team.
I hope everyone finds joy in the pages that follow and come back from the break recharged and ready!
Warmest regards,
Nathan Guthridge
Principal
Altona College