Assistant Principal  -Curriculum

Welcome back, everyone! It's exciting to have our school community reunited for another year. As I walk around the school, I’m thoroughly enjoying the energy and enthusiasm of both our staff and students. I'm continuing in my role as Assistant Principal Curriculum, overseeing subjects, programs, timetables, and reports, with the dedicated support of Mrs. Julie Burton (Curriculum Officer) and the KLA Leaders of Learning. It’s been a busy start to the year, particularly with Year 9, 10, and 11 students fine-tuning their elective choices.

In this article, I’ll introduce our new staff members, highlight some key pathways for our Year 11 students, and offer a reflection on the strong start to the year, both academically and culturally.

Meet Our New Staff for 2025

As Mr. Gibney mentioned in his Principal’s report, we have a number of fantastic new staff members this year. I took a walk around the College to capture action shots of them in action.

• Miss Claudia Percy has joined our English department, and we’re thrilled to have her on board.

• In Mathematics, we welcome two new faces: Mr. Jie Chen, who replaces Mr. Grulovic, brings experience across all levels of maths and also has skills in Science; and Mr. Bill Zsigmond, who is filling in for Mr. Fulloon during his well-earned Long Service Leave. Mr. Zsigmond also teaches Year 8 Technology and two Agriculture classes in place of Mr. Bolger, who is also on Long Service Leave for Term 1.

 Mr Chen

Mr Zsigmond in his Year 8 Technology Class

Joe Schmude has come on board as our Lasallian Youth Minister (LYM) this year.  He has started working with our RE classes, helping organise retreats (Year 7 and Year 12 were this week), and organising our Masses and Liturgies.  Welcome back, Joe, and thanks for making a big difference to all those you meet.

In the PE department, we welcome Steffan Fastier who has come over from New Zealand.

Mr Fastier

A pathway for everyone

As Assistant Principal Curriculum, I’ve been working closely with students on selecting subjects. For our Year 11 cohort, this includes making the final adjustments to their patterns of study.  Here are the Year 11 2025 lines:

Link to the Yr 11 Subject Lines

You can see there are many choices.  Here’s an overview of some of the pathways available:

• Many students are pursuing an academic pathway leading to an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) at the end of Year 12.
• Additionally, students have the option to study TAFE courses (TVET) while at school, such as Retail Services, Automotive, Animal Studies (Vet Nursing), Dental Assisting, Photography, and more. Some of these courses are completed online, while others take place at TAFE Armidale in person.
• We also offer Vocational Education and Training (VET) subjects on-site, including Construction, Business Services, Hospitality, Primary Industries, and Fitness. Students completing VET subjects will receive a Certificate II or III at the end of their study.
• Some students are enrolled in School-Based Traineeships (SBAT), working one day a week in a business while attending school the rest of the time.
• Additionally, we have students completing Year 11 subjects while still in Year 10, including Physics, Agriculture, Mathematics Extension 1 and 2, and more.

I’ve witnessed firsthand how every student at O'Connor can find a pathway that suits their strengths and aspirations. This ensures that each student is motivated and engaged with subjects that resonate with their interests.

We are incredibly fortunate to have Mrs. Rachael Galvin, our Leader of Student Pathways, who works tirelessly to support students with job applications, apprenticeships, SBATs, and university visits. Mrs. Galvin has already organized guest speakers, career expos, and more. If you have any questions about pathways, don’t hesitate to contact her via email at rgalvin@arm.catholic.edu.au.

We will be meeting with all Year 11 students on Thursday next week at 9 a.m. to go through expectations, including Stage 6 assessments, exams, special considerations, disability provisions, and NESA rules. Afterward, I’ll share the presentation with parents and guardians to review the information at home.

The Culture at O’Connor

I’d like to finish by expressing my gratitude to the entire school community for such a positive start to the year. There’s a palpable sense of pride within our student body, particularly when it comes to House spirit. The House meetings and war cries leading up to the Swimming Carnival have been electric! The student leaders have been exceptional in rallying their peers, creating an atmosphere of enthusiasm and involvement.

This newfound pride is also reflected in the improved standards of uniform across the school—well done, O’Connor! It’s clear that the culture of our school is in excellent shape as we begin the year.

Lastly, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to our new staff members, as well as to all the new students who have chosen O'Connor for the next phase of their education. I love being part of this community, and I hope you do too!

Mr Stephen Chapman

Assistant Principal - Curriculum

Never stop learning; for when we stop learning, we stop growing  - Jack Lewman