Principal's Report

It is difficult to believe that Term 1 is complete.

Our students and staff have enjoyed a productive term 1, filled with a huge range of learning, both in and outside the classroom. The NAPLAN assessment period ran very smoothly with excellent participation rates and students focused on the tasks provided.

This term also involved the launch of our revised Literacy program for Year 7 students as well as the College Basketball program. The support of the School Council for these initiatives is greatly appreciated. Our staff have worked with great commitment to bring these programs alive.

There has been an abundance of fantastic opportunities provided for our students in Term 1, far too many to mention here. There are numerous examples that I would encourage all members of our school community to explore on our social media platforms.

Capital works funding. 

The focus of this work has shifted to looking at C, LC and the Library. This area of the school was identified as the most appropriate for phase 1 of the masterplan. From a budgetary point of view this also fits well with the State Government commitment of 9m.

There have been multiple meetings seeking staff input and consultation on the schematic design phase of the project. These meetings have resulted in some very fruitful discussions that have impacted our design direction. Most notable of these is the opportunity for the library space to link with Arts, Science and Technology learning, while also providing year level learning hubs for Year 7 and 10. There has also been the exciting inclusion of design work that links our indoor learning spaces with outdoor opportunities for learning. 

Our work on this phase of the project is meeting timeline expectations and will hopefully put us in a positive position to secure the construction funding in this year’s May budget.

College open night.

A huge thank you to our students for their work and attendance at our Open night. I am always inspired by witnessing students wanting to represent themselves and the school with a sense of pride, genuine enjoyment and enthusiasm. The families in attendance that I was able to meet with were very impressed with their experience at the open night and I am very confident that they will share this with their current school communities.

International Women’s Day (IWD)

On Friday 8 March, the College recognised International Women’s Day with a variety of events and activities for our students and staff. These included specialised Basketball sessions, Casey Tech school Women in STEM excursion, music performances in the canteen annex, and a celebration luncheon for student leaders and staff. The College hosted Pauline Richards MP and the Federal Member for Holt, Ms Cassandra Fernando. Guests were also treated to some wonderful pathways and professional advice from a Cranbourne Secondary College Alumni, Kate Lancaster with School Captains, Eman and Asma representing the College as the formal hosts of the event. Our final year VET Hospitality / Cookery students also provided high-quality catering for the event. The day was a wonderful expression of recognition of the amazing women of our school community.

Preparing for Term 2

Uniform and arriving on time and ready to learn

Thank you to students and families for your support of the school in making sure students arrive on time, in full school uniform and ready to learn. If any families in our community need assistance with uniform and other school resources please make contact with the College. We have a well-developed process to ensure there are minimal barriers to students being in uniform and ready for classes.

Pathways and Course Counselling

Towards the end of Term 2 students in Years 8, 9 and 10 will undertake a variety of course counselling and subject selection-based activities at school. Starting conversations at home to encourage students to start to think about subjects they are interested in is very helpful in the lead-up to these activities. It can be beneficial to steer pathways conversations away from ‘What do you want to do when you leave school?’ to ‘What do you find interesting? What do you want to know more about?’ I would encourage parents and carers to make contact with the school if you would like assistance with these conversations.

Thanks again for your support of the College in Term 1 and I look forward to resuming our work in Term 2.

David Caughey 

College Principal