Principal's Report 

Term 3: Principal's Report Newsletter 

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Dear Families

Welcome back to another term! We hope that you all managed to have a relaxing break and enjoyed some quality family time. Students have settled quickly into the routines of school and we have another busy term ahead of us with many scheduled events.  

Enrolment Cap 

Our ongoing achievements has seen an enrolment cap placed on the College. In 2025, student enrolment numbers are projected to be at approximately 1000. Congratulations to our staff and students for their hard work and ongoing commitment in all programs across the school- both in the academic and co-curricular. 

NAPLAN 2024 

Congratulations to all Year 7 and Year 9 students who participated in NAPLAN this year. A participation rate of 98% is one of the highest in the state. 

While we acknowledge that NAPLAN is a snapshot of learning in a certain point in time, it is important to also acknowledge and share the success of our teachers and students' performance. 

It is pleasing to share that our Year 9 students exceeded the state for Benchmark Growth in Reading and Writing and measuring on par with Numeracy.  

The table below lists the percentage of students who have performed at the Exceeding and Strong proficiency levels of NAPLAN. 

Table 1.1 Percentage of students performing at Exceeding or Strong Proficiencies 

Parent/Guardian/Caregiver Survey 

The Parent/Guardian/Caregiver Survey is now open for parents to respond to. A randomly generated selection of parents across the school will have received an email with instructions on how to access and complete the survey. Gathering parent opinions is important to us as it provides valuable insights for shaping the future management of the school.  

We thank all parents in advance for their contribution. 

Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences & Pupil Free days Term 3 

Parent/ Student/ Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday 8 August via Microsoft Teams. It is important that feedback shared is acknowledged by all as we continue to work together to achieve the best learning outcomes for all our students. While Conferences offer a formal platform to engage with teachers over your child’s learning, we encourage ongoing communication throughout the year to emphasise a collaborative approach to support students’ learning progress and how they can be supported at home. 

Please be reminded that while students will not be at school on this day, they are expected to log into their interviews with parents to share in the learning process.  

Additionally, please record in your diaries Wednesday August 21 as a Pupil Free Day for staff Professional Learning. Students are encouraged to use this time for personal study at home. 

Uniform/Mobile Phones -A School Community Responsibility 

South Oakleigh College is an excellent school and all students and carers should be proud to be a member of our College community. Being a member of our school community does entail having rights and responsibilities and these cover more than just the academic area.  

A wider responsibility for students is to wear the school’s uniform proudly. Students are required to have a ‘uniform uniform’. 

Parents and carers have a responsibility to ensure their child maintains the culture of wearing the South Oakleigh College uniform correctly and proudly every day. Our College Values also involves the students’ responsibility of following the Department of Education’s ‘no mobile phone policy’ which is designed to provide a safe and secure environment for all students. 

The policy also aims to build a learning community where students are not disengaged from their learning or their social responsibilities at school as a result of using devices such as mobile phones and the like. 

House Athletics Carnival 

Congratulations to Mr Knee and his team for their efforts in running yet another successful House Athletics Carnival earlier this term. To see student and staff engagement on the day is a wonderful reflection of our school’s vibrant and engaged community spirit.  

A further congratulations to Grevillea who were crowned House Athletics Champions in 2024. 

Mark Picone

Acting College Principal