Principals Update

I hope everyone is staying safe and your properties faring well with the very windy welcome we’ve had to the new season.  I hope we start to enjoy some warmer days and spring blossoms soon.

I’m pleased with the response I’ve received to the Parent Opinion Survey to date.  The deadline for the survey has been extended to the end of this term and I encourage you all to please take the time to complete this as it provides invaluable insights into how the school is going, areas performing well and areas for improvement. 

Our 2024 Student Representative Council (SRC) are running a donation drive for the Gisborne Community Care Foodbank this term. Full details are published later in this edition, and I would ask that where families are able to support this initiative that you do so as generously as possible to not only assist those in need within our local community, but to assist our SRC in running a successful community focused and engagement event. 

On Monday you will receive an email about the upcoming Parent / Teacher Interviews that are scheduled on Thursday 19th September.  This will be a student free day in lieu of the interviews.  Progress reports will be made available to families via Xuno on Tuesday 17th September, and I encourage you to engage in the Parent / Teacher interview process as it’s a great opportunity to meet face-to-face with your child/ren’s teachers and build positive relationships with the school. Whilst it is entirely an individual family choice as to whether the parent/carer and student attend the interviews, or just the parent/carer, it is a wonderful opportunity for students to be part of the conversation around their learning and achievement.

You may have heard in the media that the Department of Education is rolling out a School Saving bonus to families with a child enrolled in a government school.  Full details about this scheme have now been released and are published later in this edition.  Please read this carefully as there are actions parents need to take in order for the bonus to be emailed to you.

Congratulations to our Intermediate boy's netball team who competed in the State Finals earlier this week. They finished 6th overall which is an advancement on their achievement last year and pretty incredible to even make the State level competition seeing as they don’t play netball outside of school.  Well done to the team and coach, Anna Hall.

On Thursday last week we celebrated Wear it Purple Day as a College with a casual clothes day organised by our Pride Crew.  The day's activities aligned to our College values of Diversity and Respect and included a stall at lunchtime where cupcakes and other goodies could be purchased, with funds raised going to Minus18, Australia’s charity improving the lives of LGBTQIA+ youth via life-affirming youth events, digital resources, and education for the whole community.

Tomorrow our VCE-VM charity project is holding a sausage sizzle to raise funds for Odyssey House Victoria and raise awareness amongst our school community of substance abuse.  Further details are included in the poster below that is presently displayed across the school.

We are grateful to have received a grant from Melbourne Water which provided a significant amount of tube stock grasses which with the help of our Environment Captain and a keen group of fellow students, have been planted in a section of the back of the oval as a natural litter trap to avoid rubbish making its way into Bunjil creek.  Here are a few snaps of the team at work.

Finally, as part of our staff well-being workshops, staff members have had the opportunity to explore more of the school's facilities. Adriana Tavares Green and Tracey Phillips led a ceramics pinch pot workshop recently, where participants crafted their own pots from clay. The session was a great success, with staff enjoying some doughnuts and creating beautiful pieces that will be glazed after being fired in the kiln. These workshops are being offered throughout the year to allow staff to experience the same enriching teaching and learning opportunities as our students. They also provide a chance for staff to learn new skills and focus on holistic well-being—physical, mental, social, and emotional. 

I hope you enjoy reading this edition.

Kind Regards,

Sarah Rose

College Principal