From the Acting Principal

Acting Principal’s Newsletter – March 2026

I can’t believe it is the end of Term 1 already! It has been another busy and productive period at the College, and it has been pleasing to see high levels of engagement and commitment as the term has progressed. Participation across the school has been very high, and we have a lot of exciting events, activities, and achievements to celebrate.

Learning and Achievement

A key focus for staff this term has been strengthening learning through clear expectations and effective homework. As part of this, we are refining our approach to homework with an increased emphasis on completion, checking, and feedback to help students build strong routines and take greater ownership of their learning. In addition to this, we have implemented positive supports for students to complete homework.

Most notably, this has been in the form of the Homework Hub with our alumni tutors (Matilda, Hana-Joy, and Ankita). These free sessions, in addition to our existing JuMP and SMASH Maths-based supports, provide a quiet, positive, low-pressure environment for students to complete and get help with homework and study tasks. I encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity; you will be surprised at how productive you can be in a dedicated space with Parent Association provided snacks!

Our NAPLAN program for Years 7 and 9 was successfully completed despite the system hiccup at the beginning of the period. It was pleasing to see students engage appropriately and focus on doing their best. Individual results will be out in Term 3.

A huge congratulations to our STEP F1 team, Hyperspeed, on an incredible performance at the National titles recently. You can read more about this amazing achievement later in the newsletter. We are very proud of the work, and the result, put in by our team.

Operations and Facilities

The removal of our portable buildings will be finalised over the school holidays. Thank you to students and staff for navigating the dreaded temporary fencing for the past couple of weeks. We look forward to further planning for the created space, and feedback is being sought from student year groups on how to best use this area.

Congratulations to Kirsty Warren-Carvalho, who has been appointed to a classroom teaching position at another school. Kirsty has been a valued member of our Technology team, and we wish her all the best as she furthers her career at a new school.

Tuesday 24 March, saw a stop-work day for Australian Education Union members across the state. Thank you for the positive support as state education employees negotiate the new agreement. We are hopeful that disruption will be minimized and an agreement will be made soon that values the work teachers and education support workers do, and provides the necessary funding and conditions deserved by the public education system and, most importantly, our students.

Building Community

Our Swimming Sports were a fantastic success, with great weather, strong participation, and a wonderful sense of school spirit throughout the day. Events like this are an important part of building connection and pride in our school.

The Year 12 Formal was another highlight. Held at a new venue this year, the evening was a memorable occasion for our senior students and a wonderful celebration of their final year together.

Our debating team has also begun its season with a victory in their second debate of the year. We look forward to following their progress over the coming months. Well done to all team members.

The STEP program continues to provide engaging, hands-on learning experiences. A recent highlight was the Astronomy Night, which attracted a large crowd of students and families. With fascinating presentations and the chance to view the night sky through telescopes, it was a fantastic example of learning extending beyond the classroom.

We also recognised International Women’s Day through a range of student-led activities, promoting awareness, respect, and community connection. As part of this, we were incredibly proud to see one of our staff, Julie Mullins, recognized as a finalist in the Kingston Women of the Year Awards for her contribution to STEM education. A well-deserved achievement - congratulations, Julie!

We have seen fully booked-out tours for potential new enrolments across this term, which is a wonderful indicator of our standing in the school community. Our Year 8 Transition Leaders have been incredible in supporting these tours and sharing their experiences with students and parents.

Looking forward to Term 2, we have a very full first couple of weeks with camps for Years 7 and 12 and the Year 11 Futures program in Week 1, along with our ANZAC assembly. This is followed in Week 2 by the Year 7–10 parent-teacher interviews. Please keep a look out on Compass for bookings for this important event.

Overall, it has been a positive and purposeful period, with students working hard and making the most of the many opportunities available to them. We look forward to finishing the term strongly and continuing this momentum into Term 2. Have a wonderful Easter period and an enjoyable school holiday break.