Principal's Report
Principal's Report
The start to the year has been fantastic. I would like to thank all parents, carers, guardians for their support of the College and their young people. It has been an engaged and calm start for our students. Our teachers are impressed with student effort across the school and we encourage our students to keep up the positive learning habits. There is always room for improvement - we want our students to continue to strive for their best efforts in all aspects of school life. I am really pleased to highlight some excellent parts to the beginning of the school year.
Year 7 Camp
Our Year 7s have settled into the new surroundings quickly. This was fast-tracked with a camp at school to get to know each other, the school and the program. The Year level shared some excellent experiences over the two days, with a solid foundation for the rest of the year in place as a result of this experience. Thanks to all staff who supported this experience at school.
Project Salaam
Project Salaam was a unique opportunity for our students to build self-confidence, develop leadership skills and attain academic achievement alongside skills in conflict resolution and interpersonal relationships for youth grappling with experiences of discrimination and trauma.
I am really proud of the participation of our students who were chosen to be part of this experience. Thank you to our Community Liaison Officers - Hussein, Hassen and Badria who have worked tirelessly during the first part of this term to support our students to be part of this project.
Class of 2024 - Year 12 Destination data
The Class of 2024 achieved many excellent academic results in 2024. We have recently become aware of some key statistics from our 2024 cohort. 95% of students who applied to Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) for undergraduate entry received an offer. 60% of these students received their first preference and another 20% their second preference, indicating that the vast majority of our students have ended up in pathways of their planning and choice. This is an excellent result.
Many of our top ATAR performers who achieved ATAR’s of 80 or above, achieved entry in the following courses: Arts, University of Melbourne, Professional Communication, RMIT, Politics, ANU, Engineering, Swinburne University, Science, University of Melbourne, Interior Design, RMIT. These are just some examples of the breadth and diversity of courses selected by our students.
We congratulate all of them as they move into their new phase of education, employment and enterprise.
Berry Street Professional Learning
Recently, our staff completed day three of the Berry Street Educational Model training. The Berry Street Education Model is training teachers in trauma-informed, strengths-based education, providing a sense of safety and connection to improve wellbeing and academic outcomes for all students.
The education model enables schools to support students’ self-regulation, relationships and wellbeing to increase student engagement and significantly improve academic achievement.
Day 3 focused on developing stamina and engagement in learning for our students. We discussed a number of instructional strategies, reflective techniques and measuring tools that could help our students to develop these two important aspects.
Our teachers will continue to reflect on this training alongside previous training days to continue to support our students to improve their academic success. The final day of training will occur in Term 3.
Outside Hours School Care (OHSC) - new provider
The OHSC subcommittee has worked diligently over the first half of this term to meet with prospective new providers, analyse proposals and shortlist a final list of candidates. This process is complete and we are set to announce the successful new provider this Friday 7th March. More information soon.
Building projects
The upgrade of the roof in our music area is complete. This should mean the scaffold is taken down within the next week. The next stage in progress of the replacement of timber decking outside the canteen, kitchen and building entries. This should take the next three weeks to complete.
During the school holidays we are likely to see the upgrade of the roof in our main building. I will confirm the timing of this work to the community as we move closer to the Term 1 school holiday period.
Collingwood College Open Day - April 1st
Our school will be open on April 1st for prospective families and students. Tours can be booked via trybooking. Details will be on our website. We look forward to showcasing our fantastic College and community on this day.
The month of Ramadan
As we approach the holy month of Ramadan, I would like to extend my warmest wishes to those who will be observing this special time. Ramadan is a month of reflection, spiritual growth, and community, and it holds great significance for many in our school community. To inform and provide context as to what happens during the month of Ramadan – Muslim families often wake up early before the sun rises, so they can eat. This pre-dawn meal is called ‘suhoor’. When the sun goes down, Muslims often gather with their families or at the local mosque to eat together. This meal is called ‘iftar’. Nightly prayers, called ‘taraweeh’, are also held at the mosque. These gatherings are meant to foster community, while also providing an opportunity for people to gather and pray.
I want to ensure that we create a supportive, respectful, and mindful environment at Collingwood College and let you know our staff are aware of the significance of this period for our families in our community.
Kind regards,
Chris Millard
Acting Principal