Assistant Principals' Reports 

Simon Jones (Senior Assistant Principal)

We are fast approaching the end of term 3, which marks a very important milestone for our Year 12 Vocational Major and Further Learning students: the end of their time at school. Many students are joining the world of work in apprenticeships or other full-time jobs, whilst others are continuing their studies at TAFE and will undoubtedly transition to university studies beyond that.

I take this opportunity to not only wish them well for their life beyond school, but also to thank them for their outstanding demonstration of our school values during their journey through the school. 

The rest of the year 12 cohort are now starting preparations for final exams. A vital part of this is the practice exam program, which runs through the first week of the school holidays. All students have their timetable and will benefit greatly from this experience.

As for the rest of the school, we have a very busy period in front of us. We are finishing off second semester studies before going into year 10 and 11 exams, followed by our Jumpstart program, commencing on the 17th November. This is a 3 week program for new year 11’s and 4 weeks for the year 10s. It is very important that all students attempt Jumpstart as this is the beginning of the new academic year. It is important that all students continue to produce their best effort to ensure a smooth transition to step up to the next year level.

I wish everyone a safe and relaxing break before we begin the final term of the year.

Drew King (Junior School Assistant Principal) 

Year 7 – Term 3 Update

What a fantastic Term 3 it has been for our Year 7 students! We began the term by looking ahead to the future, starting conversations about careers and pathways. In our Pastoral program, cyber safety has been a key focus, with students also attending a powerful theatre performance on cyberbullying that explored the real-life impacts of online behaviour and encouraged safe, respectful choices online.

Beyond the classroom, our students have been busy in extra-curricular sport, showing great spirit and teamwork across different competitions. It has also been wonderful to see so many Year 7s putting themselves forward to audition for our 2026 school musical Grease, as well as getting involved in this year’s Junior School Production and congratulations to all those involved in the Wakakirri Story -Dance Festival, what a huge success. 

A special highlight was our Hot Chip Lunch, celebrating those students who worked hard to improve their GPA on progress reports, a great achievement that shows commitment and growth.

Lunchtimes have been lively too, with student leaders Harry Hamer and Zoe Clarke continuing to run "Trivia Tuesdays", bringing fun and connection to the cohort. Students have also been enjoying the newly expanded grass area on the soccer pitch, which has quickly become a popular spot for play and activity.

It’s been a busy, rewarding term, and we are so proud of all that our Year 7s have achieved. We look forward to carrying this energy into Term 4!

Year 8 – Term 3 Update

Year 8 have had an outstanding term! From our Girls Badminton, Soccer, and Netball teams progressing to the next rounds, to Willem Thompson finishing 14th at State Cross Country and eight other students shining at Regionals, the sporting talent has been phenomenal. Emilia Hill, Mia Greenless, Lucy Unsworth, and Savannah Souter reached the Aerobics National Finals competing in Queensland, Jack Looker and Sonny Kloszynski won Best & Fairest in football for the Southern Peninsula region, and Toby Clarkson is a top-five Schools MTB contender. Creativity and effort have also soared, with Fergus Colyer shortlisted in the Mayor’s Writing Competition, students taking part in Waikakirri, Challenge LEAP Days, Grease auditions, and the Alpine School application process. A huge congratulations to all—Year 8, you’ve made this term one to remember!

Year 9 – Term 3 Update

As we come to the end of a short but busy Term 3, we’d like to acknowledge the mature, respectful approach demonstrated by our Year 9 Cohort. Their effort and dedication towards their study has been wonderful to see this Term, with many students even choosing to use their lunch times to study and work collaboratively in the O’Block Gallery.

The Term began with an extremely well-attended Information Session for the 2026 Year 10 Central Australia Tour. We now have a very excited group of 85 students looking forward to the adventure of a lifetime next year.

We have also been fortunate to welcome two outstanding guest speakers. Luke S Kennedy, one of Australia’s most sought-after school motivational speakers, shared his journey and spoke powerfully about resilience, choices, and the importance of self-awareness in overcoming challenges. We also had the privilege of hearing from Wayne Holdsworth of Smack Talk. His presentation was undoubtedly one of the most powerful we have experienced, leaving both students and staff deeply moved. One of our wonderful teachers summed it up perfectly afterwards:

“I just wanted to say thank you. Wayne’s speech today was amazing. On return to class my pastoral group had only impressive comments and the empathy from some of my male students took me by surprise. All of us, both students and staff, took something from today’s speaker.”

Beyond the classroom, many of our students also took part in the highly successful Mount Buller Snow Day. For some, it was their first time experiencing the snow, and quite a few declared it was “one of the best days ever” – with many already eager to return next year.

Our students also shone academically. With the release of NAPLAN results this Term, we are thrilled to celebrate the achievements of our Year 9s. Their results were outstanding, reflecting their hard work and commitment. It was a proud moment to have Mr Marr join us to personally congratulate the Cohort and present over 100 Certificates of Achievement.

Most recently, students participated in a dynamic Pastoral Session centred on team building, collaboration, and trust. The energy, enthusiasm, and positive relationships on display highlighted the strength of our Cohort and their ability to support one another.

Our Year 9 Debating Team has also been very successful. They made their way through many rounds but unfortunately lost to Mentone Grammar. A very special mention to Sarah LeBrun, who won a Swannie Award, meaning she is the highest scoring speaker for her age in our region. This is an incredible achievement as only 3-4 are given out in our entire region in any given year. 

Overall, Term 3 has been a resounding success. We are so proud of what our Year 9 students have accomplished – both individually and as a group – and we look forward to continuing this momentum into Term 4.

We look forward to another positive and successful term ahead. Enjoy the spring break and stay safe. See you all in term 4. 

 Matthew McLaren (Assistant Principal-Strategic Delivery)

As we come to the end of Term 3, I want to take a moment to celebrate another productive and rewarding term at our college.

This term, we received our NAPLAN results for Year 7 and Year 9, and I could not be prouder. Our students have achieved results in literacy and numeracy that are not only above those of like-schools and our network, but well above the state average.

• In Year 7, 81% of students achieved strong results in Reading and Numeracy (compared with 67% across the state), and 78% achieved in Writing (state average 64%).
• In Year 9, our students again outperformed, with 75% achieving strong results in Numeracy (state average 63%), 70% in Writing (state average 63%), and 69% in Reading (state average 64%).

These results are a credit to the hard work of our students, who consistently live our college value of Personal Best, and to the families who support them every step of the way. Participation was also outstanding, with over 90% of students completing all tests — a real community effort.

Another highlight was the work of our student leaders. Guided by Alex Woolley and Mitch Gardner, they planned and delivered another successful Teach the Teacher workshop series for staff. The focus this term was on student agency, and our leaders showed real maturity and insight in shaping discussions with staff. The professionalism they brought to the session was impressive, and staff deeply valued the chance to learn directly from them. I want to thank our student leaders for the time, energy and thought they put into this important work.

Our Curriculum Day also provided staff with an opportunity to focus on the implementation of Victorian Curriculum 2.0 and actions linked to our Annual Implementation Plan. It was a positive and purposeful day, and I would like to thank our Professional Learning Team for their preparation and leadership in making it a success.

Looking ahead, work on the 2025 booklist is well underway, with new subjects and resources being introduced to further enrich learning across Years 7–12. Families will shortly receive details, with orders due online by Friday, 10 October and postal deliveries arriving by Friday, 7 November.

To all our students preparing for VCAA exams, I wish you the very best of luck. We are behind you every step of the way.

Finally, thank you to all members of our college community for your ongoing support throughout what is always a busy and full term. I hope you enjoy a well-earned break, and I look forward to working together for a strong and positive finish to Term 4.