Principal Report
Jackie Harris
Special Announcement
Congratulations to Alexis Watson on her appointment as a substantive Assistant Principal. Alexis has been acting in this role now for over a year and brings a wealth of curriculum expertise to the position. This appointment affirms her commitment and dedication to the Norwood community.
Athletics Carnival
Our recent Athletics Carnival was a resounding success, not just because the sun was shining and student attendance was at an all-time high, but the sportsmanship was of the highest calibre. It made the staff very proud to see all students trying their very best and supporting each other. The atmosphere was electric. Congratulations to all Age Group Champions and congratulations to all students who now proceed to the next level. Please see Mr Jagin's Sport report for more detail.
College Council
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the College Council was held this week, welcoming Janine Wilson, as a new parent representative to the team and two new students to the Council, Heide Cowie and Eden Bartkus. At the same time, we farewelled Ally O'Brien and Paul Ricketson, who have completed their tenure on the Council as parent representatives and our previous student representatives, Jacqueline O'Connor and Amy Robertson. As a College, thank you to those leaving us for your commitment and service to Norwood.
At the AGM, I presented the 2024 Annual Report. Once this has been ratified by the Department, I will upload it to the College Website. Please take the time to read this document. As a staff we are very proud of our achievements in 2024. The improvements in student learning outcomes and student wellbeing are significant and should be shared and celebrated publicly. As a College, we have much to be proud of.
Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences
A big thank-you to families for your attendance at the recent conferences. A total of 2151 bookings were made. Interestingly, more than half of these were online. We are pleased to be able to offer the choice of in-person or online, to meet the needs of all families. Teachers really value the opportunity to discuss student progress and find ways to work together.
Staffing Update
At the end of this term we farewell Joanne Dema, our Music Coordinator/extraordinaire. Jo has been at Norwood since 1985 (one school only) and is well known to the College community for her passion for music. She has not only ensured a dynamic classroom music program but ensured a vibrant and accessible instrumental music program, whilst adding an array of co-curricular activities, such as Music Camp, concerts, the Jazz Night, etc. At this same time, Jo has supported a large number of Instrumental staff and coordinated musical items for assemblies and whole school events. We wish Jo well in her retirement.
Farewell also to Meg Malhotra, Assistant Business Manager, Georgie McKeown, Education Support in QuickSmart Literacy and Careers and Leanne Jonson, in Student Support. We wish them well in their future endeavours.
Welcome to the College Caroline Leavey as an English teacher and Literacy Tutor and Nick McKenzie, as an Integration Aide.
Happy Easter
As this is the last newsletter for the term, I'd like to take the opportunity to wish the College community a lovely break. The weather is usually lovely. Please enjoy a break from the usual routine, and special times with family and friends. Stay safe.