PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Curriculum Day Thursday 18th May

On Thursday 18th May all staff will be involved in a curriculum day, and students will not be required to attend school on this day.

The focus of the day will be a review of the Year 7 – 9 curriculum to ensure that it is futures focused and is able to address the needs of our current and future students in their post-schooling lives.

The staff will have a presentation from Professor Jan Van Driel from the University of Melbourne. He will address the 21st C capabilities that are deemed to be required for work and general functioning in the future. He will also provide an insight into STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) and the significance of it for students in the future. He will provide examples of how STEAM or STEM has begun to be integrated into school curriculums internationally and particularly in his home country of the Netherlands.

The college has recently been investigating possible ways in which STEAM projects can be offered within our junior curriculum.

Another related area of the curriculum that we are looking to expand in the junior years is Digital Technologies. While we already offer some electives in coding, app design and game-making, we want to ensure that a comprehensive Digital Technologies curriculum is provided for all students to enable them to function competently and innovatively in the digital world ahead of them.

We expect that any revisions to the Year 7 – 9 curriculum will be completed by the beginning of term three, and parents and students will be kept informed of these changes.

Term Two Staffing Update

There have been a few changes to our staffing for term two resulting from staff movement – some expected and some unexpected. We have welcomed Mayling Constantinou back to the college after a period of leave. We also farewelled Johnny Kesselschmidt who retired at the end of term one, and Amy Murphy has taken over his classes. Lorence Ferro, took up another position closer to home and he has been replaced by Pippa Tandy.  Stacey Kyriakou commenced her family leave from week three of this term, and Fiona Schoer has been employed to replace her. Finally Kenny Ong is filling in for Frank Raneri while he is on long service leave.

Progress Reports

Although it seems we are not all that far into term two, it is already time for teachers to complete the progress checks for students in all subjects.  This report essentially signals the last lap of the semester, so we ask that you please encourage your child or children to take stock and reflect on their progress so far. It is important that they are aware of, and have a plan for meeting all of the assessment requirements to their best level, to ensure success in all of their subjects for semester one.

Footscray Learning Precinct

As most are aware the Footscray Learning Precinct (FLP) is an initiative proposed by the current government. The aim of this proposal is to have greater links between all stages of learning from early learning to tertiary, and to provide greater learning opportunities for inner west students at all of these stages. The stakeholders of the precinct include Maribyrnong City Council, Footscray City Primary, Gilmore College, FCC, Victoria University and Sky High, and a Strategic Advisory Group with representatives from all of these entities was formed in 2015.

In 2016 the company, Aurecon was engaged to complete a feasibility study which was largely focused on secondary provision in the precinct. At a meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group in late March of this year, Aurecon presented their feasibility report. Its final recommendation for the secondary sector of the precinct was to have three school sites

Footscray City College                                                a senior school - Years 10-12

Gilmore College for Girls                                            a junior school - Years 7 – 9

A new school on Pilgrim Street                               a junior school - Years 7 – 9

(opposite the southern end of VU

 Nicholson St campus)

This is the same proposal

that was put out for community consultation at the end of last year.

There is still much work to be done on developing an agreed curriculum and teaching model, and a school council structure.

Within the recent state government budget, $10.6 million was committed to the FLP, but only $408,000 is available now. The rest of the funds are to be released as needed, and how this funding will be prioritised is unknown, at the moment.

The $408,000 is going towards architect design fees, which we believe is for renovations of the existing schools and design of the new school. The positive news from the Department is that FCC has been approved for the development of a masterplan with detailed design.

The architects appointed by the Department within the last week are Hayball, who were, in fact, the architects engaged to design our Futures Centre about twelve years ago. They are also the architects for the new Richmond High School.

We will continue to have reports to our school community so that you are updated on any developments with the precinct, and in particular the secondary sector of it.

In the meantime we will continue with business as usual, and you will be able to read about some of our ‘business as usual’ in this newsletter, with reports on a number of the activities that our students have been involved in since the beginning of this term.

Best wishes,

Maria Bawden

Principal