Dear families,

On behalf of the college community I extend my congratulations to our prep students who

have completed their first full week of school for the year. I am sure there will be a few tired little ones this evening after a busy week, however they are certainly visibly engaged in activities in the classrooms when I visit and are always eager to share their learning. They are also full of energy in the playground exploring their now familiar surroundings and engaging with their peers. The younger children enjoy chatting through the fence to siblings at the Early Years Hub who are always ready for chat when I am on yard duty in that area of the college.

We had a few inquisitive preps when I was in the building site on Wednesday with the contractors and architects. They asked how I managed to get inside that fence and I explained that there was a special principal gate. Earlier in the day Mr. Guthridge had convinced a few he had jumped up high to get over the fence. He certainly had a laugh at their expense as he moved on and sighted them trying to jump high whilst comparing their height by looking up at the fence as they jumped.

In our prep to twelve environment families often express concern about how our younger and older students interact. I must admit our biggest challenge in this past month has been a few of our older students buying some sad younger students a zooper dooper when they wanted an icy pole and had no money. Those quivering lips and tears certainly worked well on the toughest of our seniors who now know that whilst we expect kindness and appreciate their gesture there is also some learning for the younger students. Those sad little eyes and lips touched a few heart strings amongst our older students.

The buddy program between our prep and year 6 students is underway and it’s great to witness their interactions in the playground. The buddies always love catching up, and there are photos of them in their learning environments showing them working together.

Our school programs for 2023 are well underway with students attending interschool sporting and debating competitions. There are also many excursions planned throughout the term and I encourage families to monitor the annual calendar on compass where events and activities are published.

Sensory Garden

The sensory garden is now complete but will remain fenced off for the next few weeks as the plants establish in their new environment. I know our students will love exploring their new area and testing the water pump, dry river bed and stepping stones. There is also extra seating for parents who wait for their children at the end of the day.

Shade Sails

The shade sail installation program is now underway following the receipt of a grant in 2021. Unfortunately, with COVID and the weather in 2022 installation was delayed. We were excited to witness the holes being dug for the poles this week, with concrete pouring confirmed for Monday. The installation of the sails will occur late next week. The sails will cover the areas between the Year 7 and 9 portables providing additional shade. Outdoor locker shades will be installed at a later date. The unexpected misty rain earlier in the week unfortunately led to mud being carried into our buildings following the area being excavated. We are investigating the installation of artificial turf to cover some of our muddy areas in the college as the result of feedback received from a survey of students by the College Council Grounds subcommittee.

College Council Elections

Last week we held an election for the student member category for the college council. The successful applicant was: Michael Drozdek

Our College Council Members for 2023 are:

Principal Nominee Julie Krause

DET Member Casey Sperling

DET Member Mathew Kelly

Parent Member Kade Dillon Primary School Parent

Parent Member Tania Sinclair Camilleri Secondary School Parent

Parent Member Belle Jackson Secondary School Parent

Parent Member Kelly Archibald Primary School Parent

Parent Member Sarah Prismall Secondary School Parent

Student Member Christina Stasey Year 10

Student Member Michael Drozdek Year 12

Coopted Member Casey Aldridge Altona Early Years Hub

Coopted Member TBA

The first formal meeting of the new college council will be held on Tuesday 14th March.

College Camping Program

I express my appreciation to all our staff involved in the camping program last week. It was a huge commitment from the team and the students were definitely well supported and cared for during the program. We hoped that all our staff and students had a relaxed and well-deserved weekend with their families after 3 tiring days and 2 nights away. There were some very happy little children of our staff who loved being reunited with mum or dad on Friday evening.

Summit Camp

Thank you Blair Clearihan-Jervies, Nathan Guthridge, Xavier Barker, Alison Gill, Michael Sperling, Shaun Mannagh and Rachel Van Kesteren who attended the Summit camp and endured the mud run, tent accommodation and a very busy three days of physical activities.

Camp Billabong Ranch

Thank you Kate Neville, Joanna Meletis, Bailey James, Kristina Matias, Liam Keating, Lesley Dickens, Mat Kelly, Julie Giles and Cam Anderson for your work with our new Year 7 students and the time you spent to develop relationships with them all, assisting their transition. I’m sure each staff member learnt a little about each one of them that will support their ongoing work throughout the year.

Thank you all, it was a huge commitment and truly appreciated by the students and their families.

Clean Up Australia Day

Clean Up Australia Day was acknowledged at the college on Thursday with all year levels allocated an area of the college for a clean-up. Thankyou to all staff and students that engaged in the program as your efforts have left our school environment looking clean and tidy.

Bike Shed

Rhys Davies (parent of Niamh and Bryn) and I met with our 2022 Alpine School participants on Monday to commence discussions around the installation of a new bike shed. The students will be involved in planning, pricing and fundraising for the new shed as a part of their Alpine School project.

Congratulations

I was delighted this morning to hear of the engagement of Mr Xavier Barker and Miss Alison Gill. On behalf of the college community, I extend our warmest congratulations to them both as they enter the next chapter of their lives. We wish them nothing but happiness in the years ahead!

Open Evening

I invite all our community to join us on our open evening on Wednesday 5th April for our annual open evening. Come and see our students in action sharing their programs and activities. Information sessions for Prep 2024, Year 7 2024 and VCE programs will be provided on the evening. Primary parents this is a great opportunity to tour our new senior facilities.

Enjoy the sunny weather predicted on the weekend, it’s certainly been a touch of autumn weather this week with cooler mornings and warmer afternoons.

Julie Krause

Principal

Prep - 2 News