Principal's Report 

It was lovely to have staff and students back onsite after lockdown 5.0 but disappointing that it was only for a short time. The announcement of lockdown 6.0 was felt by all within the community. 

Staff and students continue to amaze me with how quickly they pivot, and our parent community are doing a wonderful job supporting their children during these challenging times.

Despite our technology rich learning and teaching environment which sees us well-placed for remote and flexible learning, we acknowledge that off-site learning is tough. Wellbeing continues to be our priority and we encourage parents to contact their child’s GOAL Mentor if they have any questions or concerns. 

The impact of COVID-19 and lockdowns will no doubt be researched for many years to come. Last year I was interviewed by Dr Fiona Longmuir from Monash University for a research project considering leadership in lockdown. The paper has been published in an international journal and provides some important insights into the work of school leaders in unprecedented times.

Stage 2 Building Update

The builders are taking advantage of staff and students not being onsite and are making great progress. The Stage 2 Build includes some fantastic new spaces with amazing views, including a Senior Lounge, Library, silent study space and a huge workshop. We will have the fly through of the new spaces soon and will share this via Compass and the upcoming newsletter.  

Term 3 Progress Reports

Term 3 Progress Reports were made available on Compass on Friday. I hope families had the opportunity to reflect on progress over the weekend as this is an important part of the learning process. Please remember to view these via the web version of Compass (not the app).

GOAL Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences

Bookings for GOAL Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences (24, 25 & 26 August) open tomorrow (Tuesday 17 August) at 5pm on Compass. In addition to ongoing Learning Task feedback, Progress Reports and Semester Reports, these valuable conversations make a significant contribution to improving student outcomes.

Safe Behaviours 

Many of our students are staying active cycling during breaks, lunchtime and afterschool. It is important to have healthy habits that are a break from the monotony of lockdown. I would like to remind students to ride safely, ensuring they adhere to the road rules to stay safe while riding.  It is important to remember to walk bikes through shopping areas such as Seaview and The Concourse.  Keeping pedestrians and riders safe is very important.

We have a number of in-house creative competitions for students to enjoy during this lockdown period - I am looking forward to seeing all of the entries!

Thank you as always, for your continued support.

Debby Chaves

Principal