From the Acting Principal

There is no doubt the term is in full swing. Not only are our staff and students studying hard and completing a rigorous academic program, they are also investing a lot of time and effort into events that really add breadth and depth to the staff and student experience. 

Events such as House Cross Country, inter school sport, school production rehearsals, DAV and Economics Association debating competitions, instrumental music performances, award ceremonies for our 2022 International students and a Camberwell Primary School visit for Kangourou des Maths competitions. Congratulations to all who have been part of these events. The feedback I get from other schools and the general community is that our staff and students represent the school impeccably, with great school pride. 

Exam preparations are well underway for Year 10 – 12 students. Exam experience is an important part of the academic development of our senior students as they are practicing for final assessments. The challenge for our students is to manage the process around the exam schedule. Managing time, coordinating resources, seeking assistance in a timely manner, self-regulating their emotional state and motivation, and setting achievable goals. Once in the exam, as adults know, there are learnt skills that enable a student to have the best chance to do the best they can. I encourage students, and their supportive parents, to approach the mid-year exams with a 

growth mindset. Teachers will be offering lots of support and opportunities for practice in the lead up to exam week.

The Olympic games, winter, or summer occurs every four years. For state schools, some may say our equivalent is a review process of our four-year Strategic Plan. A panel of reviewers come into the school over four days to gather information and feedback from all key stakeholders in the school. They then assist the school in evaluating our programs and designing the next strategic plan. There are many steps in preparing for our Olympic event, including policy questionnaires, forums, workshops, and opportunities to gather information relevant to what the school has achieved and potentially what’s next. I will be creating an action plan in collaboration with our Leadership team, and will then promote relevant events, forums or surveys via the school website and Compass. Stay tuned. 

On June 16th at 2pm, the school will host a tribute event to commemorate the life and career of our beloved Principal Maria Karvouni. Students and staff will attend during period 5, and will be joined by Maria’s family, parents, alumni, and key education colleagues. The event will go for approximately 50 minutes and speakers will celebrate Maria’s career and personal achievements. This is a unique opportunity for students to learn about the history of Auburn High School and the Principal whose visionary leadership helped create the school we have today. 

This week John Pesutto, our local member and the Leader of the Victorian Liberal Party, made a statement in parliament paying tribute to Maria and her career in education. Please follow this link for a copy of the Parliamentary transcript.

Last week the Principal team attended the Inner East Principal’s conference. Over 100 Primary and Secondary Principals and Assistant Principals attended. This is a valuable networking experience as well as an opportunity to listen to experts in the fields of student engagement, belonging, numeracy and demographics. 

In summary, this conference has prompted the team to consider many aspects of the Auburn program and how we can continue to help students regulate their behaviours and provide clear boundaries, regular positive feedback, and micro-check ins that focus on ‘what went well’. Speakers also focussed on assessment and feedback. Key concepts relating to staff and student wellbeing were relevant here as well as designing questions that link ideas, construct knowledge and encourage self-assessment. 

Finally, a key takeaway for me was the concept of self-determination theory (information) and it’s impact on motivation. The theory is based around people’s need to feel competent (learning growth), in control (agency and voice) and connected (sense of belonging). A family, school, business or any social setting can establish these key ideas with something as simple as a warm welcome where people know your name.  Let’s all try this for the next week and see what happens!