From the Principal

Principal Report

Newsletter – Change of Format

Firstly, my apologies for the lack of a newsletter at the start of Term Four.  Just to add something else to the daily work as we all got back into the groove of being onsite again, we decided to update the newsletter.  My thanks to Michelle Martin and Luke Bayley for doing all the behind scenes work and getting it all up and running.  I certainly hope you find the new format more user friendly across multiple devices.

Return from Lock Down

It is now terrific that all year levels are back to onsite learning.  This has been a steady progression since the start of Term Four. This has included the running of the VCAA examinations.  We have now completed the process without interruption which has been extremely pleasing. The Year 12 cohort have shown amazing resilience throughout their final years of study and I could not be prouder of their positive attitude through their final two years.

Positive COVID—19 case

Unfortunately, we have had positive COVID-19 cases on site.  When we are notified of a positive case, we initiate a process which has been defined by the DET in conjunction with the DHS.  The role of identifying Primary Close Contacts (PCC) now falls to the school.  There are particular criteria that we must use in this process.  When we have completed this process, we then have to wait for clearance to contact the PCCs.  When we have completed this we then wait for the decision to whether we have to close the school.  As was the case in our first exposure this decision may come after normal school hours.

I certainly hope we have no more positive cases in 2021 but having now been through the process we have a better understanding of what is required and the time it takes to complete. The conditions around closing schools have also changed and again I hope that we would not have to close if there was another positive case.

Capital Works

Saturday 6th November saw the end of an era as the western end of C block was demolished. The site has now been cleared for foundation work to commence.  As a record of the demolition there is a time lapse video of the work being completed which has been showing on the monitors around the school. It is amazing just how quickly they can demolish a building, conversely it then takes 12-15 months to build the new one.  The works have changed foot traffic paths around the college and the relocation of lockers, staff offices and classrooms.  We are all getting used to the changes but the inconvenience now will be well worth it when all the works are complete.

Rollover 2021/22

The moving to the next year level and new classes commences with a transition day on Friday 26th November and then classes start on Monday 29th November.  This gives a great opportunity for students to reset after the disruptive year, get into their new classes, start the work and finish the year on a positive note.  Please understand that some of the teachers of classes will change at the start of 2022 as new teachers will commence at the college and teachers who are currently here may be moving to a different location in 2022.

In year 7-9 the 2021 classes have been mixed up to create new groups for 2022.  We understand that this may cause a degree of concern for some students but this is all part of the social/emotional and academic journey that they undertake through school.  There will be a time of adjustment but resilience is an important skill that is honed through this time.  If your child does express concerns please assure them that this is a normal reaction and that as with all things different, it will become the new normal. To this end we will not be changing students' 2022 groups.

In Year 10-12, classes are determined by student’s subject selections and how these selections fit into the timetable.  Again, teachers in the November/December rollover period may change in 2022 for the previously given reasons. Please note that subject changes will only be considered on future pathways and that the requested change may not be possible given the constraints of the timetable or classes already being at capacity.