From the Principals' Desk
Class of 2020 Valedictory Dinner
The long awaited and much delayed Valedictory Dinner finally occurred last night with most of the 2020 graduates in attendance. Unfortunately, due to the snap lockdown last month, a number of students were unable to attend the event as University has now resumed for most and some are now attending tertiary institutions interstate.
Due to Covid restrictions no parents were permitted to attend so it was just students (now Alumni) and staff with Sir Gus and Dr John Inns (Council President) in attendance, with restrictions on the numbers on the dancefloor, and small group presentations and formal photographs in separate rooms. John was in fact the only parent in attendance as his son Max was one of the graduates. It was a different event to the large family affair that we usually enjoy in November, but as Dr Inns noted in his address – it was somewhat more relaxed as the VCE results were known and university offers had been made and accepted. It was wonderful to catch up with the Class of 2020 – they really did miss many milestones and events in 2020 so I was very pleased that we were able to gather together one last time to formally farewell them and celebrate their excellent results and new pathways. I’m afraid though, their run of bad luck continued with a bad crash on the Monash Freeway causing massive delays and a late start to the event as people trickled in. Mr Butler and Ms Shute also made cameo appearances and Mr Butler quickly resumed his familiar MC and support roles, even though now officially retired. I sincerely thank Ms Juliea Slywka for her resilience and persistence in delivering this event which was most successful and very enjoyable. The Sofitel also did a wonderful job on the night, indicating that it was their first post COVID function of any size, and they too were very happy to be back in operation. We are still in a different world to the one we enjoyed pre 2020 however with many of the graduates expressing a little disappointment that their university classes were still being delivered mainly online with limited on campus tutorials, so the opportunity to meet up and connect with other students is still somewhat limited, and the social events and activities that are usually so much a part of the university experience are still restricted. They have however, already seen more of their universities than the class of 2019 did during 2020.
Twelve Months Ago…..
This time last year we were planning for next week (Camps and Pathways Week) with the Year 12s and Year 9’s eagerly anticipating their respective camps to Somers and Roses Gap. There was growing apprehension about the virus, but as yet no mention of lockdowns and right up until 10.00 pm on the Sunday night before I was reassuring everyone that the camps and excursions would be running, although there was increasing discomfort about this and I was weighing the costs of cancelling (disappointment, financial, organisational) with the (as then unknown) potential risks of community transmission and infection. So, I was both disappointed and relieved when DET ordered that all camps and excursions were to be cancelled (along with the Grand Prix). We assumed at the time that this would be a temporary situation with everything deferred to a later date; how wrong we were. We were not to know that the situation would escalate rapidly and that we would eventually be in long term lock down and working remotely, and that our world was about to change dramatically and permanently. It now feels like ancient history as we have been through so much in the meantime, and we are still contending with the changes the virus has wrought. There is a much more optimistic outlook now and hopefully we can consign the experiences of 2020 largely to the history file.
Camps and Pathways Week
Ms Mackin has been doing outstanding work (as always) organising the program for our 2021 Camps and Pathways week. This is an opportunity for a diverse range of excellent and carefully planned educational experiences for students of all year levels. I respectfully remind students and parents that attendance at all activities and events is expected and compulsory for all students – they will gain significant benefit from what has been planned and the school has expended considerable energy and resources to arrange the program.
Events and Activities
Term one is always exceptionally busy with many large events and activities taking place early in the year. In spite of some COVID restrictions remaining most things have been able to run, albeit with some special arrangements and COVID safe measures in place.
The House Swimming Carnival was a wonderful event with some outstanding performances in the pool and on the sidelines (by both staff and students) I commend everyone for their House Spirit and enthusiasm and congratulate Phoenix for their hard-fought win. Thank you to Ms Coffa and the PE team for their organisation and management of the day.
Debating has resumed with Nossal fielding a record number of teams this year. My wife and I attended the first series of debates at St Margaret’s where we were greeted by a sea of Nossal students and were able to witness some outstanding performances from our seasoned seniors and our debutant year 9 teams. My thanks to the English staff for their excellent support of this growing and stimulating program.
Casey Tech resumed face to face classes with Nossal Year 10 students spending three days developing some innovative and creative solutions to real life problems using the high-tech facilities and equipment. Feedback from the Tech staff was highly complimentary both about the performance and demeanour of our students and the quality of their work. We are fortunate to have such a facility on our doorstep and I thank Ms Winton in particular for her organisation and support of the program.
OzClo (Australian Occupational and Linguistics Olympiad) took place last week with a record number of Nossal teams taking part for an extended period of time after school. The level of involvement and concentration by the students was wonderful to see – although they were operating at a level far above my comprehension. My thanks to Mr Mahalingham and the English Team for their management of this event.
Memorial Assembly As a tribute to Ms Lisa Mandeltort, a team of staff and students organised a whole school assembly where tributes, memories, songs, film, and an impressive science experiment were presented. It was a sad, but positive and heartfelt commemoration of her contribution to Nossal and the impact she had on us all. Her partner and parents joined us, as did members of the alumni, Lt Commander Dave Lassam (ret), Dr John Inns and the Suzanne Cory Wellbeing team (and their support dogs). We will install a memorial plaque in the garden to reserve her memory.
The Phillip Island Surf Camp for Unit 1&2 PE students took place last week in rather cool conditions, and the staff and students involved mastered (mostly) new skills and experiences as part of the practical component of their VCE studies. I commend Ms Coffa for her organisation and Ms Cilia and Mr Jose for braving the elements and “hanging ten” with them. (some poetic licence taken here)
Clean Up Australia Day Ms Ooi and members of the Clyde Road Crossing Authority and a dedicated team of NEST students spent Wednesday afternoon cleaning up rubbish from around the Berwick station precinct as part of the Clean Up Australia Day program. They were great ambassadors for our school and great role models for the community. I thank Ms Ooi and the Crossing Authority Staff (particularly Ms Jenna Brady) for partnering with us for this activity.
PFA Bunnings BBQ I commend and thank the PFA under the passionate leadership of the BBQ King, Mr Larry Larkins for their excellent work at Bunnings last weekend. They raised significant funds for the school and provided much entertainment and sustenance for the shoppers and staff. I thank all who gave up their time on the long weekend to assist, and those who visited and purchased a sausage to encourage and support them. We are very fortunate to have such a happy, generous, and committed group supporting us.
School Tours
Now that we are able to resume tours of the school for prospective parents, I have been encouraging existing parents and friends to join me for a tour of the school and to see our students and staff at work. In particular I encourage Year 9 parents who were not able to tour the school in 2020 to come along and see what your children experience each day. It will give you a greater understanding of how we work, the school philosophy and culture, and the chance to see the physical environment and ask me lots of questions. Tours usually take place in the morning from 9.30 – 10.30 am – you can book a place via TryBooking on the school website https://www.nossalhs.vic.edu.au/
You can also access a virtual tour of the school if you are unable to attend in person.
Applications for Year 9 and Vacancies for Years 10 &11 in 2022
Bookings to sit the entry exams for the four selective schools for Year 9 2022 are now open and close on May 14. Details on the school website or
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/parents/going-to-school/Pages/selective-entry-high-schools.aspx
To apply to sit the test for a wait list place for entry to Year 10 or 11 (limited, if any, vacancies) – please visit the school website. Applications close on May 28 and the exam will be held at Nossal on Wednesday June 9.
Vale Ms Sandeepa Suriyage (Class of 2015)
We were very saddened to learn of the tragic death of Sandeepa last week in a car accident. Sandeepa was a very talented and delightful young lady who performed exceptionally well when here at Nossal and had just completed her Dentistry Degree at Latrobe University. All who knew her were devastated by her passing and our thoughts and condolences are with her family and friends at this saddest of times.
Roger Page
Principal