Principal's  Report

Finally, we have all of our students and staff back on site. The school is abuzz again with classes, outdoor activities and sports, Breakfast Club, the ADP, the Library and the Canteen all in full swing. We farewelled our Year 12 Class of 2021 and their exams have now begun. Their graduation will be held at the College on Friday 19th November with the ceremony being live streamed to families. 

Over the coming weeks we will be running assessment programs in literacy and numeracy which will help the teaching team to group students and plan for teaching and learning in 2022. We have decided that there will be no formal examination period for Years 9 to 11 students this year. We will be using the time to continue teaching the curriculum so that students have as many of the skills and as much of the knowledge they can attain to be ready for next year.

The timeline for the rest of the term will see the Year 11s have their last day of classes on Friday 19h November followed by the 2022 Early Commencement classes up until Friday 3rd December. The last day of classes for Year 10s will be on Friday 26th November followed by 2022 Early Commencement up until Friday 3rd December. Years 7 to 9 students will have regular classes until 4th December and this will be followed by special programs focused on student reflections, goal setting, school wide positive behaviour and health and wellbeing programs.  The Year 9s will undertake a mini City Experience Program. The End of Year Activities Program will run from Wednesday 8th December to Tuesday 14th December followed by environment days. 

Students will receive their reports in the last week of school, via COMPASS. We are not able to conduct our annual Night of Excellence awards night, so students will receive their awards in the mail and be recognised in the last newsletter of the year and in a virtual format.

Art Show and Production

Congratulations to all of our students who had their art work showcased in our Virtual Art Show.  The display of work was amazing and it was a very challenging task selecting the Principal’s Award. I eventually chose Bailey Ward’s “Ghost Man” movie.  Honourable mentions go to Benjamin McConchie, Olivia Wiegand, Bethany Josifovski and Juliet Firth. Thank you to our amazing team of visual arts teachers for putting the show together, led by Callum Harber.

We are also very excited about the school production “All Shook Up” which will be filmed and then streamed to family and friends. Our students have continued to rehearse through the lockdowns, via zoom, with Grace and Jack from GJ Productions. The show will be available to view in week 10 on the 9th and 10th of December. 

Building Program

We expect handover of one and a half buildings in the last week of term. We will be using these last days of the school year to move into the library and staff offices.  We will have all the new furniture delivered as well. During January the remainder of the buildings will be completed and the old A, B and C wings will be demolished and replaced with lawn and garden.  By the time students start in 2022 the new buildings will be ready for use.  During early 2022 the landscaping of the student Plaza will take place as well as the installation of shade sails and outdoor classrooms.

You may have noticed the new fences and gates. They will provide much needed safety and security for our students and staff during the day and for the school equipment and facilities out of hours.  The new fencing is also aesthetically pleasing and complements the state-of-the-art educational facilities that our students all deserve. It has taken almost five years from the first turning of the sod in May 2017.  It has been an exciting and energising project that the school community can now enjoy and reap the benefits.

Vaccination requirements 

for parents and 

carers attending schools

The following requirements have been set by the Department of Education and Training in accordance with the advice from the Chief Health Officer and government regulations.

All parents and Carers attending schools, including drop off and pick up, must also adhere to physical distancing, density limits, face mask requirements and practise respiratory etiquette and good hand hygiene.

Parents and Carers who enter school buildings must check in using the QR code. 

Parents and Carers who enter school buildings must also have had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and must have had two doses of COVID-19 vaccine by 29 November 2021 or have a valid medical exception with the following limited exceptions: 

• when attending to administer medical treatment to their own child when the treatment cannot be administered by the school
• when attending to collect their child who is unwell and cannot leave the school building unaccompanied by their parent/carer.
• when attending for a momentary period that does not involve any sustained contact with staff or students, for example, to collect a completed art project or similar.
• Parents and carers attending any event or activity inside a school building including, but not limited to tours, graduations, transitions, whole of school events are required to show evidence of vaccination.

Meetings and other discussions (such as Student Support Group meetings) with Parents and Carers who do not meet vaccination requirements will be held virtually.  

Parents and Carers attending school sites for drop off and pick up who do not enter school buildings do not need to comply with vaccination requirements.

Parent drop off and Pick Up

Disappointingly, there are still a number of Parents/Carers dropping children off in the car parks. 

Please drop off and pick up in the neighbouring streets, avoiding blocking the driveways and access for other traffic.

Most staff will be parking in the Nepean Street Carpark once the fences are completed and all of the gates are installed.  This car park is extremely busy at the beginning and end of the school day and it poses a safety hazard if we allow drop off and pick up.

Car parks at the Nell Street end are not to be used for drop off or pick up.

Pauline Barker

Principal