Principal's Report

It has been a very positive start to the year for Thornbury High School, with our new Year 7 students engaging very well with their learning in their different classes and contributing a great deal of enthusiasm and positive energy to our school culture. Meanwhile, our VCE students have also started the year very well, and we’re already seeing evidence of the high level of commitment to learning in the Year 12 Study Centre. As always, I’ve been impressed by our team of teachers at THS and how hard they work to help our students thrive and learn at school.

Every year in Term 1, I meet individually with each teacher who taught a Year 12 class the previous year, in order to analyse the data from their exam, discuss results, and set goals for this year. In those conversations, THS teachers consistently reflect critically on their practice with a growth mindset and a desire to continue learning and growing as teachers. This is a very positive aspect of our school culture here at THS, and it feeds into our ongoing professional learning program for staff, and our individual coaching for teachers. We are all learners and we want to promote having a learning disposition throughout life as lifelong learners!

Our Year 11 students had a fantastic experience during the recent trip to Canberra for the Year 11 camp. Thank you to Ms Fiona Walker, Head of Senior School, for her leadership during the camp, as well as to all the staff members who attended the camp to support our students. According to some of the Year 11 students I spoke to after the camp, the highlights included the Aqua Park and the visit to the Australian Parliament. 

Thank you also to all the staff who accompanied our Year 9 Geography students to Edendale Farm as part of their learning in the subject. The feedback from staff and students about this experience was very positive as students deepened their understanding of sustainable food practices and our environmental footprint. 

A book recommendation from one of the teachers here at THS was for me to read Hugh Howey’s dystopian science fiction trilogy ‘Wool’, ‘Shift’ and ‘Dust’. As I’m getting closer to finishing the final part of the trilogy, I can pass on the recommendation to readers in the community who are interested in this genre of fiction; this is a thought-provoking exploration of a post-apocalyptic future society of people living underground in silos. 

Lars Andersson

Principal