Message from the Executive Principal – Natasha Mackinnon

Welcome to the New School Year

It is my great joy to welcome you to a new year at Plenty Valley Christian College. I am delighted to join you as Executive Principal, and I look forward with genuine excitement to getting to know our students, staff, and families as we partner together in this important season of learning and growth. PVCC has a rich history of providing bold Christian education in the beautiful North-East of Melbourne, and I feel deeply honoured to help lead a community so committed to nurturing each child’s God-given potential.

It was truly lovely to see so many happy students arriving on their first day, eager, smiling, and ready for the year ahead. I was equally delighted to meet so many new families joining us for the first time, as well as reconnecting with our current families who continue to be such an integral part of the life of our college. Your warmth, your encouragement, and your obvious love for this community were deeply appreciated.

Introducing the Role of Executive Principal

As your Executive Principal, my responsibility is to lead and support our entire College, from Kindergarten to Year 12, ensuring that we remain faithful to our identity as a Christ centred learning community. This involves upholding and embedding our vision, mission, and values, stewarding the strategic direction of the College, and supporting our leaders and staff as they deliver excellent, biblically grounded education. Our community is united by shared purpose, a commitment to faith, and a passion for integrating a Christian worldview with academic excellence.

At PVCC, the role of the principal and the role of the Executive Principal are distinct but complementary. Our Primary and Secondary Principals are based on campus fulltime and carry responsibility for the day-to-day running of the school. They oversee the operational life of their sections, manage curriculum and student welfare, ensure compliance with school policies, and work closely with students, staff, and families. After classroom teachers and Heads of School, they are the first point of contact for questions, concerns, and the everyday matters that arise in school life.

The Executive Principal role, by contrast, operates at a broader, systemwide level. My work spans across Kinder as well as both Primary and Secondary schools and includes preparing for the College’s growth into the future. This encompasses long term strategy, policy development, master planning, financial planning and the leadership of major College initiatives. I work closely with the Board, our Executive Team, consultants, Christian Education National, and a range of external partners, including local councils and State and Federal representatives, an especially important responsibility in an election year. I also oversee key areas such as policy and OH&S, VRQA school registration, the Annual Improvement Plan, spiritual development, strategic reporting, and major compliance requirements.

Because of the nature of this role, there will be times when you see me frequently around the campus, and other times when I may be less visible. I will be in and out of classrooms, visiting learning spaces, and spending time in the yard, simply because I want to understand our school deeply and hear directly from our students, whose voices are vital as we shape the future of PVCC.

Much of my work takes place “beneath the surface”, ensuring that the College remains viable, thriving, and future focused. At the same time, a significant part of the role is ‑outward facing‑ representing PVCC in the broader community, sharing our vision with current and prospective families, and strengthening relationships with key partners in education, government and our local community.

Above all, I am committed to learning about the school, listening well to our staff and families, and understanding the heart of PVCC.

A Community Built on Partnership with Parents

We treasure the partnership between school and home. As a parent-governed Christian school, PVCC holds strongly to the belief that education flourishes when parents and educators walk together in transparent, supportive, and faith filled relationship. Your engagement, encouragement, and insight enrich our community, and together we create a learning environment where children experience genuine belonging, strong pastoral support, and formation of Christian character.

This partnership is reflected in our commitment to authentic community, where communication is open, relationships are strengthened, and every family is welcomed as an integral part of the life of the College.

Future Executive Principal Coffee Catch Ups

In the spirit of building meaningful relationships, I will be hosting informal Executive Principal Coffee Catch Ups throughout the year. These gatherings will offer a relaxed opportunity for conversation, questions, and connection. I would love to hear your hopes for the year ahead, listen to your experiences, and share updates about our direction, initiatives, and opportunities across the College.

Dates and details will be communicated shortly; I warmly invite you to join me.

Some final thoughts…

I would like to share a Scripture with you, one that I also shared at our recent Dedication Service.

Isaiah 40:31“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength;they will soar on wings like eagles;they will run and not grow weary;they will walk and not be faint.”

This passage continues to shape my leadership and my prayers for our school community. When I reflect on these words, I find myself praying that we will be a community whose strength is renewed by the Lord. My hope is that, together, we will discover fresh courage and resilience, grounded in something far deeper and more enduring than circumstance.

I long for our staff, students, and families to experience renewal when they feel tired, clarity in moments of uncertainty, and confidence as they face challenges. My desire is that, as a school, we will not simply “get through” the year, but rise, grow, and flourish, that we will truly soar as we lean on the Lord for strength.

As we begin this new year at Plenty Valley Christian College, my prayer is that our community will be marked by hope, courage, and a deep dependence on the Lord. I am genuinely excited for what lies ahead, not because the path will always be easy, but because God is faithful, and He goes before us.

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