Acting College Principal

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." I said this to one of our new Year 7 students a few weeks ago, trying to appear all cool and knowledgeable during their first few days. The response was, "I rode my bike here". In an interaction where, with each follow up clarification, I appeared less cool and less knowledgeable, I pointed out that at some stage, they must have walked to their bike. The student replied, "Of course – how else would I get to my bike?" I replied, "So that’s the first step – you know, the first step of the thousand-mile journey." The final retort, as the student moved off to join friends before science class, was, "We keep the bike on the front porch." Year 7 student: one – Acting College Principal: zero.

I must say, our new Year 7 cohort has seemed right at home at their new place of learning. The team at Bluff Road has done an enormous amount of work to help with this transition, and they have my thanks. The Year 7 camp was an amazing opportunity for our newest Sandringham College family members to get to know each other and plant the seeds of what we hope will grow into a strong sense of belonging and connection to our community.

As our Year 12 cohort (the class of 2025), applauded the new Year 7 cohort (the class of 2030) at our recent all-school assembly, they must have been wondering where the time has gone. I hope this serves as a reminder that this year will go by fast as well. Teachers will be working hard this term to create strong learning foundations, foundations that can be built on as the pressures of assignments, SACs and ultimate examinations start to become more visible.

House Competition 2025

The House Competition is ready to roar and will kick off with a 3-on-3 basketball competition in 6 different sub-school areas. This year, the competitions will be smaller than we might like as we trial the program and plan for bigger and better things for the competition in 2026. If you love basketball but aren't able to represent your house on this occasion, come along to the event and show your support. Competing, performing, singing, painting, questioning, barracking, celebrating, and commiserating are all equally important parts of what makes a successful house.

2025 will be the first name on the new house shield.  This is history in the making. You cannot go quietly!

Sandringham College - House Shield

The House Shield, a gift from the class of 2024, was handmade using original floorboards from the college’s first art room. Made locally, it captures the spirit of our school’s past, as well as the vibrancy of the community in which we live and learn.  It stands as a tribute to every point earned, every competition won, and every student who gave their all representing their house.

The House Shield is currently on display in the Bluff Road trophy cabinet at the entrance to the administration building. In a mass-producing world, it is Sandringham’s little piece of handmade history.

Parent Association 2025

Sandy College has always had a strong and committed parent community. However, post-COVID, we've struggled to establish a more formalised group. Viv, Cody and I would very much like to work to rectify this in the coming months.  We are holding a gathering to discuss the reimagining of this important part of our school.

We do understand how busy life can be for all of you, so we are hoping to cut through some of the formalities that can be overtly time-consuming and make involvement feel too onerous for some. We welcomed some of you to an evening on March 4th and are hoping you will consider signing up for a working bee, staking your claim to a sausage sizzle, committing to an aspect of the dance showcase or production, or .... We have a variety of things for you to consider, and I can assure you there will be no pressure.

Belonging and connection are important to us, both for your children and for the community as a whole.  We would love to see you involved in some of our activities.  

Drive to survive

Could I remind everyone in our community to be cautious when driving around either campus of the college. We need to be mindful of pedestrians and stay alert for drivers who may act unpredictably. As a close-knit community, it’s important that we all work together to ensure everyone’s safety.