Principal's Report

Night of Excellence 

We celebrated the outstanding achievements of our students for 2024 at the Night of Excellence. 

Students were acknowledged for  

• high levels of academic achievement,  

• high levels of endeavour, effort and commitment to learning 

• outstanding achievement in learning areas 

• exemplary demonstration of the College values as judged by their peers 

• outstanding achievement in special curriculum and co-curricular programs 

• outstanding community service and contribution to the life of the College. 

I would like to congratulate the students on their fantastic achievements and their families for the support you have given them and the College. 

I would like to thank all of the staff for their work with our students and for our school this year.  

It was a wonderful night with our guests including Colin Brooks, MP for Bundoora and Angela Romas, School Councillor.  The Greensborough Rotary Club Youth Director, Dr Francis Acquah, also presented the George Upton Awards. 

The staff service awards were presented to the following staff for their years of service at Greensborough College. 

5 years of service Kady Best, Anthony Ellul, Callum Harber, Jacqueline Melia, Murray Ravenhall and Rose Thomson  

10 years of service Shane Maloney 

15 years of service Brett Kynnersley 

20 years of service Dimitra Matheou and Stella Ramos 

25 years of service Kirrilly Simmons 

30 years of service Lina Biviano 

Congratulations to all award and service recipients. You will see the program with award recipients in this newsletter. 

VCE Results 

Our students achieved outstanding VCE results this year. You would have seen on our social platforms the celebration of the wonderful results some students achieved. Our College Dux, Madeline Fotinos, achieved an ATAR of 90 and is aiming to study Speech Pathology. The College’s median study score increased to 27 and the number of study scores above 40 also increased from previous years. 

 I would like to acknowledge the staff who have impacted these results this year and over the past five years for these students. Everyone in our school has contributed to the improved outcomes for our VCE and VCAL students. The Class of 2024 is to be congratulated, with many students receiving unconditional early offers to tertiary courses.  I would also like to acknowledge our Pathways Practitioner, Jane Alexander, whose knowledge and expertise in the area of course counselling and selection coupled with her care and compassion for our students continues to result in excellent destination outcomes. 

For many of our students achieving the VCE certificate has been their desired outcome.  We have also seen wonderful outcomes for our students in the VCE Vocational Major course, with many of them taking up apprenticeships and traineeships as a result. Well done to students, staff and families! 

Staff News 

On Friday, we will say goodbye to some staff members.  We thank them for their commitment and contribution to our school community and for their teaching and support of the students during their time at the College. We wish all of these staff members the very best in their future endeavours. We say farewell to: 

Sharyn Niclasen 

Sharyn has been teaching for 45 years and has already retired once.  We have been so fortunate to have Sharyn come back to our school and work with us for the past five years in various capacities as the Middle Years Literacy and Numeracy teacher, a learning tutor and a classroom teacher.  Sharyn is one of those rare teachers who can teach both English and Maths.  Sharyn has decided to hang up the whiteboard markers. We wish her all the best with her family and her grandchildren. 

Robyn Stephens 

Robyn has been working as the Food Technology Education Support staff for 15 years.  This year Robyn took leave and has now decided to retire.  We thank Robyn for her commitment and service over the years and we wish her all the best with her family and grandchildren in retirement. 

Sienna Muratore 

Sienna has been working in the office this year after completing her VCE in 2023.  Sienna has applied to return to tertiary studies in 2025. We thank Sienna for her contribution this year and we wish her all the best in her future endeavours.  

Savannah Cleary 

Savannah has been working in the Food Technology department supporting the teachers in the program while Robyn was on leave.  Savannah has decided to return to tertiary education in 205 and we thank her for her contributions, and we wish her all the best in her future endeavours. 

Happy Holidays 

2024 has been an exciting year for the College Our numbers have grown, student achievement has excelled, and students report high levels of wellbeing.  The School Staff Survey showed increased levels of positive endorsement across most areas and the Parent Opinion Survey mirrored the positive endorsement of staff and students. 

 As the Principal, this year, it has been a privilege to be a part of our great school community, and I look forward to working with the school community over the coming years to continue the growth and improvement and to cement our school as the School of Choice. 

In closing, I would like to acknowledge the work of the School Council and the entire school community and I wish all students, parents, families and staff a safe and happy Christmas and holiday season.