Principal's Report

Earlier this term, we ran our annual Open Night, which involves opening up the school to the community and inviting prospective students and their families to come in, hear from different leaders and student leaders, ask questions, and understand our unique school culture a bit better than before. Maeda, Year 12 student and Academic Captain at THS, spoke to the audience about her experience of starting at this school back in 2021 as a newly arrived migrant to Australia. Listening to Maeda sharing her story of joining our community with limited English skills, working hard as a student and receiving support from our staff, and then in Year 11 being presented with the English award, I was moved and impressed in equal measure. 

Our shared work at THS involves engaging and teaching students, and supporting them to thrive and flourish during their time with us at the school. Every day, I see examples of how students develop their agency, their curiosity and their intelligence through the experiences they have at THS. This could not happen without the ongoing support and commitment of our brilliant, award-winning teachers and education support staff here. 

In our Parent-Teacher Interviews this term, families had the opportunity to meet with and talk to the teachers working to support their children at THS. Part of the feedback we provide our parents with is our reporting on the THS Work Habits, which have now been improved to align better with our THS Learning Model. 

These habits describe the learning behaviours that help students be successful in their learning, and teachers’ reporting in relation to students’ work habits aim to strengthen students’ agency and their ability to achieve success in class. When students collaborate effectively in class, when they apply themselves to completing tasks independently, and when they review learning at home, then they learn more and achieve better results. Not only that, developing these habits and this learning disposition will set students up for success in their post-secondary pathways such as university studies, TAFE or the workplace. 

Next term, we will spend more time with our students unpacking and explaining how to achieve these work habits at the highest possible level, so that students can use that understanding to achieve excellence in their subjects. 

Lately, I have been impressed by the Ukrainian writer Andrey Kurkov - in novels such as the charming yet bleak Death and the Penguin, and in his non-fiction work such as the very powerful book Diary of an Invasion, which chronicles the Russian invasion of the Ukraine from the author’s own perspective. I look forward to reading more of Kurkov’s work this year; the pile of books I want to read this break is growing on a daily basis. Students can get some great book recommendations from our THS Library!

As we finish Term 1, I wish you all a wonderful holiday period and hope that you get a chance to rest and relax before the start of next term. 

Lars Andersson

Principal