Welcome to Term 3. It looks like it is going to be a busy term. Many of the staff are involved in at least one special event each week with perhaps one or two normal weeks.

Traditionally students have had a three-week break during the middle of the year at Plenty Valley Christian College. I know that is a big commitment from parents, but I can assure you that staff use the time wisely. Last week staff members were involved in an international conference, planning meetings and professional learning as well as sharing investigations that they have undertaken during the year with their colleagues at the Plenty Valley Christian College Symposium.

Our special guest speaker for the symposium was Dr Flossie Chua, a Principal Investigator for Harvard University’s Project Zero. Her expertise is in investigating thinking processes and that aligns perfectly with our educational mission. It is also exciting for us to have an academic who is supportive of us approaching this work from our Christian perspective.

At the end of last term, some of our intrepid year 10 students embarked on mission trips to Vanuatu and Thailand. These experiences foster empathy, gratitude, and a heart for service. It is a wonderful experience for a young person to see how blessed we are in Australia and to experience some of the challenges that very poor people face in their lives. They are also challenged to think about what they can do to assist these people when they are back home. We are grateful to staff members who volunteered to give up holiday time to offer this experience to these young people.

Early last week Plenty Valley sponsored 30 people to attend the Christian schools International Transforming Education Conference in Perth. It was an excellent time being part of a gathering of 1000 Christian educators from all over Australia and overseas. The speakers were challenging but also practical.

At Plenty Valley we encourage students to be lifelong learners and we model that through our staff who attend conferences, undertake, and share professional investigations, and are enrolled in further study.

As we navigate this term, let us continue to uphold our commitment to academic excellence, character development, and community service. Together, we serve God by serving one another.

Changes to Staff

With 150 staff members there are always changes. Some staff have changed their load and allocation while others have left. Fortunately, God has provided great people to take up the reins.

Leaving:

Sam Devenish – Wood Technology, has moved on to another school over the break.

Erica Helou – Plenty Kids, has also moved on to the next stage of her career.

We thank both Sam and Erica for the contribution they have made to the students and staff at Plenty Valley Christian College and wish them well in the next part of their journey.

New faces (some not so new):

Jacob Cookson - is our new Chaplain and comes with experience from his youth pastoral role at Diamond Valley Baptist church.

Sam Henderson – has worked with us this year in a CRT role and we are pleased to have him on board in a full-time, ongoing position.

Chris Prior – is a highly experienced lecturer in the National Institute of Christian Education and is an ex-principal and within two days a week, he will be helping the leadership team improve how we do Christian education and leadership as well as providing support for other roles in the college for the rest of this year.

Adele Stojcev – is joining our Admin team too as there are some movements in roles and times for the team.

Mobile Policy

Last term I flagged a change to our mobile or devices policy that will be implemented later in the term. Plenty Valley is moving to a total ban for non-college devices during school hours. We are currently preparing students for this change, so it is not a shock and making sure we have processes in place that are clear for students, parents and staff. Parents are reminded that currently the college takes no responsibility for items that students chose to bring from home, and this includes mobile phones. Consequences of breaches of this policy will include confiscation of the devices for the day and continued breaches will result in a reconsideration of the student’s enrolment.

Northern Educational Alliance

Plenty Valley Christian College is collaborating with two government schools and two Catholic schools in our local region to improve education for all students in our area of the north. Principals and other school leaders train together developing networks and improving our schools to serve our students. We have also been looking at connections to university courses and the aspects of education that need to be improved in the north. It is a unique alliance of schools across all sectors.

Parking

Every time we do a parent survey parking is mentioned. It is true that there is not enough parking for every parent to park at the same time. No school has that ability. In fact, Plenty Valley’s parking is quite generous compared to other schools, but it doesn’t feel like that when you are looking for a park at the end of the day or trying to get out onto Yan Yean Road. I respectfully request that parents time their pickups strategically so Primary parents have time to exit before secondary parents arrive. Remember you don’t have to be here the moment the final bell rings. I know Yan Yean Road poses its challenges, but your cooperation and care for others ensures a smoother flow.

Yan Yean Road Duplication

And speaking of Yan Yean Road I know that many of you have questions about the timing of the much-delayed duplication. All we know at this point is that the federal government have approved funding for the project but there is a component of state funding that we are unsure is available. As soon as we know the timing we will let you know, but at this point it will not begin this year.

John Metcalfe

Principal

Arrowsmith Program