Principal Team Editorial

Learning and Wellbeing

For the past two days, our Principal Team have attended the annual Principal Conference in the city along with 2,800 other Victorian Government school and system leaders. 

One of the key note speakers, Frank Oberklaid (Foundation Director of the Centre for Child Health at the RCH), really resonated with me when he talked about how important schools are in supporting our young people to thrive, not just in their learning but their wellbeing too. He spoke about the need for external health providers, particularly mental health providers to work more closely with schools (where our young people spend most of their time) and have the capacity to be more influential. 

As I listened, I reflected on the importance of our school, our teachers and our staff in ensuring we have programs and processes in place to help, support and promote positive wellbeing and mental health. 

In a world where our young people are presenting with increasingly complex wellbeing challenges, we need to ensure our young people have trusted adults at school who they know, feel comfortable with and are confident to reach out to. 

This year, we are committed to building our skills as educators to not only be exceptional teachers but also trusted adults who can foster positive wellbeing both inside and outside the classroom. 

Reconciliation Week

This week is reconciliation week which is an opportunity for all Australians to reflect on the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to foster healing, understanding, and respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. 

Every morning this week, our Koorie students have broadcast a welcome to country message across the PA sharing with us the importance of cultural awareness and understanding. 

Our school bell has been ringing out with the sounds of Midnight Oil’s  Beds Are Burning - an iconic Australian song from the 1980s which championed aboriginal land rights and brought global attention to the plight of Aboriginal Australians. 

In classes, we have been starting some lessons with activities designed to educate students about aboriginal culture, language and history and last week our Koorie students were invited to participate in the Long Walk to the Dreamtime game at the MCG. 

At Wantirna College, we are committed to fostering opportunities of reconciliation and unity.

City Experience & Work Experience

It’s been a quieter week at school this week with our Year 9 students on City Experience all week and our Year 10 students on Work Experience. Both experiences are a great opportunity for students to develop their independence, resilience and application of learning to real world situations. A special thank you to our dedicated staff for providing students with these invaluable opportunities.

Performing Arts Showcase

And finally, thank you to our wonderful musicians and performers who took part in the Showcase events last week (and the week before that). Every night showcased our talented students in solo performances, ensembles, small groups and big groups. We are grateful to our wonderful teachers who bring out the best in our students and are proud of our thriving performing arts program.

Carrie Wallis

Principal