Campus Principal Report
Dear Students, Parents, Guardians and Staff,
As we conclude the first semester of this school year, I am filled with gratitude and pride for the progress, achievements, and growth that has been made. I want to take a moment to reflect and express my thanks to each of you.
Our students have shown remarkable dedication to their studies. The reports they will receive at the end of this semester are a testament to their hard work and determination. Congratulations to all students who have excelled and to those students who have demonstrated improvement in their learning behaviours. Our Campus Assemblies this week celebrated students from each year level who have been recognised by their teachers and peers for proudly demonstrating the school values of Respect, Excellence and Diversity.
Year 7 - Ace Huynh, Navreet Kaur, Fiona Tang, Eirena Yang, Ava Jong & Sobhan Khalilzad
Year 8 - Jack Tran, Nhu Doan, Kathleen Duong, Saugat Tandan, Austin Koch & Jiali Yan
Year 9 - Naura Alioglu, Soraiya Salehi, Dua Rahemi, Meshel Tran, Andrew Ann & Narud Heang
Year 10 - Thien Kim Chau, Bisma Hussain, Kimlieng Kry, Aziah Moloney, Mahira Nazari & Kaneal Abera
Year 11 - Kirsten Barrow, Andy Truong, Karlee Harper, Lily Nguyen, Alexcia Theodorou & Wen Ji Lyu
Year 12 -Thomas Nguyen, Jasmine Heng, Christian Neung, Sereytevin Theng, Pratham Kumar & Kimhong Hang
We celebrate and recognise our amazing student accomplishments that reflect their diverse talents. There have been some exceptional performances in Drama with the senior performance of Alice in Wonderland and in music with the VCE Unit 1 Music Performance students presenting their solo performances in front of an audience. In addition there has been outstanding displays of sportsmanship, particularly in Volleyball. The year 7 boys have qualified for the State finals in November and the Intermediate boys team came third at the State finals, whilst the year 8 boys Volleyball team won the Victorian Schools Cup.
We continue to drive high expectations and look for ways to improve. Our Senior School Information Evening was held in the last week of this semester to better prepare our current Year 9 and 10 students and their families for senior course selections and course counselling interviews to be held in Term 3.
Every term and every year seem to be busier than the previous, however work in schools is always rewarding. It has been particularly rewarding for me, as I have had the honour to serve as the Campus Principal for the past year. I am excited to support Natalie Fode as our Principal returning from leave and I want to extend my thanks and deepest gratitude to the entire school community for your support, commitment and trust. I look forward to continuing to work with you all as I transition into the role of Junior School Assistant Principal next semester.
Have a safe and restful term break.
Robyn Hughes
Assistant Principal
It feels incredibly special to be back at Keysborough College Acacia Campus after my time away on maternity leave. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Mrs. Hughes for her exceptional leadership and dedication in my absence. Her commitment ensured that our students continued to thrive, and I am truly grateful for her hard work. Mrs Hughes will be the Junior School Assistant Principal in Term 3, with Ms Batchelor accepting a role with the Department of Education to help many schools grow and improve. We wish Ms Batchelor good luck in her new role, and thank her for all of the work she has done here at Acacia.
What truly touched me upon my return, and made a world of difference, were the acts of kindness I experienced from our learning community; staff, students and parents. Whether it was a warm smile in the hallway, a kind word of welcome, or a thoughtful gesture, each interaction left a profound impact on me. Kindness is a simple yet powerful force. It feeds into the College value of Respect. It's about showing empathy, compassion, and respect towards others. Each act of kindness, no matter how small, has the potential to make a significant impact. A thoughtful word, a friendly smile, or a helping hand can brighten someone's day and create a ripple effect of positivity that extends far beyond that moment.
The school is in an exciting position to drive improvement in student outcomes and I am thrilled and privileged to be back in the role of Campus Principal once again. I look forward to reconnecting with our whole school community in the days and weeks ahead. Take care and have a safe and happy school holidays.
Natalie Fode
Acacia Campus Principal
According to John Farnham, “One is the loneliest number,” and captures a sense of isolation, but I believe from all my years in education, and there have been a lot, the most important question that fosters understanding and learning is, was, and always will be: “Why?”
If we accept information blindly, then we are not truly learning; we are merely hearing and accepting someone else’s opinion or view. Critical thinking arises from deeper questioning. If I ask, “Why do you believe that?” or “Why does it mean that?” they have to delve deeper into their own beliefs and reasoning. You are not only adding to your knowledge but also challenging them to better understand the ‘facts’ they may be presenting.
"Why?" - the simplest of questions with often the most profound of answers - fuels our curiosity, an essential component of learning. Have you ever listened to a child asking a series of why questions? We are born with this innate need to understand, and I believe it starts with this question. We should make sure to encourage it, not smother it. As we grow, the more we ask why, the more we can problem-solve, challenge the status quo, and think outside the box.
Responses like “Because….” , “that’s what I’ve been told,” or “we’ve always done it that way” are not good answers and demonstrate closed thinking. “Why?” expands the conversation, leading to more robust answers and lively debate.
The scientific method is fundamentally based on questioning why phenomena occur, leading to hypotheses, experiments, and scientific advancement. Science is driven by people who focus on the “why?” Einstein, Galileo, Newton, Leibnitz, and Madame Curie all began with the “why?” question. Their greatest discoveries involved an observation or a theory that posed a why question. From there, their hard work led to Einstein’s theory of relativity, Leibnitz and calculus, Newton’s laws of motion, Galileo’s proof debunking long-held incorrect beliefs about planetary motion, and Madame Curie’s discoveries in radioactivity. These giants in history all started with “WHY?”.
Einstein famously said, “If you can't explain it to a six-year-old, you don't understand it yourself.” Think about that next time a child asks you a question. Maybe you need to ask the question more yourself!
By continuously asking "why," we open the door to new discoveries, deeper insights, and meaningful connections, making it a cornerstone of human progress and development. Encouraging this question, especially from a young age, indeed fosters a mindset of inquiry and innovation. It’s a reminder that growth, both personal and intellectual, often begins with the simplest yet most profound questions.
Richard Hastings
Banksia Campus Principal