We have had a very rewarding start to term 3. The school has been a hive of activity with every facet of the school involved. We’re very pleased with the way our community has responded to the numerous events and activities we have run. It has been wonderful to see so many parents/carers, students and primary school parents/carers and student up at the College to engage with events and celebrate the achievements of our students.

CAPITAL WORKS

We are very excited that our courtyard and toilet refurbishment is nearing completion. The large concrete pours proceeded well, and we now have a clear idea of just how large the space is. Two shade sails were installed this week and garden beds have been excavated and planting has begun. The internal toilet walls have now been completed and the external awning installed. External cladding and internal fit outs will be completed over the next couple of weeks. Ground works for the finalisation of the main courtyard artificial grassed areas have also now begun. At this stage we are expecting handover during the next school holiday period.

BUILDING COMMUNITY - EVENTS

There have been simply too many events of note to write in detail about! I am extremely proud of how staff and students have set about building connection to school and community. These events have extended beyond our immediate student community and included many of our local primary school students and parents.

Major events have included:

Freaky Friday – Held in week 2, this performance was simply incredible. The student cast were phenomenal and their talent unbelievable. It was great to see our senior students really taking on leadership and building a mentor style relationship with our junior students. The commitment from the cast, both onstage and backstage, was commendable. A performance like this requires a huge team effort and I’d like to recognise the staff and students for their work in bringing this production to stage.

Year 7 Camp – Held in week 3 at Campaspe Downs. Student behaviour was excellent and engagement high. Congratulations to our year 7 students on doing us proud and thank you to the staff organisers and supervisors for providing students with this opportunity. You can read more about this in the Junior School report.

Senior and Junior Academic Breakfasts – Held in week 3 and 5, these breakfasts recognise the achievements of our top academic performers for semester 1 and welcome parents into the school to acknowledge the support provided. Students will be awarded certificates in front of their peers at upcoming assemblies.

Science week and Science Fair – Held in week 5 this event was a led by the Science team. During the week tutor group and lunchtime activities were run for staff and students to engage with science content in a variety of fun ways. The Science Fair was organised by Ms Tilmanis and led by our year 9 Enhanced Science class. This was a real community event, with students, staff and local Primary school students invited to attend and enter experiments/projects for judging. The quality of student work was beyond expectations, as was the attendance on the night. The most pleasing things were the number of students in attendance who came as support to the students running the event and the numbers coming from the Primary schools. Congratulations to all involved.

Athletics Day – Held in week 5, the weather was spectacular and the atmosphere very festive. Strong competition on the track was matched by fun novelty events, the rock band and a sausage sizzle. Thanks to all staff and students who worked to make this event a success.

Other events we have held include:

Year 8 engagement program
VCE Vocational Major – Biggest Morning Tea for year 12s and staff
Mid-year Music Concert
Course selection interviews and information evenings
JLTAV Junior Japanese Speaking Competition
ASRC Winter Food Drive

While I haven’t outlined details, these events in themselves are significant and it is an indicator of the quality and quantity of events that I am unable to do them justice now. Thanks also to all the staff who have worked tirelessly on these and to our students for their contribution and leadership.

STUDENT SAFETY – BIKE RIDING

It is fantastic to have so many students riding to school however concerns around student safety continues to be an issue. Numerous students are riding to school without a helmet, or their helmet hung from their handlebars. Over the past few years, we have attended several accidents with students knocked off bikes. There have also been numerous ‘near misses’ particularly around intersections and with students wearing headphones while riding. If your child rides their bike to school, please have a conversation with them about bike safety and check that they have a helmet. Students are also required to dismount from their bike in the pedestrian area outside of the school to avoid potential accidents with students and members of the public walking across the crossing and on footpaths.

Community