Updates from the Executive Principal

Staff Movements

When a school grows to our size (about 950 students this year), there is constant movement in staff.

Welcoming 

Isaac Addison – is our new chaplain. He started work this week and has already featured in our whole school Easter service.

Angela Tuckwell – will be our new Year 5 teacher, taking over from Caitlyn Hogan, who is taking parental leave.

Faye Butler – we are grateful for Faye filling in for Learning Support for a while.

Lisa Watkins – will be back at PVCC (from studying in the USA) for a time to help cover parental leave arrangements in secondary.

Farewell

Kate Kendall has let us know she will not be returning next term. We appreciate her contribution to our college and wish her well in what the Lord has planned for her future.

Parental Leave

Caitlyn Hogan will be taking a year of parental leave with her new (soon to be born) baby.

Marcus Barresi will spend Term 2 taking the main carer responsibility for his new (soon to be born) baby. 

Please pray for staff embracing parenthood for the first time. We all know it is a big and exciting adjustment. Also pray for Kate Kendall as she moves on and the new staff as they settle in.

Finish Times for Kinder and Early Years

The new finish times have definitely reduced the congestion entering Yan Yean Road. We will continue the current finish times for Plenty Kids afternoon sessions (3:10pm) and Early Years (3:10pm) for the beginning of Term 2, as that is traditionally a busy time for Yan Yean Road.

The Election and Independent Schools

While it seems that the election is not really affecting independent schools, it may well be the most significant election for schools like ours. What is most alarming is what is not being spoken about.

• There is a very real possibility that Labor will need the support of the Greens to form government. While the Greens may have some good policy positions, they are implacably ideologically opposed to the existence of non-government schools like ours. They believe all students should be educated in government schools because anything else is elitist, and parents should not have a choice in education. It is concerning that  Labor may have to compromise on promises to gain their support.
• Equity Australia is a lobby group implacably opposed to religious schools being able to only hire teachers who share their beliefs. They are cashed up and usually very outspoken. In the budget, the Labor government gave them special dispensation to be a tax-deductible group. They are the only lobby group in Australia to be afforded that status. Why are they so quiet in the campaign?

In partnership with Freedom for Faith and the Australian Association of Christian Schools, Plenty Valley Christian College is hosting a non-partisan Candidates Forum on Wednesday, 30 April (Week 2). This event will offer all candidates an opportunity to share their election positions with the local community and allow community members to ask questions. Please plan to be part of that. Find more details - Meet your federal election candidates.

Secondary Production 2025

Traditionally Plenty Valley has chosen well-known “Broadway” style productions for our secondary performances. This year “Legally Blonde” was selected, a musical based on the movie by the same name. Finding a suitable production that fits our schedule and meets copyright requirements is challenging, as the copyright holders maintain strict control over performances. Any production we choose has elements that align with our values and some that may not.

Elle is a young, beautiful woman who is often judged because of her looks and interests. She follows her boyfriend to Harvard University, where she experiences discrimination, exploitation, and rejection. Faced with adversity, her natural ability and determination helped her achieve good grades and play a key role in a prestigious law firm’s big murder trial. The theme revolves around not giving up, challenging injustice, determination, and triumphing by being true to oneself.

Although it deals with serious concepts, the play uses light humour to address them. It parodies several stereotypes: the rich and powerful charismatic lawyer, the shallow rich kids who get ahead through connections, the salt-of-the-earth shy working-class people who eventually find true love, Elle’s beautiful friends who fit the shallow image people impute in Elle, and the gallant Elle who takes on negative people and wins. 

Just like the real world, the play contains characters who do not exemplify the values of the college. Our actors have had to wrestle with playing characters whose lifestyles and actions they may not agree with. The choreographers have modified dance routines to be more suitable for our college, but there are contractual limits on what we can change. We do not glorify the aspects of the play that are not consistent with our values, but there must be bad guys to make a story.

Our self-sacrificing staff, who have stepped in to make this production work after a late change in our Drama team last year, have been navigating honouring the copyright contract with keeping it suitable for our students to perform. We are always learning along the way through these initiatives, we talk students through the issues, and we are committed to upholding the school’s values. Please pray for ongoing wisdom and good judgement for them, as well as energy and enthusiasm for all involved.

John Metcalfe

Executive Principal