Principal Report

You are in for a fabulous bumper edition of this past term’s newsletter! Thank you to Deputy Principal, Jasmin Jones, for all her work in editing this to showcase the incredible work of our students and staff.

We are excited to welcome our new Deputy Principal, Kim Celeban, who will join the Senior Executive Team commencing Term 3. She will be joined by Steve Satmaka, who has been appointed as Head Teacher Support in the Learning Assistance Faculty (LAF). Both Kim and Steve went through a rigorous three-phase selection process and their experience, passion and commitment to our students and their families, along with public education, shone through.

Our new High Performance and Gifted Education (HPGE) Team of Tegan Selby, Liam O’Brien, Gemma Hanlon and Abeer Fakher El Deen, led by Cendel Southern are truly representative of the diversity of our school. From both the IEC and High School, they will create opportunities for students to elevate themselves across the Intellectual, Creative, Physical and Social-Emotional Domains. Their work will be built upon existing programs including our Accelerated Mathematics where two Year 10 students are undertaking HSC studies; the extraordinary Chess Club team that is winning across Western Sydney; Student Leadership Team whose leaders have become the face of Western Sydney public education; our sporting champions who are representing sport at zone, state, national and international levels; and artists who compete for the Annual Principal’s Art Prize.

Harmony Day and World Refugee Day were once again an amazing celebration of the diversity of our school community. In a swirl of colour, performance and food we look to showcasing the “inclusiveness, respect, and a sense of belonging for everyone, regardless of their background” that is Evans High School and Intensive English Centre. In this challenging time across the world, we show an appreciation of our culturally diverse community and those things that we have in common, that keep us safe and enrich ourselves and others.

On a sad note, our community said farewell to another Elder, Uncle Greg Sims. He had a long involvement with the Evans and Blacktown communities. Our last memory of Uncle was the smoking ceremony to open our new Uncle Wes Marne Performing Arts Centre when he welcomed us to Country in language from his sick bed in hospital. Such was his commitment to Evans and Uncle Wes. The loss of these giants makes it all the more imperative that we ensure that their voices are not silenced and the young ones coming through can grow into future leaders. We know that he is sitting with Uncle Wes Marne yarning around the campfire in the sky.

Nerina Pretlove

Principal