From the Principal 

I want to thank everyone for the warm welcome that I have received since beginning as principal of Cranbourne East Secondary College at the beginning of this term. I am impressed with the strong sense of community that this College has fostered and maintained, throughout a period of rapid growth. I believe the key element that sets CESC apart, is the high expectations which have become firmly entrenched in the culture of the school community. These expectations extend beyond agreed behaviours and are ingrained in the learning that students are demonstrating in the classroom. The College wide, Instructional Model & PLT Communities drive the Teaching and Learning program to ensure that classroom teaching is responsive to student needs. 

Cranbourne East Secondary College is committed to giving every student, every opportunity to exceed their potential by providing a high-quality pathway to success. This was on evident at our recent Curriculum Information Night and subsequent course counselling sessions. Both of these events have highlighted to me, the strength of the partnership between school and home. Ensuring Senior School students are accessing the right program, one that will allow them to be successful, is essential to providing positive academic, social and emotional outcomes for our students.

Whilst the end of last term was a whirlwind for me, as I said goodbye to a community that I had led for more than four years, I began this term excited to get to know everyone. Being plunged into lockdown after only 4 days was, to say the least, my worst nightmare! Getting to know staff, students and families via a screen is certainly more challenging, especially as we find ourselves locked down again. I am confident that, throughout the term, I will get to know everyone better.

To help you all get to know me a bit better: I completed a Bachelor of Education in Secondary Science at The University of Melbourne (sometime in the 90’s) and began my teaching career in New Zealand. After spending three years in a small town (Wairoa) on the east coast of the North Island, I returned to Australia. I then taught at St Helena Secondary College, Fairhills High School and Wantirna College. During my 8 years at Wantirna College, I took on a range of leadership roles including Head of Science and Director of Middle School (7-9). My final 6 months at Wantirna College were as acting assistant principal. I then went to Forest Hill College as a substantive assistant principal prior to being appointed as the principal of Boronia K-12 College, where I have spent the last 4.5 years.

As the new principal of Cranbourne East Secondary College, I want to acknowledge the work of the previous principal, Mandee Strickland, whose leadership of the College has resulted in improved outcomes for students year after year. Her legacy is evident as I hear about the journey of improvement that the school community has been on. In addition, I want to acknowledge the work of Linda Buckeridge and Carys Freeman who have both acted in the role of principal and provided much needed stability to the community throughout 2020 and 2021. 

I am privileged to be following on from them and look forward to better understanding the work that has led CESC to achieve improvement in student learning outcomes. Having said that, there are always things we can do better, practices that we can refine and programs that will drive even more success. 

During this time of uncertainty, I encourage you all to check in on each other. Please make sure that you take some time for yourselves each week and weekend. Focus on doing something that anchors you. 

That way you may feel more like the picture on the right, managing the rolling waves of uncertainty that surround our current world, rather than the picture on the left that is being pounded from behind and trying to hold everything back! 

For me, that will be some cooking and a sleep in, for you it might be connecting with friends/family (even on-line can be fun), walking the dog (or cat if that is your thing) or going for a run/walk or just binge watching something on TV/Netflix.

Hopefully we will have all student back on-site before too long.

Stay well

Meagan Cook

Principal