Principal's Message

I would like to congratulate our students for their exceptional efforts across a second year of disruptions and challenges, and to thank them, and their families, for their goodwill throughout.  Luckily, Term 4 has largely been marked by onsite learning, with the gradual return to what has been close to normality.

It has been a delight for us to be able to run many of our traditional Term 4 programs and events over the last few months and to even run some of the activities that we had to postpone from earlier in the year.  Some of the events that I have been particularly pleased about (some of which you will see mentioned in this newsletter) include the Year 6 Orientation Day, the Year 7 Funfields Excursion, the Year 9 Duke of Edinburgh Expeditions, the Year 12 Warm and Fuzzy Day, and Year 12 Celebration Day, our interschool debating competition (albeit online), our annual Show Off Arts and Technology Exhibition (also online), the Year 12 Arts Soiree, learning journeys week, Year 10 Work Experience week, Year 12 Graduation and our annual Sunbury College Awards Night.  Given how many things have been restricted this year, I found myself really appreciating the fact that we were able to run so many of these important activities -- and really appreciating each one as it happened.

As I approach the end of my time at Sunbury College, I wanted to express my gratitude for how welcome the staff, students and families have made me feel over my time here, and how kindly they have embraced the changes that we needed to put in place.  I have had the privilege of working at a school with a community I value and admire, and I count myself blessed to have been able to be part of that community -- even for just a short while.

We will be in great hands next year as Craig O'Bree takes over as the new principal of the college.  I know he will do a stunning job of leading us into the next phase of our development.

I am keen to take this opportunity to acknowledge the change in student leadership at the college as we move from this year into next.  I am very grateful to Amelia Alexander and Jamielee Leslie-Laird, our School Captains, Olivia de Haan and Logan Johnson, our School Vice-Captains, and Kim Deeble and Felix Ostanin, our Middle Years Captains, for the roles they have played this year leading and representing the school.  I am also grateful to the following students for taking on leadership roles for 2022:

• School Captains - Joshua Crump and Logan Johnson
• School Vice-Captains - Priya Govender and Kasey Mueller
• Middle School Captains - Austyn Edwards and Elizabeth Crump
• Middle School Vice-Captains - Maisy Morison and Kiara-Rose Jinnette
• Music Captains - Katherine Maher and Charli Brcan
• Middle School Music Captain - Pearson Elton
• STEM Captains - Hamish Crozier and Charleen Dorman
• Sport Captains - Mitch Johnson, Piper Morison and Olivia de Haan

I would like to wish all our families a happy, healthy and safe Summer break, and I look forward to hearing of our students' return early next year, ready for another year of learning and growth.