Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

As we near the end of this year, we continue to have a busy and eventful path to the last day of term. Such events as our transition program, VCE Flying Start, Inquiry Projects and the Colour Run fundraiser.

Transition

Our transition program has seen students in Years P-5 participate in a session each week for three weeks where they experienced their new classes for 2026. This was in the lead up to the Statewide Transition Day on Tuesday 9 December.

Our Year 6 students participated in a week-long transition this week with our new Start-Up program implemented. They finished the week with their Graduation. A great spectacle and memorable event for our students and their families to recognise such a significant stage in their schooling.

This week saw the third and final week of our Inquiry Projects for our current Year 7-9 students where they were able to select projects that they are passionate about and work with peers with similar interests.

Flying Start for our 2026 VCE students finished up last week after a two-week period where students met their new teachers and were introduced to the curriculum and all that entails their new courses for next year. This was a real eye-opener for our students, and it was a very positive (flying) start for our senior students.

After introducing a very successful end of year activities programs at the end of 2024, we will see our Years 5-9 students participate in a range of excursions and activities. The breadth of these activities will include travelling to places that are not readily accessible to our students (e.g., Funfields Theme Park in Whittlesea) to nearby and local facilities as well as school-based activities.

Staffing updates

We have been vigorously working to confirm our staffing for 2026. We have restructured our leadership team to include three assistant principals to ensure we support our students with both learning and wellbeing.

With Assistant Principal, Billy Barnes, continuing to act at Principal at Tatura Primary School for Term 1 2026, we will be appointing someone here as Acting Assistant Principal. This will be finalised this week.

All leaders have been appointed:

Ali Wallace - Applied Learning Leader
Jessica Hattie (new to the college) - Learning Community Leader Years P-2
Caroline Golding (new to the college) - Learning Community Leader Years 3-4
Brad Mellington - Learning Community Leader Years 5-6
Shane Moloney - Learning Community Leader Years 7-8
Kerry Gannon and Amanda Roberts - Learning Community Leader Years 9-10
Louise Mellington and Kaitlyn Souter - Learning Community Leaders Years 11-12
Rod Alley - Learning Specialist Coach Years P-6
Katharine Corrin - Learning Specialist Coach Years 7-12
Kaitlyn Souter - Student Engagement Leader Years P-12
Natalie Parkinson and Kate Matthews - Teaching and Learning Leader Years P-6
Rowena Morris - Teaching and Learning Leader Years 7-12

For 2026, we will see the following staff join us:

Breanna Baker - Graduate teacher, Health/PE & Humanities Years 7-12
Tea Franklin - Graduate teacher, Auslan & English
Caroline Golding (as mentioned above) - Learning Community Leader Years 3-4
Jessica Hattie (as mentioned above) - Learning Community Leader Years P-2
Kyle Hattie - Teacher, English Years 7-10
Josh Mackrell - Graduate teacher, Health/ PE & Mathematics 7-12
Denise Stewart - Teacher, English Years 7-12

I would like to acknowledge and thank the following people who will be finishing up this year.

Peter Arnold, Instrumental Music Teacher
Kan Cheng, Mathematics teacher
Caitlin Chittick, Permission to Teach teacher
Tim Gilmour, Instrumental Music Teacher
Georgia Keogh, English teacher
Jane Kightly, Mathematics teacher
Claudia Moore, Arts teacher
Sarah Mulcahy, Casual Relief Teacher
Isaac Oogjes, Permission to Teach teacher
Janet Perakis, EAL Cluster Coordinator
Hollie Reid, Permission to Teach teacher
Chris Segrave, Humanities teacher
Helen Sly, Business Manager
Fiona Wallace, Leading Teacher

The following people will be taking leave:

Kerry Burnett, Classroom teacher (Terms 1-4)
Billy Barnes, Assistant Principal (Term 1)
Renee Howell, English and Science teacher (January – November 2026)
Andrew Pleydell, Applied Learning teacher (Term 1)
Doreen Smider, Acting Assistant Principal (Terms 1-4)
Ali Wallace, Applied Learning Leader (Terms 1-2)
Carmel Wild, Arts teacher (Terms 1-4)

Student-free days in 2026

College Council have approved the following dates for 2026. We will see our students return with a staggered start next year.

Term 1 - Tuesday 27 January - Staff Day (State-wide staff day)
Term 1 - Wednesday 28 January - Staff Day 2
Term 1 - Thursday 29 January - Years Prep, 7 and 12 commence, Year 12 Retreat (Day 1 of 2)
Term 1 - Friday 30 January - Years P-12 classes operating, Year 12 Retreat (Day 2 of 2)
Term 2 - Friday 12 June - Assessment and Reporting Day
Term 3 - Monday 13 July - Staff Professional Learning Day (Day 1 of Term 3)
Term 3 - Friday 18 September - Staff time in lieu day*
Term 4 - Monday 2 November - Staff Professional Practice Day
Term 4 - Wednesday 16 December - Interviews*
Term 4 - Thursday 17 December - Interviews*
Term 4 - Friday 18 December - Staff time in lieu day*.
*Supervision of students can be provided to families who cannot have their child at home. No new curriculum will be delivered on these days

Thank you

It has been another wonderful year of implementing positive change at our school with the School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) framework, NAPLAN results, and student attendance.

We could not have done everything we have managed to achieve without the hard work of our dedicated staff always striving to provide the best for our students. I would like to thank our staff for their work this year.

I would also like to thank our students for their increased commitment to their learning this year with the support of their families.

On behalf of the college staff, I wish everyone a wonderful summer break, and I look forward to seeing everyone back in 2026.

Take care and keep safe,

Marina Walsh

2026 College Captains