Principal Message

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

As a College we are incredibly proud of the breadth and depth of curriculum programs that we offer across all 8 domains of the Victorian curriculum, along with the VCE certificates in Tertiary Pathways and Vocational Major. The time that we invest in ensuring that students are in the right program for success is clearly evident in our completion rates and VCE median study scores, which have progressively improved over the past 3 years from 27.5 in 2021, 29.5 in 2022 and 31 in 2023.

The programs offered at our College are a wonderful reflection of our quality teachers and the processes that they have put in place to ensures that students are deeply connected to their learning and given opportunities to explore their passions and learn about their career aspirations. Our staff are deeply committed to providing the best learning experience for each and every student.

Last week our Yr 9 students began their transition program into Senior School, with the Senior Subject Supermarket, where students were given some wonderful insights into the diversity of opportunity awaiting them in their Senior years at the College. All parents and carers are encouraged to engage with their students to gain an understanding of what was shared and start considering what is the best program for your child moving forward.

Our programs are so outstanding because of community support, and the continued support that is provided through the College fee structure. The early payment of College fees allows us to maintain the best program offering possible, and ensures that students are able to experience the very best learning experiences. If you haven’t yet paid your College fees I ask that you take a moment to contact the College and arrange payment or establish a payment plan. Alternatively fees can be paid via our Compass parent app.

In the most recent Government budget a one-off School Saving Bonus will provide $400 of support for every government school student. This will help families cover the costs of uniforms and school activities. This is a wonderful outcome for Government school families and schools, and I hope that this targeted support will assist families in supporting the College to maintain its current program offerings. The College will keep families informed of when this support package has arrived and as to how and when it can be accessed. There is more information later in this newsletter.

The School Saving Bonus and its focus on uniform is interesting and presents an opportunity for us to reinforce the progressive and inclusive uniform policy that exists at Elisabeth Murdoch College. In 2023 we launched a new Dress Code Policy. We are incredibly proud of this policy, the engagement of community and student voice and most importantly the uptake of the new policy. At this time of the year, with the colder months upon us we start to see student interpretations of the policy that distract teachers and school leaders from the core work of maximising student learning outcomes. When a student is out of uniform they will be issued with a school detention, this is something that can be avoided and we thank you for your support of our school policies.

Our College values of Respect, Empowerment, Aspiration, Courage and Honesty have had a profound impact on the behaviour of our College community. Respect is an interesting value that everyone across our community expects, but some find it hard to define, and even to live by. Respect for me is valuing the people around you as equals and treating them with decency, empathy and unconditional positive regard. As a proud member of our EMC community students need to apply respect in three main ways, respect for self, respect for others and respect for our environment.

Sometimes when a young person has not been respectful, we will discuss with them how they would behave when they visit an elderly person, or go to the doctors or even their best friend's house. We discuss language, tone and behaviour and almost always students have an “Ah ha” moment and can reflect on their own behaviour.

The teachers at our College are currently undertaking training in the School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) framework. This work is focused on building a school culture, that instils respectful behaviours (including kindness, compassion, empathy, care) ensuring that everyone feels safe, is able to take risks and is celebrated for their learning growth and outcomes. This is critical work within our School Strategic Plan (SSP) and is what is driving our outstanding VCE and NAPLAN results. I encourage all parents and carers to discuss the value of respect and most importantly what having respect for yourself and others looks like, feels like and sounds like.

Finally from me, the character strength of gratitude is a happiness builder. Today I wanted to share what I am so incredibly grateful for. This year we have seen a significant change in student behaviours. This type of change only occurs when you have the support of your community, and they have an understanding of what is required to achieve personal growth and success. The partnership with our parents and carers is a sign of our maturity and a shared set of expectations, dreams and aspirations for the students of Elisabeth Murdoch College. I am looking forward to watching this culture continue to build and strengthen the outstanding outcomes for all students.

Kind regards,

Dean King

Principal