Welcome back to Term 4!

We have already hit the ground running, with the final weeks of the year full of milestones and excitement before we wind up for the year. Be sure to keep an eye on COMPASS for information about events, and to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

End of Year 12 Celebrations

Last week we farewelled the class of 2024. The student leaders facilitated a series of dress up days over their last week, the sub-school team put on a gorgeous breakfast followed by a whole school celebration assembly (our first since 2019), and then the traditional excursion to Funfields.

The assembly was a brilliant celebration of our students, with amazing respect paid to our speakers - the college captains Jouri and Kayla and student representative TeeJay, with rapturous applause and appreciation peppered throughout.

A short except from my assembly address: "I want each of you to know the Glenroy community are proud of you; we are proud of your accomplishments and we wish you well. However, know that the results you receive at the end of this year do not define or limit you. Your true vocation in life is too important to be determined by exam results or qualification. The majority of people’s lives bear witness to the fact that how we fare at school is not necessarily how we fare in life. So what really matters, what really counts is not your success at school, but how you live your life from now. Although we soon head off on our separate paths, you never really leave Glenroy College. Yes, you may leave the place but you leave part of yourself behind as a legacy, just as you take part of us with you."

We wish them well throughout the exam period and look forward to seeing them all at graduation on November 15th!

Message of Support

Many in our school community are affected by the conflict in the Middle East; in particular those who have family and friends in the area.

We are also aware that members of our community may be affected by distressing images of the conflict seen in the media coverage and on social media. Please ensure your children are aware of where they can find support in the event they come across such images, which includes our Wellbeing and Sub-School teams.

Please also feel free to get in contact with us if you would like to ensure we are aware of what your child is going through, and be assured that Glenroy Staff are aware of the toll this is having on our community.

You may find some aspects of this resource helpful:

Helping my children after trauma: A guide for parents.

Support is also available through external services including:

headspace: 1800 650 890
Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636.

As always, we will continue to be there for our students, our staff and the families that make up our wonderful school. We hear you, we see you, and our thoughts are with everyone affected at this time.

Thanks from a grateful community

This past week we have had notification from two of our wonderful council members that they will be stepping down from council at the end of 2023.

Janet Stephens' amazing eye for detail has put Glenroy financials and policies under the microscope for many years. She often has probing questions around banking and payments, would go through every policy update in great detail, and her advocacy through the Glenroy Lions Club has benefited a great number of Glenroy students over the years.
School council president, Bridgett Kille is extremely well known within the community and has been a brilliant conduit for the community to engage with our school. She is well known for her work with both Glenroy College and Westbreen Primary, and her efforts to secure a principal for the college were gargantuan, insisting that the Department of Education re-advertise multiple times to ensure the appointment of someone who understood our local community.

The legacy Janet and Bridgett leave behind is immeasurable. Their tireless support for school programs and projects, their efforts to protect the school community's interest, and their everyday contributions to our school (well past the time of their familial involvement) will certainly be missed and we wish them well on whatever is next.

This does however create an opportunity for other members of the community to join our college council in 2024. Parents on school councils provide important viewpoints and have valuable skills and a range of experiences and knowledge that can help inform and shape the direction of the school. Those parents who become active on school council find their involvement satisfying and get to contribute deeply to the strategic vision of where we head to as a community. If you would like to find out more about this then please contact me at school or via email at andrew.arney@education.vic.gov.au

2024 Planning

The planning for 2024 is moving ahead at a feverish rate!

As part of our renewed transition program for 2024 year 7's, we are preparing for our information evening and 2 day school transition program, as well as meeting with every new year 7 student at their primary school to answer their questions and give them information about our year 7 scholarships and enrolment interviews.

We are also sorting through subject selections and suring up our staffing to ensure we can offer a broad and engaging learning program, setting the wheels in motion to provide deeper opportunities for student voice and agency, as well as exploration of programs to further support student wellbeing in 2024.

It has been a big year, but I am confident that this is setting us up for the changes we know need to happen next. We remain committed to providing opportunities for those who wish to take them, showing families and students that their voices matter, and that we can provide a consistent, engaging and reliable educational program for Glenroy students.

Have a great week!

Andrew

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