Principal Update
Chris Quinn
Dear Western Port Secondary College Community,
Womin Djeka – Hello and welcome to another edition of the ‘THE WESTERN PORT WORD’ which will continue to provide our community with a range of updates throughout the year.
One of the standout highlights of this term has been our students' outstanding performance in the 2024 NAPLAN assessments. With a remarkable improvement of over 16% at Year 7 and more than 10% at Year 9 in both Reading and Numeracy, these results are a testament to the hard work of our students and the dedication of our teaching staff. This growth directly reflects our very deliberate focus on the science of reading and the science of learning, which has been a major priority not only in our school but across the Western Port cluster.
Beyond academic achievements, our students have demonstrated exceptional community spirit and leadership. Our CARE Captains helped Balnarring Primary School convene their District Athletics Carnival, and our Vocational Major students contributed by sorting donations for Mum's Supporting Families in Need (MSFIN). In addition, our Year 7 students worked with the Mornington Peninsula Biosphere Project, planting over 150 trees in Saltbush, Balnarring, making a lasting impact on our local environment.
This term also saw our Senior team continue their series of Parent/Carer information evenings. These sessions included a critical overview of VCAA exams and strategies for strengthening home-school partnerships, which are vital as we move closer to the end of the academic year. A special mention must be made for the festive spirit they brought to our school with the "Christmas in July" event, complete with hot chocolate, classic Christmas songs, and a festive jumper worn by Mr. McDonald—an absolute highlight for our senior students!
We again had another significant staff achievement this term with Mr Last graduating from his Masters of Inclusion at Monash University this week.
As our Learning Specialist for Inclusion at the College, this Masters will enhance our evidence-based approaches to improving educational outcomes for all students and supporting the professional learning of our staff to make this happen. Congratulations again on the outstanding achievement.
In the performing arts, our students again shone on the big stage. Under the guidance of Ms. Engelke and with the support of Ms. Kirkpatrick, students participated in the Mass Dance Crew at the 2024 State Schools Spectacular.
Watching our students perform at John Cain Arena in front of thousands of people is always a highlight of the year for me. A bigthanks to Crib Point Primary School for continuing to partner with us to make this incredible opportunity possible for students in both schools.
The culture of sport at our college continues to thrive, with several pennants won across various year levels and sporting disciplines. I’d like to extend a big shout-out to Mr. Henaghan for his vision, passion, and leadership in driving sport education and Inter School competitions for our students.
A particularly proud moment this term was when four of our students—Jessyka, Lexi, Ash, and Nash—were recognized as leaders of our Western Port Mob at the Year 12 Peninsula Koorie Celebration Day.
Josh West delivered a powerful message, encouraging them to "stay proud and stay deadly in culture" as they prepare for their VCAA exams. We are incredibly proud of these students and wish them the best as they approach the final stages of their school journey.
We also held our hybrid parent/carer conferences this term, an initiative that stems from feedback in a post-COVID environment. It was encouraging to see almost double the number of bookings this year compared to the same time in 2023, reflecting the strong focus on academics within our college.
Finally, I want to thank our entire school community staff, students, and families for their collective efforts to ensure that we finish the term on a positive note. I am particularly pleased with the way our students have embraced our "on time and ready to learn" philosophy and have adhered to our SWPBS processes to maximize learning time across the school.
As we head into the school holidays, I want to wish everyone a safe and restful break. I look forward to welcoming students back on Monday, 7th October for what promises to be a big and exciting Term
Kind Regards,
Chris Quinn
Principal