Principal's Reflection

Dear families,

Welcome to term 4 and the beginning of so many exciting conclusions for the year. I always look forward to the many celebrations that have become part of our identity here at the College. In this Newsletter I have reflected on both the highs and lows that come with term 4, school improvement and social cohesion. I hope you find the reflections stimulate reflection, optimism and engagement for all of you.

A time of celebration

Our year 12 students are now well and truly prepared for their final examinations while many of our Vocational Major students have already commenced work in their industry of choice. It is always a rewarding experience when a brand-new set of steel capped boots and a ‘high-vis’ shirt stroll through the grounds, brandished by an Altona College graduate beaming with pride in their newfound career path! In the new year, so many more will return to discuss their university entrance and the challenges of surviving on a student budget. At the other end of the scale, our Grade 6 students seem increasingly curious about the parts of our school that exist beyond the playground! That big high school that has been in plain sight for their whole school journey is soon to be their new normal and although we often take it for granted in a P-12, it is still a momentous achievement to complete primary education!

In addition, we are getting ready for performances, awards evenings, graduations, steps to prep and Year 7 transition. Add to that exams, step up, activities days and the festive season and there isn’t a quiet week in the calendar for the rest of term! All these events represent the culmination of months, even years of commitment, hard work, careful planning and continuous improvement. I hope everyone takes a moment to think about to collective effort that is required to help each student make it to these moments and be proud of the village we have built.

A time for unity

Having said this, we have also started a term that has tested the very foundations of what we have built here. I communicated with all families the strength of our systems around child safety. I also want the community to know that our staff have engaged in some of the most challenging work I could ask of them. In doing so, they have shown yet again that they can deliver exceptional outcomes when they unite as a team with a well-crafted plan. All this may be true, but we are nothing without the support of our families. In recent weeks I have spent time in meetings and phone calls with countless families who have expressed their concerns about safety after various media reports regarding youth offending and bail. In each case, I have done my best to help families understand what strategies a school can (and has) put in place to support all students to feel safe and focus on their learning. At school council on Tuesday, I spoke on the record of how supported I have felt by all of you in this difficult time. I appreciate the wide range of personal views held by our community – particularly around youth health, wellbeing, safety and justice, that is ultimately what makes our democracy great. The challenge our community have largely lived up to, is the ability to remain calm, respectful and solution focused in a time of high stress. The modelling this provides for our young people is so important for their future. Here at the College, we will continue to work on all efforts that can be made to improve our school environment, and I will continue to welcome your input and feedback. I believe that leaders, systems and communities are best measured by their performance under pressure. I sincerely hope that as the term marches on, we will all reflect on how we have performed under pressure and feel proud of what we achieve together. Every child has a right to be safe and feel safe at school, if that is not the case for your child, please contact us to ensure adequate supports are put in place.

A high performing school

On a far more pleasing note, our College also received some annual performance data last week. There is still a process to be followed around publishing school data – most of which won’t officially be published until the next annual report. I was able to share anecdotally that our College has been assessed as ‘HIGH’ (the highest performance group) in both Learning and Wellbeing measures. The data used to assess this outcome includes student survey data, NAPLAN, VCE data, attendance and teacher judgements. Our leadership team have undertaken some early analysis and still feel optimistic about how much more we can achieve. Having said this, we also want to ensure that over the coming weeks, all of our staff and students are afforded a chance to understand their role in achieving this milestone. We hope that for all staff, students and families this evidence challenges the sometimes-unpleasant assumptions that are made about local government schools in the west. You are all contributors to a high performing school culture, that is on an ongoing improvement journey, and we have no intention of stopping here.

I look forward to further celebrations over the coming weeks.

Warmest regards,

Nathan Guthridge

Principal