Dempsey's Digest
It’s hard to believe that we are in the last weeks of Term 1 and it’s great to think back to all of the wonderful things that we have been able to celebrate over the past few months, with our Welcome Week of celebrations definitely being a highlight. Once again, enjoy the pages of our wonderful newsletter and thanks to the Community Advancement Team who have brought us a new look newsletter!
Ranges TEC Politicians Visit
It was a privilege to welcome local MP, Aaron Violi and his guest, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Susan Ley to Ranges TEC for the chance for them to take a good look around and hear from some of the students. I was so impressed with our Ranges TEC students who managed to share some details of what they were learning, whilst still focusing on the task at hand. The mark of an excellent tradie, multi tasking! Thanks to the students for being such fabulous hosts. Ranges TEC is a wonderful pathway for our more hands on and trade focused students.
New Parent Event
We had such a fun night welcoming our new families to MECS by hosting them for a new parent event which included lovely food and drinks, some get to know you activities and some information about different aspects of the school. Thanks to all parents who came out to share their own experiences of their kids settling into MECS and being a part of our lovely community. Thanks to our staff who did a lot of background work to make the night such a success.
Bushfire in Montrose
Families local to the Montrose area had a sleepless night over a week ago as the fire at Dr Ken Leversha Reserve disrupted our hopes for a bushfire free summer. A number of our families, including some staff members who live close to this reserve, found it a challenging couple of days. Can I encourage those who might have been affected by the scary nature of this to ensure that they reach out for appropriate support. Bonnie Evans, our Secondary Wellbeing Coordinator has written some great tips for affected families in this newsletter. As always, we are so grateful for the actions of the CFA and SES as they serve to protect our communities.
Changes to Learning Diversity (Learning Support)
After decades of serving at MECS, our much loved Learning Diversity Coordinator, Jo Miller is finishing up. Jo’s work has impacted so many students, staff and families as she has always sought to glorify God through her passion for supporting students with challenges. Her ability and drive to advocate for them and for the best outcomes for them has been inspiring. Her desire to learn and understand has meant for commitment in spades. Jo doesn’t just love, she loves deeply. Further to her work at MECS, Jo has supported many other communities with her insights and knowledge. Whilst we are sad to see her go, her impact and legacy remains. We wish Jo all of the very best and invite interested parents to an afternoon tea on Wednesday 7 May, 3 - 4pm in the MECS Main Staffroom.
We will be advertising and welcoming applicants for the Learning Support Coordinator role later in the year, but in the meantime, we are very pleased to announce, that Carolyn (Caz) Nyhouse will be stepping into the role until the end of the year. We are also pleased to announce that Kate Weekes will be picking up the Year 7 Coordinator role until the end of the year. How blessed are we to have very capable staff stepping up into those roles.
CEN & AACS Conferences
Rob Lichtendonk and I had the great pleasure of heading to Sydney last week to participate in the CEN (Christian Education National) Executives Conference, followed by the AACS (Australian Association of Christian Schools) Summit, followed by the CEN AGM and National Conference. Phew! What a big 4 days of conferencing! Rob and I were both challenged and enriched by the networking and input of those 4 days. Highlights included great speakers including Matthew Kaemingk, Dan Anderson, Christopher Watkin and the CEN staff.
