And suddenly, it's the end of term!

We were thrilled to share with you the exciting news about the development of our college as we continue to grow and evolve. Sandringham College has become a school of choice in our community, and with the increasing number of students enrolling, we are taking significant steps to ensure we provide the best possible learning environment for all. 

As explained earlier this term, and in line with our Master Plan, we are reestablishing dedicated sub-schools across our campuses to cater to the unique needs of each year level: 

Years 7 & 8 will be based at our Bluff Road Campus. 

Years 9 & 10 will now have their own sub-school at our Holloway Road Campus. 

Years 11 & 12 will continue at the Holloway Road Campus, with a dedicated focus on VCE and senior pathways. 

These sub-schools will allow us to further refine and enhance our teaching and learning programs, offering tailored educational opportunities that meet the developmental needs of each age group. By creating distinct sub-schools, we can focus on further delivering curriculum, wellbeing, and extracurricular activities that are best suited to each year level. This approach will support students as they move through key stages of their education, helping them to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. 

For our Years 7 & 8 students, this means building a strong foundation and fostering a smooth transition into secondary school, with a focus on engagement, curiosity, and community. Our Years 9 & 10 students will benefit from opportunities to explore a wider range of subjects and interests, preparing them for their senior years and future pathways. Finally, Years 11 & 12 will still be immersed in a learning environment designed to support their level of maturity, academic success in VCE and future career or tertiary aspirations. 

These changes reflect our commitment to recognizing and meeting the unique needs of each year level, ensuring that every student is provided with the best possible experience at Sandringham College. 

We are excited about the opportunities these new sub-schools will bring and look forward to working closely with our staff, students, and families to make this transition as smooth and successful as possible. 

Save the date – Monday October 14th. Holloway Road Campus tour. 

This will be an opportunity for members of our college community to have a look around our amazing new High Performance Centre and Sports Stadium. The tour will also include a quick look at other buildings on the Holloway Road Campus. This might be of particular interest to families of students in years 9 & 10 in 2025 as they move to Holloway Road Campus.  Each tour will take between 20 and 30 minutes. Please keep an eye out on Compass for the link to book a time to come and tour the campus.  

Thank you for your feedback and ongoing support as we continue to grow and develop as a college of choice in our community. 

At Sandringham College, we are committed to fostering a learning environment that enables every student to thrive. A key part of this is ensuring that students make the most of their classroom time. Recently, we’ve observed an increase in students leaving class for bathroom breaks, which disrupts their own learning as well as that of their peers. In some cases, these breaks are being misused as a way to avoid participating in lessons, which can significantly hinder academic progress. 

We absolutely understand that using the bathroom during school hours is sometimes necessary, and we want to be sensitive to all students' needs. However, we also need to balance this with ensuring that students remain engaged in learning. Unfortunately, when some students misuse this privilege, it affects the entire class, disrupting the flow of lessons and reducing valuable teaching time. 

To help address this, we’ve asked our staff to be strategic in managing bathroom requests during class. Teachers will monitor and manage these requests to ensure they are necessary and that students aren't using them to escape classroom responsibilities. Additionally, we strongly encourage students to use the bathroom during scheduled breaks—before school, between classes, at recess, and lunch—whenever possible. This minimizes disruptions and helps students stay focused on their learning. 

We have also experienced misuse of the school’s bathroom facilities, resulting in damage and costly repairs. These incidents place an unnecessary strain on school resources and impact the overall environment for everyone.  

We kindly ask for your support in reinforcing the importance of responsible bathroom use and classroom attendance at home. If your child has a medical condition that requires more frequent bathroom access and you have not yet let us know, please be sure to let your year level leader know so we can make appropriate accommodations and confidentially pin this to your young persons Compass.

Together, we can ensure a productive, respectful, and focused learning environment where students are present and making the most of their time in class. 

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

We have now completed all of the testing, auditions and tryouts for our selective entry academies – SEAL, Dance, Sport and Art. There has been overwhelming interest in these academies and the standard is very high. Of course, the hardest part is helping build resilience in our young people who try out but do not get offered a position in these academies and we encourage parents to keep encouraging their children to use a growth mindset and working towards always wanting to achieve their PB – personal best despite not always being successful.  

Congratulations to the amazing cast and crew of Sandringham College's production of Mary Poppins on their phenomenal success! Over the course of six performances, and two special matinees for local primary schools, totalling 8 shows, our talented students and dedicated staff delivered a truly magical show that wowed audiences night after night. 

It takes a village to bring a production of this scale to life, and we couldn’t be prouder of the hard work, dedication, and passion that everyone involved has shown. From the students who brought the characters to life on stage, to the crew working behind the scenes on set design, lighting, sound, and costumes, every detail was executed with incredible care and professionalism. 

A special thank you must go to our incredible staff, who have put in countless hours to support the students in this journey. From directing and choreography to technical support and coordination, their commitment has made this production an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. Special thanks also to alumni and parents & friends who gave so much of their time and expertise to make this such an amazing show.  

Congratulations once again to all involved in Mary Poppins. Your hard work and dedication have truly made this a spectacular show that the entire school community can be proud of.  

Don’t forget to book your appointments for the upcoming Parent/Teacher/Student interviews in the last week of term. This is a great opportunity to seek feedback from teachers and ensure your young person has every opportunity to experience success in semester two. 

Special thanks to James Kerr for his outstanding work and support as Head of Sub-School at Bluff Road during Ned Vasey's absence over the past two terms. It has been a privilege to work alongside James in this role, and we deeply appreciate his tireless dedication to both the Year Level Leaders team and our students. His ongoing commitment has made a significant impact, and we are truly grateful for his leadership. 

Have a great end of term break! 

Vivienne McElwee