From the Principal Team

Bulukuyt Building Official Opening

We are looking forward to officially opening our new Bulukuyt Building on Tuesday 23 June. The building has quickly become a vibrant learning hub for students and staff, with the modern learning spaces already having a positive impact on teaching, learning and collaboration. We are excited to celebrate this important milestone with members of our school and wider community.

Social Cohesion and Care & Respect

Our focus on Care and Respect continues to guide our work in building a positive, inclusive and connected school culture. Members of the Leadership Team recently participated in a Social Cohesion, Care and Respect workshop, exploring strategies to strengthen respectful dialogue, student voice and a sense of belonging across our school community.

I am currently exploring opportunities to secure funding to expand this initiative and engage consultants to support the school in implementing evidence-based practices more broadly with students, staff and the wider community. This work begins with adults —teachers and leaders participating in professional learning led by expert consultants— before leading and embedding these practices across the college.

More recently, Kelly Blake, Celine Fompudie, Nicola Angus and Loveena Narayanen attended a follow-up Social Cohesion workshop alongside community members. The workshop further explored approaches to fostering respectful relationships, strengthening student engagement and building a strong sense of community and belonging. We are excited that our students will also have the opportunity to participate in these workshops next term.

Artificial Intelligence Policy

Our new Artificial Intelligence Policy is now available on the Glen Eira College website. Thank you to the Teaching and Learning Team, led by Mark Oudshoorn and Chizuko Inoue-Andersson, for their extensive work in developing this important policy, and to School Council for providing valuable feedback throughout the consultation process. 

At Glen Eira College, we are mindful of balancing the benefits of technology with considerations around screen time, sustainability and the environmental impact of both printing and emerging AI technologies. We are also conscious of the importance of ensuring students continue to develop critical thinking skills and acquire new knowledge, while maintaining fairness and authenticity in assessment.

As technology continues to evolve, so too must our practices. We remain committed to ensuring that any use of AI by students is responsible, ethical and undertaken under our guidance. 

Building Our Community and Identity (BOCI)

Our Inclusion Leaders have recently asked students to do a pulse check on Cultural Safety. About 200 students responded to the survey. BOCI is currently reviewing the data collected and is in the process of designing a lesson aligning with our GEC Welcome Mural. We are hoping that this lesson will be delivered across Years 7-10 to help strengthen our diverse identity. BOCI will be sending a survey out to Year 7 families and students and also new families who have joined the school to ask about any other languages that can be added to the Mural.

Sustainability

Our Sustainability Team continues to work closely with Glen Eira City Council on planting projects and environmental initiatives aimed at improving biodiversity and enhancing our school grounds. Students have been actively involved in planning and promoting sustainable practices, helping to create a greener and more environmentally conscious school community.

School Grounds Improvements

Students have enthusiastically embraced several recent improvements to our outdoor spaces. The new soccer goals have quickly become a popular addition during recess and lunchtime, while the installation of turf around the table tennis area has improved accessibility and usability throughout the year. Solar panel installation is also nearing completion and will support the college's sustainability goals while reducing ongoing energy costs.

Thank You – Working Bee

A big thank you to the families, students and staff who joined us for our Working Bee on Sunday 21 June. Whether you were able to contribute for 30 minutes or the full two hours, your support helped improve our school grounds and strengthen the sense of community that makes Glen Eira College such a special place.

Thank you to Paul McNeill and School Council President Fiona Murrie for organising and leading the afternoon, and to everyone who generously gave their time and energy; Angus and Ashley Murrie, Bruce and Madeline MacDonald, Sandra Field, Paul Henry and Clare Meeker. It was wonderful to see members of our school community working together to make a positive difference to our environment.

SWPBS – Care and Respect in Action

As part of our School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) work, students and staff have recently focused on maintaining clean and tidy learning and shared spaces. Through consistent reminders and positive reinforcement, we have already seen improvements across the college. This initiative reinforces our shared responsibility to take pride in our environment and demonstrate Care and Respect in all areas of the school. Our student leaders have been leading the daily announcements.

Jane Thornton

Principal