Principal's Report

Welcome to Coburg High School

We recently commissioned new photographs and a video about the school. I hope you enjoy watching the video below. Thanks to the students and staff who participated.

Congratulations Class of 2023

We would like to congratulate our wonderful Year 12 cohort for their achievements:

• The Coburg High School median study score increased to 29 (from 28 in 2021 and 2022)
• The Dux is Ibrahim Hizamul Ansari who achieved an ATAR of 98.35.
• Ibrahim also achieved a perfect study score of 50 for Applied Computing: Software Development.
• Eight students achieved ATARs in the 90s.
• A total of 20 study scores of 40 or more were achieved by Year 11 and 12 CHS students. 

Another of our very high achieving students was Aimee Pownall. Aimee featured on the front page of The Age, and you can read her story below.

I know that Aimee and all other graduating students would like to thank all of the staff and families who have supported them across the last six years at Coburg High. We are so proud of you, whether success for you was completing your VCE or achieving an ATAR in the 90s. Well done CHS Class of 2023! We look forward to seeing you return to Coburg High, and seeing the next stage of your life journey unfold.

Coburg High returns to the Town Hall

A big thanks to Merri-bek City Council for allowing us to use the Coburg Town Hall last week for our final assembly for Years 7 to 9s. President of the CHS Historical Group (http://www.coburghighhistorical.org/), Glennys Romanes was on hand to relay to the students that they were following in the footsteps of Coburg High School students of the past. During Glennys's time, students used to use the Town Hall every week for their Friday assemblies. See below for snippets from the 1920s, showing Coburg High students using the Town Hall almost 100 years ago. It was great to be able to re-establish the link between our school and the town hall, whilst recognising student achievements in all aspects of school life. It was fantastic that so many parents were also able to come along to celebrate their children's successes.

Thanks also to Anthony Cianflone MP for coming along, speaking to students and presenting awards. Anthony's first duty as a newly elected MP was to attend last year's final assembly. We hope this is the start of a new tradition as well!

On the Semester Two Awards page of this newsletter you will find all of the award winners. Award winning students (and parents), I hope you can find your name!

Coburg on the Green 2023

Despite the weather taking a turn with intermittent light rain halfway through, Coburg on the Green 2023 was a resounding success! We had an incredible turnout with over 450 attendees at the school, enjoying an evening filled with sensational music. The weather didn't dampen the spirits of the crowd.

This year we again featured the Battle of the Bands, which was both a highlight of the extended lunch during the school day as well as at night. 

A heartfelt thank you goes out to Mandy and Haydn for their outstanding coordination efforts within the Parents’ Association for this event. Thanks to all parent volunteers who helped out with their time across many different roles across the night. Additionally, I extend my gratitude to Luke McIvor and Anna Berlingeri from the school team for their extensive work leading up to the event. Special acknowledgment goes to our phenomenal instrumental staff and music teachers.

Coburg on the Green was once again an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. We look forward to continuing this tradition and creating more magical moments in the future!

Transition Day for Year 7 2024

Earlier in December we hosted our Grade 6 into Year 7 Transition Day, welcoming approximately 240 enthusiastic students. The event was beautifully organized by the Year 7 team, under the guidance of Kat Aralios and Angela Schneider. We conducted an online parent information evening the night before, which received overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees. This platform allowed us to address numerous queries, alleviating concerns and providing insight into our transition processes which will continue into next year, including a face to face Welcome Evening for new families.

Highlights were current Year 7s Gigi and Tilly’s welcome to new students (see below) and the Senior Jazz Band concluding the day.

We look forward to welcoming Year 7 students and their families to the school for a BBQ on Tuesday 6 February from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.

Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholars Program

Later in this newsletter you can read about Lucy Christou's experience as part of the Class of 2023 Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholars Program.

I am thrilled to let the school community know that Aliya Cashin of 10F is the successful recipient of the Class of 2025 Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholars Program. The University of Melbourne received close to 2000 applications for these very highly sought after positions. Aliya will now have access to a supportive university community and peer network through a program of events and activities.

Congratulations Lucy and Aliya!

Power issues & getting ready for the 2024 school year

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all students and staff for their patience as we have experienced multiple short power outages over recent months. The substation which we use is shared by mulitple users and the building works in the area have contributed to the power outages. I received information this week gives me greater certainty that the issues we have experienced this term will (hopefully) not be replicated into 2024. 

The school continues to grow in numbers and the school is receiving four additional relocatable classrooms before the beginning of the 2024 school year. These will be two storeys high and will be located on the western side of the existing relocatables. 

With the uncertainty about the power issues for these additional relocatables, we have been able to source funding to refurbish some existing spaces for the beginning of the new school year. I'd like to thank Anthony Cianflone MP for his advocacy in this space for us. Once power issues are more under control, we will only then begin to use the new relocatables, which will be at some point in 2024.

See below for some of the works in the current AG.01, AU.01 and AU.02 - making six classrooms where there were once three. Also below are the new layouts and room numbers for Building A. We're fitting these spaces out with large (75 inch) wall mounted TVs as well.

Technology Building update

The Detailed Design stage of the $17.8m Technology Building is coming to a conclusion. Thanks to students, staff and parents who contributed their thoughts in a recent consultation. 

Coburg Connect & new Year 7 subject for 2024

Coburg Connect is our revamped home group program for 2024. Students in Year 7 will meet with their Coburg Connectors (teachers) twice per week and students in Years 8-11 will meet with their Coburg Connectors three times per week in 2024. Year 12 students will now also have a dedicated assembly time each Monday during Coburg Connect time.

The Coburg Connect program has been developed by a Learning Specialist, Jaan Butler, based on feedback the school has received:

• from parents - based on the feedback received from many hundreds of responses from Coburg High parents to the Merri-bek North Education Plan consultation, details below:

•  from students - in focus groups held both before the structure of the Coburg Connect lessons were determined, and after a draft structure was developed
• from staff - all staff were invited to a staff working party and members of the Student Support teams have been involved in developing specific lessons and programs for their respective year levels 

Coburg Connect sessions will have a variety of focuses:

• some focused on self - such as organisation, goal setting, careers and aspirations
• some focused on community - students getting involved in interests, sports and arts
• some delivered by external presenters - aiming to improve resilience, study skills and inclusion

We're also pleased to be offering a new semester-long Year 7 subject for 2024, Digital Technology, which will have a focus on robotics and coding.

New timetables, clocks and signs

We are moving to a new timetable in 2024, and in feedback received from students and parents in mid-2023, we heard that the difficulty in remembering the new times was a particular concern for some students.

In responding to this feedback, we are in the process of purchasing and installing large (42cm) digital clocks to be placed in all classrooms, foyers and locker areas. Alongside each clock will be the relevant period start times (for foyers and locker bay areas) and period finish times (in classrooms). These signs will also be printed on large A1 length sides so will be clearly visible for everyone in the school community.

Road safety

I recently spoke at the December Merri-bek Council meeting regarding reducing the speed limits on Pentridge Boulevard and Stockade Avenue. You can read a synopsis of my question and the officer response here (page 6). We look forward to continuing to work with Council and the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) in the new year to hopefully bring about lower speed limits around streets close to Coburg High.

I also note the continuing advocacy of the SABBE group to bring about a safer Bell Street bridge and thank local member Anthony Cianflone MP for producing some signs which are now nearby to the bridge (see below). Again, we look forward to working with DTP and the state government on more measures for the bridge in 2024 to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists (particularly our students) and other road users. 

Student Free Days 2024

Please see below for the Student Free Days 2024. We have aligned two of the Student Free Days alongside public holidays so that families can use these for long weekends: 

Monday 29 January

Curriculum Day

Staff return to school

Friday 26 April

Curriculum Day

Day after Anzac Day on Thursday 25 April

Friday 14 June

Report Writing Day

Thursday 8 August

Curriculum Day

Monday 4 November

Curriculum Day

Day before Melbourne Cup Day on Tuesday 5 November

Best wishes for the holidays

I would like to wish all members of the school community Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

Brent Houghton

Principal