Principal's Message
We Grow Through Connection
Dear Families,
It has been a very busy time at our great school with so many opportunities afforded to our students. The College Calendar reveals so many excursions, incursions, sport and performing arts activities for our students to participate in on a regular basis. We thank our hard working staff for providing these opportunities.
We do rely on families being able to make Voluntary Contributions. We are dependent on Voluntary Contributions from parents and carers to achieve the best possible outcomes and support for our students. These Contributions support the curriculum program, school services and other resources, together with ensuring the operation of the school’s extended learning and co-curricular programs; your support here plays a crucial role in maintaining a high quality, well resourced, and supportive learning environment.
Semester 1 and 2 Electives, along with all other contribution information, have been available on the Compass Portal Action Centre – 2025 Parent Contributions for consideration by families. Please visit your Compass Portal – Course Confirmation / School Payments, to learn more about how you can make a payment of Voluntary Contributions. Please contact the General Office on pH 5945 1433 should you have any queries.
Importantly, Learning Growth Is Our Priority. We are proud of the co-curricular opportunities we provide; however, Leaning Growth by our students across their subjects is Our Priority. Recent NAPLAN Data (2025) reveals our Year 9 Students demonstrated some very pleasing High Growth in Reading for example over the last three years. We thank parents and carers for working with us to support our students in their Learning Growth.
I have mentioned to our PSC Community in posts on Compass that our School Wide Positive Behaviour Support Theme for this term is Opportunities for All. We have shared with students in class and during assemblies how they can access the many opportunities with their learning and via our co-curricular program.
We continue to strive for and expect an Orderly Learning Environment. Our students can thrive when there is a sense of routine, predictability and consistency across their classes. We expect our students to demonstrate high rates of school attendance and getting to class on time, being in full school uniform and being prepared for all classes, completing all set work and submitting it on time, and using their class-time effectively and continuing to be respectful of others .
We want our students to attend school every day – attendance matters. Higher levels of attendance supports improved learning and wellbeing outcomes for our students and we appreciate our families working so well with us in this area.
The Performing Arts is an important area of the College. There is so much for students to do including in the classroom, participation in ensembles, bands and our instrumental Music Program, and in major events such as our annual Production and involvement in the State Schools Spectacular.
Our College Production this year of Beauty and the Beast has been an outstanding success with both nights (Thursday 28 and Friday 29 August) sold out well ahead of time – Opening Night (28 August) was superb!
Our College Production is a wonderful showcase of student talent, achievement and effort. We have had huge involvement from staff, students and local primary school students in this year’s Production. We are proud of what our students have been able to achieve with their participation, and we thank local primary school students for their involvement in the Production this year – such a great means of strengthening important connections with our community. We thank Genelle Lentini (Leading Teacher, Performing Arts) and her team for all their wonderful work throughout the year to ensure the Production’s success in 2025. Well done everyone!
The State Schools Spectacular will be held on Saturday 13 September at John Cain Arena and we have many students involved again this year. A special mention to James Nimaya (Principal Dancer) and Joice Nimaya (Main Choir Member) for being selected from hundreds of students across the state to fill prominent roles in this year’s Spectacular; well done James and Joice! We thank Jamie Gourlay (VSSS Co-ordinator) and her team for their outstanding work through the year to prepare our team of students – we wish them all well with the Spectacular this year.
Sport is another important area of the College with many recent Interschool Competitions of late. For example, we have several teams representing the College in Basketball and we thank our students for their participation. Our Netball Development Program continues to be successful, with our Basketball Development Program to re-commence in Term 4 this year.
Teaching Staff are busy correcting key assessments in preparation for the release of Term Three Reports to Families via Compass. Families are reminded that we have moved to a more continuous form of Assessment and Reporting and the feedback received in respect to this new approach continues to be positive. Term Three Reports will be released later this term coinciding with our Parent – Teacher – Student Conferences on Tuesday 16 September.
We are striving to continually improve our Buildings and Grounds with further works planned for the up-and-coming Term Three School Holiday break. For example, further security cameras will be installed.
Importantly, our $11.3 Million Capital Works Program remains on track with retaining walls largely complete, the first of the concrete slabs about to be poured and services installed. We continue to receive updates and contribute to site meetings involving the architects, builder, the Department of Education and Training (DET) and the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) on a fortnightly basis.
We welcome some new staff to the College:
Emily Clarke – Classroom Teaching
Matt Gouldson – Classroom Teaching
Alex McDonald – Classroom Teaching
Kiran Afsheen – Education Support, Integration Aide
Zoe Elms – Classroom Teaching
We wish Emily, Zoe, Matt, Alex and Kiran all the very best in their respective roles.
Given the huge interest in our great school, enrolments continue to grow. In 2022, our total enrolment for Year 7 to 12 inclusive was approximately 785; in 2026, we are projecting a total enrolment of approximately 1150 students. We are proud of our College and the outcomes we in partnership with our families are achieving with our students. As a result of the huge interest in our College, we will be adding a further Sub School in 2026 named ‘Murnong’ which is an Aboriginal name for Daisy. The naming of our new Sub School in this way aligns with the Aboriginal names of our existing Sub Schools in Yawa, Warreeny, Bunjil and Balam Balam.
The Department of Education and Training (or DET) have released their 2025 Parent Opinion Survey. Parents and Carers have been sent details via Compass with a link and login details to access the Survey. The feedback received from the Survey is invaluable; if Parents and Carers can please complete the Survey by Friday 19 September that would be appreciated.
I would like to acknowledge the efforts of our hardworking staff. Our teaching and support staff are incredibly committed, and they work in the best interests of our students. Our staff continue to provide outstanding levels of teaching and support and I am proud to be a part of such a dedicated team of colleagues.
We continue to provide a high quality and engaging Teaching and Learning Program. Our students are polite, positive and proud members of our school community – they represent our College incredibly well. Please visit our Social Media Platforms, Compass and Our Website to learn more about student effort, achievement and involvement in a range of classroom and co-curricular activities at our great school,
Regards
Aaron
Aaron Smith
College Principal – Pakenham Secondary College