Principal's Message

Welcome to our new families, and welcome back to everyone else.

It has been wonderful to see 120 new students on our beautiful grounds this year. I am particularly grateful to our Year 12 students for the care and attention they showed our new Year 7s on their first day of school — their leadership and kindness did not go unnoticed. By the end of the first week, we had our full complement of students across all year levels, and the campus already feels vibrant and settled.

We have welcomed eleven new teachers to the College and five teachers returning from Long Service Leave. All teaching staff and ISAs recently completed a full day of professional learning in Restorative Practices, ensuring a fair and consistent approach to relationships and behaviour across the school. These strategies hold students accountable by focusing on repairing harm and making amends. Through restorative conversations, we separate the person from the behaviour and support students to reflect on their actions and determine how they can make things right. This approach has been embedded at St Philip’s College for many years and continues to be an effective and supportive framework for our students.

The Term 1 calendar is now available, and both the Homework Centre and Individual Subject Help have commenced. Our extra-curricular activities are also underway. We encourage every student to get involved to expand their friendship group, developing new skills and engaging more deeply in school life. Please keep an eye on the calendar and weekly updates on Schoolbox, as there are many events and opportunities throughout the term.

This week we held our Commencement Service, formally welcoming new staff to our community. The Welcome Breakfast on Thursday was a wonderful opportunity for our students and their families to meet with their Head of House and Tutor Group teachers. I always value these opportunities to meet new parents and reconnect with families who are already part of our College community.

Given the extreme weather conditions, wearing a hat is essential. Bike riders will, of course, have helmets, but all other students should be wearing a hat before entering the school gates and whenever they are outdoors. Tutor Group teachers have also been asked to be very firm and consistent with uniform expectations, particularly around jewellery, and skirt/dress length. I ask for your support in reinforcing these standards with your child.

A reminder that phones, headphones and AirPods should not be visible during school hours. With the recent Federal Government Social Media Ban for under 16 year olds in effect this year, it is vital that students and parents remain aware of the risks associated with social media use for young people. Please continue to work with us to keep your children safe.

Finally, I would like to thank you for the trust you place in St Philip’s College to support your child’s learning, wellbeing and development. We value our partnership with families and look forward to a positive and productive year ahead.

Kind regards,

Leslie Tilbrook 

Principal