Principal Report

Outstanding Year 12 Results

As a College, we are thrilled to announce outstanding Year 12 results. Ten students have achieved ATARS above 90, with thirteen students over 80. Furthermore, our median study score has shifted from 28 last year to 29 this year. Many more students achieved raw study scores over 40, placing them in the top 10% in the State for their subjects. In total, there were 33 scores of 40 or higher and 72 scores of 37 or higher. Our Year 12 students have much to celebrate.

Special congratulations to our 2024 College Dux, Jessica McPhee who achieved an ATAR of 97.1. Jessica is hoping to be accepted by Monash University to study a double degree in Law and Arts, to ultimately become a lawyer. We wish her well with her future studies.

A list of all of the students achieving a 90+ ATAR are included below:

Jessica McPhee         97.10

Cailin Stubbings        95.95

Carl Petrucci               95.00

Kira Capuano              94.35

Jemma Lyndon           94.20

Eloise Cardwell          92.70

Jake Lattimore            92.65

Phoebe Fry                  91.45

David Liao                    90.60

Mia Bailey                    90.25

Congratulations to all students who received their results this week. Behind most results, there is a story waiting to be told. Many students have worked very hard to achieve results that they should be proud of. It is important to celebrate all achievements, in all contexts. Some students have been presented with greater challenges and are to be congratulated for their persistence and commitment. When the results were released, it was heartening to hear the pride in our teachers as they celebrated the wins for their students, whose achievements they were proud of, having been part of their journey to the finish line. 

Let's not forget our Vocational Major students and those who have opted for an unscored pathway. Many of these students are already employed or looking to further studies at Tafe. All achievements are important and deserve to be celebrated. 

It is time for our Class of 2024 to have a well deserved break. We wish them all well in their future endeavours.

Year 9 Students Make a Difference

Our Year 9 students recently hosted a High Tea at school for some special members of our local community, to celebrate the end of a successful pilot program. In Semester 2, all Year 9 students participated in a program, visiting senior residents at Chirnside Park Views or members of Kirabee House in Croydon. At both of these venues, our students were involved in creating garden beds, planting herbs and vegetables, playing games, socialising, cooking, etc. The benefits have been enormous, both from the perspective of what our students have gained and in terms of the socialisation opportunities for the senior participants.

As a staff, we have been very proud of the personal growth of our students who have contributed meaningfully to our local community. It was a delight to host the High Tea and appreciate seeing the benefits first hand. Thank you to both Adam Given and Jason Boyce for facilitating this inter-generational project. We are excited to explore more possibilities by expanding this program next year.

Year 7 Girls' Cricket Team Wins State

Congratulations to our Year 7 girls who have won the Victorian State Title in cricket. This is and impressive result given they competed against many prestigious schools with sports academies. We are very proud of all members of the team, particularly their commitment to many after school training sessions and their excellent sportsmanship. Thank you to Michael Wilson for your coaching prowess.

Farewells

After 12 years of service to the College as the Canteen Manager, Rhonda Vella is retiring. She has been supported by Dianne Perry and Wendy Pearce, who are also leaving, as long-term staff members in the canteen. On behalf of the College, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all three staff for their commitment and service. Their friendly, 'can do' attitudes will be missed by all, particularly our students. 

A new chapter will begin in the canteen next year. We have decided to outsource the canteen to a small, family-owned business, BKLG and look forward to being able to continue to provide students with quality food at reasonable prices.

We have some Education Support Staff leaving at the end of the year. We would like to wish Jaime Crilly, Michelle Phillips, Brendan Dao and Loren Tanuatmadkja all the best in their future endeavours and thank them for their time at the school. 

Teachers leaving include: Erin Gleeson, Jason Boyce, Ruth Barry and Paul Goh. All will be missed but we know that they will go on to positively impact more students in other educational settings.

Merry Christmas

On a final note, I would like to wish all students and families a safe and restful holiday period from all the staff at Norwood. Thank you for your support and for working with us throughout 2024. There have been some lovely words of thanks from families and students to staff. Please know that these small tokens of appreciation make a world of difference to our hardworking staff. They do the jobs that they do because they want only the best for your children. 

Merry Christmas and stay safe.