Staff News

Welcome back for Term 2 and Happy Easter to all. There always seems to be misconceptions on the “busyness” of particular school terms, but what we have found over the years is that every term has its own level of “busy” and Term 2 is no exception!

Staff Spotlight

This month I would like to introduce to you Ms Lauren Griffith – Science Teacher. 

Lauren came to us from Timbarra P-9 in Narre Warren and has been a valuable addition to our science team. She has a wealth of knowledge in teaching junior level science and has a real passion for STEM.

Where was I born and where did I grow up?

Born in Box Hill and grew up in Mount Evelyn

My favourite food combo is ……

Toast with avocado, cheese, vegemite, and a fried egg.

What I love most about my career is ……

Helping students explore their passion for science. 

If I was stranded on a desert island, the 2 people I would want with me are ……

Bear Grylls (survival) and Russel Coight (entertainment)

When I want to unwind and do some self-care I …

Go for a long walk with my dog

I am most inspired by…

David Attenborough’s ability to communicate and develop other’s passion for the natural world and exploring its wonders, no matter how small.

Professional Learning and Development 

Tomorrow our staff have a Professional Learning Day focusing on our Whole School Approach to Positive Behaviour Support, including Trauma Informed practice as well as colleague run workshops on:

• Effective Parent Partnerships
• Restorative Conversations
• Cycle of Escalation/Co-regulation and Self-Regulation
• Gradual Release Model
• Classroom strategies for neurodiverse students

Whilst for some parents it feels like staff in schools have many Professional Learning days, these days are vital to the ongoing work and collaboration of teachers and non-teachers with the focus always on improving student outcomes. 

On Friday of this week, 4 staff are also attending the Expert Teacher Practice Conference at St Peter’s College in Cranbourne. This is an inaugural event will focus on providing attendees with strategies in improving teacher pedagogy and practice with our aim to form expert teachers. We look forward to sharing of knowledge and resources from this conference. 

Staffing and Recruitment 

We are pleased to announce that we have recruited two experienced teachers of Science and Mathematics who will be commencing with us later this term.

• John Kama comes to us from Heritage College in Officer. He has over 15 years’ experience teaching science and Biology at all levels. 
• Ravinesh Chand comes to us from New Zealand. Ravinesh has over 10 years’ experience teaching science, chemistry and maths at all levels, including leading the science team at his current school and has training as a lab technician. 

We look forward to welcoming them both in the coming weeks. 

We continue to recruit for leave replacements this year. We have a few staff who are taking some significant periods of leave sometime in 2025. If you know of anyone who may be interested in some short contract work, we have both full time and part time positions available commencing Term 2 in the following areas:

• English
• Humanities

Parent Teacher Student Interviews 

This afternoon we commence our first round of Parent Teacher Student Interviews for 2025. These meetings are crucial in developing positive relationships with our families to support each of our students to achieve success. Our teachers have been briefed on ensuring they are well prepared for the meetings, and I encourage each of you to book a time to meet with your child/ren’s teacher(s) to discuss how we can work together on supporting them in achieving their best.

We ask each of you to be respectful when meeting with our staff and have solutions focus mindset to work alongside our teachers to support your child/ren. Some questions you may like to ask your child’s teacher are:

• What are my child’s strengths? 
• What does my child struggle with? 
• How much homework should my child be doing every night? 
• What can I do at home to help with my child with schoolwork? 
• What can you tell me about my child’s behaviour in class? 
• How is my child getting along with other students? 
• What support services are available for my child at school? 

As a courtesy, we ask you to please contact the College on (03) 5623 5944 prior to 4.00pm today and next Tuesday if you are no longer able to attend your booked appointments. This supports our teachers to manage their time and be available to other parents if needed. 

Mrs Georgie Beekhof

Deputy Principal – Professional Culture and Growth