College News
2024 School Review
August the 14th, 15th and 19th are the dates for our 2024 School review. The school review sets direction for our next school strategic plan. This is the plan that guides the school for the next 4 years. To give you an outline of the review process, the Department sends a reviewer up to the school and they are joined by two principals, the school council president, our local Seil (the local head of principals), and our School Improvement Team. Over the three days that team of people meet as a panel and discuss achievements and opportunities. The reviewer, principals and Seil also meet with parents, students and staff to get their perspective of our learning environment.
In the next few weeks I’ll be working with stakeholders in our learning environment to form the groups needed to gather the information for our review. You will be asked for honest feedback of the positives and of the areas of opportunity that you believe the school could move towards. The meetings with groups will be for 30 minutes, that is the total of the commitment you will be asked for, thank you in advance.
The bottom line for school reviews is that they’re all about school improvement, celebrating what is already good and finding areas of opportunity to improve.
Student Engagement
We have a real action-packed term for students in Term 3. We have the Grade 2, 3, 4 camp to Swan Hill, with Sarah Hinge leading that. Year 9 and 10 students are off to the snow at Falls Creek, Keiren Brennan is leading that. The Year 8s have been given an opportunity for a cluster camp with Murtoa and they go to Adelaide. Their Camp is packed with activities and they have me as their leader on that camp. The final Camp to go is the Operation Flinders Camp that is led each year by Darren Ferluga. Students hike for 8 days through the Flinders ranges on a massive sheep station. We thank Darren and his involvement in raising the money for the camp and all the community groups and sponsors that support this worthwhile cause.
The picture below made the front page of our local paper and it was of our Grade 5-6s who were travelling to their Term 3 Camp in Melbourne (Week 1). I don’t believe I’ve seen an itinerary as jam-packed of activities as this grade 5-6 camp was. You can tell by the look on their faces that they are pretty excited as they’re about to get on a train in Ararat.
Grade 5-6s off to camp in Week 1
Grade 5-6s off to camp in Week 1
Future Funding Project 13.1 million School Refurbishment
Tandem (our architect company), is now completing the final stages of planning and with staff and school council input right up to the end of last week, I believe we have all done everything we can to get the best value for our learning environment. The rest is a waiting game, but building could start by July 2025. Contracts are close to be put out to tender.
Here are a couple of topographical views of what the refurbishment will look like. Exciting times!
Trevor McClure
Principal