Principal's Message-

Laura Spence

Dear McClelland families,

It’s incredible to think we are at the end of Term 3, and it is difficult to reflect on the term without acknowledging the extraordinary final week our community has experienced. The loss of our colleague Spencer Bye has touched staff and students deeply, and our thoughts remain very much with Spencer’s family, friends and all those who knew and loved him.

I have been incredibly proud of the way our students have managed this past week. They have been exceptionally respectful of one another and our staff as we navigated so many difficult moments together. Our staff have cared for one another and, most importantly, continued to support our students with compassion, patience and kindness.

This has also been a term of significant learning and achievement across the College.

Our Cornershop Carnival was a wonderful celebration of student participation, creativity and connection. Our Year 12 VM students were supported by an incredible team of staff to run stalls, performances and activities, and from 3pm we welcomed parents and other community members to join the fun. The opportunity for our students to achieve was exceptional. They had developed their projects over many months, and you could see how proud each student was of their own success on the day, as well as of the success of their peers.

We also saw this through Project Direct, with students directing, acting and performing five short comedic plays across two sell-out performances. The students managed the events from start to finish, demonstrating an impressive level of independence, capability and talent. These achievements remind us how much learning happens outside the classroom, with the skilful support and encouragement of our teachers.

This past month was also reflected in some beautiful feedback we received from a parent following our Parent Teacher Interviews. The parent spoke about teachers not simply discussing grades and academic progress, but recognising their child as a whole person — her kindness, empathy, emotional intelligence, personality and contribution to the classroom.

I hope the continued partnership between families and our teachers and staff provides ongoing opportunities for feedback, support and growth.

This week, our 2027 Student Captain nominees presented their speeches to the current Year 11 students, sharing their ideas, aspirations and commitment to the College community. The quality of our student leadership nominees was outstanding, and it was wonderful to see students demonstrating confidence, initiative and a genuine desire to contribute to McClelland.

Many students applied for the role earlier this term, completing an application and participating in an interview with a panel comprising current student captains, VCE and VM leaders and myself. The four highest-ranked applicants were then invited to present their speeches to their peers this week.

The speeches will be presented to staff at the beginning of Term 4, with staff and students then voting for our four 2027 College Captains. We look forward to introducing our new student leaders and supporting them as they take on this important role next year.

There is much to look forward to in Term 4. Our Year 12 students will move towards the final stages of their secondary schooling, while across the College we will continue preparing for 2027, including welcoming our new Year 7 students and the exciting reveal of our 2027 College Production.

For now, though, I hope our students and families enjoy a well-earned break.

Kind regards,

Laura Dowdell Spence

Principal McClelland College