From the Principal 

It has been an incredible first half of term 1. Staff returned refreshed and renewed to welcome our students for what is set continue as an amazing 2024. Cohorts have commenced exceptionally well, connecting with staff and peers, and promptly developing learning routines to achieve personal growth and success. I congratulate all students on their seamless return and thank all staff for supporting this smooth transition.

CESC has welcomed over 40 new staff across education support, teaching, and leadership positions. With the continued enrolment growth, we are recruiting proactively to secure staff, particularly in the climate of the teacher shortage.

Alongside new staff, there have been many new students. These have not only included over 350 year 7s, but another 50+ students from years 8-12. All enrolments are coming from the CESC zone. The college continues to have an enrolment management plan and we are working with the Department to ensure we are future-proofing the school to meet the needs of our current and future students. Our community now consists of approximately 2100 students and 250 staff.

Highlights of the term so far have included the commencement of interschool sport, Year 12 Camp, Lunar New Year celebrations, the lunchtime clubs and activities launch, Morrisby Careers testing and interviews, Year 7 Welcome BBQ, House and celebration assemblies, Year Level Wellbeing Days, and commencement of the 2024 High School Musical rehearsals.

Priorities to commence the year align with the new strategic plan, completed after our review in 2023. The focus areas this year are:

Maximise learning outcomes for all students.

• Refine whole school pedagogical and assessment practices to ensure point of need learning for all students, with a strong focus on literacy and numeracy improvement.
• Build the capability of leaders to monitor, evaluate and strengthen accountability across the school.

Improve the engagement and wellbeing of all students.

• Enhance multi–tiered structures and supports to strengthen inclusive learning and wellbeing practices.
• Develop and embed a whole school positive education and engagement framework.

As part of this work, staff have had a collective professional learning focus of building positive relationships, using data to get to know student learning needs, implementation of multi-tiered systems of support, differentiation, positive learning routines, and building wellbeing.

Significant investment into training staff in the Berry Street Education Model has commenced, forming the work in half of our Curriculum Days over the next two years. The learning for staff includes:

• understanding the impacts of trauma on child development and the ability to learn
• creating a supportive and trauma-informed positive education classroom
• bolstering student-teacher relationships
• instilling strengths-based practices across the school.

The College has reviewed the former 'agreed classroom behaviour expectations', renamed 'positive learning behaviours'. These will be launched to students in the coming weeks, and will form a significant focus of our work moving forward.

These positive leaning behaviours will align with classroom language, support plans, reporting, and the basis of conversations in the upcoming Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews. Time will be spent ensuring students understand these behaviours and explicit teaching occurring where required.

There were significant works over the break that included painting classrooms and corridors, classroom and staffroom upgrades, new chairs in all classrooms, installation of raised garden beds, and new concrete paths. Works will continue across the year, concentrated during school holidays. 

Finally, it is a privilege to be in the role of Acting Principal to commence 2024. There is a process being undertaken to appoint a substantive Principal for the start of term 2. I thank all of our staff, students, and community for their support in the interim.

Looking forward to a a great remainder of term 1. Take care.

Sincerely,

Russell Lee

Acting Principal

Annual privacy reminder for our school community

Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Schools’ Privacy Collection Notice.

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy, describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn. 

We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace for Education safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Microsoft 365/Google Workspace for Education, please contact the school. 

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. This information is also available in ten community languages:

* Amharic

* Arabic

* Dari

* Gujarati

* Mandarin

* Somali

* Sudanese

* Turkish

* Urdu

* Vietnamese