Principal's Message

We Grow Through Connection

Dear Students, Parents and Carers,

Welcome Back for Term Two!  I hope that families have had a wonderful school holiday break and that students are very much looking forward to the term ahead.

I have been happy with the start to Term Two.  Students have returned with a positive approach to their learning across their subjects, and we thank parents and carers for their ongoing support.

The recent school holiday break was an opportunity for families to read through the Term One Reports as made available on Compass.  Subject to what was provided in the Term One Reports, I encourage students to review their Learning Goals with their families for the year ahead.

Families are reminded of our College Motto, We Grow Through Connection.  Our College Motto highlights the need for positive connections to support our quest for further improvement. 

Our College SOAR Values underpin our College Motto:

• Social and Personal Responsibility

• Opportunities for All

• Achieving Your Personal Best

• Respectful Relationships

Whilst all SOAR Values are important, our focus with students for Term One will be Achieving Your Personal Best.

We are a great school achieving so much for our students and local community, and the four areas important to our College Community include:

• Student Learning Growth and Pathways

• Sport

• Performing Arts

• Student Leadership and Our Community

As in Term One, we will continue with our focus on an Orderly Learning Environment in Term Two.  We will support students to adopt a strong sense of routine their classes when it comes to an Orderly Learning Environment – consistency and predictability with how classes are provided is important to our students and our College.

Our College Open Night earlier in the week (Tuesday 29 April) was a tremendous success.  Such was the interest from prospective families that we needed to hold our 2025 Open Night in the Gym rather than the Lecture Theatre this year.  It was so pleasing to see so many families in attendance to learn more about what our great school has to offer.  We thank Kay Chandler (Assistant Principal) and her team for leading the way in implementing such a successful event.

Due to the timing of the return for Term Two and Anzac Day, we decided to have our special Anzac Day Whole School Assembly earlier this week (Tuesday 29 April).  We invited Michael Giampino (Warrant Officer Class Two – WO2) to speak at our Assembly. Michael has had a long and distinguished careers with the Australian Defence Force and we thank him for his service. Michael spoke incredibly well sharing his thoughts on the importance of Anzac Day.  We thank Michael for his time and contribution to this important Whole School Assembly.  Our students were outstanding on the day – attentive and respectful throughout.  We thank Nicole Erjavec (SRC and Student Leadership Co-ordinator) and her team for what was an outstanding commemoration of Anzac Day by our College.

All Victorian Primary and Secondary Schools are required to work through a School Review every five years with The Department of Education and Training (or DET). The School Review is an opportunity to review and establish Goals and Strategies to further improve the outcomes of students.  We are currently planning for our School Review for later in the year – if families would like to know more about the process here, please contact the General Office (pH – 5945 1433).

Our Capital Works Program is finally about to commence later this term.  Our Capital Works Program is an exciting development for our College.  In short, $11.3 Million in funding will support works in the top corner of the College in and around the existing D Wing with a new build in the area adjacent, and D Wing (in time) being demolished. Some improvements are also planned for the existing Technology wing. The Program here will take anywhere between 18 to 24 months to complete.  We are thrilled to be able to finally start construction.

We continue to further improve our Buildings and Grounds.  Over the recent school holiday break, we completed significant painting works, added new carpet to our Lecture Theatre and our Yawa Centre, and we added garden furniture and line-marking to sections of the Grounds. Further landscaping works will continue in early Term Two.

Our College Council has been established for the next period of Council and our next meeting will be Tuesday 13 May, 5.30pm.  As part of our next Council Meeting (13 May) we will be discussing our College Review to help establish our Goals as a school to further improve student outcomes over the years to come.  If any Parents or Carers who are not members of Council but would like to attend our next Council Meeting to discuss the Review Process, you are more than welcome to attend and to contribute to the discussion – please RSVP to the General Office on pH – 5945 1433 if your would like to attend our College Council Meeting.

Student Learning Growth is our priority – we want to work with families to further the leaning growth of our students across their subjects.  In addition, we will continue to provide wonderful opportunities to our students in the key areas important to our College Community – Sport, Performing Arts and Student Leadership.  Please check out our Socials (Instagram, Facebook), Website https://www.pakenhamsc.vic.edu.au/ , Compass Posts and Newsletters to find out more about what is happening at our great school.

I am very much looking forward to the term ahead.  I am proud to be the Principal of our great school and I look forward to again working with families and staff to support our students and further improve their outcomes,

Thank you everyone,

Regards

Aaron 

Aaron Smith

College Principal – Pakenham Secondary College