Principal's Report

Evan MILLER

Principal

Welcome Back

Welcome back to the new school year! It has been fantastic to see our students excited to return to school, reconnect with their peers, and engage in their learning. A particularly warm welcome to our 209 Year 7 students, who joined us on their first day with enthusiasm and have all settled in very well. We look forward to seeing them grow and thrive as members of our school community.

We also extend a warm welcome to our new and returning staff, who have already been making a positive impact:

• Cherilynne Kingston (Maths/Science)
• Xingdi Li (Chinese)
• Lily McQueen (Maths/Humanities)
• Meagan Merlino (Science)
• Alexzondra Newitt (Humanities)
• Marnie Platt (English)
• Saira Qureshi (Humanities)
• Nicole Wilson (Maths/VCE VM)
• Kelsey Laughlin (Health/Physical Education)
• Carly Woo (EAL/English)
• Sashka Pemberton (Education Support)

We are delighted to have such a dedicated and talented team join us this year.

Strategic Plan Goals

This year marks the beginning of our new four-year Strategic Plan. This plan will guide our work and focus our efforts on achieving three overarching goals:

Goal 1: To optimise the learning growth of every student in all areas of the curriculum.

• Refine and strengthen implementation of the Highvale teaching and learning model.

• Redevelop and document school curriculum to better align with the Victorian Curriculum 2.0.

• Enhance school capability to use assessment and evidence of learning to inform teacher practice and monitor student growth against the Victorian and Senior Secondary curriculum.

Goal 2: To ensure the achievement of high-quality wellbeing and learning outcomes for all students.

• Create an organisational design that enables highly effective team-based practices and a culture of evidence-based collaboration, feedback, and professional responsibility.

• Continue implementation of the whole school tiered model to strengthen student attendance, engagement, and resilience.

• Strengthen partnerships with families and carers to enhance student learning and wellbeing.

Goal 3: To develop interdependent learners who are emotionally and cognitively engaged.

• Develop a shared understanding and commitment to a vision for Highvale students as leaders of their own learning.

• Develop consistent and coherent models to enact student agency across the curriculum and within the Highvale teaching and learning model.

To lead the implementation of our Strategic Plan, we have restructured and expanded our leadership team. The new leadership structure is as follows:

This team is committed to driving the priorities outlined in our Strategic Plan and ensuring we achieve our vision for the school over the next four years.

Community Centre Update

As many of you are aware, our community centre and tennis courts sustained damage from a flood in November last year. We are continuing discussions with the Department of Education regarding rectification works and will keep you updated as we receive further advice. In the meantime, we appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate these challenges and adjust our operations and classroom allocations.

NAPLAN Testing

Our Year 7 and 9 students will be undertaking their NAPLAN testing between the 12th and 24th of March. Over the past two years, our NAPLAN results have been outstanding, and we are confident that our students will once again perform to the best of their ability. Additional information about NAPLAN will be sent to families of Year 7 and 9 students shortly.

Thank you for your ongoing support as we embark on an exciting and purposeful year ahead. I look forward to working together to achieve great outcomes for all members of our school community.