Principal Report

Oliver the Musical

In keeping with Norwood’s rich tradition of producing high quality stage shows, Oliver, a classic piece of musical theatre, under the talented and creative Direction of Lucy Filor has once again surpassed all expectations. Lucy’s passion for theatre and attention to detail has allowed our students to shine on the stage.

I felt privileged last night to attend the opening show, alongside 50 Norwood staff. There is such a buzz at school today as staff share their praise for the high calibre of the show and the outstanding performances of our students. Some students shine as members of the cast, whilst others shine in the chorus and dance numbers. There are students who make huge contributions behind the scenes who need to be recognised too. Seven talented musical students were in the orchestra pit, playing alongside professional musicians. Our talented stage crew play critical roles in managing the seamless transition of props and sets. 

Oliver features many much-loved songs such as Food, Glorious Food, Consider yourself, Oom-Pah-Pah and of course, Oliver. The powerful voice of Nancy singing As Long As He Needs Me is not to be missed. I am always impressed watching our students perform on stage. The array of talent from singing to dancing, acting to playing an instrument is of the highest calibre. I have enjoyed popping into their rehearsals not just to watch student progress but to admire their commitment to the craft of performance. We have some amazingly talented students.

Indeed, there would be no show without our gifted students.  Let’s take a moment to celebrate, that our Choreography has been led by Year 11 student, Hayley Tonkin.  Hayley may have needed to involve her younger sister in some choreographed experimentation, has led weekly rehearsals, developed our feature dancers, and integrated blocking and choreography for large ensemble numbers, such as, ‘Consider Yourself at Home’.

The world of the show may be bleak, but the show is anything but; Lionel Bart’s musical adaptation is filled with heart-warming songs, special moments, characters and laughs along the way. Our very own Melissa Cherry brings unlimited energy, fun and flair to the show as the Producer.

We welcome Rachel Tunaley to her first Norwood production as the Choral Director. She has provided expert tuition to our leads who are able to perform with confidence and showcase their true talents. Rachel has led our loud, proud chorus through the complex harmonies, vocal rounds and lyrical trickery of the challenges posed by Tony-Award-winning librettist and composer Lionel Bart.

We are grateful to Jaaz Tobias-Quigley, as the Band Director for his collaboration with all instrumental staff in the development of the instrumentalists and rehearsals of the dynamic score.

Thank-you to Frances Dyson for the huge array of costumes and tireless efforts to make our students look perfectly in character.  At the same time, Fiona Barnett has used her amazing administration skills to maintain the focus of the whole operation. 

Our Set Design and Construction has been a shared responsibility. Rod Mitchell and the Year 12 VM Team built us half a bridge – the good half! The streetscapes of Bethnel Green and Pentonville were the work of the fabulous Jonathan Flack, Marcelle Greto, Tegan Kite and Samantha Fox. Liam Cusack and the Year 11 VM Team took control of the Props Design and Construction, supplying barrels, boxes, benches, tables and all sorts of bits and bobs.

I hope that you managed to see the show or perhaps you have tickets for Friday or Saturday night. If you haven't got tickets, please don't hesitate to secure your opportunity. Come along and watch Emily Waterson as Oliver, Alex Bennet as the feisty Nancy, Logan Bexley as the troubled Fagan, Marlea Sheehan as The Artful Dodger and Hayley Tonkin as the terrifying Bill Sikes. 

Thank-you to the entire cast and crew. You are amazing! Please know that whilst we admire your talent we are also impressed by your commitment and courage to be a performer. As a school, we are so very proud of you.

New Appointment for 2026

One of the recommendations to come out of the whole school four yearly review was to increase the Assistant Principal Team from two to three, with a close focus on teaching and learning. I can now announce that the successful candidate is Zac Parr. We look forward to his future contributions in this area.

Student Attitudes to School Survey

Whilst I would like the focus of my report to be the College Production, I would like to offer a glimpse into the feedback provided by our students through the annual Attitudes to School Survey. The first take away is that for every measure on the survey, student responses have improved each year from 2023 to 2024 and now into 2025. Such a positive trendline is something to be proud of. 

Furthermore, the feedback we are seeing from our students, places our results far beyond similar schools, network schools and the State. Some of the outstanding feedback from students can be seen in the following areas:

• High expectations of success

• Attitudes to attendance

• School transitions (for new students, Year 7 and Yrs 10 - 12)

• Students having an advocate at school

• Stimulated learning

• Effective teaching time

• Managing bullying

We are very proud of these results and the work that our teachers and support staff do in support of all students.