Principal's Message
We Grow Through Connection
Dear Students and Families,
Whilst 2025 is quickly coming to a close, there is still so much happening at our great school. We are currently in the midst of our successful 2026 Step Up Program, and preparations continue for our Presentation Evening next week on Thursday 4 December at the Cardinia Cultural Centre. Our Teaching Staff are busy writing Semester Two Reports, and planning for our 2026 Teaching and Learning Program continues – it is a very busy time at Pakenham Secondary College!
One of the hallmarks of our great school is our ability to recognise student effort and achievement on a regular basis. There have been several important events on the College Calendar recently that have allowed us to acknowledge our students.
For example, take our Semester Two Art and Technology Exhibition (18 November) was an incredible success with many students, families and staff in attendance to view the wonderful student work on display. The Exhibition once again highlighted the fabulous talents of our students. Well done to all involved, particularly Emily Schinzig (Visual Arts and Technology Leader) who led the way with her team to stage yet another high quality Exhibition.
Another example is our recent Sub School Assemblies (14 November; 17 November) which provided another opportunity to recognize student effort and achievement. So many of students were recognized given their work and efforts throughout the year and we congratulate our Student Award Winners. We thank our Sub School Leaders and their teams for organising and leading our successful Sub School Assemblies.
Our recent Year 12 Valedictory Dinner held last night (Thursday 27 November) and this was yet another example of acknowledging our students – the event was an outstanding success. There was a real sense of pride from families, friends and staff as we witnessed the Class of 2025 graduate with their Victorian Certificate of Education. The night was such a superb celebration of the efforts and achievements of the Class of 2025 with many families and staff in attendance to help mark this very special occasion for our Year 12 students. Well done to all of our Year 12 Student Award Winners, and we thank Senior Sub School and Team Leaders and their team for all of their leadership and hard work in ensuring the success of this important event. We wish the Class of 2025 all the very best with their future endeavours.
As mentioned in our Compass Community Update on Compass, our Step Up Program commenced on 17 November. Our Step Up Program allows our students to be able cover some of the learning and assessment tasks across their subjects for the year ahead. Another feature of our Step Up Program has been our Passion Projects every Wednesday afternoon for our 2026 Year 7 and 8 students. Our Passion Project Program has been enthusiastically received by students and the Program will continue every Wednesday afternoon next year. Our Step Up Program concluded today (5 December) with our 2025 End of Year Activities Program beginning on Monday 8 December – please contact our General Office on pH – 5945 1433 if you have any queries about our 2025 End of Year Program.
Our 2025 Presentation Evening will be held at the Cardinia Cultural Centre, Thursday 4 December, commencing at 6:00pm. We are very much looking forward to this important event as it is another opportunity to celebrate student achievement across the year levels. There will be many End of Year Awards presented to students as part of the night with families and staff in attendance to help acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of our students. We thank Michelle Scheiwiller (Assistant Principal) and her team for their hard work in organising our 2025 Presentation Evening.
The four areas important to our College Community are Student Learning Growth and Pathways, Sport, the Performing Arts and Student Leadership and Our Community. Our 2026 Student Leadership Team has now been confirmed and we wish all of our Student Leaders all the very best in their respective roles for next year. A full list of our 2026 Student Leadership Team can be found as part of this Newsletter.
Our Buildings and Grounds continue to further improve with some major projects planned for over the Summer School Holiday break. We are expecting to have in place by Day One next year another new Locker Bay, further painting and pressure cleaning works throughout the College, and the addition of important signage throughout our classrooms.
Tuesday 9 December is the State-Wide Orientation Day with approximately 250 new Year 7 students for 2026 to visit our College on the day. In combination with the State-Wide Orientation Day, we provide a further Orientation Day for our Year 6 into 7 students on Monday 8 December at the College. We are proud of our Transition Program as it supports our new Year 7 students and families to the highest of standards. We are really looking forward to our Orientation Days and we warmly welcome our new Year 7 students for 2026 together with their families to our great school.
As our College Community would expect, we are involved in some high-level planning as we continue to move into 2026. For example, we have developed our 2026 Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) to further support student outcomes for the year ahead. The Goals for our College for 2026 will be:
Optimising learning growth for all students. Amongst other areas that will be focusing on within this Goal for next year, we will further review how we teach aligned with the new Department of Education and Training (DET) Teaching and Learning Model, further the use of data to understand student point of need and monitor and measure progress and adopt a Whole School Approach to Classroom Management.
Strengthen the connectedness of all students to school, peers and staff. Amongst other areas that will be focusing on within this Goal for next year, we will review our new Passion Projects Program, investigate a Home Group Program for 2027, and use elements of the Berry Street Educational Model (or BSEM) to further support and meet student needs.
I am very proud to be the Principal of our great school. Increasingly, we are the secondary school of choice in our local area. Our enrolments from Year 7 to 12 have increased by approximately 350 students over the last four years – this increase signals a very strong interest in our College due to the outstanding outcomes we are achieving for our students. As per our College Motto, We Grow Through Connection, the sense of team work amongst families, staff and students remains very strong; there is a real sense of community at our great school.
Finally, families can expect the 2025 Semester Two Reports to be released via Compass in the last week of the school year. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our General Office on pH – 5945 1433 should you have any queries – we are here to help,
Regards
Aaron
Aaron Smith
College Principal – Pakenham Secondary College