2023 has been a year characterised by change, new beginnings and reflection. It has been a monumental year, providing countless highlights and some challenges. The Reservoir High School community farewelled Andrew McNeil, who had faithfully served this school for five years; said goodbye to some long-standing teachers and staff members and went through the process of appointing the new Principal. I thank all members of our community; the staff, students and parents for your support during this time and welcoming me with such warmth and generosity of spirit.

Following from the pandemic and the two years of remote learning, what has been universally acknowledged across the world is the place that education plays in every society. Schools are the heart of our communities, the thread that connects individuals to a greater good. As a proud member of this unique and thriving school community, I would like to thank every leader for how you have carried our school community through the trials and the many triumphs. I thank every teacher for all that you have done for our students this year. I thank our Education Support staff for keeping the school running and ensuring our parents are engaged with us on a daily basis. I also thank every parent and family member for the partnership you have forged with us to enable your children to grow, thrive and succeed. This learning community is exceptional because of each of you.

As always, this year has made us stronger and encouraged us to redefine who we are as a community, re-establish shared expectations and deepen our understanding of what effective teaching and learning needs to look like.

We had the official opening of the new Design Technology Centre take place earlier this year. The then Minister for Education, the Honourable Natalie Hutchins and the Member for Preston, Mr Nathan Lambert, attended along with other distinguished guests, staff and students. It was a wonderful occasion and a true celebration for our school community. The unveiling of the Aboriginal painting and hearing the vision behind the piece by the artist Simon Thomson was very powerful. We are now in Stage 2 of our building project, which includes a new state-of-the-art Science and Technology Wing and a new Canteen. The build will be completed by November of next year and will provide our students with outstanding learning spaces as they engage in scientific inquiry and be immersed in technologically rich learning.

In 2023 our learners have continued to excel in a range of areas. Many Year 7 and 8 students represented Reservoir High School in interschool sporting competitions throughout Term 1 including competing in the District Swimming competition, Cricket, Volleyball and Tennis.

In May over 60 students represented the school at the District Athletics, with many of our students demonstrating extraordinary athleticism and talent. We also hosted the United Nations Conference, where we saw students from across several schools come together to discuss and tackle global issues. In other pursuits of academic excellence, our students competed in the Lion’s Club Debating Competition, competing against Northcote High. For the second year in a row, our team won the Gold medal. Our students were highly competitive and demonstrated an extraordinary level of knowledge, maturity and depth in their debates.

The production of ‘Shrek The Musical’ was a triumph. It was a privilege to watch our students perform live in the Theatre, showcasing the amazing talents and strengths of our students, each who were dynamic, full of vitality and joy when performing. The VCE Music Performance Concert and the annual Performing Arts Evening demonstrated the exceptional quality of talent and musical ability across our students. At every event, the performers gave it their all and demonstrated immense passion, commitment and courage.

There is no doubt that our students, whether it be academic, sporting or creative, are capable of remarkable things.

The annual Year 12 Formal was held on Friday 16th June at the Emerald Receptions in Thomastown, and it was an incredible evening. The students looked amazing and enjoyed celebrating with one another. After missing out on many important milestones during the pandemic years, it was wonderful to be able to witness our Year 12 students connecting with one another and celebrating their final year of schooling.

A special event took place at the school for our Koorie students in Term 3. A number of Indigenous community members, in addition to staff at the school, came together for the inaugural Campfire Conversation at Reservoir High School. The event involved a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony, creating Indigenous art and sharing of stories. It was an exceptional experience for all involved.

To further strengthen the culture of inclusion and empowerment at Reservoir High School and to amplify the voices of all people in our community, we established an LGBTQIA+ SafeSpace Team. In 2024 this team will be responsible for the creation of the Safe Space Room, a place where all LGBT+ students and their allies can gather at lunchtime. As a school we celebrated Pride Month, IDAHOBIT Day and ‘Wear It Purple Day at the end of August.

Term 4 is always a special time of the school year, as it is when we reflect on and celebrate the achievements of our students and prepare to farewell our Year 12 students. This is a bittersweet time, as we feel immense pride of the young people we have helped shape, combined with a sadness as we prepare to say farewell to our Year 12 students as they embark on their own journey into the world.

Reservoir High School is entering into a new phase of its identity as a learning community, as 2023 marked its year of Review, a time in which we collectively reflect upon and critically evaluate our progress, celebrate our achievements and strategically re-focus our improvement measures where required. During the second half of the year staff, students and parents were involved in focus groups and following a deep analysis of our achievements and progress, we have developed our new Strategic Plan for 2024-2027.

In November our Year 9, 10 and 11 students sat their subject-based exams, an important opportunity to help our students experience the expectations that the formal exam process involves, which will help them achieve the highest level of success when in Year 12. Our next year’s senior students then began Jump Start, which is designed to help provide every possible advantage before they begin their VCE in 2023.

Thank you to our School Captains and all student leaders, including members of the Student Representative Council. You embody our school values and genuinely try to enact these in your daily life, both at school and in the wider community. You enrich the lives of us all through your dedication to amplifying the voices of all students and work alongside staff and the leadership team to make this school even better.

Our Year 12 results for 2023 are outstanding.

Our Dux, Jolin Liu, received an ATAR of 95.95 and of the 50 students who sat the VCAA exams, five students received an ATAR above 90 and another eight over 80, which is 26% of the cohort. Of the 87 students completing Year 12 this year, 37 chose the VCE_VM or an Unscored pathway, a testament to the positive impact of the individualised Pathways Conversations and process. These young people were empowered, informed and through support from the school, proactively chose a pathway into further study upon completion of this year.

I would like to acknowledge the courage and commitment that this year’s Year 12 students have demonstrated. We are very proud of what you have achieved and I wish you all the luck in the world with your continual learning and studies. Please do come back and visit at times, no matter where your paths may go. You will always remain a member of the Reservoir High School community.

The annual Awards Evening took place on Wednesday 6th December and it was a spectacular event in which we could recognise individual student success and celebrate the numerous achievements of our students. It was a wonderful evening attended by so many of our families and staff.

Following the conclusion of the learning program and the publishing of the Semester 2 Reports in December, our Year 7-9 students engaged in the School Picnic and the End of Year Activities, which included excursions to Fun Fields and Action Indoor Sport. They were magnificent days of fun for the staff and students to experience together.

I have felt deeply privileged to lead our school community this year and am enormously proud of who we are and what we stand for at Reservoir High School. I am very much looking forward to returning next year with passion, energy and commitment.

I hope you all have a wonderful summer break and I look forward to welcoming you all back in 2024.

Kind regards,

Katie Watmough

Principal

Reservoir High School Newsletter

Diversity Excellence Respect Success

DRAFT copy copy · 19 Dec 2023

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