Principal's report

Dear Gisborne Secondary College Community,

What a jam-packed and rewarding first five weeks of Term 2 it has been at Gisborne Secondary College. It is hard to believe we are already halfway through the term. There have already been so many wonderful achievements, events and opportunities to celebrate across our school community.

Our students and staff have embraced an incredibly busy and positive start to the term, with a wide range of incursions and excursions taking place across all year levels, providing valuable learning experiences beyond the classroom. We were also delighted to see such a strong turnout and overwhelmingly positive response at our recent Prospective Parents Evening, which showcased the many strengths of our College and the pride we share in our community.

In addition, it has been fantastic to celebrate important milestones and traditions through events such as our Investiture Presentation Evening, where we formally recognised our student leaders, and the Debutante Ball for our Year 11 students, which was a wonderful occasion highlighting the confidence, maturity and spirit of our young people.

These events, along with the many day-to-day successes happening across classrooms, sporting fields, performing arts spaces and the wider College, continue to reflect the strong culture of involvement, connection and achievement that exists at Gisborne Secondary College.

Continuing Our Focus on ‘Being Brilliant at the Basics’

As we move further through Term 2, I would like to sincerely thank our students, families and wider community for the overwhelming support shown towards our continued focus on ‘Being Brilliant at the Basics’.

Over recent weeks, we have seen significant improvements across the College as a result of students understanding and responding positively to our clear and consistent expectations around:

Mobile phones and earbuds remaining off and stored in lockers during the school day
Arriving on time to all scheduled classes
Remaining in class and engaged in learning
Demonstrating behaviours aligned with our School Wide Positive Behaviour expectations
Showing ‘ready to learn’ behaviours

These expectations are not designed to be punitive; rather, they are in place to create calm, safe and focused learning environments where every student has the opportunity to succeed and achieve their best learning outcomes.

Importantly, the impact of this collective approach is already evident. We have seen:

A significant reduction in the number of students out of class during learning time
Reduced incidents of damage to student toilets during class time
Improved student attendance and punctuality
Increased engagement and readiness for learning across classrooms

These are outstanding outcomes and reflect what can be achieved when schools and families work together with shared expectations and consistent messaging.

I acknowledge that some families may feel overwhelmed by the communication and messaging systems currently being utilised through Compass. While I understand this perspective, I cannot stress enough how important these systems are as part of our data tracking and wellbeing processes.

The purpose of this approach is not to monitor “time in the loo” or unnecessarily track students. Rather, it is an important supervision and duty of care measure that assists us in identifying and reducing patterns of disengagement, supporting students who may require additional assistance, and ensuring every student is safe, accounted for and actively participating in their learning.

As a College, our responsibility is to ensure that every student is supported, supervised and provided with the best possible learning environment. The data and communication systems we use are essential tools in helping us achieve this responsibility effectively and consistently.

Should any families or students require further clarification regarding these processes, I encourage you to contact the College directly through the appropriate channels so we can engage in respectful and constructive conversations together.

I would also like to sincerely thank the many families who continue to engage with the College in a respectful, professional and collaborative manner. It genuinely means a great deal to our staff. We are proud of our school, proud of our community, and incredibly proud of the achievements and growth of our students.

Unfortunately, misinformation and nonfactual commentary within the community serves no positive purpose and can undermine the strong partnerships we work so hard to build. This is particularly disappointing given the extensive work we do with students each and every day around responsible use of social media, respectful communication, and understanding the harmful impacts that misinformation and online negativity can have on individuals and communities.

At Gisborne Secondary College, our focus remains firmly on supporting students, strengthening learning outcomes, and fostering a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for all.

Specific College policies that I would like to draw the community’s attention to include the following, as they are important references in ensuring we continue to work together to support our students’ learning opportunities and growth in a respectful and united approach.

Thank you again for your ongoing partnership and support as we continue working together to ensure every student can thrive.

Kind regards,

Suzie Harrison

College Acting Principal