PRINCIPAL

This is the last Weekly Wrap for the year. The College office closes for the Christmas break today though some staff will keep the Farm going over the summer school holidays.

The Year 10s have completed their work experience and the feedback to date from the visits by staff has been extremely positive. Congratulations and well done to all students. A massive thank you to Amelia Raper and the staff involved in making sure the work placements were appropriate, safe and productive.

On Thursday, 7th December, I was invited to attend the official opening of the Boola Bidi Dreaming Centre in Harvey. This has been a project of the Harvey Aboriginal Corporation. If you are in the area, I encourage you to visit the centre to view the artefacts, history and information provided.

https://harveyabcorp.com.au/home

Staffing

Last week, Steve Watt was asked to continue as Director of Agriculture Education for the first six months of next year. Steve will then take some well-earned long service leave for the last six months of 2024. Dainon Couzic, Assistant Director of Education for the South West, has contacted me and asked if I would continue as Principal for Term 1 2024 to provide stability and consistency for the College. I have accepted this offer and will continue in the role for Term 1. The Principal position will be advertised during Term 1 next year in preparation for commencing Term 2 and will be appointed for the remainder of 2024.

My appointment as Principal for Term 1 has other staffing implications at the College. Similarly, to maintain stability and consistency at the College, I have asked Paul Dyson to continue as Vice Principal, which he has also accepted. This has other knock-on staffing implications which are still being worked through and will be provided at the beginning of next year as to what has been put in place.

There are several other staff movements for next year:

• Jono Prosser, the College Chaplain, will leave us at the end of this year. Jono has accepted a position at another organisation in Perth. I would like to thank Jono for the past six years at the College and the positive influence he has had in his role as Chaplain, providing support, counselling and care to students, parents/carers and staff. Thank you, Jono for your service, you will be missed.
• Geoff Howell our Farm Manager, is taking some well-earned leave and will continue into retirement at the end of March 2024. Geoff has been at the College for over 21 years.  He commenced at the College as the Dairy Manager before moving into the Assistant Farm Manager position for a number of years before securing the position of Farm Manager. Geoff’s passion for agriculture, dedication, ability to balance the commercial requirements of our Farm and focus on student outcomes will be missed.
• Janelle Willmott is currently the longest-serving staff member at the College. Janelle has been a member of the College administration clerical team for over 31 years but will be retiring at the end of the year.  Janelle will be taking many memories from the old and current Harvey Ag sites. Her bubbly personality and no-fuss nature will be missed in the Library on Wednesdays.
• Lynette Fimmano is a member of the College’s fantastic and dedicated cleaning staff. Lynette has taken immense pride in her work and care for the student's learning and living facilities for over 22 years. Lynette’s dedication to her work has been outstanding over the years and she also has memories of both the old and current sites, students and staff. Lynette will be transitioning to the next stage of her life, retirement.

On behalf of the College community of staff, students and parents/carers, I wish these staff members all of the best as they move into the next stage of their lives.

Health and Well-Being

The health and well-being of our students are a high priority and of the utmost importance. The Minister for Education, Dr Tony Buti, recently released a new anti-vaping initiative and parents and carers within our school community must be aware of this announcement.

The rise of vaping amongst young people is a growing concern and we need to take proactive measures to address and combat this issue. I've included the attached letter from the Minister of Education.

Thank you for 2023

Finally, I would like to thank the College community for their support and efforts during 2023. I wish you all a safe and restful Christmas period. Enjoy the time with family and friends and I look forward to seeing those of you who return in 2024.