From the Principal
As we come to the end of Term 3, I would like to thank the Endeavour community for its ongoing partnership and support.
When I reflect on the term, it is evident it has been a busy one filled with many milestones, opportunities and challenges.
We've celebrated academic success, participated in sporting carnivals, held multiple music concerts and hosted consecutive drama performances. Many took part in a variety of incursions, and many ventured off and participated in a variety of excursions.
We've organised health and wellbeing days and orchestrated various camps. We've provided opportunities to sit national competitions within different subject areas and opportunities to excel in extra-curricular activities and clubs. We've celebrated success achieved as a collective with exhibition openings and showcases, and we've also celebrated the outstanding accomplishments of individuals in different areas of personal strength; from debating, sports and business and innovation to name a few. Opportunities to flourish and grow as individuals and as a whole have been plentiful for our students.
How have we achieved so much personal growth and development? It is often from the challenges laid out in front of us. Challenges can motivate and drive us to problem solve. Overcoming challenges can provide new perspective and can create new life experiences that foster growth.
It is important to celebrate personal development and growth in all forms, including acknowledging the challenges that led us there.
Alongside the academic success and growth, it is also important to note the personal and collective growth of our community with the recent changes to our mobile phone policy.
It seems like a distant memory when staff would walk around on yard duty and see students on their devices. The yard is abundant with laughter, socialising and meaningful conversation. Students are engaging in play in all forms and our sport shed is getting a good workout. Handball games have even intensified in the yard.
It's so pleasing to see the growth and development that has stemmed from this change. What could have been a testing period, was in fact a breeze. Students instead accepted the challenge and discovered the opportunities it provided.
As a staff, we have been so impressed by students that we wanted to give back and to say thanks. We wanted to show them that we're in constant support of them and their continual growth, and we recognise and celebrate their efforts of embracing this challenge head-on.
What better way to celebrate what has been a busy term filled with challenge and opportunity than with a sausage sizzle. We wanted to provide a good example of servant leadership, showing students our admiration of their positive mindset and enthusiasm.
Apparently, it would be challenging to serve 750 sausages in just one lunchtime. So, we did just what our students had done, embraced the challenge, and decided to hold two sausage sizzles, one for middle years and one for senior years.
The sausage sizzles proved to be a hit. Students and staff shared in the contentment of what has been a successful and rich Term 3.
A big thank you to the Student Action Team for helping serve students sausages alongside us. It was a special moment and a great conclusion to the term.
Student Reminders
During the year, many “Reminders” have been issued to students relating to their attendance, punctuality, adherence to the uniform policy and lesson preparation. I would like to add, that more than 80% of students are not receiving any reminders and should be congratulated for their stellar conduct in these areas.
Unfortunately, for some of the students, the current “Reminders” process is not curbing poor patterns of behavior. As such, we will trial a modified “Reminder System” based on our restorative practices model. This model involves communicating to the Parent/Caregiver much earlier to assist the College with encouraging students to break such patterns of behavior much quicker and thus, strengthen the link between college, student, and home. Parents/Caregivers will be first notified via TASS if their child has received a “reminder”, followed up by a phone call, and finally, will attend a meeting on campus with the Year Level Leader (6 reminders). This should also break the trend of students arriving late to school on a regular basis.
Thank you in advance for your continued support and I hope this is helpful, as it takes a Village to raise a child. We want our students to be the best version of themselves and work on developing their God-given gifts and I look forward to seeing positive change.
Inclusion
As part of our continuous commitment to developing your child in a safe, respectful and inclusive learning environment, it is important that we consider the ever-changing world we live in. During Term 4 we will provide our community (staff, parents/caregivers and students) with formal opportunities to participate in the important aspect around whole College inclusion. Please find the formal letter from myself and Endeavour Board Chairperson below.
I hope you all celebrate the academic and personal growth achieved and reflect on the challenges that made it possible.
Rest up, and we'll see you ready and rearing for Term 4.
God bless.
Richard Baird
Principal