Need to Know
Dear St Helena Community,
I am delighted to share some exciting updates and achievements from our school community.
Principal’s Awards Celebration
We recently had the pleasure of celebrating our top students at the Principal’s Awards. It was a joy to recognize those who have demonstrated exceptional academic excellence and significant learning growth. A heartfelt thank you to all the parents who joined us for this special event. Your support is invaluable, and congratulations to all our award winners for their outstanding achievements!
Year 7 and 8 Sports Academy Camp
This week, our Year 7 and 8 Sports Academy students embarked on a three-day camp filled with fun and learning. The camp was a great success, and I am grateful to the teachers who dedicated their time to organize and attend this event. Your commitment to enriching our students' experiences is greatly appreciated.
Department of Education Gold Award
I was thrilled, along with Jenny Heathcote and Josh Marchbank, to accept the Department of Education Gold Award for School-Wide Positive Behaviour Implementation at the Banyule/Nillumbik Principal Network yesterday. This prestigious award recognizes our commitment to fostering a positive and supportive learning environment. Special thanks to AP Jenny Heathcote, along with Sue Goff, Shaun Bowes, and Josh Marchbank, for their hard work and dedication in achieving this accolade. We are proud to be the only secondary school in our network to receive this honor.
Upcoming Principal’s Innovation Showcase
Next week, we are excited to host 20 principals from the Victorian Teaching and Learning Academy here at St Helena. We will be showcasing the innovative strategies we are implementing to enhance student attendance and engagement. It’s a wonderful opportunity to share our successes and learn from one another.
Congratulations to Kate Pizzey
Please join me in congratulating our own Middle Years Leading Teacher, Kate Pizzey, on her appointment as Assistant Principal at Hampton Park Secondary College for 2025 onwards. While Kate will be greatly missed in her current role, I have no doubt she will continue to make a significant positive impact in her new position. We wish her every success in this exciting new chapter.
Cool at School Raffle
A friendly reminder to approve the Compass event giving permission for your child to bring home a book of raffle tickets (10 tickets) for our Cool at School raffle. You can purchase, sell, or return the tickets. Fabulous prizes are up for grabs, including the grand prize of a $10,000 travel voucher. Don’t forget, there are also prizes for our top ticket sellers! Tickets will be sent home next week and can be sold from August 15th.
Mamma Mia Tickets
Finally, don’t miss your chance to book tickets for our upcoming production of Mamma Mia! Tickets are selling fast, so be sure to secure your spot for what promises to be an unforgettable performance. https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1242263
Wildlife
We have an abundance of wildlife here at St Helena - possums, echidnas, bush rats, corellas, kookaburras and a range of parrots including lorikeets. I have been very proud of our students over the past few weeks who have shown responsibility and compassion for a couple of unwell lorikeets - leaving them alone on the ground and notifying the administration. We have been able to contain the birds and move them to a wildlife carer. Sadly, one passed away but the second is improving and should be released back into our grounds in a few days' time.
