College Principal Message
November 2023 Principal’s Report
I am pleased to announce that the Acting College Principal for the first part of 2024 is Nick Adamou. Nick worked as a Campus Principal at Copperfield for a short while in 2010, after which he was appointed as the Principal of North Geelong Secondary College where he has been since. He is obviously a very experienced principal and is keen to bring his experience back to Copperfield. As he is joining our well established and extremely capable Campus Principal team, I am confident that I leave Copperfield in excellent hands.
I am proud to announce that we have 15 students provisionally approved to undertake a Higher Education subject in 2024. Courses range from Law to Human Bioscience, IT, History and Maths. We had 5 students this year and to see the large increase for 2024 is encouraging. It is a wonderful opportunity for our students to experience what university study is like, without incurring any cost, and is a pleasing reflection of their aspirations. Congratulations.
Another source of pride is that the Robotics teams were successful at another weekend tournament, with the senior team being runners up and the Kings Park team winning the Innovate Award; both have therefore made it to the national finals in Adelaide. Our robotics mentor teachers are busily planning for the trip, driving to Adelaide in the school bus. They are also including students from Sydenham who have competed and helped out the winning teams. Congratulations to all involved.
The end of year concert was a joyous event, showcasing a huge range of talent, from the stunning, Broadway worthy performances to the tentative but brave first timers. The overall impression was one of joy, with even the year 12s saying ‘hi’ to their mums in the audience. All credit to the Music staff under the leadership of Taylor Van Orsouw, particularly given the amount of staff turnover this year.
You will have heard that tutoring is being continued for the next two years. The funding is slightly less, and the focus is slightly different. We are changing from trying to have a tutor for every Maths and English class, rather focussing on Year 8s, in English, Maths, Literacy and subjects with high demands in reading like Science and Humanities. And Year 10 students, in Maths A and English. We aim to provide training for some tutors in guided reading to help them enhance students’ comprehension skills. We are retaining the same model of tutoring at the senior campus which has proved extremely successful and has supported both struggling and high achieving students, thanks to the talent and flexibility of our tutors.
We are currently in the process of collating students’ learning data for the purposes of planning for next year and transition weeks. One of the many engagement strategies we are enacting is the creation of data-based seating plans so that, depending on the lesson and task, students will be grouped so that they can either help each other or the teacher can focus on assisting particular groups at their points of need.
Plans are beginning for the trip to Fuji Junior High School in Term 3 next year. Dan Sullivan is the Campus Principal in charge of the trip, we have recruited ample staff interest, begun filling in the approval forms for international travel, so next is the costing and the flow of information to students and families. Look out for information nights in the new year.
Our Year 9 Challenge Day groups involved in the Hackathon project are delivering their projects about racism at Sydenham and the dangers of vaping at Kings Park. The student and the teachers involved are to be commended on their leadership.
Our awards ceremonies are approaching and I would like to thank you, the community for your Community Chest donations to our local IGA which has funded a significant number of the awards we present to students. Our Awards ceremonies are very uplifting events. We look forward to celebrating our wonderful students’ achievements and growth with you all.
Our marketing staff have created some brochures explaining our new timetable and curriculum structure which will be distributed to students, families and new enrolments. Please also see attached.
REMINDERS
Transition and Course Confirmation are key aspects of creating an aspirational learning environment and offering enhanced pathways advice. The whole staff has really got behind these events with that in mind. Transition for our new Year 12s began this week in Week 9 and follows for all year levels in Week 10 with Course Confirmation in Week 11. We encourage families to attend Course Confirmation to ensure their child is in the appropriate subjects to enable them to achieve their pathway goals.
VCE results come out on Monday December 11 at 7 am. Our Delahey leadership team and pathways advisors will be ready to assist students with change of preference and any related support required after that.
This year we are farewelling two long standing staff members.
Paul McDonald is retiring after 13 years at the college. While we all know he dedicated his career to teaching Business Management he is actually best known for his comedic riffs and irrepressible sense of humour. He has been an entertainer in the classroom (after all that is a big part of the job) and in the staff room. His monologues as Santa Claus at the end of year morning teas are legendary. Thank you, Paul, for the service you have given Copperfield and the many students you have taught.
Usually, I only note those who are retiring in the newsletter, but David Dangerfield is, as always, an exception. David is moving to another school after being at Copperfield for THIRTY FIVE (!!) years. He began in 1989 and has seen many principals come and go. He continues to teach English with all the gusto and verve he did when he began and still holds thrall over all his students with his dramatic teaching method and relentless positive regard for them combined with his unwavering belief, and determination, that they can succeed in English. Thank you, David for all the energy you have poured into the college over your time here. Thank you on behalf of the thousands of students whose lives you have touched and who still remember you.
I am also leaving the college after 11 years as both a Campus Principal and College Principal. I have grown extremely fond of the school; its staff, students and community and I consider myself very fortunate to have found my way here to conclude my career in education. I know I leave the school in excellent shape and in the capable hands of the Campus Principal team and the new Principal. Thank you for all your support and participation over the years. I wish you and your families all the very best for the new year and whatever the future holds.
Signing off for the last time,
Ms Pip Griffiths
College Principal