From the Principal

Strategic Plan Updates

Throughout 2024 our staff, with the support and input from students and families have been highly industrious in developing plans and initiatives to ensure the delivery of the Kinross Wolaroi School Strategic Plan 2024-26.  The Plan identified four drivers for action:  Student Experience, Staff Experience, Community Engagement and Sustainability.  The four focus areas provide insight into how Kinross Wolaroi intends to move towards a future with courage, commitment, resilience, inclusivity and respect and provide a framework for the development of our plans.  

Over the coming term I shall be providing our community with updates of the wonderful work being done by our hard working and dedicated staff. In this edition of the Bulletin, I wish to share some of the work and initiatives being undertaken to enhance an important aspect of Student Experience – our Wellbeing Program.

Wellbeing Program – Strategic Plan Implementation Update

We are delighted to share that we have formed a School partnership with Lea Waters AM, PhD, whose globally renowned Visible Wellbeing Program and SEARCH Framework will be used to design and deliver an improved, evidence-based Kinross Wolaroi Wellbeing Program for students Pre-K to12 from Term 1, 2026. This project stems from the priority in the School’s Strategic Plan to contemporise and improve student wellbeing provisions.

Professor Waters is the Founding Director and Inaugural Gerry Higgins Chair in Positive Psychology at the Centre for Wellbeing Science, University of Melbourne, where she has held an academic position for over twenty years. Lea holds affiliate positions at Cambridge University and the University of Michigan and serves on the Scientific Board at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Centre. She is a registered psychologist (AHPRA) and a full member of the Australian Psychological Society.

Visible Wellbeing combines the science of wellbeing with the science of learning, and is the culmination of twenty years of high-quality research in psychology and education. It is a whole-school program that provides both staff and students with a toolkit of strategies to support wellbeing and buffer against mental ill-health.

We have formed the Wellbeing Development Team (WBDT), comprising 16 staff members from across Junior and Senior Schools, under the leadership of Ms Olivia Kite, our Director of Wellbeing, to develop this Program. They have each successfully attained the Visible Wellbeing Teacher Certificate, making them an expert group who are highly enthusiastic about this important School initiative. 

Key features of the new program include:

• A curriculum thoughtfully structured around School Values and the Kinross Wolaroi Graduate Attributes, with four core wellbeing domains strategically aligned to students’ developmental stages.
• A holistic and contemporary approach to wellbeing education, built on the SEACRH Framework, that evolves alongside the needs of our students.
• Valid assessment tasks that enable students to demonstrate the wellbeing insights and strategies they have mastered and the ways in which they can apply these to proactively manage their own wellbeing and be supportive of their peers’ wellbeing.

This structured approach will provide clear expectations and outcomes for students, staff, and parents, enabling the School to assess the program's impact and make informed adjustments to better meet the evolving needs of its students. The WBDT will be seeking feedback as the program is developed, and we will provide an update to the community on milestones of this project throughout 2025.

Staffing

New Responsibilities

Head of New House – Mrs Michelle Thompson

It gives me great pleasure to announce that Michelle Thompson will assume the role of Head of New House from January 2025.

Michelle is a dedicated and highly regarded member of the Kinross Wolaroi School community, having made significant contributions across various roles since joining us in 2016. Her leadership experience includes revitalising Richards House during her tenure as Head of House from 2021-2023, and more recently, serving as the Academic Administrator and Second in Command of the Cadet Unit. Michelle’s commitment to student wellbeing and pastoral care has been evident throughout her time at the School, where she has fostered a supportive and nurturing environment for those in her care. 

With a background in education and project management, and a passion for pastoral care, Michelle brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the unique needs of boarding students and their families. Her empathetic approach, coupled with her proven ability to inspire and lead, ensures she is well prepared to continue building on the strong foundation established by Kate Callaghan.

Michelle and her husband, John, have been parents of Kinross Wolaroi students since 2014 when their family started at the Junior School.  James and Hugh graduated in 2021 and 2023 respectively and Jessica will complete her HSC in 2025.  The family are very much looking forward to the coming years in Boarding.

Michelle will take up her responsibilities as Head of New House from the beginning of Term 1, 2025. We look forward to seeing her bring her dedication, warmth, and leadership skills to this important role in our Boarding community.

Head of Science – Mr Alex McLennan

I am delighted to announce that Mr Alex McLennan has been appointed to the role of Head of Science following his successful application and outstanding contribution as Acting Head of Science throughout 2024.

Alex has been a highly respected member of our academic staff for the past six years and has held the roles of Acting Head and 2IC of the Science Faculty. He has also made a significant contribution to the life of the School across our broad offering.  Alex has a strong pastoral heart which is revealed in his leadership and management of his staff and in his strong connection that he develops with students.  He also contributes strongly to the School’s Rugby program in a manner that sees his students achieve much success and enjoyment.

As a leader in our Science Department, he has introduced and grown Science Extension to the largest intake outside Sydney, developed the Central West Science Symposium, created the Science Fair, and designed the implementation of the pilot Junior School Science Program as well as leading a review of assessments and feedback processes.

Alex has a Bachelor of Medical Science (University of Sydney), a Master of Chiropractic (Macquarie University) and a Master of Teaching (Science, Physics, Biology and Chemistry) (Western Sydney University).  He was awarded the Dean’s Medal in his Master of Teaching.

Alex will commence his role on 21 October 2024.  Please join me in congratulating Alex and I look forward to his continued innovative contribution to the study of Science at Kinross Wolaroi School.

Staff Resignation

Mrs Amy Proudford-Nalder – English Faculty

After nearly ten years of service at our school teaching English, literacy, leading a Mentor Group and contributing to our co-curricular program, Mrs Amy Proudford-Nalder has met with me expressing her desire to resign from her position at the school.  I have accepted her resignation and wish her well for the future.

Mrs Proudford-Nalder’s senior classes have been re-allocated to senior teachers in the English Faculty and her junior classes are being taught by a specialist English teacher on a casual contract, Mrs Claire Eastwood, who has previously taught English here over a number of years.