From the Principal's Desk
This term I have observed the expansion and introduction of many programs being offered at the College which enable all students to access teachers, support staff, school and community events, and sporting activities with teams and as individuals where all students could gain further feedback and support to help them improve on their schoolwork and their personal interests. Homework clubs, collaborative tutoring and study groups, CAT and SAC resists, team sporting activities and our full day school activities and carnivals are having a very positive impact on student learning and results, student health and pathway planning. Our new 2025 reimagined programs that we introduced to students this year include our Schoolwide sessions on Tuesday afternoons. These sessions provide whole school opportunities to learn together. We have focused on many important events such as learning about Anzac Day, Reconciliation, pride month and Refugee week. We have celebrated our learning achievements in sub-school assemblies and learnt why it is important and how to give feedback via the Attitudes to School survey that our students complete each year. Our stress management workshops were a hit along with our STEM project. Our Alumni program visits have continued to grow, and our Alumni are supporting us to provide free school tutoring. It has been amazing to welcome back our past students that have come into the college to work with students as well as to present their journeys in their career areas, but most importantly they have inspired our students to do their very best! We thank them for their continued support to the college and for building a real sense of family and belonging. We look forward to welcoming back more Alumni as they return to the College next term.
Transitions
2026 is coming - At this stage of the year the school leadership team have already begun our planning for 2026. This starts with students completing their Career Action Plans (CAPs) this term and their submission for our VCE/VM, VIP, AVID and other program applications. In early term three, students from years 9-11 will be participating in annual pathways week, submitting their final subject preferences via our supported Web Preference system.
Find more information about the VCE VCE/VM structure please use the following link
https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/victorianseniorsecondarycertificatereform/Pages/Index.aspx
As our school continues to grow, as we remain a school of choice in Wyndham for Year 7, we are again forecasting that we will be at full capacity in 2026 with at this stage a growth of three additional year 7 classes. Look out for our new scholarship program! Therefore, it is very important that parents/carers advise the school if your child is NOT returning to Wyndham Central College in 2026 as part of our term three processes. If you DO intend to return to 2026 it is essential that the subject selection forms are SUBMITTED via Web Preferences on time and that you attend the COMPULSORY pre-enrolment interviews during Term 4. Thank you for your continued partnership.
Semester one Reporting
As we finish off term two this week our aim will be to continue to have a positive start to Semester two with our new units and subjects and to complete our revision and examination period. We have also completed our semester one reports, and I really want everyone to finish as confidently and positively as possible.
I encourage all parents and guardians to read through the reports and report letter and spend some time reflecting, discussing and celebrating with your children their achievements in semester one, and importantly what they can do in Term 3 by setting their next improvement goals. Regardless of how good a report is I am always impressed with the high level of commitment from the students and staff in living our school motto ‘Creating a Community of High Expectations’ and their focus on our school value of striving for excellence as they continue to focus on improvement and achievement in whatever they endeavour to do.
NEW for term three
The Department of Education has introduced two new school process for the start of term three.
The first change is to the Ministerial Order 1125 (MO1125) – Procedures for Suspension and Expulsion in Government Schools.
Wyndham Central College has always been committed to providing a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for all students and staff, but you may have heard via the media of the recent changes announced to suspension and expulsion powers that will be available to Victorian principals from day one of Term 3, (Monday 21 July 2025).
We know that students’ behaviour outside of school, particularly online, can sometimes impact on the safety of students and staff at school.
In exceptional circumstances, principals of Victorian government schools will be able suspend or expel students for behaviour that occurs outside of school grounds and/or hours including online, if it poses a significant danger to the safety and wellbeing of students or staff.
These powers apply only to serious incidents where there is a clear and close connection to the school and the behaviour of a student outside of school unreasonably impacts the safety and wellbeing of students or staff at school, and their ability to learn or work.
Please note: They do not apply to behaviors unrelated to the school or school community.
They only apply to behaviour which occurs from Monday 21 July 2025 onwards.
Suspension and expulsion will remain measures of last resort – our primary approach continues to focus on proactive and positive behaviour support, including working with you to teach students the behaviors we expect of them, in school and in life. Our values of Respect, Cooperation and Excellence continue to be at the heart of how we work with each other. We thank our parents/carers for your continued support as we work in partnerships to educate and support our young people to be their best self and to do things the way society expects, and in particular as we navigate this new policy.
An additional adjustment has been made with the Department of Education adding a Preventing and Addressing Racism in Schools policy. This new policy clearly outlines that racism is not tolerated in Victorian government schools. It consolidates advice, guidance and resources on cultural safety, inclusion and incident response into a single statewide policy that was announced by the Minister for Education at the 2025 Government Schools Principals Conference on Tuesday 3 June 2025.This new policy is designed to help our school to be able to take further actions to prevent and address racism, religious intolerance and racial and religious vilification.
All Victorian government schools must implement this policy from the start of Term 3, 2025 (Monday 21 July). The policy is available via our school website but in short it will cover 3 key actions:
1.Preventing racism: schools must maintain culturally safe and inclusive environments.
2.Responding to racism: schools must have clear, timely, safe and inclusive processes to respond to incidents of racism.
3.Reporting racism: schools must report incidents of racism with a dedicated specific hotline established and a portal for notification. Parents and students will be able to directly report via the hotline.
Our students will be educated on these two new Department of Education policy as we return next term and the school will link them to the learnings students undertake as part of the WCC Safe School Coalition and our Child Safe process using the PROTECT framework. If you have any questions do not hesitate to reach out to the school or the Department of Education via the South-West Regional office.
Thank you once again to the entire community for their collective efforts and support during this term. Our annual report to the community for 2024 is now available via the school website for our community to read about our 2024 school year, our achievements and what we will be doing to continue our improvement focus.
Please note that our website will be upgraded for term three and may be unavailable for short periods as we move to our new website.
We wish you all a safe and restful term break and hope you all stay warm and well, and I look forward to you all being back rejuvenated at the start of term three
Leanne Gagatsis - Principal
Creating a Community of High Expectations
Respect, Cooperation and Excellence