From the Principal's Desk

As I write this report, we find ourselves in Week 9 — and what a meaningful moment it is. The transition from Semester One into Semester Two is a natural pause for reflection, and I encourage every student to approach this second half of the academic year as a genuine fresh start. The most successful learners are those who use the feedback from Semester One as a tool for growth rather than a source of regret — resetting their study habits, refocusing their goals, and committing to continuous improvement in the weeks and months ahead. The second half of the year holds enormous opportunity, and I have every confidence in our students to make the most of it.

I am often filled with pride and admiration for the work of our Nossal community, and the last fortnight has been no exception.

School Production: Twelfth Night

It was an absolute joy to be present at this year's school production of Twelfth Night. The performances were energetic, physical, and genuinely hilarious — a true celebration of the extraordinary talent within our school. Our lead performers were outstanding, and the dancers brought such colour, vitality, and joy to the stage. 

But as we all know, a production is so much more than what the audience sees from their seats. Our backstage crew, technical crew, front of house team, and promotion crew worked tirelessly behind the scenes, and their contribution was every bit as impressive as what unfolded in the spotlight. You should all be enormously proud.

Thank you to the dedicated Nossal staff who brought this production to life — Mr. Ninis, Ms Tchancho, Ms. Guruparan, Ms. Bowles, and so many other teachers who gave their time and expertise in countless ways. These events simply do not happen without the commitment and generosity of our people. We are also deeply grateful to our Nossal Alumni, who once again gave their time so freely to support our students in the lead-up to this event. Their continued connection to our school is something we treasure greatly.

Debating

Congratulations to our Debating teams, who have gone from strength to strength this term under the guidance of Mr. Bird. Week after week, they have made the journey to St Margaret's in Berwick on Thursday evenings, and their preparation, presentation, and growth has been a pleasure to witness. Well done to all involved.

Year 12 Ball

It was wonderful to see our Year 12 students on the dance floor on the evening of Friday 12 June 2026, at their Ball. After weeks of planning, practice, and anticipation, it was a delight to see them celebrating together and enjoying this milestone moment in their VCE journey. The Ball is a student-led event, and the Year 12 Ball Committee should be very proud of what they created. Warm appreciation to Ms. Soltys and Ms. Wilson for their support in making the evening such a success.

Select Entry Network Pedagogy Collaboration Day

On Tuesday 3 June 2026, members of our Pedagogy team attended the Select Entry Network Pedagogy Collaboration Day at MacRobertson Girls' High School. The day provided a rich opportunity to reflect on some essential questions: What are the academic benefits of select entry schooling? What teaching strategies best support high-ability learners? How do we address high ability and support meaningful differentiation in the classroom? Our team was proud to present the work Nossal has been doing around student agency and our Nossal Learning Model. We extend our sincere gratitude to Ms. Bowles, Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Pedagogy, and Mr. Clark, Director of Curriculum and Pedagogy, for their ongoing leadership in this space.

Casey North Network Peer Review

This term, we have also had the privilege of working alongside the Casey North Network Peer Review Team, with classroom visits to both Berwick College and Gleneagles Secondary School. These visits gave our teachers the opportunity to observe, offer feedback on a shared problem of practice, and — perhaps most valuably — to reflect on their own practice in return. Collaboration of this kind is at the heart of professional growth, and we are grateful for the relationships that make it possible.

Nossal Uniform Consultation

Our uniform consultation process is well underway. We held three dedicated sessions with students to outline the proposed changes and to hear their initial responses. Following these meetings, students were sent a link to an online survey to capture their feedback in full. Staff have also been invited to complete the survey. We ask that all staff and students do so before the end of term. The views of our whole school community are important to us, and we look forward to reviewing the results as we move into the next phase of this process.

General Achievement Test (GAT)

The 2026 General Achievement Test was held on Tuesday 16 June 2026. All students currently enrolled in a Year 12 subject participated in this test. The GAT plays an important role in the quality assurance of VCE assessments and provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate that they meet the Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Standards expected at senior secondary level. Further information is available on the VCAA website.

Digital Delivery Day

On Tuesday 3 June 2026, our Year 9 and Year 10 students participated in a Digital Delivery Day — an important feature of the Nossal learning calendar that provides students with the opportunity to engage with their studies through our online platforms. These days are carefully designed to ensure that the quality and engagement of learning is every bit as rich as what students experience in the classroom, and our teachers invest significant time in their professional development to make that possible. We are enormously appreciative of the work of Mr. Stuart Fankhauser, Director of Digital Development and Innovation, whose dedication and vision in preparing our whole community for these days is second to none.

Student Reports

As our community may be aware, the Australian Education Union (AEU) Victorian Branch has current bans in place that affect the way student reports are presented this semester. Among these bans is a restriction on teachers writing or providing written comments on student reports for parents and carers.

As a result, Nossal reports will include ratings for students' Knowledge, Skills, and Study Habits, but will not include written comments from subject teachers. We want to reassure our families that this is not a reflection of teacher care or commitment — our staff remain as dedicated as ever to the progress and wellbeing of every student. Where a teacher has significant concerns regarding a student's progress, engagement, or achievement, they will contact parents and carers directly.

We also want to provide clear reassurance regarding future pathways: all data used to inform subject selections and acceleration opportunities has been included in this report. Students' eligibility for 2027 pathways will not be adversely affected by the current industrial action. We thank our school community for their understanding during this period and remain committed to keeping families as informed as possible.

Sir Gustav Nossal Boulevard — Traffic Update

We are delighted to share that Sir Gustav Nossal Boulevard has reopened, and traffic flow outside the school has returned to pre-closure conditions — we hope this has made the daily commute a little easier for our families. A reminder that pedestrian access to Berwick Station continues to be via the Enterprise Avenue traffic lights only, and we ask everyone in our community to please use this crossing to keep themselves and others safe. 

We also take this opportunity to kindly remind families that the bus bay area outside Nossal is a designated 2-minute parking zone. While signage remains in place, we have noticed that without supervision, some old habits have crept back in! We appreciate your understanding and ask that all drivers observe the time limit to help ensure the smooth and safe flow of traffic — particularly during the busy drop-off and pick-up periods at the start and end of the school day. Thank you for your continued cooperation.

Upcoming Events

Looking ahead, there is much to be excited about. Our students have already begun preparing for the House Performing Arts Festival, to be held on Tuesday 11 August 2026. This year's theme — Every Operation Counts: Times it up, Break it down, Bring it together, Make it count — has clearly captured the imagination of our Houses. 

The HPAF Captains have been working with their house teams to develop their Acting, Dance, Design, and Use of Music components, as well as the overall cohesion of their story. When I walked through the House areas last Wednesday, the energy, creativity, and friendly competition I witnessed was truly something to behold. It will be a spectacular event.

We will also welcome Term 3 with our NAIDOC Day Assembly on Monday 13 July 2026 — a meaningful occasion to celebrate and honour the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We look forward to sharing more details about this event with the community in due course.

It has been a great honour and privilege to serve as Acting Principal of Nossal High School. I have always held deep respect for our substantive Principal and for the many principals I have had the privilege of working alongside throughout my career — but this experience has given me a renewed and profound appreciation for the true complexity of the role.

It is simply impossible to navigate this role without the collective effort and goodwill of the entire school community. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt and personal thanks to the Principal Team — Ms. Bowles, Mr. Labrooy, and our Business Manager, Ms. Lydia Sayer. Their expertise, steadiness, and generosity of spirit have been an anchor throughout this term, and I could not have done this without them. I am equally grateful to our teaching and Education Support staff, and to our wonderful students — particularly our School Captains — for the encouragement, patience, and grace they have extended to me throughout this time.

This is a role that has reminded me just how extraordinary the Nossal community truly is. There is so much to be proud of, and so much more still to look forward to. We are all looking forward to Ms. Mackin's return at the start of Term Three.