Principal's Report
Evan MILLER
Principal
It's been a busy start to Term 3, with plenty happening across the College. Here are some of the highlights.
Principal's Advisory Group (PAG)
Our Principal's Advisory Group (PAG) brings together student leaders from across the College to give us direct feedback on school life. At their first meeting of the term, PAG students shared their experiences of our classroom routines and teaching practices, voting on how consistently these are used across their classes before discussing what they noticed with their peers. Their feedback was honest and valuable — showing pockets of great practice, but also room to be more consistent from class to class. Our staff are now doing the same exercise, and we'll use the combined results to guide our professional learning for the rest of the year. Thank you to our PAG students for their voice in helping us keep improving.
Strong Interest in Year 7, 2027
We're delighted to see continued strong interest in Year 7 enrolments for 2027, including a pleasing increase in applications from families within our own school zone. It's a great sign of the reputation Highvale continues to build in our community.
New Water Fountains
Highvale has new water fountains popping up around the College! Three of four are installed and already popular with students, supporting our push for everyone to bring a water bottle to class. The final fountain will go in during the last week of term, once some drainage work near the canteen is complete.
Honouring Sir John Monash
Earlier this month, a group of our student leaders attended the John Monash Commemorative Service at Parliament House, hosted by the Spirit of Australia Foundation. It was a wonderful opportunity for our students to represent Highvale and reflect on the legacy of Sir John Monash and other Australians who have shaped our nation. Thank you to Ros Patti and Natalie Valentine, the staff who accompanied them on the day.
Drama Club: Alice in Wonderland
Our Drama Club took to the stage from 23 to 25 July with a delightful production of Alice in Wonderland, involving close to 50 students on stage and behind the scenes. Audiences followed Alice down the rabbit hole into a world of riddles, tea parties and croquet games gone wrong, brought to life by our talented cast and crew. Congratulations to everyone involved for their creativity, dedication and teamwork. Special thanks to Aysha McCoy and Molly Pethick for their dedication to this show.
Welcome to New Staff
We're pleased to welcome three new staff members to Highvale this term:
Lachlan O'Callaghan joins our Health and Physical Education team — a graduate teacher (and VFL/VFLW umpire!) who has moved over from Perth.
Veronica Deren returns to teach French, having previously taught at Highvale back in the 1980s.
Alanah Epps joins our Education Support team supporting Disability Inclusion, while completing her final year of teaching studies — and is also a proud Highvale alumna.