Principals Report

Dear parents and carers, students and staff,

Congratulations to all members of the school community for completing a successful first semester. It has been another busy term with many enjoyable events and activities, including athletics carnival, debating, Marby market day, Year 9 Urban Experience, IDAHOBIT day, music concert, Year 7 and 8 Sticks and Stones Production, Year 10 work experience and Year 11 study camp. You’ll be able to read more detailed accounts of these activities in this newsletter.

Year 10 and 11 students have just completed their mid-year exams and I congratulate them on their preparation and dedication to striving towards experiencing exam success. Whilst few people enjoy exams, they are an important part of senior secondary education and allow students to demonstrate all their learning from the semester. It was pleasing to see students taking the exams seriously and valuing the experience as they move towards Year 12. For Year 11 students, the term finished with the annual study retreat at The University of Melbourne, and it was positive to hear students engaged in important senior years workshops covering a range of topics, including Fit to Drive, consent and relationships, understanding the ATAR and effective study habits.

At the mid-way point of the year, I encourage families to discuss the learning progress made throughout the semester, including reviewing the Semester 1 report, and to build on achievements and at the same time always looking for ways to continually improve.

Next term we look forward to having further parent-teacher-student interviews. Year 9 and 10 students will also have the opportunity to participate in the course counselling process to identify appropriate subjects and pathways for next year.

Of course, we’ll also be eagerly watching the Paris Olympics as a number of former students represent Australia at the pinnacle of their sport.

I hope that everyone across the school community has a safe and enjoyable mid-year break.

Mark Jones

Acting Principal