Across the Principal's Desk

A highlight of last week for me was visiting our Year 9 students on their camp in Marysville. We changed venue this year and were not disappointed. Our students were able to participate in a range of activities over the course of the week that provided them with opportunities to build skills in leadership, cooperation, teamwork and resilience, whilst also pushing them outside of their comfort zones so they could develop confidence and coping strategies. I went with one group and joined in for some skiing and tobogganing – we also managed to get a snowball fight in amongst the more serious activities – lots of fun! It was pleasing to see the perseverance shown by our students when they kept picking themselves up and trying again on their skis.

Other activities such as hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing tested our students and they are all better for the week away and the skills and strengths they have developed. Thanks to Mr. de Zoete-Spiero for organising the camp and thanks to Mrs. Ham and Mr. Hooper for being prepared to spend the week away from family and guiding our students throughout the experience – they did a terrific job.

Our Year 10 students have been away on Work Experience for the last two weeks. This provided them with the opportunity to work in an environment that is of interest to them and potentially one they might aspire to work in once they leave school. The two weeks went well for our students and the feedback has been very positive from employers, the staff who visited them and the students themselves. Even if the students came to the conclusion that the workplace they chose is not one they would like to pursue, then the experience has been worth it for them, so they can reflect on their time and re-evaluate what their future direction might look like. It’s an excellent opportunity for our students to get a taste for ‘life in the workplace’. Thanks to Mr. Crouch for the time and effort he put into making the Work Experience Program so successful for our students – much appreciated.

Our Student Awards Assembly will take place next Tuesday morning. This is a formal assembly where we acknowledge the achievements of our students from the first half of the school year. The awards are presented in various categories that cover achievement, effort, reports and attendance. The awards are not easy to attain and therefore well-deserved by all recipients. Thank you to the teachers for the thought and effort that goes into completing nomination forms and to the panel for taking on the responsibility of deciding who gets to walk across the stage. Parents and community members are welcome to attend.

Mr. Karl Schier