Principal's Report
Term 3. What defines this term? Every term has its own character in a school and in each school it will be slightly different.
For Suzanne Cory High School, Term 3 is both the beginning of the end and the start of the beginning; the end and start points of the life cycle of student cohorts at SCHS. And then there are a whole lot of other things happening too!
For the Year 12 students, this term is the beginning of the end; all in a positive sense. By the end of this term they will have completed their coursework, undertaken trial exams and be preparing for the lead up to exams next term. The end of thirteen years of secondary schooling is in sight; in ten weeks’ time the majority of the cohort will be sitting the VCE English exam. This statement is not designed to scare the Year 12 students; just to focus their minds on what lies ahead. We have stated to the Year 12 students, since the beginning of the year, that the key to success in the VCE is consistency. The vast majority of our students have been consistent in their approach to their work throughout the year, and while the pace will certainly pick up as the term draws to a close, I have faith in their capacity to achieve their goals. I also have faith in our staff who have worked tirelessly with the students and will continue to do so right up until the exams.
While the Year 12 students are at the beginning of the end of their time at SCHS, another cohort of students are starting the beginning of their journey with us. Recently, the first two rounds of offers for Year 9 intake in 2020 have been sent and the Principal’s Discretionary Category will also be completed. Next year we are increasing the Year 9 enrolment from 200 to 208 students and while this does not look like much, this will bring our base student numbers at the school to 910 in the next couple of years. This means that in the past five years we have increased the student numbers at SCHS from 800 to 910, providing even more opportunities for students to attend our wonderful school. And while the Year 9 process has been underway, we have completed the Year 10 and Year 11 entry process. 2020 is just around the corner!
The beginning of this term is dominated by the musical. This year we showcased Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. This year we engaged an external director and producer, Grace and Jack from GJ Productions, who worked closely with our staff and students to produce a wonderful show. I would like to make special mention of Lucy Kinnane who provided the liaison for Grace and Jack to the school. Staging a school musical is essential for a school such as SCHS. It speaks to the very notion of the Renaissance person. Students from all year levels, including the busy Year 12 students, participated in the show. Lara Crotty and Danfred Varcas performed the roles of Cinderella and the Prince, respectively, while Natalie Poon had the fun of performing as the Stepmother! And Aiman Mahathir made the perfect Steward along with Bethany Blackham and Isabelle Masagca as the ugly sisters. The whole cast did an outstanding job across all four shows. And for the first time, the cast was supported by a full orchestra, which performed next to the auditorium and their music was ‘piped in’ via the speakers; technology at its finest. The quest now begins for next year’s show.
In 2017, we changed the way we did examinations. Instead of having exams at the end of each semester for Years 9-11, we moved to just one examination period at the end of Term 3. These exams coincide with the Unit 3 & 4 trial exams. The rationale for this change was simple; to remove the pressure of the exams being the ‘only assessment that mattered’, when this was clearly not the case. Our students have more than adequate exam preparation; after all, they sat an exam to enter the school; they re-sit the eduTest exam in Year 10 and then they sit the GAT as well in Year 11 and Year 12; all before they reach the VCE exams! The exams for the Years 9-11 are just another assessment task; no more or less important than any other assessment. And for the Unit 3 & 4 trial exams, this is an opportunity for students to discover what they don’t know, rather than what they do know.
Later this term the students will begin preparation for Presentation Night. Our expectation is that all students attend Presentation Night on Wednesday, 9 October. Held at the Melbourne Town Hall, for the second year, we have significantly redesigned the evening to more fully focus on the students and the school. This evening will be a celebration of our community, with the obvious focus on our students. I am looking forward to the new format and an entertaining and informative evening for the whole community.
Finally, at the end of this term we have two international trips heading overseas. We have 24 students and four staff heading to the USA on Space Camp, where they spend the majority of their time in Huntsville, Alabama, and we also have twelve students and two staff heading to China for a cultural and language tour. Opportunities for international travel are an essential part of the school’s program. We have already started the process for a language trip to France next year and also a trip to Greece and Italy.
Colin Axup
Principal
Contact Us
Phone: (03) 8734 2800
Email: suzanne.cory.hs@edumail.vic.gov.au
School Website: www.suzannecoryhs.vic.edu.au