Principal's Post

Dear Parents,

We’re back. Teenagers are often in the habit of trying to mask their enthusiasm but it was quite evident this week that there was a sense of relief and approval that we are back in business. Even if the most significant priority was to catch up with their mates, trying to establish a routine once again in what is a modified normal, seemed to be appreciated by both staff and students. There will be gaps and at times some confusion, as we wrestle with procedures to restrict the unnecessary mixing of student groups and minimize congestion. We continue to ask for patience and understanding because decisions made are in the interests of students at all year levels and staffing and logistics to modify simple practices can be quite complex. At the end of Term 2, we will be considering the most recent health advice and directives from CEM and State Government and will further adjust and amend our practices in preparation for Term 3. 

We have been investigating ways of conducting Parent-Teacher Interviews. The purpose of these interviews will be to provide reassurance and communication. Reports and assessments will be on MazCom and videoconferencing will be established for the meetings. Extra time per interview will be required to facilitate the technology needs of parents and teachers as they navigate the virtual medium. As a result of the extra time per interview, the interviews will be conducted over three days. The first day will be Monday 13th July which was a designated staff in-service day before students return to school for Term 3. The second and third days will be the following week on Tuesday, July 21st (after classes) and Wednesday, July 22nd. Mr Noel Jenkinson, Deputy Principal of Curriculum, will be providing all the relevant details about bookings and interview procedures. 

On Tuesday our Year 12 Drama students completed their group performance. The cohesive and comprehensive way they addressed the criteria for this task was remarkable considering the two week time period they have had together since returning to school. 

The four debating teams that competed on Thursday evening all won their debates. 

Our community sports teams are either planning or have started returning to the respective training tracks, ensuring they adhere to the current health and safety regulations. 

During the remote learning time, several projects were managed which included the successful completion of three new welding bays in the metal workshop. The bays consist of three new Metal Inert Gas (MIG) / Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) / Manual Metal Welding (ARC) welders that students can now use to master their fabrication welding skills. The bays come equipped with a new flexi-arm extraction system to ensure welding fumes are safely removed from the work bays. This new addition adds a new stream of engineering to metalwork at Mazenod and enhances an already successful machining program. Welding skills are in great demand in industry and students enjoy the benefits of these and other skills on offer in VET Engineering.

Monash Youth Services is a dynamic provider of Youth Well-Being programmes and they have invited students who attend Mazenod, whether they reside in the Monash Municipality or not, to be part of a Young Men’s Leadership Programme. The programme is for 15 to 20 year olds and designed to build leadership skills, talk about men’s issues and learn about genuine leadership in today’s community. The leadership programme is conducted over ten weeks starting on Tuesday 14th July and is delivered online from 4.30pm to 6.30pm. Any student interested in participating in the programme should see Ms Bourne, Dean of Senior School, to collect more specific details.

“The program covers leadership, public speaking, financial independence, friendships and relationships. We also work with the participants about masculinity, social pressures to conform and emotional regulation. As you may know, program graduates of our sister program have gone on to be school captains, obtain scholarships, employment opportunities, reassess and reinvigorate their goals and even trek Mt Kilimanjaro. I am very excited to see what the 2020 cohort of young men aspire to.” Siobhan Hardiman - Monash Youth Services

Yours sincerely,

Mr Tony Coghlan

Principal