Principal's Notes

A belated welcome back to term three. The term is now three weeks old and it must be acknowledged that we have started with a rush of activity. Presentation assemblies, a week-long visit from 16 students and two staff members from our sister school, Osaka Business Frontier High School, outdoor education and sporting excursions, a VCE and VCAL 2020 parent and student information night, the Legends Band involved in an important bands competition and classes working now with a focus upon upcoming assessment tasks and ultimately, examinations. This term is always busy, and especially so for those students in Year 12 who are now within a few months of their important final examination period. Best wishes to our Year 12 students as they embark on their final full term of secondary schooling.

Mid-year Presentation Assemblies

Last week we publically acknowledged those students who achieved highly in semester one, in our Junior and Senior School Presentation Assemblies, conducted in the Performing Arts Centre. Both assemblies recognised the outstanding academic and sporting achievement of students and also rewarded those students who deserved encouragement as well as those who uphold the school values of respect, responsibility, relationships and teamwork. I would like to congratulate all the students who received awards and I encourage all students to continue to strive to do their best and to believe in their ability to succeed. I would like to thank the many parents who supported their children and our school by attending the assemblies.

We are very proud of our students, and these events just reinforce the high standards achieved by many of our students.

Parent Opinion Survey

A percentage of our school families will have recently received an invitation to complete an online Parent Opinion Survey. If you were within that randomly selected group I would ask you to please complete the survey as soon as you are able. All responses are confidential and the feedback received through the survey is important to the school. We use the information and opinion provided in both future planning and the assessment of current progress against the goals contained within our School Strategic Plan.

Pupil-Free Day and end of term Parent/Teacher interviews

Please note that all staff members will be participating in a professional development day on Tuesday August 20. That day will be a pupil-free day and I appreciate your understanding of the need for such days. Staff members will be working collaboratively to further their understanding and usage of differentiated approaches to teaching the wide range of students in every classroom.

Parent/student/teacher interviews have been scheduled for the afternoon and evening of Thursday September 19 and all day on Friday September 20. I would encourage all parents/guardians/carers to take the opportunity to meet with teachers and to ensure their child also attends the interviews. There will be no formal classes held on Friday September 20.

Work Experience

Congratulations to our Year 10 students who participated in the work experience program during the last week of term two. Healesville HS staff members visited workplaces and spoke to students and their employers about the experience. Students were engaged in their work and employers consistently reported positive and respectful students. I would like to thank the employers who readily accepted our students and without whom this program would not be possible. The support provided by such a wide variety of employers gives our students access to many valuable experiences.

Allan Rennick