From the Principal

It has been a great start to the year, albeit very busy!

On Friday, we celebrated the start of the 2020 school year with our parents at the annual College Welcome Drinks.  There was a great atmosphere amongst parents and staff, and it was the biggest number we have ever hosted at this event. You could feel the optimism amongst the crowd, and it is wonderful to know that we have started the year working in partnership to achieve the best for and from every student.

It was also an opportune time for parents to see the new picket fence and incredible amount of work that has gone into our school oval.  Again, I’d like to thank Lachy Patterson and the College Cricket Club community for the work they have done to bring this vision to reality.  Our students will enjoy this first-class sporting facility for many years to come.

On Monday we held Scholars’ Assembly and it was fantastic to honour our Dux, Nihindu Ranasinghe and Proxime Accessit, Tarini Mitra as our 2019 Scholars.

Dr Calder Hamill, OC 2008, was our guest speaker.  In the 12 years since leaving College, Calder completed a Royal Australian Navy GAP Year and a Bachelor of Laws and is now a Paediatric Registrar at the Monash Children's Hospital.

Calder’s address had a strong focus on finding opportunities to contribute to the world. In Year 8, he started community service at the Birches, the local nursing home, where he heard about how the residents had contributed to society around them in many different ways.  He reminded students that it doesn’t matter what you do, but it matters how you do it – this is how you will contribute to people and society around you.  A great lesson for all of us!

Calder was in Young House and will be thrilled to hear that following his address, Young-guns won the House Swimming Cup for the first time since 2011. Well done Young House! At the pool, we also welcomed Mr Neil MacLean and the international students back to school. It feels wonderful to have our full school community back together. 

Last night Mrs Julia Winter Cooke hosted the Year 7 Information Evening and started a new College tradition - recognising Year 7 students in the year level that they will complete Year 12 and become Old Collegians.  For this Year 7 cohort, it makes them the Class of 2025 and they received a pin to wear with pride on their school blazers.

Dr Andrew Hirst

Principal

To listen to Dr Calder Hamill's Scholars Assembly Address follow this link