PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

In Memoriam – Hamish Hobson 3/10/99 – 21/7/17

It was with much sadness that we learned of the passing of one of our school community – Year 12 student, Hamish Hobson, on the 21st July 2017. Hamish was an ordinary young kid who joined our school in year 7, but he also developed into an extraordinary young individual. From within our school, there is no one better than his close friends to honour and encapture the person Hamish had become in his seventeen young years – the kind of person who was much loved and valued by many, particularly those in his friendship circle.

Some words from two of his closest friends, Molly Filipovic and Declan O’Rourke…

‘He was the type of person that just knew. In every situation he was in, he knew what to do, knew what to say, knew how to lift everyone’s mood and knew how to make everyone laugh. Even in the most inappropriate of times.

He had a way of being able to talk to anyone. Whether it be a 10 year old or an 80 year old, everyone loved him. He knew the best questions to ask and the best advice to give.

Hamish taught me things, he made fun of me, he made me laugh, and he made me happy.

He has and will continue to carry us all, we love you Hamish.’

Molly

‘Hamish truly cared for his mates, and was always there for anyone when they needed someone to talk to, or just someone to sit around and hang out with. He was loyal beyond belief, and always stood up for his friends no matter what the circumstance. It’s these qualities that drew people to Hamish, and allowed everyone to realise what an amazing person he was.

Hamish was the friend who brought everyone together. Without Hamish, I know that I would not have been able to become friends with some of the people who are now the greatest, and most important people in my life. Hamish introduced people with ease, and always made everyone around him feel comfortable and welcome, spreading the love, friendship and support wherever he went.

Probably the most amazing and inspiring thing about Hamish was his infectiously positive attitude. He was always laughing, always smiling, and was determined to not let anyone else feel upset.

To lose such an amazing friend is shattering. Every day we miss him more than the last. But we are so grateful, so privileged for the times that we had together, and for the positive influence that he had on our lives. Hamish gave us more than we could have ever asked for in a friend, and we will never forget that.’

Declan

Our heartfelt thoughts remain with Hamish's loving family.

Staffing Update for Term 4

There are three staff members who will not be re-joining us in term four.

Ross Cornell, who has been at the college since 2005 and has been the Head of Student Wellbeing & Special Needs for several years, will be taking long service leave for term four and then retiring. Ross has made a valuable difference to the lives of many individual students whose needs he has looked after over the years. His contribution to the college and its students has been much appreciated and will be missed.

Han Nguyen is resigning after her second year with us and intends to explore new options beyond the education field. We thank Han for her contribution as a colleague and for her work with her students in her relatively short time with us. We wish her the very best in her new ventures.

The friendly and helpful manner of Isabel Arjona will be missing from our General Office as of the beginning of next term. Apart from her great front of house manner, Isabel has shown a great deal of capability with the administrative work of the school. Isabel is intending to return to study and we wish her every success with this.

NAPLAN 2017

Although there is much more to our students’ learning than what is measured by NAPLAN, we are nonetheless proud of their achievements on these tests. While our Year 7 results are mostly a reflection of the students' learning in primary school, for Year 9 it is a reflection of the development of their skills while at FCC. The performance of our Year 9 students was above the state average in Numeracy and all areas of Literacy – Reading, Writing, Spelling and Grammar and Punctuation.

The level of learning gain (growth) from Year 7 to 9 was also impressive, especially for Reading and Writing. With Reading, 32% of students had a High level of learning gain, and for Writing it was 38% of students. The expected level of High gain for the state is 25%. Congratulations to our students and also to the teachers who have worked with them.

Footscray Learning Precinct (FLP)

While there is not a lot more to report since the last newsletter, there have been two public meetings – one at the Yarraville Club and one at the Footscray Town Hall – as part of the community engagement program for this initiative.

There have also been a number of meetings with representatives from the schools involved (FCC, Gilmore, Footscray City PS and Footscray PS) and also Victoria University (VU) and Maribyrnong City Council. These meetings have focused on developing the curriculum and pedagogy, governance and infrastructure, in preparation for the Precinct.

As reported earlier, the secondary school of the Precinct will consist of

FCC as a senior campus (Years 10 – 12)

Gilmore College as a co-educational junior campus (Years 7 – 9)

A new junior campus (Year 7 – 9) on Pilgrim Street opposite the VU Nicholson Street campus

The multi-campus model has come about because of student enrolment projections of approximately 2,000 for the secondary level. FCC has capacity for approximately 1,100 - or 1,200 with portables – and has limited scope for further building. As a senior campus it is expected to have an enrolment of approximately 1,000 -1,200.

The three campuses will have one school council and one principal, as is standard with multi-campus models.

The projected date for Gilmore College commencing as a co-educational junior campus is 2020, but details of the full transition to the three campus model will not be clarified until the end of this year.

Read about Big Fish and More

As always much has happened at the college this term, with some detailed ahead for you to read at your leisure. One of the more spectacular events was the staging of the musical, Big Fish – an ambitious production that showcased the brilliant talents and creativity of our students both on and behind the stage. Thank you to the students for such a pride inducing performance. Thank you also to the staff who worked tirelessly to encourage the talents of our students – the director, Emily Unt Wan, supported by Emma Schmidt, Margaret Erickson, Jocelyn Jensen, Paul Dooley, Mark Gusman, Rodney Hales, Sam Oliveri and Simon Tyler.

You can also read of the generous donations provided by the Friends of FCC to fund a range of resources to enhance our students’ opportunities at the school. The fundraising efforts of this relatively small, but very effective group of parents is very much appreciated and valued.

Please enjoy reading about other activities that have taken place during the term, and we hope the holiday ahead is a time for students, staff and families to relax after a term that has been unusually challenging in terms of flus and associated illnesses.

Maria Bawden - Principal