From the Principal...cont'd

Preparations for 2019

While it seems that the school year is slowly winding down, in fact this is an extraordinarily busy time of the year – right up until the moment when it all stops and we look around to find that the summer holidays have begun.

At Blackhall Kalimna we have completed an extensive recruitment process and will welcome several new teachers to join our terrific team of IB Diploma teachers, ready for the second tier of classes, as both Years 11 and 12 will be undertaking the DP from the beginning of 2019.

This week our Year 11 students finish classes for the year and our Year 10 students begin the Early Commencement program for their IB Diploma subjects. Needless to say, they are all very keen to know who their teachers will be for 2019; for the Early Commencement program the teachers who have been teaching the subject this year will run these classes, taking advantage of their experience in 2018 to introduce the course a second time.

As ever, we will farewell a small number of teachers who have decided to pursue other paths. Their contributions have been very significant, particularly in this implementation phase of the IB, and they will all be missed.

Natasha Prewett plans to spend a year travelling overseas, Sophie Maxwell is taking some time out to explore other employment opportunities, Donal Uahwatanaskul has decided to return to his ongoing position within the State system and Louie Pittas has accepted a position at another school to teach VCE.

To replace these individuals and increase the size of our teaching team we will welcome the following people.

Amy Byrne will return to Preshil from Singapore, after three years focusing on the IB, to teach Chemistry and Science. Dr Robin Wang will join us to teach Mathematics and Physics, Kristin Vestermark and Felicity Robinson will both teach Science, Biology and Environmental Systems and Societies. Phuong Tran will join us to teach French and Language and Literature and Daniel Symons will take up a leadership position, stepping into a Coordination role, as well as teaching Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and Language and Literature.

Victor Toufas has chosen to move to Arlington to teach the 10 and 11 year olds, to share with Natalie Jensen the transition of students into the Blackhall Kalimna campus; Michelle Berner will increase her teaching allotment to take on some of the classroom music at the Secondary School as well as her teaching at Arlington.

As I communicated in the last Newsletter, Jen Buchanan will take up the position of Acting Head of Campus and I am looking forward to working with her to welcome and support each of these teachers coming in to Preshil. Expanding our staff to build an outstanding team of teachers who are all committed to the IB approach in a progressive setting such as Preshil has been a very satisfying task and I am looking forward to introducing them to the Preshil community.

Marilyn Smith

Principal

marilyn.smith@preshil.vic.edu.au