Message from the Principal

Welcome to the 2023

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the 2023 school year. It is the Calrossy ‘Year of Hope’ and we will appropriately recognise this theme on lots of different levels and at varying times during the year.

At the commencement of a new academic year one of my great personal hopes is that it will be a successful, enjoyable and worthwhile one for our whole school community.

Building on exceptional HSC results in 2022, we are looking forward to supporting continued outstanding outcomes for students in 2023, delivering ‘Excellence in a Christian Environment.'

I am greatly looking forward to what lies ahead, as we seek to place Teaching and Learning back on the forefront of school life, supporting growth and success for students in every year from Prep to Year 12.

I We offer a special welcome to students and families who are new to Calrossy and wish you every success as you commence and settle into our school. I trust that you quickly find yourself as part of our friendly and warm community and that your hopes are fulfilled in 2023.

A Centenary of Education on the Brisbane Street Campus

2023 represents 100 years since a four year-old Tamworth Church of England Girls School moved to the current Brisbane Street site from St John’s Church. The property was purchased from the Patterson Family who had named the house on the block as Calrossy, after their Scottish land holdings. The gardens were described as a district tourist attraction. Much later the name of Calrossy House was adopted as the name for the entire school. Appropriate celebrations will take place to celebrate this landmark and a special Centenary video is in production.

Strategic Plan

The Calrossy 2025 Strategic Plan is in full implementation stage this year. During 2023 staff will share some of the initiatives involved in fulfilling our main themes in ensuring that Calrossy provides Excellence in a Christian Environment and produces graduates who are Creators of Hope and Change that matters.

In the week prior to the start of school, staff have been involved in Professional Learning and preparation for a positive year ahead for our School. Our strategic themes are:

• Living with Purpose
• Learning in Partnership
• Growing our People

The three words, Purpose, Partnership and People sum up our priorities for the year ahead and I am excited with the work undertaken to support best outcomes for our students.

New Staff

I am delighted with our recruitment for 2023 and welcome the following new staff to Calrossy to join our team:

Mrs Raelene Maxworthy joins us as our new Director of Teaching and Learning, having most recently worked for the NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA) as a Curriculum leader, where she has been lead writer for 9 NSW syllabus documents. She is a TAS teacher.

Mr Stephen Lawson – returns to Calrossy as Head of Maths

Miss Tara Rowling – Secondary Science teacher from Tamworth High

Miss Isabel Cordona – Secondary English teacher from Oxley High

Mr Nick Gatenby – PDHPE teacher and Sports Assistant – from Sydney

Mrs Katie Penman – teacher of Year 1 (Calrossy Alumni)

Miss Grace McKinnon – teacher of Year 3

Miss Erin Blake – Agriculture and Primary Industries teacher- from Gloucester High and previously Hurlstone Agricultural High

Mr Lachlan Barry – teacher of Secondary Music (Calrossy 2017 alumni)

Miss Grace Frith – teacher of Secondary English and Maths (Calrossy 2016 alumni and Peel High)

Miss Hayley Boag – teacher of Christian Studies and Assistant Chaplain 

Mrs Emily Whitton - Learning Support in the Junior School – from St Edwards Primary School

Victoria Harvey - Learning Support in Secondary – Oxley High & Farrer MAHS 

Mr Nam Tran – Head of Simpson House/Boys Boarding – from Toowoomba Grammar 

Joshua Pryde – Assistant in Simpson House/Boys Boarding

Mrs Annette Berthaly – Girls’ Boarding

Mr Chris Shepherdson – Calrossy Property team

Tamara Mackechnie – Library and School Administrative Assistant

Important Notice – Student Drop off and Collection on William Cowper Campus

Excellent progress has been made on the William Cowper Car Park project. However, for the start of the term, arrangements for dropping off and collecting students will remain identical to those at the end of 2023.

• Junior School parents will continue to use the current existing turning circle and Kiss and Drop as normal
• Parents of students in Years 7 – 9 should use the temporary drive-way to the north of the Goldsworthy Oval that leads behind the Bishop Peter Chiswell Hall. Tamworth Regional Council has advised that we do not turn right into the school heading North along Moore Creek Rd but instead go around the Windmill Hill/Verdelho Drive roundabout to allow all traffic to turn left into the school driveway.

Please continue to observe car parking, follow staff directions and do all you can to support student safety during the construction phase.

The new Loop Road under construction will be completed during Term 1 but the second stage development of the car park will not occur till late Term 2 due to the supply of some essential materials for completion. 

Construction on the Cowper Campus

I am delighted to announce that work will commence shortly on the next Multi-Use Classroom block. The Development Application has been approved by TRC and PJ Truman have been awarded the project following the tender process. This facility will include a 350 seat auditorium, Music and Learning Support teaching facilities and storage and other learning spaces that will be used by both Junior School and Secondary students. 

Further details relating to the School Master Plan for all campuses will be shared with parents and the community into the new school year. 

Secondary Day Structure

Security Cameras

As an added safety measure for both Boarders and Day Students, the school has installed a range of Closed Circuit security cameras across both campuses. The location of the CCTVs is around passageways high usage areas. Our cameras and the storage of images conforms to Australian regulations.

Yondr Phone Pouches for Secondary Students

Based on continued research in Neuroscience, relevant to both learning and student wellbeing, Calrossy has made the decision to limit the use of mobile phones for Secondary students during the school day. For Years 7 – 9 students there will be little change as mobile devices have been restricted during school hours for some time. However, for older students, our policy will impact them. 

Our new policy is that all students who wish to have phones with them at school will use pouches that will be unlocked as they leave the school campuses at the end of the day. A letter of explanation, with some FAQs can be accessed below. Note that phones remain in the possession of students but use is limited during the school day. 

The adoption of Yondr is designed to support students rather than spoil their life at school. Our research in making this decision indicated that when students were free from the distraction of phones during the day, their school experience was richer and improved. Discussions with Year 12 students last year demonstrated that many of them, even in their HSC year, found the temptation and distraction of their phones to be very difficult to manage.

Uniform and School Participation

Our School has a proud reputation in Tamworth and the North-West, earned over more than 100 years. Current students, as stewards of the school, are asked to support the enhancement of this in the way that they wear their uniform (both inside and outside school) and in the manner in which they contribute to the learning culture of the school. School pride and our culture are enhanced in this way.

Principal Study Leave 

I will be taking some weeks of Study Leave in Term 2, consistent with the practice of Independent School principals after five or six years. I will be attending some conferences overseas and visiting a number of schools in the UK. Senior staff will deputise during this time and I look forward to bringing some fresh learning to assist with our growth and development as a high performing and inclusive community.

David Smith

Principal