Principals Report
News from the Principal
- Mr. Tristan Lanarus
Dear Westall Secondary College Community,
Incredibly exciting news with the announcement this week that Westall Primary School and Westall Secondary College have been approved for Stage 1 Rebuild to the tune of $12.3 million dollars. There is a media release included in this newsletter. This announcement ensures our students will enjoy the modern, first class facilities we all deserve to support the great teaching and learning that occurs at Westall. Watch this space for further timelines and announcements in regards to commencement of works.
In the shorter term, we have NAPLAN assessments for Years 7 and 9 in the middle of May. These tests provide us with valuable information on student learning growth and the impact of our teaching approaches. We look forward to these tests and celebrating our improvements and achievements on NAPLAN when results are released. During May, we will also have students completing the annual Attitudes to School Survey. This data set continues to be one that we achieve results that are above State average.
Earlier this week, we held a very successful Open Night for prospective Grade 5 and 6 students from our local Primary Schools. These families will be finalising their decisions for 2019 in the next week. We are very confident we will grow at Year 7, as we have been, across the school. Westall is certainly becoming a school of choice for families in the area. And why shouldn’t it be? Funding announcements and new buildings on the way, a beautifully calm and friendly learning environment and excellent classroom teaching practices.
In regards to excellent classroom teaching practices, we are continuing our work around Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) as our main method of classroom delivery. The Student Free Day on Friday 20th April with Dr Lorraine Hammond, was a roaring success. I have attached a link here to an article that talks about the success of this approach, and even mentions Dr Lorraine Hammond as a leader in this work.
Until next time
Mr. Tristan Lanarus
Principal
Media Release - Giving Clayton South Kids the School They Deserve
