Principals Report

News from the Principal

- Mr. Tristan Lanarus

Dear Westall Secondary College Community,

Students have recently completed their course and subject selections for 2019. Current performance and teacher recommendations informed this process. Our timetable for 2019 will now start to be developed with student’s programs for next year confirmed toward the end of this term. This work around pathways and careers advice for every student is significant. We hope you were able to discuss this with your children and were involved in this important process.

I recently attended the Annual ACER (Australian Council Educational Research) conference and was fortunate to listen to John Hattie presenting. John is a very well-known educational researcher based at the University of Melbourne. He talked about what evidence tells us in regard to what works in schools and what doesn’t. Adoption of an explicit instructional teaching model, teacher professional development, consistent assessment and reporting processes across the school and a calm and orderly learning environment are all very high on Hattie’s scale of impact. Combine all this with students and families engaged and giving 100% effort and you get the best possible student outcomes. The conference affirmed the things we have in place in making Westall a great school.

Part of making Westall the best it can be, is the 4 year review and planning process undertaken in all Victorian Government Schools. We are currently in our review year and as part of this process, we need to gather feedback from all key stakeholders. There will be staff and student focus groups and School Council will also have a role. On top of that, on Tuesday 18th September, whilst parents are on site for Parent Teacher Interviews, we will attempt to get your responses to 3 questions:

What you would like the school to:

1. Keep doing / we like / it is working

2. Stop doing / we dislike / it is not working

3 Start doing / new ideas / improvements

Our I Create program continues to go from strength to strength. This week Rico Yung, Gloria Kiden and Mai Dinh joined Mrs Price and myself presenting to over 250 school Principals and Assistant Principals on the Westall I Create program. The I Create has been recognised within the Education Department as an excellent example of building student voice and student agency in schools. Well done to all I create staff and students and congratulations to Rico, Gloria, Mai and Mrs Price on their outstanding presentations.

A spin off from the I Create program has been the re-introduction of a school play at Westall. We had Disney High School Musical last year and this year we have The Addams Family. The play will run over 3 nights, September 19th – 21st and I encourage all families to come along to this event.

Until next time.

Mr. Tristan Lanarus