Principal's Message
Well done!
I would like to thank and congratulate our College Community. We have worked so well together through these difficult times given the situation with COVID-19. It really has been a wonderful team effort from our staff, families and students, and I am very proud of our College Community.
The College continues to be in a strong position to best support student learning. Our ability through Semester One to ‘pivot’ to Remote Teaching and Learning, and then back to Face to Face Teaching and Learning has been extraordinary. The effort required from everyone to make these transitions as successful as what they have been is not to be underestimated.
Our staff have lead the way with respect to our Teaching and Learning Programs. They have worked incredibly hard over an extended period of time to provide the very best learning experience for our students. The efforts of our staff are to be recognised and celebrated. I thank my colleagues for their caring and dedicated approach, and I would expect that they all have a well – earned break across the Term Two school holiday period.
Our students have been exceptional. Their ability to be flexible, understanding and resilient in the face of these difficult times is a real credit to them and their families. Our students have made the very best out of these unprecedented times. I thank our students for their resilient, positive and committed approach to their studies.
Our families have been outstanding. The College has appreciated the positive feedback from parents and carers on the high level of care, support and teaching we have provided. I am confident that the experiences of COVID-19 have further strengthened the connections we have with our families. I thank our families for their strong support of our staff and our College.
The Remote Teaching and Learning experience is being further examined for the many positives that may be captured and retained for Teaching and Learning back in the classroom. As a College, we have further identified a number of positives and shared our ideas with The Department of Education and Training (or DET) as part of a review with the State Education Minister, Mr. James Merlino. I would encourage families to also share any additional thoughts that they may of the Remote Teaching and Learning experience with our General Office.
Our Co-Curricular Program has been seriously affected by COVID-19. The Co-Curricular Program is an important part of any school as it adds to the educational experience of students. For example, camps, excursions and incursions are opportunities that students really enjoy. We will continue to use information from DET to best inform our decision making as to when these sorts of activities may become more apparent at the College next Semester.
Our ‘core business’ of course remains Teaching and Learning, and I am very much looking forward to Semester Two. Despite these very uncertain times, I continue to be optimistic about how we can best support our students. The second half of the year will be a tremendous opportunity for our College Community to further consolidate and reinforce the many positives to come from our experiences to this point of the year. We will continue to be open to the learning of new ideas to best support students with their learning growth.
COVID-19 continues to present challenges for us all. We will continue to follow information as provided by DET to best understand the way forward for our College with the wellbeing of our students, staff, families and the broader community remaining as our top priority.
We must continue to be vigilant and support one another during these unprecedented times. Despite the many challenges that COVID-19 continues to bring, I am committed to working with our College Community to get the very best learning outcomes for our students. It will continue to be a ‘team effort’ in the way we support each other and all of our students. We want to be consistent in our approach and ensure we adhere to the highest possible standards - we want to be The Best That We Can Be.
Please continue to stay safe and connected everyone (please see the link below as an important reference). I hope everyone has a great Term Two school holiday period.
Thank you.
Mr. Aaron Smith
Principal, Wheelers Hill Secondary College
Contact Us
Ph: (03) 9561 5811
Email: wheelers.hill.sc@edumail.vic.gov.au
Join our community online for all the latest news, photos, and event videos with the official Wheelers Hill Facebook and Instagram pages!