From the Principal 

I would like to begin by thanking our wonderful students and staff for their continued support of each other and their understanding of the challenges we continue to navigate as a result of COVID and the now flu season. 

Like many schools, we are experiencing significant staff and student absences, but we are doing our genuine best to support students and ensure their learning is maintained.  Our experiences during the past few years and the use of Google Classrooms are providing students with the necessary support for their learning and our teachers continue to provide additional support to students in need and when additional support is requested by the students and/or parents and guardians. 

As we enter the flu season it continues to be important for anyone that is feeling unwell to remain at home and seek medical advice if required. The wearing of masks to school is also a means to stay safe and stop the spread of both COVID and the flu.

National Reconciliation Week

Thursday 26th May 2022 was National Sorry Day, which led into National Reconciliation Week from Friday 27 May to Friday 3 June.

For National Reconciliation Week this year, all Australians are asked to be braver on issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We begin as a community by acknowledging the past and listening to our indigenous community to better understand and support change.  

IDAHOBIT Day and Pride Month 2022

One of our most important priorities as a College community is a sustained improvement in student wellbeing with a particular focus on Diversity, Inclusion and Sense of Community.

The college celebrated IDAHOBIT Day (International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia) on Monday 16 May, with the students and staff dressing in colours of the rainbow with a gold coin donation.  The College raised just over $700 for LGBTQIA+ Health Australia.

Today, 1st June, marks the beginning of Pride Month 2022 and for Cheltenham Secondary College it is an opportunity to support the LGBTQIA+ community and for us to promote a safe and inclusive environment for all students and community members. 

College Uniform Survey 

Thank you to all our students, parents and staff for responding to our College Uniform Survey. Over 50% of the student population responded to the survey, providing valuable insight and topics for discussion within our forum groups that will now take place.  

It was very clear from parents and staff that it is important for Cheltenham Secondary College to have a compulsory uniform. With 95% of parents and 97% of teachers agreeing with this statement. Not surprisingly, only 43% of students agreed.   

Statement of Respect 

One of the priorities from the College Review last year, was the recommendation to develop a Positive Relationships Policy (Statement of Respect). During the past twelve months, we consulted students, staff and parents and agreed to the following 9 Rights that shape the Statement of Respect for our community’s expectations of rights and our responsibilities to and for each other.  

1. Each person has a right to be accepted and treated with respect and courtesy. 
2. Each person has the right to learn; and to develop interests, abilities, and ambitions in a secure and supportive environment. 
3. Each person has the right to feel and be safe.
4. Each person has the right to equal opportunity.
5. Each person has the right to have all personal or community property cared for.
6. Each person has the right to participate in the life of the college including relevant decision-making processes.
7. Each person has the right to achieve their best.
8. Each person has the right to experience success; to receive praise for achievement. 
9. Each person has the right to a clean, tidy, and attractive college. 

A draft of the Statement of Respect is now available for community consultation and feedback. A copy of this document is available here. 

You will quickly notice within each of the 9 Rights, the categories have been broken down into column headings;

• Students have a responsibility 
• The Principal and Staff have a responsibility 
• Parents and Guardians have a responsibility 

We are seeking feedback regarding each of the statements within the Parent and Guardian Responsibility for each of the 9 Rights. The survey can be accessed here. 

Dogs on School Grounds

Last week a serious incident involving a dog, its owner and a staff member occurred on school grounds at approximately 5.30pm. Can I please remind all owners that dogs must stay on a leash in all public spaces except for designated off-leash areas and owners must clean up after their dogs. 

However, schools are not public spaces and therefore, dogs are not allowed on school grounds, the only exception is registered therapy dogs.

For more information, please read the Department of Education and Training's Trespass Policy. 

Karl Russell

Principal