Principal Team Editorial 

Today we farewell our Year 12 students from the class of 2021! It’s the last day of classes today, but for many, VCAL interviews and VCE exams still await, in what will be for most their final moments at school. 

In February 2016, when our Year 12s began their journey as Year 7s, listening to Justin Bieber’s “Love yourself” or watching “Star Wars – The Force Awakens”, the last thing they would have expected would be to finish their last two years of school and some of the most exciting years of their life, in lockdown for most of the time, with very few freedoms and long periods of learning from home. Students across the world have handled this period of adversity quite differently, but I’m sure that we can all agree that the level of resilience, persistence and effort that our Year 12s have demonstrated has been remarkable. 

It’s extremely disappointing that we will not have the opportunity this year to be able celebrate the achievements of Year 12s together at the Valedictory Evening but rest assured we will celebrate this on February 3rd next year.  Hopefully by that  time restrictive density limits won’t apply. I know that Year 12 teachers are desperate to celebrate with their Year 12s and parents, and I can’t commend them highly enough for their support and dedication during this disrupted year. 

Finally I want to congratulate and thank, you, the parents. I know that the last two years have not just been a disappointing and stressful experience for our Year 12s, but also for you. The support that you have provided to our students is a significant factor in their ability to be still able to achieve success.

For students in the other year levels, the good news is that we only have one more full week of remote learning left. Students will begin a staggered return to school from Tuesday October 26 with Year 7, 8, and 11 students back onsite. Students in Year 9 and 10 will replace Year 8 students onsite on Thursday and Friday as the Year 8s head back into remote learning. All students return onsite fulltime from Friday the 5th of November. It is important for students to start preparing for the return onsite, by making sure they have all of their materials ready, ensuring that the school uniform is organised, that they have a supply of face masks etc. We will be placing more structure and emphasis on consistent routines when students return, in an attempt to support the transition from remote to onsite learning. Given the high case numbers, students also need to take a more consistent and thorough approach to safety, by getting vaccinated, wearing masks properly at all times, not congregating in large groups, keeping their distance and staying home when they are ill. We will not be taking any chances, and any students displaying Covid like symptoms at school will be sent home.

It's been months since the school grounds were buzzing with the sound of voices and school yard noise, and we are looking forward to welcoming students and staff back onsite. Let’s all work together to get students and staff back to school and keep them here by being safe.

Kevin Murphy

Principal