From the Associate Principal

Things are well and truly underway at the College and Term One has begun in earnest. Unfortunately, with the nature of education today, we don’t have the luxury of ‘sliding’ into schooling. Classroom teaching and learning, as well as work in the practical contexts of Trades and Farm are now in ‘full flight’ and achieving strong educational outcomes is the priority for all stakeholders.

My role at the College is to support staff, students and parents in achieving these outcomes. I am always available to discuss any concerns around timetabling, academic achievement, pastoral care, assessment and reporting structures as well as any issues that exist at a social level. Students are our priority, and their success at all levels is something that all staff at the College are very extremely proud of.

I will shortly begin working with students on an individual basis, tracking their progress towards achieving their WACE and Certificate courses, and identifying strengths, weaknesses and strategies that will enable them to achieve these positive outcomes. I am always impressed with the way that the students at the College engage in these processes and the manner in which they can identify and develop strategies to improve or maintain their progress and achievement. I always recommend a discussion between parents and students to determine appropriate courses of action moving forward. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss their achievement at any time.

Compulsory and Self-Elected Prep will officially begin next week and I would like to thank and acknowledge the staff who have availed themselves to assist your child in extra study and work completion opportunities. These sessions will take place in the Library from 6:30pm to 8:00pm four nights a week. Students can self-elect to attend Prep or they can be nominated by staff but the front office staff must be notified prior to attending the sessions in the Library.

We are very fortunate to have workshops from Tomorrow Man Tomorrow Woman coming in Week Three to the College on Wednesday the 16th of February. All Year 11 students, as well as the Year 12 boys will undertake a 2-hour module with qualified facilitators. The program aspires to reignite men and women around Australia with their innate voice, empowering them to confidently express their needs and opinions in the moments that matter as well as disrupting masculine and feminine stereotypes. The Year 12 female cohort will have the opportunity for further training later in the year.

It is a timely reminder that uniform, grooming, hygiene and behaviour are all aspects of personal responsibility that show pride and respect in the College. Staff have spoken at length about maintaining these standards; I would once again like to reiterate that a condition of entry to the College was an acceptance of these standards by both parents and students. These criteria are identified on pages 10 and 37 of the College Guidelines. We set these standards very high as this is an expectation of how we want our students to represent themselves, their families and the College. We should all be very proud of how we are perceived by the public. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss this further.

I would once again like to reiterate my sincere appreciation for the communication that exists between myself and parents and students. This link allows for the development of positive relationships by all stakeholders, and the structure of the College is unique in fostering these connections.