Principals' Report

Principal Team Report

Legally Blonde the Musical 

Koonung’s annual musical production was yet another spectacular success. Huge congratulations to all involved in the presentation of Legally Blonde. The show was great fun with lots of belly laughs and as always terrific performances from our students as well as the odd cameo from some staff. The lighting, sets, music, sound and costumes were fantastic. It was such a fun night out and all shows in the final week were a sell out.  We specifically would like to thank these staff for their hard work and dedication: Chelsea Thomas, Mark Anderson, Zoe Taylor, Steph Grant, Sandy Angliss, Paul Dailey. As always, a dedicated and skilled team of parents and past students have also contributed to support the students and staff from Koonung. The list is huge and a true testament to the teamwork and collaboration that underpins a major event such as this one. Eight months in the making and it is over in the blink of an eye, but for the students involved the realisation of a full scale production on such a scale will be a memory that will remain with them for many years to come. I think that the number of students who return year after year to help us to maintain this tradition indicates how valuable this experience truly is. Mark and Chelsea are taking a well earned rest at the moment but stay tuned for the announcement of the 2020 Production and have a think about participating in the next one.

1:1 student  interviews

At the same time as the Production was occurring, we were conducting 1:1 interviews with students in Years 9 -11 as we commence planning for 2020 classes. This is always a great opportunity to sit down with students and parents to reflect on the learning to date, set goals and realign if needed. We have completed interviews with approximately 500 students over the last two weeks and we would like to thank the parents who were able to come along to these interviews. It is an incredibly valuable time and really assists us to get to know your child and their needs. We will commence the process of establishing which classes will be running in the next couple of weeks, then look at how they can be configured in our line structure to enable as many students as possible to obtain their preferred courses. I would like to thank the Senior School team and the Careers team for the work that they do each year to help our students to make informed decisions. It is always interesting to reflect after the three days have been completed on the level of preparation that the students have undertaken prior to the sessions. As expected, the Year 11s arrive with a fairly clear path in mind for their final year, the Year 10s sometimes need more direction and the Year 9s appear a little overwhelmed by the options available to them. We feel that our Year 10 program and the parameters that we have put in place ensure that students at this level will have a broad range of options available to them as they enter Year 11 as it is vital that they do not narrow their options down too far too early.

Building works update

This week we have also been interviewing architects for the proposed building works at Koonung. The Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) manages the project with significant input from the  College community during the design process. We interviewed three companies who outlined their experiences in managing projects such as ours and they each presented some ideas that they might have for us moving forward. Our College Council President, Geoff Spicer, was present as part of this process along with our Principal team, a VSBA representative and a representative from the Department. The time frames established by the government mean that the development of a Master Plan will occur before the end of this year, with the schematic diagrams of the proposed building works finalised in February. It really is an exciting time.

Ski Trip

This week we have 42 students and staff along with some experienced volunteers head off to the snow fields for our annual Ski Camp. The weather has turned a little inclement but it would appear that this has resulted in some additional snow. It really is unfortunate that you need such cold weather to make this sport a success, probably why I am not a real fan!

Great Victorian Bike Ride 

This weekend Anthony Hasseldine is conducting the first training ride for the Great Victorian Bike Ride. The preparation for this event is significant as students develop both their fitness levels, to enable them to ride around 70 km per day, and their road safety skills.

Finally, while I am mentioning road safety, I would like to remind students of the need to follow instructions and pay attention when crossing the roads around the College. Students are only permitted to cross the road at controlled intersections and are required to follow the direction of the crossing supervisor. This includes not entering the crossing until the supervisor indicates that it is safe to do so. Please ensure that you are not reading your phone when you are crossing the road. Your safety is very important to us.

Sandra Greenhill 

Assistant Principal