Principal's Message

Dear Parents & Carers,

Welcome back to the start of Semester 2. An especially warm welcome to the new students and staff joining our vibrant community.

On campus, it’s a quieter start to the term with Year 9 students on Endeavour in the Western MacDonnell Ranges and our Year 10 students at Mittagundi or Wollangarra in Victoria. I had the pleasure of catching up with four of the five Year 9 groups on the weekend, and watching the students interact with the ropes course, the bush and their peers was enlightening. It’s always interesting to see the students that thrive in challenging conditions, giving everything a go and being supportive of one another. I’m in admiration of the students who struggle in such an unfamiliar situation yet still meet the challenges anyway. I’m so grateful to our staff, particularly Dave Atkins and Emma Shearer, who work tirelessly to support and care for the students on their journey.

It's an exciting term for the changing of the guard. First, I’d like to acknowledge and commend our current Year 12 leaders who have conscientiously and enthusiastically carried out their duties. We have six Year 11 candidates applying for the positions of College Captain and Vice-Captain.  They have interviews on Friday and will be giving speeches at assembly next Wednesday. 

All students and staff will have the opportunity to vote on Wednesday and we will announce the new captains at the end of the day. After we determine who our next College Captains are, the Houses will hold elections for their captains. When that is complete, we will interview for the other leadership opportunities available. Part of our Round Square philosophy is that every student interested in leadership should be able to apply for a position.  They may decide not to be inducted or they may not meet the high expectations of our leaders but the chance to lead is available. It’s an exciting time and I’m looking forward to working with our new leaders. 

We are still in winter uniform and will not change until Monday 21 August.  We have school photos on the 16 & 17 August, and it is important that students maintain a high standard. If you have questions regarding correct uniform items, please check the student diary or Schoolbox.

Finally, I’d like to invite you to our Footings Festivities/Family Fun Fair event on Friday 18th August at 5:00 pm. We will be celebrating the newly poured slab for the Discovery Centre and there will be family friendly activities on the oval. Everybody is welcome. 

Kind regards,

~ Leslie Tilbrook

Principal