SCHOOL LEADERSHIP MESSAGE

PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

What a great start to the year we’ve had for 2023! Our school year began last Monday and Tuesday when our students and parents had the opportunity to come and meet with their mentor for 2023 as part of our Student 360 program. Our mentoring and Student 360 program, which runs throughout the whole year, and is part of KSC’s ACE Signature Program, really supports our students to achieve their best results.

These meetings last week gave students and parents the opportunity to start to build a relationship with their mentor. Each student at KSC has a mentor. This is one of their teachers who takes on additional responsibility to oversee the wellbeing and progress of each student across all subject areas throughout the year. They are the students’ main support person and advocate throughout the year. Whether you are in Year 7 and adjusting to life at high school, in Year 9 and 10 and starting to explore pathways options, or Year 11 and 12 and trying to complete your Senior School certificates, your learning journey can be very complex and even confusing at times. Your mentor is here to help support you through this. When needed this year, I encourage all parents and students to reach out to their mentor for help and guidance.

The Student 360s also gave students the opportunity to get organised for the year. Part of this included finding their way around our new buildings as we moved in to our new Middle School Learning Hub. At the end of last year our staff moved out of A-wing, and in to the first of our new buildings, with A-wing being demolished over the holidays. With the brightness, colour and layout of our new buildings, it is a pleasure to be a part of teaching and learning in these spaces. Along with 11 classrooms and the library in this building, we have a dedicated wing for Year 7 students, our ‘Arcade’ for all Year 7 – 9 students, and Middle School Office. We are very proud of how well our students are respecting these spaces. The second of our new buildings, including a gym, instrumental music studios, performing arts space and other classrooms is due to be opened in time for Term Two.

And finally, our Student 360s gave our students the opportunity to set some goals for this year. If I am going to have one key message for our students and parents during my time as Principal of our school, it’s this – dream big, and believe you can achieve! After discussing goals for Term One at our Student 360s, students will be finalising these with their mentor in class early this year. As they do, I encourage everyone to be ambitious, take risks, and dream big. I’ve asked some students about their goals this week and was particularly inspired by the Year 7 student who told me that she wanted to reach Year 9 level in Maths this year. And the Year 10 student who showed me his weekly study schedule that he had already set up, and was committed to following, to help achieve his best ever results. Once you’ve set these ambitious goals, I encourage parents and students to check-in against them regularly, and be relentless in not accepting anything less than your best efforts to achieve them. Our students and community are capable of incredible things – we see it all the time, and our students deserve nothing less than achieving everything of which they are capable. Your mentor and teachers won’t let you settle for anything less than your best, and we will be here to support you every step of the way.