Principal's Report

In some respects term 4 has felt like emerging from a cocoon as a school community.  After so much isolation, remote learning and relative quietness at school, we have burst back to life again as staff and students have arrived back on campus some 5 weeks ago.  It’s not the same as before – there’s masks and COVID-safety protocols and a general sense of exhaustion from everything thrown at us. Our continued focus on ‘connection not correction’ has worked towards building each and every person up to learn at the best of our abilities. We hope that your child’s experience of school and engagement in learning has been positive since getting back to school.

Over the course of the past few weeks year 11 and 12 classes have concluded and we’ve now moved into the subject exam phase of the year for those students studying VCE.  Many of our VCAL students have enthusiastically taken up work opportunities with both arms and are already demonstrating an incredible work ethic beyond secondary education. To all our secondary students, we are so immensely proud of what you’ve coped with this year and how you’ve been able to emerge on the other side. You are the definition of resilience and as we bid farewell to many students at our graduation event in a couple of week’s time, we know you will carry with you the skills and positive attitudes to learning and life that have been forced upon you this year.

Our years 7 – 10 are busily working through their final preparations for exams that will commence late next week. Students should have already received a schedule for their exams via Compass – please check this and call the school if you have any questions. Again, we are humbled by the incredible efforts that our junior students have put in this year in their learning and in support of one another. Despite the fact that I can’t see smiles under masks at the moment, I am still greeted by friendly welcomes and mutual respect in the school as I wander in the yard and down school corridors. It has certainly helped to lift my spirits in moments when my energy has been flagging. We are absolutely in this together and it’s great to see the constant reminders of lifting one another up at school.

Our Headstart classes will start on 7th December which will give everyone the opportunity to spend learning time with 2021 academic classes. This week we have learned that grade 6 students can join us on-site for our orientation day on 8th December.  We are very much looking forward to welcoming the newest members of our Warrnambool College family on the day.

I hope you’re able to enjoy the warmer weather and longer days outside of school at the moment.  We are fortunate as a community to have stuck together and come through the challenges of autumn, winter and spring. Keep on looking after yourself, your neighbours and our community at large. Although we can’t see you at school at the moment, we know we have great support from our wider school community and are extremely grateful for this.

Kind Regards,

Dave Clift - Principal