Principal's Report

Welcome

It has been a wonderful start to the year, having everyone back learning together onsite. I have been impressed with how quickly students have got back into routines and made the most of start of the term. 

It has been particularly great seeing students so happy being at school and engaging in all of the activities that we were prevented from participating in last year. Although there has been a significant amount of absences due to isolation requirements (+200 students) so far this year, the overall attendance rate is only slightly down from the typical first month of the year (based on 2019). This is most likely due to students being highly engaged with onsite learning, in addition to other factors like reduction in families taking extended holidays.  

Our Year 7s have made a great start to their secondary schooling and we are looking to officially welcoming them to the school at a whole school assembly in the coming weeks now that restrictions have eased. I was particularly impressed with the way in which they handled the disappointing news that the overnight component of camp week was cancelled and that they made the most of alternative activities such as day trips to Phillip Island and Gumbuya World.  

In addition to the new Year 7s, we have welcomed a number of new staff into the College. In addition to meeting the needs of our growing school, a number of these positions are new to our College and related to the new Disability and Inclusion Funding. 

Cally Fong (Maths)

Lorraine Theodore (Dance)

Sarah Simmons (Behaviour Intervention)

Kelly Jin (Tutor)

Victoria Middlebrook (Integration Aide)

Chelsea O'Brien (Tutor/MYLNS)

Max Spurgeon (Integration Aide)

Ashley Jons (Integration Aide)

Mia Trembath (Food Technician)

Matthew Clayton (English Teacher)

David Matthews (Maths/Physics)

Sarah Digolis (English)

Meg Tormey (Speech Pathologist)

Erika Blazely (Social Worker)

Jess Ferguson (Y8 Coordinator)

Key Contacts

Our College is structured around Mentor Teachers being the primary point of contact for families, particularly within the junior school. If you are unsure of who is your child's mentor teacher, then you can see this via your child's Compass Schedule (Form Assembly). 

While you can contact your child's mentor teacher to inquire about a range of topics, you can also contact a range of staff about specific topics. 

School Council Elections

We currently have three parent positions up for election on our school council and we are therefore seeking nominations from interested parents. Applications close 4pm Friday 11 March. School councils provide an important governance and policy role in schools, particularly in the areas of finance, infrastructure and student safety. 

Our school council typically meets on the third Monday of each month (excluding school holidays), with meetings running from 6.30-8pm. Members can join either the Finance or Student Learning sub-committee which meet in the hour prior to school council (5.30-6.30pm) on the same night.

Building Works Progress

Construction is coming along on our new STEM facility, with the College due to move into the facility in late April. This will be an amazing state of the art facility, that in addition to a wood work and metal work room, includes a specialised robotics room, 2 state of the art print rooms for 3D printers and two massive maker spaces. The maker spaces will be used for a variety of activities including junior design technology, STEM electives, numeracy activities and critical and creative thinking days. We have recently purchased new equipment for the centre which will arrive in the coming weeks. Expected timelines include:

• STEM Centre due for completion late April. 
• New student toilet block completed late March. 
• B-Wing demolition during Easter holidays. 
• Year 8 Centre completed early Term 3. 
• Gym equipment installed Term 2.  

STEM Centre 

New Gym / Weights Room

New Student Toilet Block

Private Property & Accidents at School

The Department of Education & Training requires parents/guardians to be reminded each year that:

• they are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including the cost of ambulance attendance/transport and any other transport costs; and
• parents/guardians can purchase insurance policies from commercial insurers
• the Department of Education does not hold insurance for personal property brought to schools and it has no capacity to pay for any loss or damage to such property.

Our annual Open Night will be held on Tuesday 10th May. This is a great opportunity for prospective families to tour our facilities, learn about our programs and speak to staff. Please pass on the details about our Open Night to families who you think might be interested:

Parent Voluntary Donations

Thank you to the families that have made a voluntary donation so far this year. Following on from the success last year, our school council and student representative council have identified a number of areas prioritised for donations. 

Several areas have reached their targets and have begun ordering equipment. I look forward to sharing photos and stories of our new equipment in our next newsletter. 

Afterschool Assistance and Maths Assistance

Help/Assistance being offered to all students. 

• Monday lunchtime: Maths tutoring will be held in the library at the start of lunch each Monday. Students from any year level can bring in their Maths work to get some extra assistance from the College Tutors.
• Wednesday afterschool: Afterschool assistance will be offered for any student wishing to stay back for help with work from any subject. It will be held in the library from 3:15-4:15pm.

Please note that students do not need to sign up for these sessions. It can be a weekly or ongoing arrangement.

St Kilda Football Club Partnership

The College is currently finalising a partnership with St Kilda Football Club that will expand the current development program to include a range of curriculum links and programs. Stay tuned for further information, however in the meantime, members of our school community have the opportunity to secure a complimentary AFLW membership which includes a range of other benefits include a discounted AFL Men's membership. See flyer for further details. 

Privacy Reminder for 2022

Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy.

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. 

Mr Daniel Dew 

College Principal