Principal's Report
Masterplan funding
We were pleased to receive $50,000 for our Facilities Masterplan earlier this month. This will help us to plan for improved facilities for our school community over coming years. We have been informed that the projected enrolment of the school is 1475 in five years' time (we're currently at 1225 students). Coburg High has significant needs, both from continued growth in student numbers, and the fact that we currently do not have enough specialist learning spaces in technology, performing arts, visual arts, sport and science. We are also keen to explore with other potential partners, community use of our facilities, in line with the 2021-2024 School Vision:
Coburg High School is an interconnected community hub that serves the diverse needs of our students.
The first stage of the Masterplan is to complete the Asset Management Plan 1. Parents, students and staff are welcome to a meeting next Monday 30 May, 6-7.30pm to provide their views about our facilities needs. I encourage everyone to attend, please click here to RSVP.
Visitors to the school
Following on from the last edition of the newsletter, School Council President Cate Hall and I have hosted two more MPs - federal Labor Wills MP Peter Khalil and Victorian Upper House MP for the Reason Party, Fiona Patten, and one candidate, Sarah Jefford from the Greens, running for Wills. We've taken the opportunity to talk local safety issues as well as bring them up to speed with our facilities needs. Each of our visitors also spoke with our Year 11 Politics students, to give them a sense of their political views and a chance to ask some probing questions! Fiona also welcomed Politics students when our VCE class visited Parliament House.
Minor (but important!) Works
The school is self-funding some improvements to paths to improve our school, photos below. We hope these paths will make accessing the school grounds easier for our students, particularly those who walk or ride into our school. The concreting near the Gym will reduce the dirt and mud tracked inside. The final part of the works near the bike shed will be to mark a pedestrian zebra crossing to make it safer for students to cross at this point.
COVID - a big thanks
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank parents and students for continuing to keep us informed of COVID cases in their families. Unfortunately Coburg High School, like many places in the state, have had a further uptick in cases during Term 2. This has contributed to the difficulties we have had in staffing the school, but thankfully we have been able to keep almost all classes, excursions and events running as in pre-COVID times. I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank our staff for their efforts at this challenging time.
Iftar
It was great to welcome families for our annual Iftar (breaking of the feast) as part of Ramadan. The Library was the venue for this event which helps our school understand and celebrate our Muslim students and their families.
Open Day 2022
Traditionally we have held school tours throughout the year led by a Principal team member as well as an Open Night. We decided to combine the two aspects into our first Open Day, which incorporated student run tours, Principal address at the end of the tour, some fantastic student musical performances under the new shade sail near the Café and questions answered by the Prin team. For prospective familiies, my speech can be found here. We will supplement this with a couple of extra tours using a similar format across the remainder of this term and Term 3.
School Council Corner
At the last School Council we welcomed Abir Melhem. Abir works at Arabic Welfare and has already contributed to our understanding of how to make our events as inclusive as possible. We had a report from the first meeting of the new Buildings, Environment and Grounds sub-committee and will soon reconvene the Uniform sub-committee. A large proportion of the meeting was spent discussing the Masterplan and engagement with local stakeholders.
VCE Recital
Just last evening, Thursday 26 May, the Unit 1 and 3 students performed for their family and friends in The Space for the Semester 1 VCE Recital. It was fantastic to be able to see and hear what our amazingly talented students have been working on for many months. Well done to everyone involved and big thanks to Anna Berlingeri and the Instrumental Music team for all of their work with our students.
Brent Houghton
Principal