Across the Principal's Desk

Our Year 12 students had their last day of formal classes on Thursday 24th and returned to school for breakfast with the staff on the Friday – a jovial breakfast to start the day. They were then presented to the rest of the school at a General Assembly. It was clear that our students put a great deal of effort into coming dressed up as a whole range of characters and they created a very entertaining send off from Beaufort Secondary College – lots of laughs as well. The students also joined the staff and parents for morning tea before heading off to prepare for exams.

The Year 12 students still have access to their teachers to assist with exam preparation, so we will continue to see them at school at various times over next few weeks. Their first exam (English) was on last Wednesday and we sent them in after a pep-talk from Ms Moore and the support of a number of us at the doors of the exam room. They conducted themselves admirably over their last few days of formal schooling in accordance with the high expectations of our school. They have been a terrific group of students and we wish them all the very best for their exams and whatever comes their way in the years to follow.

Our Year 10 students went on their Melbourne Camp last week and had some fantastic experiences. The students participated in a broad range of activities – some to meet more traditional educational aims and others to simply give students a better understanding of Melbourne and the skills needed to cope in a metropolitan environment. It is a terrific opportunity for students to experience Melbourne in a safe and supported manner, which will be of benefit to them for future visits.

I was able to visit the group during the week and it was terrific to see their level of independence and responsibility. I enjoyed the opportunity to just chat with our students outside of the normal routine of school. A visit to the Big Issue was a particularly interesting and thought-provoking experience, as we learnt about the issue of people who find themselves homeless – quite an eye-opener and an impactful learning and understanding experience for our students. After another session at the MCG, the tour guide made very positive comments about our students in relation to their involvement and their respect – I never get tired of hearing these comments about our school and students.

Thank you to Mr de Zoete-Spiero for organising the trip and to Mrs Powlett for accompanying him and the students for the week – a big ask with time away from home and families but much appreciated.