Welcome back

It was lovely to welcome everyone back after the two-week holiday. Our students have been out connecting and enjoying all that our school has to offer, and there has certainly been a lot of energy expelled since our return - particularly in the new primary campus playground!

As we settle back in, we need to recognise that Term 1 was the first full term on-site since Term 4 2019. This highlighted a number of challenges for the physical and mental wellbeing of both students and staff, particularly in their stamina, concentration levels, sleeping patterns, emotional regulation, and in some cases their anxiety levels.

Our wonderful Wellbeing team and Year Level Managers are on hand to assist students and families with all of this and more, and I encourage parents to reach out to discuss how we can support Macleod students. Wellbeing contact details can be found here and our leadership team contact details can be found here, so please don't hesitate to reach out.

Budget Announcement

As part of this week's 2022/23 state budget, we were hoping to receive confirmation of a grant for the planning of stages 2 and 3 of our College regeneration project. Unfortunately, we were not successful but remain hopeful that with continued lobbying and advocacy on behalf of our college, we will be able to receive this grant in the 2023/24 cycle and build the learning spaces our community deserves.

Building Project

This week will see the official completion of stage 1 of the college regeneration project. Our new entrance to the college, the upgraded primary campus playground and courts, as well as the Science Wing were all officially handed over to the College this week, and I am sure it has certainly given our students the much-needed space to play and learn they deserve.

The next project will be the relocation of the girl's toilet facilities. We are waiting for final drawings and costings and should be in a position to start these works as soon as they are finalised. We appreciate the patience of our students and community while we work through a sustainable and long-term solution.

I would like to recognise the support of our College Council, led by Council President Mark Lipman in the ongoing advocacy and expertise throughout the planning and building. The support of this group of parents, staff, students and community members has been brilliant, and I know they will continue to push for the best learning environment for our students here at Macleod.

Member for Jaga Jaga visit

On Friday 29th of April, Ms Kate Thwaites MP, member for Jaga Jaga visited the college to announce a pledge of fifty thousand dollars for renovations of the Macleod Music Academy should Labor win the federal election.

Kate spoke at length to our students, took a tour of the College, and listened to a number of rehearsals for this week's "Groovin' at the Austrian Club" performance.

It was wonderful to see some public recognition of how special our Music Academy is - something everyone here at the college already knew!

Acceptance and Inclusivity

In a very rare conjunction, major celebrations of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sihkism, and Judaism have occurred at the same time this year. I see this as a unique opportunity to expand our personal and collective religious literacy and to promote understanding and curiosity during this shared time of observance.

In the countless lessons that the pandemic has taught us, celebrating togetherness, keeping our loved ones close, and coming together irrespective of our societal backgrounds and boundaries have risen to the top of our priorities. Here at Macleod, students and staff have created an environment where members of our community are valued and supported to fully participate, learn, develop and succeed within an inclusive school culture. As someone new to the college, it has been wonderful to see this culture in action every day, and I am so proud of our community for welcoming and encouraging this diversity in our school.

Student Leadership

Last week, we had a surprise visit by the Student Leadership team at Friday morning briefing, where they presented each staff member with some homemade biscuits and a handwritten letter of appreciation. It was a lovely way to finish the week, and my family appreciated the caricature……

Have a great week!

Andrew Arney

Acting Principal