Principal's Message

Hi,

I hope that you all had a fabulous holiday, I know I did. In fact the best part was doing very little indeed! I enjoyed not being rushed, even slipped in a game of golf or two! 😊

Welcome to Term 3. I often talk about Term 3 being the term that we really knuckle down into teaching and learning. Routines, structures and expectations have been set and we move smoothly into the learning space.

We received our NAPLAN results this week. The very first thing that I wanted to do is see if we had gone better than last year, but this is not possible for 2023. Due to the style of the testing this year and the adaptive nature of the system, we cannot compare to last year (or any previous years for that matter), as a comparison would be invalid. We can still dig into the results and find information on students that is very helpful in the planning of differentiated work in classrooms. For example, the numeracy component tells us the particular skill sets that students have struggled with or have shown real strength in. At the end of August we should have the state comparisons, so that will be helpful in determining progression as a school. This week we should have the individual reports delivered, and we will get them to the families as quickly as possible. There is a new set of categories this year and you will receive a letter to inform you of the changes, with your child’s results.

Speaking of reports, I was a bit shattered after chatting to some students to find that many had not read them. 😞Please be sure to read them carefully to ensure you are 'all over' how your child/ren are progressing at school. 

• Are they at the expected level? 
• Are they struggling? 
• What steps need to occur to ensure progression? 
• How are they doing in each subject, Maths, English, Art etc? 

We definitely do not want any 'rude shocks' later this term when we are talking subjects and year level progressions. I am very happy to chat with families about reports. Please contact our office to make an appointment.

Whilst we celebrate all our students and their achievements, this week it has been an absolute delight to have 'mini interviews' with our Top 20 Year 12 students. At this time the Top 20 is purely based on academic results to date. The purpose of the chats is to recognise excellence and celebrate it. The chats allow us to check in on all details for their run to the finish line,  study patterns, lectures on line, practise exams and more. Really just trying to 'squeeze out' the last few possible points and making sure students are across the VTAC application process for University etc.

Whilst I spoke with the seniors, this will be happening at all year levels. It is such a delight. These students are intelligent, well informed and will be fabulous young adults as they move to the next chapter of their education, or careers in 2024. Could not be more proud of them.

Uniform, grrr! Pants, grrr! Yes, its cold, but can you please support us and ensure that your children leave home for school in the correct uniform. Black leggings and track suit pants, in any colour, are not uniform and we all know it. The vast majority of students are in uniform – great, but this week I just saw too many wearing the 'wrong pants'. I am happy to chat about pants if you like – they really just have to be navy blue (not denim or tracksuits) and without any logos! Can you please help us tidy this up – much appreciated.

Something to ponder: Can you teach resilience or do you develop resilience through experience?

Trudie Nagle

Principal