Principals Report

What a busy few weeks we’ve had at the College.  I’ve heard nothing but wonderful accounts of the experiences our Year 10 students had at their respective work experience placements.  This is always a highly valuable experience as students get a real feel for working in a particular industry.  We can’t thank all the businesses and organisations enough who take on students for the week – we appreciate this is a big responsibility but has a huge impact on helping students make subject and future career path choices.

On the 23rd May, our Year 8 students experienced Medieval Day where external providers were at the College to educate them on how life was in medieval times.  Students had a fantastic day experiencing the array of activities put on for them.  You can see photos from the day in our Junior School report.

In the last week of May we welcomed Grade 6 students from our local feeder schools to participate in Activities week.  This is an important part of our formal transition process from primary to secondary school and it was wonderful to see the students experiencing what secondary school looks and feels like in preparation for their formal commencement here next year.

In our senior school, our Year 11 students are this week undertaking exams and our year 10s will do the same next week.  It is great to see them approaching their exams with a positive attitude.

As a college we acknowledged National Reconciliation Week last week with in-class discussions as well as a flag-raising ceremony. I was also lucky enough this week to be able to consult with several Wurundjeri elders on our Capital Works program, about how to integrate Indigenous culture and local stories into our build, particularly through the landscaping works. As a College Community, we recognise the traditional owners of the land on which we learn and work, the Wurundjeri people, and pay our respect to elders past, present and emerging. 

The majority of GSC students travel to and from school each day by bus.  All buses used by the College are fitted with seatbelts and it is imperative that students use these for their safety and the safety of all other passengers.  I would ask that those families with children commuting by school bus please support the college with these safety protocols by have a conversation with your child about using the seatbelts provided every time they travel.

I understand that there has been some community concern around the warmth of our classrooms, and uniform. I’d like to assure you all that we have heaters in every room, which were all checked at the beginning of last week to ensure they were functioning efficiently. 

I encourage all students to ensure that they are dressing for the weather – our uniform shop has a variety of warm options, including long-sleeve polos, rugby jumpers, fleece jumpers and the lined soft-shell jacket. Our fleece jumper is also worn by a number of our staff who love how warm and comfortable it is! I would also recommend including thermals as required under the uniform. 

All of that being said, I do understand how cold our Macedon Ranges winters can be – if students are in full school uniform and still cold, they can wear a coat over their uniform – and teachers will exercise common sense regarding coats in classrooms. We will be looking to make adjustments to our uniform policy through school council, to incorporate ‘additional items’ such as scarves, beanies, jackets. This will ensure there is clarity and consistency around the rules.

Our library is open every day at lunchtime for students to utilise indoor space, as are our internal corridors, and Year 12 study centre. 

We have an alternate yard duty schedule when we have inclement weather, which also provides indoor space for students across Year 7-11 (with Year 12’s utilising the study centre), in our two learning centres.

I hope you enjoy reading the rest of the college news and I wish you a wonderful and safe Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

Principal

Sarah Rose