Principal Report

We have made it!

Who would have thought that just being onsite for learning for four terms in a row would be win for 2022!

Thank-you 

Thank you to my Assistant Principals – Theresa Iacopino and Shareen Bottrell, the School Improvement Team, including Mel Nicholson (Business Manager), Lynne Dwelly (HR Manager), Darren Jones (Facilities Manager), Darren Yap (International Student Program Coordinator), all teaching staff, Educational Support staff, students and parents for their contributions to the school over the course of this year.

I would also like to especially thank all members of our School Council for their support, dedication and work throughout 2022. 

We are looking forward to working together in 2023 and continuing our school goals to ensure that Box Hill High School is a great place for learning and engagement for all students. 

The 2023 Annual Implementation Plan – School Improvement Goals

Next year we begin our next four-year School Strategic Plan (SSP) developed from the School Review this year. We have developed several key actions based on this Strategic Plan that focus on the 2 Key Improvement Strategies (KIS) for all Victorian Government Schools.

KIS 1: Learning – support both those who need scaffolding and those who have thrived to continue to extend their learning, especially in numeracy.

KIS 2: Wellbeing – effectively mobilise available resources to support students' wellbeing and mental health, especially the most vulnerable.

Our focus for school improvement in learning and wellbeing next year includes:

• Implementing a whole-school writing strategy to improve cross-curricular literacy and thinking skills
• Implementing the teaching of mathematical thinking and numeracy skills in the 7-10 classrooms
• Building student agency and engagement by prioritizing differentiation in the classroom
• Strengthening a whole-school approach to a positive school environment that is inclusive, safe and supportive for all students (preventative)
• Embedding a tiered approach to support student mental health and wellbeing needs, especially those who are vulnerable

Farewell class of 2022:

Well done and farewell to our 230 Year 12 students who have finally finished 13 years of schooling – now for the next chapter of your lives!  We wish you all the best and hope you find opportunities and pathways that allow you to achieve your potential. 

Please see details of our VCE results for 2022 item in the newsletter

Farewell to staff:

I would also like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank the four staff who are retiring from Education at the end of this year.

A big thank-you to Theresa Iacopino who has been at Box Hill High School since 2002. She was an exemplary Maths teacher who then became Curriculum Coordinator and then Assistant Principal in 2012.  She has been an outstanding Assistant Principal leading many areas of school improvement including VCE results and Senior School, School Building Projects, Curriculum, Reporting and Assessment Reviews and contributing to leadership across the whole school. We will miss her operational expertise as well!

We also thank and farewell Lynne Dwelly who has been our knowledgeable and hard-working HR Manager who is retiring after 14 years at Box Hill High School.  We are all going to miss her and thank her for her ever professional and conscientious work.  We hope she has many fun times with her family!

We also say goodbye and thank you to Peter Apostolou and Dee McQueen who are also retiring from teaching this year.  Peter has been an experienced Math Teacher at the school since 1999, also taking on Year Level Co-ordinator roles along the way.  He has always been very supportive of all students in his class.  Dee Mc Queen has been our wonderful Teacher Librarian since 2004 and contributed greatly to the positive culture in the school, building a love of reading in so many students and creating a safe and supportive space for students.  Dee played a role in many school programs, including the popular knitting club.  We have employed another enthusiastic and experienced teacher Librarian to join the library team next year.

Other staff leaving due to travel reasons, contracts, and other settings are:

Welcome new staff:

We are excited to welcome our many new enthusiastic staff to Box Hill High School in 2023, including Brenton Millott (Leading Teacher of Learning and Pedagogy) and Bernadette Sheedy (High Ability Students Learning Specialist) who will join the School Improvement Team.

By Kellie Ind

Acting Principal