I would like to welcome our school community to the 2023 school year. To our new students and families an especially warm welcome to Ballarat High School.

It was pleasing to see schools return to onsite learning last year. The best learning is onsite for academic, social and emotional reasons.

Attendance data was not as strong in 2022 reflecting Covid, the return of the flu season and general fatigue. This was reflected in both staff and student absences.

What was pleasing was our learning growth and our NAPLAN, VCE and Applied Learning data all increased. What we also saw was an increase in student participation in high ability programs.

2022 saw the return of a significant number of our extra-curricular programs which we know are very important for student connectedness to school. We encourage all students to find an activity outside the classroom and participate, whether this is sport, school production, music bands, art club, Energy Breakthrough, debating, public speaking, library clubs, etc.

We have several new staff joining us this year:

Celina Brown: Librarian
Eliza Hopkinson: Alumni & Marketing Co-ordinator
Leahanne Reid: Maths/Science
Renee Browning: Maths/Science
Louisa West: Visual Arts
Brandon Humphrey: Instrumental Music Guitar
Jasmine Kawa: Maths/Science
Keith Scott: Learning Inclusion Aide
Hannah Walker: Learning Inclusion Aide
Taylah Middlemiss: Youth Counsellor
Jacob Borner: PE/Maths
Annaliese Attenborough: Literacy /English/Humanities
James Torpy: English/Humanities
Rebekah Leoncini: Commerce
Emma Carey: Administration Office
Karne Archibald: Administration Office
Brent Nixon: German/Maths
Chris Dunn: School Ops LT Maths/Science
Jodie Muller: Maths/Science
Troy Beggs: Maths/Science/Media
Brigid Bartley: Learning Inclusion Aide

We wish all new staff the best and look forward to the contribution they make at BHS.

I would also like to congratulate our student leaders for 2023 and we look forward to working with them.

School Captains:

Ellie Howlett & Isaac Jantzen

Deputy Captains:

Jasmine Goon & Zack Cummins

Student Leaders:

Emma Barber, Bailey Carroll, Meg Drever, Courtney Franklin, Milla Fraser, Torrens Kennedy, Lucy Laffey, Ella McKay, Flynn Carli-Seebohm & Polly Thompson.

Last year we completed our 4 year school review and have a new strategic plan. This is available on our website along with all school policies which enabled us to successfully complete our full school compliance audit.

In 2023 we are focusing on:

Learning Goals:

Embed the BHS whole school instructional model and peer observation process to improve curriculum and pedagogical practices across the school.
Develop the capacity of teachers to effectively design and implement quality formative and summative assessment techniques to assess and evaluate student learning growth.

Wellbeing Goals:

Development and implementation of School Wide Positive Behaviour Framework to create a positive and inclusive climate for learning.
Development and implementation of a Disability Inclusion action plan to support student wellbeing and inclusion.

School Leadership Profile:

We have restructured the school's Leadership profile to better balance Learning and Wellbeing reflecting the change in DET directions and to better support the school community post Covid.

Melissa Pompe: Assistant Principal Years 7 & 8 and wellbeing

Tim Davey: Assistant Principal Years 9 & 10 and wellbeing

Sharon Eppingstall: Assistant Principal Years 11 & 12 and learning

Michele Kennedy: Assistant Principal Schools Operation and learning

Lesley Thorpe: Business Manager

Gary Palmer: Principal

Leading Teachers / Learning Specialists
Dani Bjelanovic	Sub School Leader Years 7 & 8
Tom Arnold	Sub School Leader Years 9 & 10
Will Leversha	Sub School Leader Years 11 & 12
Fiona Finnegan	Assessment & Reporting
Caitlyn Leversha	Numeracy
Annaliese Attenborough	Literacy
James Warke	SWPBS (School-wide Positive Behaviour Support)
Jaz Plinius - Weise	Data
Fiona Lindsay	Curriculum
Bronwyn Cambridge	Pedagogical Practice
Jenni Nicholls	Applied Learning
Kaitlyn Fry	Professional Learning Communities (Teacher Practice)
Chris Dunn	School Operations
Sofia Aleem	Inclusion

Capital Works

Over the summer break our capital works project continued. Our old science wing was demolished and works started on the restoration of this area.

Thanks to local architects Morton Dunn and local building company AW Nicholson for the work completed.

We look forward to a positive and successful school year with our school community.

Gary Palmer

Principal

Wednesday 8 February	School Photos
Tuesday 14 February	House Swimming Sports
Wednesday 1 March	Professional Learning Day - STUDENT FREE
Thursday 9 March	Open Morning
Monday 13 March	Labour Day Public Holiday
Monday 20 March	House Athletics Sports
Thursday 6 April	Term 1 Concludes - 2.30 Dismissal

Diary Dates