Principal's Report

I’d like to start my report this week by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land on which we learn at Warrnambool College, the Peek Whurroong people of the Eastern Marr nation.  Further, I’d like to pay my respects to the elders, past, present and emerging.  I do this today in acknowledgement that, with the celebration of NAIDOC week at our school last week, it is important to acknowledge the rich indigenous culture of our geographic area and to embrace what it means to give voice to Aboriginal people who are part of our school community.  There are many ways in which we growing in our appreciation of Indigenous education and providing specific support for our Aboriginal students at Warrnambool College, but if you have further ideas on how we can do any of this better, please make a time to see me at school.

Today I also want to acknowledge the rich tapestry of performing arts in the Warrnambool community.  As many of you may know, I’ve had the privilege of being intimately involved in the arts over the past 4 months, as I’ve prepared with a tremendously talented cast to present the Les Miserables musical on stage.  As I write this, we’re half way through our sold-out performances and I can’t describe just how incredible the feelings are of exhaustion, exhilaration, adrenalin and anticipation.  There is nothing that compares in life to crafting something on stage with scores of others and then to humbly present this to an audience who ultimately stand and applaud in appreciation.  I would wish the experience upon anyone – it certainly gives me greater appreciation to everything that our performing arts department achieves every year as we produce our own school musicals.  If you haven’t got your tickets yet to Hairspray then make sure you jump on the Lighthouse theatre website shortly to get them!

I’m also appreciative of all the hard work that our music department puts in, every school day, to provide our many students with the chance to develop their instrumental skills, to play together and to form a close knit community of students who genuinely care for one another and their music.  At the end of term 2, our various school bands competed in the Warrnambool Eisteddfod against the other secondary schools in the Warrnambool area.  It’s a big deal and something that our students work hard towards every year. This year, our concert bands beat all comers which is kudos to the incredibly positive culture that has been built in the music department over the past couple of years.  We can’t replicate the funds that other schools have been able to invest into their music facilities, but what we have here at Warrnambool College money can’t buy.  It’s a special place to be part of.

I hope your next fortnight is full of virtual standing ovations for you as we launch ourselves out of winter and toward the warmer months of Spring.

Kind Regards,

Dave Clift

Principal