From Mr Ingold  

Term 3 in schools is always a very busy time. From the normal day-to-day activities that occur in teaching and learning, to many other wonderful events occurring. It is wonderful that we are able to begin participating in activities many of which we have not been able to participate in for the past two years. From Ag shows to excursions to Sydney, our students have been busy exploring areas of interest to them, both in and out of the classroom. In particular, the beginning of the term saw the wonderful conclusion of all the hard work put into preparing for the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Musical. It was a wonderful, though tiring, experience for all staff and students involved, and it was wonderful to be able to perform for our community again. 

For our Year 8 and 10 cohorts, they have also had the opportunity to have some agency in their future study choices. For out year 8 students, they have been able to select their electives for year 9 ensuring they are able to engage in learning of their choosing. For our year 10 students, they have been able to choose between the International Baccalaureate, Higher School Certificate, or non-ATAR pathways. 

Term 3 also presents a particularly stressful time for our senior secondary students. Our year 12 cohort completed their trial examinations for HSC and IB between weeks 4 and 7, while our year 11 cohort have just completed their Yearly Examinations. Our Year 11 students have also finished the leadership process for 2023. This is an exciting opportunity for student voice and these roles will be formally inducted during our assembly in week 1, term 4.

There have also been some exciting developments in our approach to supporting student wellbeing and growth. Since the beginning of the year, the College has been involved with the AIS Compass Wellbeing initiative. This is an initiative designed to develop a whole school approach to wellbeing using resources and professional consultants from the AIS. The key outcome of our involvement in this process will be a College wide Wellbeing Framework along with a Scope and Sequence for each year. There is a group of dedicated K-12 staff working towards the completion of this project.

Earlier in Term 2, our whole staff spent time identifying key areas that we could focus on to improve wellbeing. These key points related to Social Emotional Learning, Cross KLA Connections, and our Whole-School approach. With these at the fore, we began mapping out wellbeing related activities across the year. These activities include PDHPE course content, whole house activities, year group activities, co-curricular, camps and much more. The purpose of this project is to ensure that we have alignment across all areas in the college, to ensure that we are growing the capacities of our students.

Moving forward, we are in the process of gathering insights into cross-KLA opportunities for wellbeing. We are also planning to engage with student voice and the broader College community to further target areas of identified need. If you have any questions relating to this process please do not hesitate to contact me. 

Finally, we have farewelled our 2022 Year 12 cohort. Despite the challenges thrown their way over the past few years they are a cohort that has demonstrated our values over the course of their time at the College. We wish them all the best as they sit their final examinations and in all of their future endeavours in the world beyond school. We are certain that they will succeed in whatever path they choose to travel.

Mr Christopher Ingold