Welcome to the 2022 School Year

I would like to welcome our school community to the 2022 school year. To our new students and families, welcome to Ballarat High School.

Once again as a school we will need to manage COVID as per the Department of Education (DET) operational guidelines. This will be an ongoing task and let’s hope we can all be at school. During summer over 70 air purifiers arrived and have been placed strategically across the school.

We have several new staff joining us this year:

Tim Davey: Assistant Principal Years 9-10 / Food Technology
Jehan Katrak: Youth Counsellor
Georgia Leorke: Mental Health Practitioner
Sofia Aleem: Leading Teacher Inclusion / Maths / English
Martin King: Returning Instrumental Music
Kristy Trahair-Merrett: PSD support
Dhanushiya Arumugam: PSD support
James Petrie: Returning HAPE
Jane Douglass: Returning HAPE
Aaron Bonell Huy: Maths Tutoring
Hannah Wemyss-Sanderson: Maths / Science
Kara Smith: Psychology
Ben Hunt: IT / Maths
Kerrie Hammond: English / Humanities
David Vatousios: English / Humanities
Charlotte Ross-Harris: Returning LOTE German
Rachael Thompson: English / Humanities
Ann Ramzan: English / Humanities

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 2022 and we look forward to working with them.

School Captains:

Ella Hutchinson & Alannah Hebbard

Deputy Captains:

Jerrica Elsa John & Jasper Meehan

Vice Captains

Isabelle Kimber, Lucy Ludbrook, Lilly Hancock, Jamila Jones, Chloe Canfield, Carly Rozitis, Lauren Dudley and Lilly Pennell

Last year we undertook a school Executive Leadership review, resulting in the restructuring of portfolios. These roles also align with DET’s framework for improving student outcomes.

Shane Mathison: 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 School Operations and Learning

Lesley Thorpe: Business Manager

Gary Palmer: Principal

Capital Works

Over the summer break our capital works project continued. It is pleasing to inform our community that the JJ Sheehan Building ground floor has reopened. This is our Resource Centre, housing the Library, Technical Support Centre and Wellbeing Hub.

We have almost handed over the Administration Building for a refurbishment, inside and out, with the aim to take possession back in early Term 3. After that, work on the gym changerooms and courtyard development will commence.

We are also in discussion with the Victorian Schools Building Authority (VSBA) on the removal of the old science building and the redevelopment of this area.

Thanks to local architects Morton Dunn, and local building company AW Nicholson for the work completed so far. They will continue to work with us this year on these next stages.

School Review

During Term 4 2021 as a school community, we completed a school self-evaluation of our last 4 years. This term under the leadership of an external reviewer, we will complete the school review. By the end of Term 1 we will have a new 4 year strategic plan. This plan will have a balanced learning and wellbeing focus.

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

Gary Palmer

Principal

Class Clowns