A message from the Principal

Signing off from 2020

In common with most other industries, 2020 has been the most difficult year for education that I have ever experienced. In the middle of a Strategic Plan built around growth mindset, challenge and moving out of comfort zones, we have demonstrated these qualities and skills in abundance as we have had to deal with the many curveballs sent our way and design a brand new pedagogy and way of working as we experienced it.

The impact of COVID on school operations and the movement into, out of and back into (and back out of) remote and flexible learning has been an exhausting process for our whole community. For the staff who discovered levels of flexibility and creative thinking they would never have thought they had, to the students suddenly expected to learn from their kitchens and living rooms on unfamiliar platforms and, most impressively to the parents required to oversee and manage learning from home in the midst of their own jobs and personal challenges.

I thank and pay tribute to everyone for the herculean effort and wish us all a long and restful Christmas period (thankfully spent in the presence of families and friends, rather than under lockdown).

I am very proud of our Leadership Team (Michelle Bove, Mel Borella, Matt Cook, Jane Bennetts and myself) who have done a great job of managing this level of upheaval and providing clear direction for the community through this year.

Our teachers and educational support staff are a genuine team with a clear focus on what is most important – our students. We have a staff who are committed to collaborating and creating a happy and supportive environment both for their students and fellow professionals. 

School Council and its Subcommittees have continued to work hard and deal with uncertainty to ensure the effective running of the school. Thanks to Julia Bunjevac for her work leading council this year. Her hard work and commitment to making our school even better and supporting what we do has been much appreciated. 

Our School Councillors have supported the work of Council and the sub-committees.

All subcommittees have operated in such a way that has resulted in council’s work being easier and our processes completed on time. Special thanks go to our convenors of sub committees for their leadership:  

Michelle Bove – Education and Policy

Neil Scott – Buildings and Grounds

Nova Whitehead – Finance

Neil Scott - Fundraising 

Michelle has valued the rigorous discussions that have taken place at staff meetings and Education and Policy Sub-committee meetings. Thanks to Natalie Gallucci, Mel Borella, Kathryn Bowen and Julia Bunjevac for your expertise and support. 

Thank you to Paul Yates, Damon van Horne, Nemanja Milovanovic, Greg Manonian, Chantel Jose, Marko Vukobrat, Robbie Cappuccio, Mathew Saliba and Andres Lopez Vidal for your involvement on our Buildings and Grounds Subcommittee. The school grounds have continued to shine and improve even during lockdown and the new sheds built will make so many aspects of school operations easier to manage.

The work of Finance Sub-Committee - Nova Whitehead. Mathew Saliba, Stephen Athanasakos and Robbie Cappuccio has provided close oversight and management of our school’s financial processes and ensured we finished the year in a very strong financial position once again.  

Our Fundraising sub-committee, Rachael O’Connor, Neil Scott, Chantel Jose, Tilly Hobba, Sonya Stephen, Illaria Miglioranza, Chrissy Manonian and Catherine Brulez-Marion have found ways to bring the community together and raise much-needed funds in this strangest of years. 

It feels like a lifetime ago but the school fete did take place in that glorious pre-Covid period in late February. There are too many people to thank individually for the huge success of this event but especially to Catherine Sharples and Alana Kelly for making this happen and to Illaria Miglioranza for masterminding the silent auction. 

SKiPPA, our Parent’s Association, have done their best this year to keep our community connected. Jo Gibbs, Sam Hutchison, Priscilla Mulhern, Elise Brettagh Lee-Ann Marotta, Simon Chatfield and Mirjana Jurosevic-Vukobrat, alongside a range of enthusiastic others.

I hope our families have an enjoyable Christmas and safe holiday and return next year ready to take on the work ahead with renewed energy. I wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Neil Scott, Principal