From the Principal Class Team

Dear Parents and Guardians

It has been lovely over the last two weeks to see our physical school coming back to life as we welcomes Year 7, 11 and 12 students and most staff back to onsite learning and work.

There were many tired-looking faces by Friday afternoon, though, with the added demands of getting up earlier, the commute, and just being around so many people. Nevertheless, the excitement and relief about being back with friends and colleagues, and having a change of scenery were palpable across the school.

We are looking forward to next week when all year levels and staff are back onsite – the first week that this has been the case since the end of Term 2; and the last such week for the year as our Year 12’s leave on 30 October to prepare for exams commencing on 10 November. 

We are also pleased to extend a warm welcome to two members of staff who have joined us recently: Mr David Bell is our new Grounds Person, and Ms Natasha Sougias joins the Wellbeing Team as a Social Worker working with the Junior Sub School. To learn more about our new staff members, please see the New Staff section of the newsletter.

We would also like to acknowledge the students and their families who enrolled with us during the time of online learning. It is always a challenge to start at a new school, let alone to do this when learning is online, and building relationships with students and peers is so much harder. They have shown a great deal of resilience and perseverance.

We wish them and David and Natasha all the very best for their time at St Albans Secondary College.

Principal Intern

For four weeks during this term, Ms Helene Refuerzo will join the Principal Class team here as an Intern. Helene is an Assistant Principal at Werribee Secondary College, and is completing the Unlocking Potential principal training program with the Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership. The internship is a central part of this year-long program.

Whilst she is with us, Helene will be working on a key aspect of our Annual Implementation Plan, goal setting and effort. We welcome her to the school, and look forward to benefitting from her expertise and external perspective.