Principal's Report 

Dear students, parents and carers,

Thank you very much for your work and support over Term 1. Here are some updates and news items that will make a positive impact from the start of Term 2.

Staffing

After a long recruitment process we have employed an experienced Maths teacher. Amy Gambrill is currently a Year 6 teacher at St Edwards. She has many years experience teaching at a K-12 school in England, specialising in Maths and Science education. Amy will teach mainly Stage 4 (Year 7 and 8) classes.

We are also employing three teachers on short term contracts for the remainder of 2021. This will enable some timetable flexibility, including co-teaching opportunities for targeted classes with a diversity of learning and behaviour support needs.

Year 10 Chromebooks

Year 10 Chromebooks are ageing and due for replacement. Year 10 students will be provided with a new Lenovo touch-screen Chromebook at the start of Term 2. We are transitioning from a buy and repair your own device arrangement to one where the College takes responsibility for the provision and repair of devices. Year 7 2022 will have a similar arrangement. 

The Year 10 device will be heavily subsidised, with $100 added to college fees in Year 11 (2022) and 12 (2023). Students who leave at the end of Year 10 will not have paid anything and will hand back the device.

One reason for this step is the number of Year 10 students who do not have a working device. We are losing learning time and diminishing learning culture. Students who do not have their new Chromebook, charged and ready to go will not be admitted to classes from the start of Term 2. Students and teachers who are always prepared for learning and work have lost time this term due to the inefficiencies and delays caused by some students who turn up without the basic learning tools. It’s time to ask more of these students and I ask for parental support if  a student is asked to show more regard for colleagues and staff.

Middle Leaders

We have been working hard at increasing the influence of middle leaders (Leaders of Learning, Leaders of Student Care, and a variety of specialist positions). Middle leaders are the leaders closest to classrooms and significant current and ongoing research in Australia strongly indicates that further improvement in Australian schools is dependent on building the collective capacity of middle leaders and recognising their potential to improve the teaching and care practice of teacher teams they lead.

Next term we will remove Leaders of Learning from morning Mentor Group so they can work with Leaders of Student Care to address learning, wellbeing and behaviour replacement needs of students as they begin the school day. Having this team take a collective and timely responsibility for student learning, wellbeing and behaviour will ensure more students experience meaningful learning in calm settings.

This week, Holy Week, beginning on 28 March with Palm Sunday, leads us into the great feast  of Easter. After the preparation and reflection of Lent, the good news of Easter Sunday provides a life-affirming and hope-affirming foundation to our Christian faith. 

I thank you again for the work of Term 1, and wish all a Term break that allows students and staff to come back recharged and ready to go for a productive Term 2.

Mr Rod Whelan - Principal