GSSC Leadership Team

Welcome to Term 2 at Greater Shepparton Secondary College

In particular, I extend a warm welcome to the new families and students who have joined us. Following successful recruitment mid-term, this warm welcome extends to a number of new teachers who bring added expertise to our new school.

I extend a further welcome to some key campus leaders who really need no introduction to our community. Parents, carers, current and past students know them well as highly respected, experienced and long-serving education leaders in Greater Shepparton.

Ken Murray will continue as Campus Principal at Wanganui Campus for the remainder of 2021. Kerri (Dougie) Souter will step in as Campus Principal at McGuire Campus while John Sciacca is on leave. Julie Walsh joins the leadership team at the McGuire Campus as an Assistant Principal. Stephen Bolton continues as the well-known and respected Campus Principal at Mooroopna.

I am proud to continue as Acting Executive Principal as we enter Term 2. Being at the forefront of such positive and incredible investment in improving the education outcomes of our young people has been challenging but very rewarding and exciting. 

Change is difficult yet the benefits of coming together as one school, on a new campus with unprecedented choice and support for education pathways and opportunities, is what our community and our young people need and deserve.

The move to the new GSSC will take place on day one of the 2022 school year.

To return to “today” and Term 2, please note GSSC has allocated Assistant Principals to support all year levels. This reinforces our existing Learning Mentor, House and Neighbourhood Leader support already in place for our students. Senior Assistant Principal teaching staff in charge of year levels are:

Year 7: Anna Sloane

Year 8: Julie Walsh

Year 9: Karen (Daisy) Utber & Stacey Lundberg

Year 10: Amy Gallacher

Year 11 & 12 (McGuire Campus): Ian Goldrick

Year 11 & 12 (Wanganui Campus): Kirsten Tozer

Our Learning Mentors

If you are new to GSSC, and as a reminder to our wider school community, each of our students is assigned a Learning Mentor on enrolment to the school. The Learning Mentor meets daily with their allocated students to monitor their learning progress and support their wellbeing. Learning Mentors also work with their students to build their organisational skills, goal setting and pathway planning. Your child’s Learning Mentor is the first point of contact for parents and carers at GSSC.   

Our House Model

As we progress to inheriting our brand new school in 2022, our House system will take on increasing importance in the education experience of our students. They now attend classes in their allocated House to create a sense of belonging, friendship and inclusion. Once on the new campus their House will be their “home” throughout their secondary school – a “small school within a school” with the education pathways, options and facilities only available at a big school.

A Busy Start

It’s been a busy start to Term 2 with the Senior and Junior Cross-Country runs being successfully conducted this week.  

We also wished the very best to our Year 9 participants attending Haining Farm Student Leadership Program for the entire term – good luck to Jayden, Rachael, Quinn, Kia, Brandon and Hayden.

May I also thank our College Captains and Vice-Captains (main picture) who so proudly represented our College at ANZAC Day services in Shepparton and Mooroopna.

Our thanks extend to the many employer representatives who attended our “industry dating” event this week - helping us to help our senior students be job ready on leaving GSSC.

Our new college buildings are looking amazing and this week we invited some Year 6 students from our neighbouring primary schools to visit and get a first-hand look at what they will experience next year when they commence at the college.

I understand there were some jaw-dropping moments as they were overwhelmed by the double-gymnasium, impressed by their modern Neighbourhood science, cooking, dance, other specialist classrooms and more. At the same time, they saw how their small and inclusive House, adjoining their own roof-top garden, will provide a welcoming and “small” introduction to secondary school. (Full story & pictures in this newsletter)

GSSC Values

We continue to focus on our College values of Respect, Responsibility, Integrity and Aspiration and these are the cornerstone of our college.

We greatly appreciate your support to help ensure our students are on time for class, in uniform and ready for learning – in other words, displaying the GSSC values of respect and responsibility we reinforce in our Learning Mentor classes.

Media Report

A recent Melbourne media report on Greater Shepparton Secondary College was distorted, disappointing and disheartening to our staff and students.

GSSC certainly had incidents in Term 1 that were unacceptable. We have dealt with these incidents effectively and the lived experience of our staff and students is far different than that portrayed in the Melbourne media report this week.

Our college is undergoing transformational change in the delivery of secondary education in our city. It is not easy – but it is incredibly exciting and offers the best life options, opportunity and investment in our young people for many years.

Parents concerned with this recent media report are encouraged to contact myself, their campus principal or our wider leadership team. 

Finally, may I thank the many parents who appreciate that this Melbourne media report and subsequent social media commentary does not reflect their children’s experience at GSSC. 

I thank you for your support, understanding and optimism on behalf of my dedicated staff and our students.

Best Wishes

Barbara O’Brien

Acting 

Executive Principal