Newsletters

From the Acting College Principal

I feel privileged an excited to be given the opportunity to represent our wonderful college in the position of Acting Principal. On behalf of the School Council I would like to wish Kerrie our College Principal a wonderful period of leave which is so well deserved. In addition to Kerrie’s supreme gratitude for their services, I  would also like to extend my sincere thanks to the School Council members who have served on our previous School Council and are not re-nominating. Many thanks to resigning School Council President Derek Whiteside who has and will continue to be a wonderful ambassador for our college. His commitment to our student’s welfare, our facilities and to maintaining defined processes has been a cornerstone and legacy of his term as President. Many thanks to Swati Sharma, Kathryn Lieschke, Renee Short, Rob Zull and Calin D (student rep) for their efforts and commitment to our students, staff and community. 

 

The first quarter of the 2022 school year has been extremely challenging yet rewarding as well. Returning to school brought much relief to our community as students, staff and families. We have made learning at school as routine and consistent as possible even though many students and staff have been absent for extended period with the impact of Covid-19. – (Operational Guidelines below). I have to report that staff have been so supportive and positive in picking up the pieces and ensuring student learning continues. Employing CRT teachers has been extremely difficult as most available CRTs have been absorbed in DET initiatives like the Tutor program that was to address students who have fallen behind in their learning as a result of the extensive remote learning periods we endured. 

 

Current Operational Guidelines/status for schools in relation to Covid-19:

  • Classes and spaces provided with air purifiers before the school year began
  • Staff and students with mask mandate in place for Years 3-6
  • Staff are required to have a third booster by no later than March 15 2022
  • RAT to be provided to all staff and students for the first term. Testing to occur twice a week and positive cases reported to school and uploaded to DET portal. 
  • Positive cases / isolated cases mean staff or students are offsite for 7 days. Home learning will be provided for these students
  • Student assemblies  
  • Parents will be informed of positive cases onsite each day – they will be encouraged to check their child’s class and monitor symptoms. All students with symptoms (despite RAT) are asked to stay home
  • School assemblies to be minimised 
  • Visitors to schools must be vaccinated and present a digital certificate 
  • School wide communications to proceed online wherever possible 

However, we have welcomed some wonderful new staff over the past month to support in a arrange of areas: ES Staff – Kate in the front office on both campuses, Briony and Katia to support mini – schools on secondary, Pande – Indonesian teacher secondary, Jemimah – Youth Worker both campuses. The aim for the ES staff is to provide improved admin support specific to a select sub-school area: Years 7-8/ 9-10/ and replicate that with Belinda P who is now our trained VASS person and will be the ES admin person in senior school. We have also appointed a vocal teacher Marley McKay one day per week to complete our instrumental music team for this year. We are still to fill some positions in both the Tutor program and in Middle Years Numeracy and Literacy Program ( MYLNS ). We are also in need of one English and Science teacher on the secondary campus. We are currently using staff who were tagged to these special programs in the classes until we can fill the vacancies. Principals across the region and beyond are reporting similar staffing challenges at the moment. 

 

Our senior students have embarked on the first assessments with determination and vigour. They have participated in a range of study skills workshops and our VCAL students have begun studies offsite in structured workplace learning and a range of VET courses. Some are sampling pre-apprenticeships and we have had one of our students pick up a full- time apprenticeship which is a huge success. Our Year 10 students will begin the work experience preliminary tasks in their Connect classes over the next couple of weeks. 

 

The transient nature of our community has continued with enrolments fluctuating with significance. IN- 21 OUT-23 giving us a current total of 734. Since the beginning of this year we have enrolled 21 students and has 23 exit to other schools. The destination data infers a range of reasons for this. Most notable are changes to family settings and employment. The changes in numbers impact class dynamics, staffing and require additional resources for induction and academic testing. The college is beginning school tours to coincide with open and information days on both campuses later in the term. 

 

We have had challenges with our ICT provider Edunet. The ICT team are working with them to develop strategies regarding point of sale and delivery to meet the needs of our community. As this aspect of school operations is contracted out our jurisdiction is limited to customer feedback. In addition, as a School Council, we have worked to update our ICT User Agreement policy to reflect both the purchase changes and protocols for use in line with a range of new DET regulations. Similar to this, our work on the updated social media policy will clear up ambiguities and concerns regarding the college’s role with the implementation of official Facebook pages associated with our College. I would like to thank all parties who have played an important role in the revision and feedback given on these matters. 

 

Our prudent financial position will enable us to begin a refurbishment program in 2022 beginning with the development of a five- year external painting and carpet replacement plan. We are also at the final stages of quotes for new external fencing that will hopefully provide some additional security particularly to after-hour vandals whose activity have picked up over the last few months. We are also mandated to complete tree removal works and pruning which is an expensive exercise and our stoves will be replaced in the food tech area. We have also engaged DET representation to assist us develop a masterplan that will focus on strategic changes that will reflect the changing structures of our college particularly on the secondary campus. There will be a focus to update pods and facilities to meet the needs of senior curriculum and students, consideration for the development of an after-hours resource centre, upgrade to our STEM building, possible partnership proposal with our local sporting partners and the local council for flood lights on our sports ground, upgrades to our gym equipment and the prospect to develop a disability support service. On the primary campus we need to focus on the front of the campus with the possible interchange with Merriang SDS of the garage spaces and a turf area or community hub that complements the existing ground facilities. 

 

Two of our major aims for 2022 in our school plan are ensuring all of our students have the ability to compete one year’s academic across all curriculum areas with a school focus on Numeracy. And that the wellbeing needs of students are addressed through three key programs: MYLNS, Tutor and High Ability. This is additional to the continued emphasis on the practices we have employed in SWPBS on the primary campus, the secondary engagement model and our commitment to enhance the levels of student agency and voice through school-based programs and in community partnerships. This must also work to spread the virtues of the amazing achievements of our students beyond the school setting and into a community needs affirmation and good news stories in a period of flux, change and uncertainty. We all have a key role in this! 

 

Bill Panas

Acting Principal