Principal's Report

ANOTHER CHAPTER BEGINS

Welcome back to all students, families and staff and I trust that you have all had a very enjoyable summer break. A special welcome to all new families to the school in particular all of the Prep and Year 7 students who are embarking on an important chapter of their education. It has been terrific to engage will all the students in these first few weeks of the year and I wish you all well as the year progresses. Please remember that we need to welcome our new families and staff at the welcome picnic next Friday evening 4:30pm-6:30pm. SRC will provide a sausage sizzle and parents are invited to bring a rug and meet other members of the school community.

I also welcome a number of new and returning staff as I introduce them to our community.

Staff joining us for the first time:

Liz Dalgleish (Secondary Visual communication/Art)
Mel Keks (Primary PE)
Tim Webster (Secondary Humanities and English)
Rachel Wood (Secondary Humanities and English)
Jason Drew (VCAL/Technology)
Rosie Campbell-Miller
Majella Paul (Secondary Maths/Science)
Robert Redfern

I would also like to welcome Jennifer Campbell to my Leadership team as a new Leading Teacher (Learning Community 9/10 and Teacher Development). Jennifer comes with much experience from Eltham High as a leader and very capable English/Drama teacher. I would also like to welcome back:

Tim Arundell (from long term leave)
Pam Tonkin (Sabbatical teaching craft for Semester 1)
Frank Stanley (from long term leave)

Over the summer we also had two staff departures and l would like to thank these staff for their contributions:

Anne Brown (Business Manager – promotion to Dallas Community School)
Elizabeth Muldoon (Undertaking further study)

We are currently working with a temporary arrangement for our business operations and we apologise for any inconvenience caused as we seek to recruit a new Business Manager.

I wish all the new and returning staff the very best as they engage/re-engage with the profession in their crucial role in facilitating and supporting the learning of our young people.

I take this opportunity to remind parents of the use of the Compass Parent Portal; if you are a new parent and do not have your username and password please contact the Admin Office (Natasha) on 94127700. The Compass Parent Portal gives parents up to date information about your children’s timetable, attendance, reports, upcoming events, etc. It allows you to approve your children’s attendance on excursions and make payments online plus a host of other things. If you have accessed the Compass Parent Portal before but have forgotten your password please contact the relevant sub-school office through the number indicated above.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP

The School Leadership Captains were announced and l take this opportunity to introduce them to our school community and to congratulate them on having been appointed to their positions. I also take this opportunity to thank Liria Stratus for transitioning these students into their new role.

School Leaders (Captains)

Lucy Tate: Year 11

Oscar Terry Young: Year 11

I am certain that our two School Leaders will continue in the path of their predecessors and represent our school in an admirable way by taking our school out into the community as well as bringing the community into the school. I look forward to working closely with them throughout the various opportunities that 2017 will provide for us. Our Captains will lead a team of 50 young budding leaders from across the College to enhance the school culture and to develop the leadership skills of many students.

SUMMER STORMS AND REFURBISHMENTS

When most people were starting to settle into the holiday break after a frantic Christmas, on 29 December, Victoria was struck by severe storms. It was reported that around 90 mm of rain fell over the Collingwood area in the first half hour of the rainstorm. As a result our school sustained substantial damage to floors and ceilings as well as to the state of the grounds. Fortunately, we were able to engage the support of our Regional Office immediately as well as the Department’s Re-instatement Program Coordinators and the repair work commenced immediately. Another storm recently also flooded several parts of the school.

It has taken most of the break to get the necessary work completed to make the school safe and ready for the students on Day 1. Structural corrections and replacement of some carpets will follow soon.

Building works in the toilet areas of the top floor have been delayed and we apologise for the inconvenience. We are busy preparing tender documents for major building refurbishments on the top floor and the cleaning contract. There are also very positive signs with our application for a multi-million upgrade to school facilities - namely the sports stadium and the top floor development. Other building works that will be an early priority are the Hoddle Street fence and the loading bay landscaping.

STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE

Parents/guardians are reminded that the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development does not provide personal accident insurance for students. Likewise the school does not have a whole-school policy for personal accident insurance for students. Parents and guardians are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including transport costs. Reasonably low cost accident insurance policies are available from some commercial insurers. These cover a range of medical expenses not covered by Medicare or private health insurance. Parents/guardians may wish to purchase such a policy for individual students.

COMMEMORATING THE APOLOGY TO AUSTRALIA’S INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

Monday, 13 February, 2017 marks the ninth anniversary of the National Apology to the Indigenous peoples of Australia given by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in the Australian Parliament in 2008.

In the spirit of Reconciliation, the anniversary provides schools like ours with an opportunity to bring together Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal members of the school community, including students and their families. I encourage all staff and families to raise the awareness of this important milestone.

VCE 2016

Congratulations to the Class of 2016 for their outstanding results and on their success in gaining entry into their chosen pathways. In particular I congratulate our School Dux, Meg Gome. Meg achieved an ATAR Rank in excess of 97 and she is another fine example of student achievement after 13 years as a Steiner student at Collingwood College. Our students have been offered tertiary pathways in a vast range of fields primarily across a number of universities and every student who applied received their first round choice. A small band of students were also successful in gaining entry to some TAFE providers. I take this opportunity to wish all our students the very best in 2017 and beyond.

LUNAR FESTIVAL CELEBRATING CHINESE NEW YEAR

On Thursday, 9 February, we celebrated Chinese New Year with a joint school concert in our theatre. Our visiting school guests from Beijing school No14 had a fun time and it was a wonderful celebration of the cultures of the two countries represented. Some student highlights include 3K and 5B singing Chinese folk songs, fan dancing by Year 8 students and a host of other activities. A professional line dance and tai chi routine ended with the giant dancing dragon.