Principal

Welcome to Term 3, otherwise known by schools across the country as the ‘busy term!’ And what a busy term we have planned. 

As I write this, students have returned back to class after a long weekend away spent with family. The College Ball went off with a blast and huge applause must go to Keir Mulder and Megan Butt, who led the student ball committee to create such an amazing experience for our 120 students who attended.  Many of you came to school and AJAR just to support the students and no doubt to have a sneak peek at how amazing they all looked!

The parent dinner was a resounding success. We had about 70 parents in attendance in the Dining Hall. To run two events simultaneously is no easy feat, and I know that our amazing kitchen staff  worked very hard to make it happen.  The Board Chair, Mick Pratt and I want to extend a special thanks to the kitchen staff who stayed back to make sure that we were well fed.  I’m told that having the parent dinner in the Dining Hall is something we used to do years ago and the Board were really keen to reignite it. It became clear to me as I moved around the room on Friday night that the parents really wanted somewhere to be able to connect with each other. It really confirms the need to create a sense of belonging in the school for our families; particularly those who live so very far away.

Last week our Farm Manager, Kevin Marshall and I met with the Agricultural Advisory group. For those who are unaware, this is a passionate group of people who care about our school, not dissimilar to our Board. 

However, each member of this group possesses an intimate knowledge of different enterprise areas within our farm. The advisory group member meets individually with our farm trainers, inspects their enterprise and provides us with advice and support to ensure that what we are offering here at the College continues to represent industry. We meet with this group once a term and I’m always very humbled by their expert knowledge. Last week we took the opportunity to do a farm tour. It was wonderful to see the fantastic work that has been happening over many years and strategize about our plans for the future. I must say our students are very fortunate to form their learning on such wonderful grounds.

With such a busy term it really is important that we stay connected with our families and make sure that we keep you informed about your child’s ability to keep up with creeping deadlines. We have global communication structures in place such as the newsletter and the What’s on @ WACOA. I also know that both Mr Mungioli our Deputy Principal, and Mr DeVos, our assistant Farm Manager, have been making contact with parents about any perceived gaps your children may be facing. Sometimes failure to complete tasks can be attributed to attendance and with a COVID riddled year, almost all have experienced some interruption.

That makes attendance at this time of the year particularly important. Different year levels face different pressures, but the most pressing currently lies with our Year 12 students. Those students should be finalising their competencies to ensure Certificate completion. The same can be said of classroom assessments. ATAR students will begin their final 10 weeks of preparation as they head towards their final exams. We ask for support in ensuring that students attend school regularly and any absences are kept to a minimum unless absolutely necessary. Thank you for your advocacy in supporting strong student outcomes.

OPEN DAY 2022

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