Principal Report

I am proud to be closing out my first year at Mount Erin College and what a huge year it has been. Despite all of the challenges relating to the global pandemic, we have stuck together and shown resilience to make it to the finish line. We accomplished another year of adapting to remote, hybrid and onsite learning while all the time continuing to maintain learning as our priority, and supporting the wellbeing of each other. Our students and families collaborated with teachers to make learning successful. By working together, we overcame obstacles that seemed insurmountable. Yet here we are at the end of our 2021 school year, smarter and stronger than ever.

To our student body, I commend you. You all demonstrated perseverance to engage in your learning whether it be every day online, or when we were face to face. I am hopeful that the support the College provided you during this time has given you the strength to overcome any challenges you faced as a result of remote learning and lockdowns. Hopefully in years to come, we can look back on these days as just a small blip in time, appreciate the experiences we had and be grateful for the courage and endurance we developed that allowed us to continue in the face of adversity.

In addition to continuing to achieve academically, many of our students have strived to reach amazing heights even through the lockdown. Congratulations to those of you who have to exceled in your sporting pursuits, musical or artistic achievements and other extracurricular commitments. This year, MEC will be releasing a pre-recorded video that recognises the outstanding achievements of our students. I am looking forward to sharing with you our Awards Ceremony video which will hopefully be available during the last week of term, which you can enjoy with family and friends in the comfort of your own home. In addition, I hope you all have the experience of sharing the joy of reminiscing through memories of 2021 by reading through our ASPIRE Magazine.    

Many of the experiences and achievements of our students could not have occurred without the endless energy, skills and devotion of the Mount Erin staff. Thank you and well done to an incredible group of professionals. I wish a number of our staff all the very best as they head off in new directions and thank them for their commitment to the College. We will especially miss Mrs Heather Worrall next year as she takes a well-deserved year of long service leave. 

I am appreciative of the support and encouragement the College receives from the MEC Parents and Community. Never in my education career have I experienced a more encouraging and caring community. Thank you for not only continuing to support your children, but to also welcome me to the College. To the members of the College Board, thank you for your service. 

As 2021 draws to an end, we are excited to be looking towards the future of MEC. We will continue with our best efforts to provide a quality education, as well as enhancing the school experience for all our students. The introduction of our House system is set to strengthen connections between the school, students and families to provide a holistic approach to student growth and progress. Please familiarise yourselves with our new structure and take advantage of being able to contact your child’s house directly.

With that, I would like to wish students, school staff, parents, and the greater community a restful and rewarding summer. Hopefully we will all get the opportunity to spend quality time with family, friends and loved ones and arrive back at Mount Erin in 2022 refreshed and enthusiastic for another great year of learning, friendship, collegiality, and growth.

Jenni Hodgins

Principal